The Super Bowl 46 odds are finally out, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are breaking down all of the Superbowl betting lines for the biggest game of the season at Lucas Oil Field!

We’ll start with the AFC champions, the New England Patriots (Odds to Win 2012 Superbowl: -3.5 @ SportBet Sportsbook). The Pats made it to this point in the season by taking apart a relatively weak schedule and throwing the ball all over the field. This is the fifth time that New England is going to be in the Super Bowl just since 2002, and it is going to be the seventh time that the franchise has been here in the biggest game of the year.

QB Tom Brady is obviously the pivot of this offense, and he is going to be the man that has all of the pressure on his shoulders. Brady was the record breaking quarterback in the 2007 season, the year of the perfect Patriots, and he put up arguably the best season that a signal callers has ever had in league history. Now, in a year in which he threw for the second most years in the history of the league in a season, Brady once again has the pressure on his back. This year, he has a tremendous set of tight ends with Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, and of course, he has one of the most dependable receivers in the league with WR Wes Welker.

On the other side of the field, New England ranked No. 31 in the league in total defense, and this is where the team clearly has its problems. That being said, Head Coach Bill Belichick has had his defense playing well in these playoffs, and the team has made the plays that it has needed to make, especially with DT Vince Wilfork, who arguably was the best player on the field against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.

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And that leaves the New York Giants (Odds to Win the 2012 Superbowl: +3.5 @ SportBet Sportsbook) as the NFC representatives. This version of the Giants really looks a heck of a lot like the last version of this team, which took a very similar road to make it to the Super Bowl. Those Giants had to play three road games and ended by taking out arguably the best team in NFL history, these Patriots, who were 18-0 at the time and threatening to become the first team in NFL history to finish up a seasonat 19-0. This year, New York beat all of the odds, had to backdoor its way into the playoffs, and then take down the Green Bay Packers, the most recent teams to really challenge the 1972 Miami Dolphins to be the second undefeated team in NFL history. Finally, it took overtime to beat the San Francisco 49ers on the road against some tough weather conditions, just as the Giants did when they made it to the Super Bowl four years ago when K Lawrence Tynes beat the Packers at Lambeau Field.

QB Eli Manning came up just short of 5,000 passing yards this year, and he has definitely proven in the playoffs that he is every bit as good as his brother, even in the clutch. Manning was able to go on the road and beat some of the best quarterbacks in the league this year, even Brady at Gillette Stadium. WR Victor Cruz had a huge NFC Championship Game against the Niners, only adding to the fact that he was one of the best statistical receivers in the league this season.

The New York defense struggled this year at times, but it has come up big with a huge pass rush in the playoffs. DE Jason Pierre-Paul did a fantastic job getting off the edge and causing havoc in the backfield of a slew of teams this year, and there is a ton of experience elsewhere on this defensive line. The other problem with this team was the ground game, but both RBs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have come along well in the postseason and have given the Giants their best contributions with their rushing attack of the entire season.

Odds to Win 2012 Superbowl @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 1/22/12):
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New England Patriots -3.5 (-105)
New York Giants +3.5 (-115)
Over/Under 56

Current Odds To Win The 2011-12 Super Bowl @ JustBet (as of 1/22/2012):
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New England Patriots -3.5 (+105)
New York Giants +3.5 (-125)
Over/Under 55.5

Latest 2012 Superbowl Odds @ Bet Online Sportsbook (as of 1/22/12):
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New England Patriots -3.5 (+100)
New York Giants +3.5 (-120)
Over/Under 56

Note: 2012 NFL Futures as well as Additional Superbowl Prop Odds along with college football national championship odds Can Be Found Below!!

Other CFB, NFL Futures, & 2012 Superbowl Odds @ Bovada:
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Trying to beat the Super Bowl odds is never something that is easy to do, and that’s why there are a lot of amateurs that struggling with the Super Bowl gambling lines every year. However, history could be very important in this duel between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants, and we are going to take the time to show you the most important Super Bowl betting trends for the game.

Patriots vs. Giants All-Time Series
2011: New York 24 – New England 20
2008: New York 17 – New England 14
2007: New England 38 – New York 35
2003: New England 17 – New York 6
1999: New England 16 – New York 14
1996: New England 23 – New York 22
1990: New York 13 – New England 10
1987: New York 17 – New England 10
1974: New England 28 – New York 20
1970: New York 16 – Boston (New England) 0

The all-time series between these two teams is tied at five games apiece, but as you can see, recent history is most certainly on the side of the Giants. They have covered three games in a row, including winning the one Super Bowl contest between the two in 2008 when they beat the then 18-0 Patriots by a field goal in a tremendous upset. All-time, New York is 7-3 ATS in this series.

These aren’t nearly the only good trends that the Giants have working in their favor. They are three point underdogs in this game, and as long as they stay that way, they have a tremendous Super Bowl betting trend on their side. They are 13-4-1 ATS in their last 18 games in which they are underdogs of a field goal or less.

More importantly though, the Giants are now 8-1 ATS in their last nine postseason games, including covering all four spreads in the playoffs in 2007-08, and covering all three here in the playoffs this year. They are also 7-0 ATS in their last seven games against teams with winning records, and that goes back to earlier this year as well when they were able to go into Gillette Stadium and beat these Patriots.

Things aren’t nearly as good for New England. It failed to cover against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, which dropped it to just 1-7 ATS in its last eight playoff games. The only cover came against the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs, but even that win is a bit tainted considering the fact that Denver finished up the season at just 9-9 overall. New England only beat one team this year that finished with a winning record, that being this Baltimore side that it just beat to reach the Super Bowl, and it went 0-3 ATS in its three games against teams that ended the year on the right side of .500.

New England has played in six Super Bowls before, including four in the QB Tom Brady era. Brady, who has struggled mightily in the playoffs over the past few seasons if you take out the remarkable game that he had against Denver, is just 1-2-1 ATS in his four shots at the Super Bowl. His one cover came when the Patriots became united against the “Greatest Show On Turf,” the St. Louis Rams in the first of two Super Bowls that were ended with a field goal at the gun.

In regards to the ‘total’, there are a slew of Super Bowl trends that are pointing towards the ‘over’. The Giants have played five of their last seven games as underdogs ‘over’ the ‘total’. New England has gone 26-10-1 for ‘over’ bettors in its last 37 games played on field turf, as the Super Bowl will be played on this year at Lucas Oil Field. The Pats are also 22-7 for ‘over’ bettors in their last 29 games overall.

If you’re looking for some great ‘under’ trends, the Giants have played four straight beneath the ‘total’ in games played on field turf, while the ‘under’ is 5-1 in their last six games overall. In this series, four of the last five have stayed ‘under’, including the Super Bowl in 2008, which many thought could be a shootout. Save for the last three minutes of the game, which featured 14 points, the rest of the game only had 17 in it, making it one of the lowest scoring Super Bowls that we have had in quite some time.

Over the course of a 16-game regular season and three weeks of the playoffs, players are bound to get hurt. Injuries have kept some of the best players on teams out of the Super Bowl in the past, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are going to be keeping up to date the Superbowl 46 injury report to keep you abreast of the most important Super Bowl injury news and notes leading up to the big game.

The New England Patriots came out of the AFC Championship Game in fairly good shape. They already have six players on injured reserve, most notably LB Jermaine Cunningham and DE Andre Carter. These two players were cogs on a defense that was a bit patchwork for the entire season, and they are surely going to be missed. However, the team’s leading sack man for the year, DE Mark Anderson played in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens in spite of a leg injury that had him listed as questionable, and we figure that two weeks’ worth of rest will make sure that he is capable in the lineup at full strength.

On the offensive side of the ball, QB Tom Brady never appeared on an injury report last week, but we know that he missed some practice with a shoulder injury. Speculation was that perhaps the shoulder was the cause of some of the throws that just weren’t on target against the Ravens, but that was quickly dismissed in the postgame press conference. WR Chad Ochocinco missed the AFC Championship Game after the death of his father late in the week, but he should be back to play in his first ever Super Bowl. The news might not be as good for RB Shane Vereen and T Sebastian Vollmer. Vereen is one of the backs used in the stable for the Patriots, but he really hasn’t gotten all that many looks this year. The former Cal Golden Bear has a hamstring injury, and he starts the week listed as questionable. Vollmer has missed the whole postseason with a back injury and a foot injury. He is considered questionable right now as well, but only time will tell whether it is he or T Nate Solder that is going to be starting at right tackle in the Super Bowl.

The New York Giants have had their share of injuries this year, especially at wide receiver. WR Domenik Hixon and WR Michael Clayton are most on injured reserve, as are DBs Michael Coe and Justin Tryon. Up front along the offensive line, Stacy Andrews and William Beatty are on IR and have missed the entire postseason.

On offense, the only man that is on the initial injury report of any note is WR Hakeem Nicks. Nicks missed some time this year with a hamstring injury, but he was taken to the locker room in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers with a shoulder injury. He returned to the game, and we can only assume that he will be around for the Super Bowl, but it is definitely a situation worth watching after he logged 1,192 receiving yards this season.

Defensively, there could be some problems at linebacker. This is already a unit that isn’t all that fantastic. Little used LB Mark Herzlich hasn’t been in the lineup in two months, but the bigger injury of note is the shoulder injury suffered to LB Chase Blackburn. Blackburn only played in five games this year, but he is the starting middle linebacker for this defense, and if he couldn’t give it a go, it would be a huge loss, especially against the tremendous tight ends that the Patriots are going to throw at these linebackers.

The Super Bowl 46 odds are now out, and the New England Patriots are the decided favorites over the New York Giants. Check out the keys to the Super Bowl for the Patriots and see what they have to do to make sure that they beat the Super Bowl betting lines.

Super Bowl Matchup: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
Super Bowl Location: Lucas Oil Field, Indianapolis, IN
Super Bowl Date/Time: Sunday, February 5th, 6:30 p.m.
Super Bowl Television Coverage: NBC

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Key #1: Tom Brady has to figure out how to beat a brutal pass rush
Some of the best teams in the game this year have had a remarkable pass rush this year, and the teams that have been able to beat the Pats have gotten to Brady and put him under some remarkable pressure. That includes the pair of sacks that the G-Men got in the first go around of these two teams. The Baltimore Ravens were able to get in his face last week, and though he was only sacked one time, Brady did throw two picks and only found the end zone one time, and that was on the ground. This is the same type of defense that the Giants are going to throw New England’s way again with some ferocious pass rushers like DE Jason-Pierre Paul. Whether it is more draws, more quick plays, extra blockers, or whatever the case is, Head Coach Bill Belichick and Brady have to design ways to be successful and to keep the likes of Pierre-Paul and these other remarkable defensive linemen out of the backfield.

Super Bowl 46 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
New York Giants +3.5
New England Patriots -3.5
Over/Under 56
Click Here to Bet Your Super Bowl Picks!

Key #2: The threat of the big play has to be there
Brady threw for 5,235 yards this year, but the one knock that he has had about his passing game is that there really wasn’t all that much of a vertical passing game. WR Chad Ochocinco might have the ability to stretch the field, assuming that he is back in the lineup for the Super Bowl, while WR Deion Branch is probably the next best option. He caught a deep ball against the Denver Broncos in the Patriots’ first playoff game, but that was a severely different defense than what New England will see in this game. Brady has to be able to have the time to take some shots down the field, no matter who it is that is getting the passes thrown his way, and though we don’t think that he necessarily has to connect on those big time passes, he at least to have to have that threat to keep the New York corners from playing bump and run coverage. We have seen teams hit the deep ball against these defensive backs before, and the Giants have to be taken off the line of scrimmage with the threat of the long pass from one of the best quarterbacks in the game.

Key #3: New England has to become a hardnosed team
With apologies to the football players on the field, all of which have to be tough guys to a certain extent, this New England team is basically soft. The Patriots don’t run the ball right up the gut all that often and have to get cute running the ball with gimmicks and odd formations. They tend to get gashed when teams run hard at them, and their corners really don’t like playing bump and run coverage. Case in point for how soft this team looks: New England needed three shots to get into the end zone from 2nd and goal against the Ravens’ 1-yard line to get in the end zone, and in the end, it was just a jump from Brady got the ball in on fourth down. This is a tough New York team that has taken the emotion from its winning streak and its history of winning the Super Bowl in the past. New England has to match that intensity if it wants to avoid another terrible disappointment in the Super Bowl.

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In order to make the most successful Super Bowl picks this year when the New England Patriots meet the San Francisco 49ers, we really have to look at the past and pick out some of the best Super Bowl trends that are on the board. Here’s a glance at all of the Super Bowls in the past and some of the most notable things that we can point out heading into the biggest duel of the season.

Note: Teams highlighted in yellow were Super Bowl favorites

The first thing that we notice right away is that there are a ton of favorites on the Super Bowl odds that have taken down the biggest game of the year outright. Favorites are 33-12 SU over the course of the 45 Super Bowls coming into this season. There are seven Super Bowls in which the favorite has won the game outright, but has failed to cover the number, three of which have ended in a push. Half of the last six favorites that won the Super Bowl didn’t beat the Super Bowl betting lines, something that didn’t happen once for the first nine championship games.

Of course, we know that the Patriots and Giants have played in their share of Super Bowls. The Pats are playing in their fifth Super Bowl since 2002, and they are searching for their fourth win in that stretch. Interestingly enough, the underdog is 4-0 ATS in these four games in the QB Tom Brady era, but the Patriots, who were favored in two of the four, only have one cover in that stretch. They were the second biggest underdogs to ever win a Super Bowl outright when they beat the “Greatest Show on Turf,” the St. Louis Rams in the first of two Super Bowls that K Adam Vinatieri ended with a game-winning field goal. All told, New England is 4-2 SU and 1-5 ATS in its six Super Bowl appearances.

New York first won Super Bowl 21 against the Denver Broncos, and it got the job done against the Buffalo Bills in 2001 thanks to K Scott Norwood’s wide field goal attempt at the gun to hang on for a victory. The Giants went on to lose Super Bowl 35 against the Baltimore Ravens, but they came back in their most recent Super Bowl appearance four years ago to beat these Patriots 17-14 in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Super Bowl. In the end, the G-Men are 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS in their four Super Bowls.

The Giants and Patriots have met nine times in their histories, and these two teams are knotted at five games apiece SU. Earlier this year, the G-Men were able to score a 24-20 upset at Gillette Stadium, where they ended Brady’s personal winning streak at home that dated back to before the perfect regular season in 2007. Ironically, the last time that these two teams played in the postseason was in 2007, which was just a month before taking out the Patriots in the Super Bowl. New York is 6-2 ATS in the nine games that these two have played since 1987.

It was four years ago that the New York Giants were lifting the Lombardi Trophy at the expense of the New England Patriots. This year, they are back in the big one once again, and if they are going to beat the Super Bowl betting lines in Super Bowl 46, these are the Giants keys to winning the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Matchup: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
Super Bowl Location: Lucas Oil Field, Indianapolis, IN
Super Bowl Date/Time: Sunday, February 5th, 6:30 p.m.
Super Bowl Television Coverage: NBC

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012 NFL Playoff Bracket And Other NFL Playoff Previews

Key #1: Eli Manning has to continue to get the job done in the clutch
Call it whatever you want to call it. Eli has guts. The younger Manning brother was sacked six times and nailed countless others by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, but even though he was in a position where he was absolutely brutalized, when his back was against the wall, he got the job done. In fact, that “back against the wall” mentality is what brought the G-Men their first Super Bowl in the Manning era, and it will be what has to happen again this year. It is clear that QB Tom Brady has the better passing game in our eyes with the flexibility at the tight end spot. However, in the end, when the going gets tough, it is Eli that is going to have a shot with the ball in his hands to make something special happen. It might be to lead a comeback. It might be to preserve a lead. It might be to make the big throw in a seemingly impossible position. Yet at some point, Manning is going to need to make a play, and regardless of how well or not well he has played in the game to that point, he is going to have to find some way, against all odds, to make the play that helps New York win this game.

Super Bowl 46 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
New York Giants +3.5
New England Patriots -3.5
Over/Under 55.5
Click Here to Bet Your Super Bowl Picks!

Key #2: The ground game cannot be stuck in neutral
The first time that these two teams played this year, 25 carries combined from RBs Brandon Jacobs and Danny Ware needed 95 yards on the ground. It wasn’t enough to consider the New York offense even remotely balanced, as the team threw it 39 times on the day, but it was just enough to win the time of possession battle and give Manning the ability to throw the ball around the field. RB Ahmad Bradshaw was out of the lineup in that first meeting of the year, as was WR Hakeem Nicks. The addition of these two is crucial to say the least, but if Bradshaw and Jacobs can’t get the ball going on the ground, these three fantastic wide receivers that Manning has at his disposal could effectively be taken out of the game. These two had a combined 23 carries for 87 yards in the Super Bowl four years ago, but there was a lot more pressure on them to carry the offense with the very young Manning under the gun.

Key #3: Blitz, blitz, and blitz some more
Actually, we probably don’t have the right terminology for this. The Giants don’t necessarily need to blitz, but they absolutely have to get in the backfield on defense and get the ball out of QB Tom Brady’s hands in a heartbeat. If Brady can hold onto the football in the backfield for long periods of time, TEs Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski will have plenty of time to get open and find seams in the defense. That just isn’t going to cut it to say the least. All of a sudden over the course of the last few weeks, men like DE Jason Pierre-Paul and DE Osi Umenyiora are finding ways to get around the corner and into the backfield in a hurry. Penetration is going to have to come straight at Brady as well, as it was when the pass rush was in his face that he made mistakes all season long against some of the best defenses in the game. Sure, generating that pass rush with just four or five guys will make life a lot easier on some suspect corners, but running bump and run and getting guys in the backfield in a hurry will do wonders as well. If the Giants can’t dial up some blitz packages and knock down Brady, they aren’t going to have success in this game.

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After weeding through 30 other teams, there are just two that remain for the right to battle it out for the Lombardi Trophy. The New England Patriots will take on the New York Giants in the biggest game of the year, and here at Bankroll Sports, we have all of the essential information for Super Bowl 46, including the date, time, and television station for the Superbowl.

Super Bowl Date: Sunday, February 5th

Super Bowl Kickoff Time: 6:30 p.m. (ET)

Super Bowl Television Station: NBC

Football fan in the Northeast really couldn’t have asked for anything more, as teams from the two biggest markets in the area are going to square off against one another in what has become a true rivalry of teams across conferences. Anyone who was around four years ago remembers just how epic the Super Bowl was between the Giants and the Patriots, as they fought for the full 60 minutes tooth and nail before WR David Tyree made the catch that might go down in the history of the game as the best football play ever, and WR Plaxico Burress caught the touchdown pass that led to one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history as well. It was the first championship and the true coming out party for QB Eli Manning, who is now four years older and wiser. Now, he is considered one of the truly elite quarterbacks in the game, standing right beside the man that he is going to face once again in this title game, QB Tom Brady.

There really is no reason that you wouldn’t want to watch this game. Obviously, both of these teams have tremendous offenses that chuck the pigskin all over the field. Brady and Manning threw for over 10,000 yards between them this year, making them the first tandem of quarterbacks to throw for over 10,000 yards in a Super Bowl matchup. WR Victor Cruz came out of nowhere to be one of the top receivers in the league this season, while both WR Hakeem Nicks and WR Mario Manningham have the ability to do some real damage as well. When Brady played in the Super Bowl four years ago, he and WR Randy Moss were breaking a ton of passing and receiving records. Now, it is Brady and TE Rob Gronkowski that are rewriting the record books. Gronkowski had one of the best seasons that a tight end ever had in the NFL, and he is flanked by another tight end that would be a tremendous stud on virtually any other roster in the game, TE Aaron Hernandez. WR Wes Welker led the league in receptions once again this season, and he is always the dependable target, while WR Deion Branch was more or less the forgotten man in the offense. Remember, of all of the wide receivers in this game, it is Branch that is the only one to already have a Super Bowl MVP award to his credit.

The teams both were flawed this year as well, but both have figured out how to work past their flaws. The New England defense, which ranked second to last in the league this season, has come up with two sturdy games in a row, and the team’s secondary is finding ways to do just enough thanks to an improved pass rush. The Giants had the worst rushing attack in the NFL this year, but all of a sudden, RBs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs are taking on the form that they used to have when they combined to make one of the most vaunted ground games in the league. A much maligned secondary has come up with some big games, including shutting down QB Matt Ryan, frustrating QB Aaron Rodgers, who might be the league’s MVP this year, and halting the momentum built by QB Alex Smith this season.

Needless to say, this Super Bowl has the potential to be remarkable, and it is surely going to be a game that you don’t want to miss. Be sure to tune into Super Bowl 46 between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots at 6:30 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, February 5th on NBC

The 2012 NFL Playoffs are just about set, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are dissecting the NFL playoff bracket and the NFL playoff possibilities for the road ahead, as we head towards the 2012 Super Bowl 46.

Current NFL Playoff Picture (AFC Playoff Bracket)
1: New England Patriots (13-3)
2: Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
3: Houston Texans (10-6)
4: Denver Broncos (8-8)
5: Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
6: Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)

AFC Playoff Game Previews

Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans Predictions

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos Predictions

Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens Predictions

Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots Predictions

Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots Predictions

New England Patriots Keys To Win The Super Bowl

The New England Patriots were the team that survived the NFC. It wasn’t all that much of a surprise, as they were the favorites to win this conference from the get go this year. One would have to admit that it wasn’t the hardest road to reach the Super Bowl, as the Pats ended up beating a Denver Broncos team that probably had no business being considered as one of the 12 teams fighting for the Lombardi Trophy. The argument could have been made that they weren’t the better team against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, knowing that the game ended on a missed field goal by one of the best kickers in the game in K Billy Cundiff. Still, with home field advantage on their side, the Patriots took the utmost advantage, and in a conference where the home team won all five playoff games, it was New England that was left standing to compete in the Super Bowl for the seventh time in team history.

Current NFL Playoff Picture (NFC Playoff Scenarios)
1: Green Bay Packers (15-1)
2: San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
3: New Orleans Saints (13-3)
4: New York Giants (9-7)
5: Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
6: Detroit Lions (10-6)

NFC Playoff Game Previews

Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints Predictions

Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants Predictions

New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers Predictions

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers Predictions

New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers Predictions

New York Giants Keys To Win The Super Bowl

Many made comparisons between this version of the New York Giants and the one that won the Super Bowl four years ago. And yes, we would have to admit that the comparisons are scary. In both instances, New York proved that it could beat the best teams in the league, in both instances it had to go through the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, and in both instances, it had to kick a field goal in overtime in a game that probably could have been won several times before that just to get into the Super Bowl. And guess what? In both instances, no one really believed that this team had a shot at doing the ultimate deed of lifting the Lombardi Trophy. However, after virtually pitching a shutout in the first round of the playoffs against the Atlanta Falcons, taking out the Packers, the team that was almost certainly the best in the league this year on their home turf and bouncing the San Francisco 49ers in the Bay Area in a driving rain storm in overtime, the Giants have proven to be battle tested, and they are certainly going to make a formidable foe in Super Bowl 46 even though they were the No. 4 seed in the NFC at the outset of the playoffs.