The New York Giants just won the Super Bowl for the second time under QB Eli Manning. But do the Giants 2013 Super Bowl odds justify backing them again? Check out the answer to the question: Will the Giants repeat as Super Bowl champions?

2012 New York Giants Offense
The biggest thing that the G-Men have going for them this coming season is that Manning has clearly jumped into that elite status of NFL quarterbacks. He has probably surpassed his brother, and really with the exception of perhaps Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees, there probably isn’t another quarterback that you would put on the list ahead of the younger Manning. He threw for 4,933 yards this year with 29 TDs against 16 INTs. Sure, the pick total was high, but Manning made up for it by having a knack for winning games at the end when all looked lost.

The emergence of WR Victor Cruz was key this year. That gave Manning a solid set of receivers to throw the pigskin to. He had 1,536 yards, while WR Hakeem Nicks had 1,192 yards, and WR Mario Manningham had 523 yards. TE Jake Ballard suffered a knee injury during the Super Bowl, but assuming that he is okay, he is going to one of the sneakier tight ends in the league next year. Ballard averaged 15.9 yards per catch and had 604 yards.

RBs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs were both hurt for pieces of the season, and the two only ended up rushing for a total of 1,230 yards with 16 scores. Both averaged under 4.0 yards per carry, and that shows that the offensive line is clearly going to need some work going forward.

2012 New York Giants Defense
Defensively, it is all about the pass rush. The play of rookie DB Prince Amukamara improved as the season went on, but he will look like a great starter next year as long as the trio of DEs, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Jason Pierre-Paul continue to be dominating. The questions that are to be asked of this defense, which ranked No. 27 in the league at 376.4 yards per game and No. 25 in scoring at 25.0 points per game in the regular season, are going to be at linebacker, where the team just isn’t all that great.

2012 New York Giants Contracts & Free Agents
Free agency shouldn’t be all that bad on the Giants this year. Ballard is a free agent, as is Manningham, and they will probably be the top priorities on offense to resign. OLs Stacy Andrews and Kareem McKenzie are both free agents to be. On the other side of the ball, DB Aaron Ross is sure to be in for a big payday from someone, while S Deon Grant is free as well. LB Chase Blackburn is likely in line for a new contract, and the team is also going to have to address the situation with at punter and backup quarterback if QB David Carr and P Steve Weatherford are not resigned.

2012 New York Giants Schedule
The schedule next year for the Giants is going to be brutal. The team is obviously going to have to play a first place schedule, meaning the Green Bay Packers will once again be on the slate. The other non-divisional home games are against the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The non-divisional road games are against the San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Raven, and Cincinnati Bengals. Needless to say, it is going to be a heck of a lot different now that the Giants have to play against the NFC South instead of the NFC West, and those games against the teams in the AFC North are certainly not going to be easy.

2012-2013 New York Giants Super Bowl Odds
The Giants Super Bowl odds are 15 to 1 at Bovada.lv, making them the eighth favorite. They were never really the favorites at any point over the course of this season either, especially with the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles in the same division with them. In the end, this is a brutal schedule for New York to have to play, especially if it isn’t going to win games like the two against the Washington Redskins that it was defeated in this past year. We aren’t even all that sure that the Giants are going to make the playoffs next year, and at this point, we wouldn’t want to back a team at these types of 2013 Super Bowl odds, especially when the team was brutally inconsistent all season long.

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.

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We are coming right down to the wire of the 2011-12 NFL schedule, and we are all set to take our look at the top players in the league and which ones we expect to contend on the NFL MVP odds this year!

There is no doubt that if nothing goes wrong with him, the man that is going to win this honor is Aaron Rodgers (Favorite To Win NFL MVP: 1 to 20 at JustBet Sportsbook). Rodgers is the best player on the best team in the game, and that is very often the only way to judge who gets this award. In fairness, it’s not like he has been a statistical letdown this year either. The former Cal Golden Bear is third in the league in passing yards with 4,125, and he has 39 TDs on the season. His team is three wins away from a perfect regular season, and if he can average four TD tosses per game in those three duels, he will break the record for most TD passes in a year, held by QB Tom Brady in the not-so-perfect 18-1 season for the New England Patriots. Either way, he is probably going to account for the most scores by a single player in league history, as Rodgers also has three TDs on the ground and is getting the job done with his legs when he has to.

If there is another man that has a gripe to this award, it is New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees (2011 MVP Odds: 10 to 1 at JustBet Sportsbook). Brees has better numbers and just as good of a record as Brady does, so we are taking the Patriot out of the equation at this point. Brees is going to join the 40,000-yard passing mark for his career either this week or next, barring injury, and he needs to throw for just 716 yards over the course of his last three games to become the all-time leading passer in league history… That’s to say, as long as he holds off Rodgers, QB Eli Manning, and Brady, all of which have the potential to reach Marino’s mark this year. The only chance that Brees really has this year is if he can prove to the rest of the league that the Saints would be in more trouble without him than the Packers would be without Favre. We do totally believe that to be the case, but without a miracle, it would be hard to ignore Rodgers.

And that leaves the only other man that we consider to even remotely be a candidate for the league’s top individual honor, Denver Broncos’ QB Tim Tebow (Odds To Win 2011 MVP: 100 to 1 at JustBet Sportsbook). Alright, we know that Tebow’s numbers are disgusting, and MVPs of yesteryear would probably freak out if they found out that a man that is completing less than 50 percent of his passes is even being considered as the league’s MVP… However, the name of the award is the Most Valuable Player award. We know that the rest of the team has stepped up around Tebow and that Head Coach John Fox has done a magnificent job game planning for what he has to work with on a regular basis. However, with QB Kyle Orton as the starter, the Broncos were a terrible team. They’ve won six in row and seven out of eight with Tebow calling the shots, and that includes three overtime victories and six fourth quarter comebacks, three of which were from double digits down, and the latest of which against the Chicago Bears came from down 10 in a game in which Denver was being shut out in with less than three minutes to play. If there is enough media out there that believes in Tebow, 100 to 1 could be a mighty nice price to invest in…

NFL MVP Odds 2011-12 @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 12/17/11):
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Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) 1 to 20
Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) 10 to 1
Tim Tebow (Denver Broncos) 100 to 1
Tom Brady (New England Patriots) 12 to 1

It’s report card time! Here at Bankroll Sports, we’re analyzing all 32 teams in the NFL and how they stack up from their wheelings, dealings, and draft picking over the course of the three-day extravaganza known as the NFL Draft!

Arizona Cardinals: The last day of the draft could have really treated the Cardinals well, as they picked up two linebackers in Sam Acho and Quan Sturdivant that could have been severely underrated. Patrick Peterson was a great pickup in the first round at No. 5, as he might have been the best player on the board. The only complaint is that the quarterback problems were never addressed, meaning the Redbirds have a boatload of work to do in the offseason to find their man to lead their team. Still, this was a rock solid draft. Final Grade: A-

Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta took the gamble of the draft by taking Julio Jones at No. 6 overall, trading a second rounder, a fourth rounder, and two future draft choices, including next year’s top pick to get him. He was really the only notable addition in this whole draft for the Falcons though, and we don’t love the idea of sticking all of your rookie eggs in one basket. Final Grade: B-

Baltimore Ravens: There really weren’t any tremendous needs that the Ravens had to fill in this draft, and they really stacked up their depth by continually taking the best player available. Jimmy Smith has some character issues, and perhaps hanging out with Ed Reed and Ray Lewis isn’t the best for that, but there is no doubt that he was a Top 10 talent out of Colorado. Torrey Smith might turn out to be the best receiver on the board, and Jah Reid can stay in help in the O-Line rotation right away. Even the quarterback need was address with Tyrod Taylor in Round 6, a man which reminds scouts in Baltimore of a stronger and faster Troy Smith. Final Grade: B+

Buffalo Bills: Buffalo is another team that never found its quarterback to led it into the future, and we’re really not so sure that that was that great of an idea. Aaron Williams and Marcell Dareus will absolutely be starters in the NFL this next year, and both could be huge impact players. Most of the rest of the draft was spent on defense as well, something out of the ordinary for Chan Gailey and company. Needs weren’t filled, but great athletes were put on this team for sure. Final Grade: B

Carolina Panthers: Scouts in Carolina are loving what they see out of sixth round draft choice, Zachary Williams on the offensive line, and for a team that just got its quarterbacks battered and bruised all year last year, he certainly can’t hurt. The defensive line was bulked with a pair of third rounders who could find themselves starting by the start of the season in Terrell McClain and Sione Fua. This draft is all about Cam Newton though, and the way that his game translates at the NFL level. Final Grade: B

Chicago Bears: It really seems like a lot of these picks were wasted in the back rounds by the Bears. We aren’t much for Nathan Enderle as a pro prospect, and Chris Conte is definitely a project pick moving from linebacker to safety. Still, these first two picks with Gabe Carimi and Stephen Paea were fantastic and gives Head Coach Lovie Smith two new starters to plug into the rotation. Final Grade: B

Cincinnati Bengals: It was all about getting the offense right for new OC Jay Gruden this year for the Bengals in the draft. AJ Green gives the team a man that will probably step onto the field as one of the 10 best receivers in the league, and in case Carson Palmer does retire or get traded, Andy Dalton was picked up in Round 2 to help smooth the transition. The rest of the picks weren’t all that exciting, but Clint Boling could turn into something in time on the O-Line. Final Grade: A

Cleveland Browns: What a draft for General Manager Mike Holmgren! Sure, Cleveland is still a lot of pieces to the puzzle away, but Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard shore up the defensive line for certain, and Greg Little and Jordan Cameron could prove to be big time assets in the passing game for Colt McCoy. Owen Marecic is a lot like Seattle’s Owen Schmitt at fullback, and everyone has to be excited about that at the Dawg Pound as well, especially in a hard nosed division. Add all of that to the fact that there are two more picks coming from the Falcons next year as well, and it’s clear that Cleveland made a killing in this draft. Final Grade: A+

Dallas Cowboys: It seems awkward to us that the Cowboys would draft three offensive linemen and no defensive linemen in this draft. Tyron Smith is immediately the team’s new right tackle,and Bruce Carter might prove to be the steal of the draft at outside linebacker, especially opposite of DeMarcus Ware, butthe rest of these picks definitely weren’t all that exciting and really didn’t seem to address that many team needs. Final Grade: B-

Denver Broncos: Denver had one of the best five drafts in the league for sure, but with back to back picks in the second round, there was no reason not to. Von Miller was the ideal fit at No. 2 for the Broncos with his speed off of the edge, and the safety position was shored up as well with the additions of Rahim Moore and Quinton Carter. Julius Thomas and Virgil Green are both huge targets at 6’5″ at tight end, and both could have an impact on this team much like Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez did last year on the Patriots. Final Grade: A

Detroit Lions: Detroit’s draft was basically done in the second round, but Head Coach Jim Schwartz won’t mind. He now has arguably the best interior defensive line in the game with Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh, and both Titus Young and Mikel LeShoure bring some more excitement to a young offense that is getting better and better every single day. This might not quite be the year for the Lions, but they’re certainly getting there. Final Grade: A+

Green Bay Packers: None of the Day 2 picks really screamed to us for the Packers, save for DJ Williams, who could turn into a great tight end at the next level after catching passes from Ryan Mallett at Arkansas for a few years. More offense was on tap in the first two days of the draft as well, as Derek Sherrod, Randall Cobb, and Alex Green were the first three selections. This defense is starting to age, and Head Coach Mike McCarthy might rue the day that he really didn’t draft anything useful on this side of the ball. Final Grade: C

Houston Texans: Houston actually spent all but two of its draft picks on defense this year, something that has to encourage the heck out of Texans fans everywhere. JJ Watt gives the team a prototypical down 3-4 end, while Brooks Reed could make a hellacious pass rusher opposite the fantastic Mario Williams. Brandon Harris should immediately step in and start as well alongside last year’s top choice at corner, Kareem Jackson. The back end of the draft was iffy, and we definitely question the pick of Taylor Yates in Round 5, but the Texans really did address a ton of their needs through the draft this year. Final Grade: B

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Indianapolis Colts: Think the offensive line starters from last year know that their days are numbered in Indy? The Colts only had five draft choices when it was all said and done, and the first two came on offensive linemen, Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana. Delone Carter was an interesting add at running back, though he is a bit undersized for the position at just 5’9″. It was all about the linemen for Indy though, and it’s hard to argue about the two that it ended up with. Final Grade: B

Jacksonville Jaguars: When you really look at it, the Jags’ draft this year really ended up being bad news for a lot of the veterans on this team, including Head Coach Jack Del Rio. Del Rio really needs a winning season and a playoff berth to save his job in the Sunshine State, and the team really needs to start to win to fill up the stadium to keep the team where it is and not in a venue like Los Angeles in the near future. Blaine Gabbert might turn out to be great one day, but we don’t know if Jacksonville can really wait for “one day” to happen. An offensive lineman in Round 3 in Williams Rackley is again, a nice pickup, but it’s not going to excite the city. Final Grade: C+

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs have a lot of potential in this draft, but Head Coach Todd Haley and company have a lot of work to do to develop it. Ricky Stanzi could make for an interesting choice one day as the team’s fifth round pick, but the far more interesting pieces to the puzzle are Justin Houston, Rodney Hudson, and Jonathan Baldwin, all of which were first round talent, and all of which will probably end up starting when push comes to shove this year. Final Grade: B

Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey is sure to be a starter at one of the guard spots for Miami, but the bigger question is how the rest of this draft will pan out. Daniel Thomas might have to shoulder the whole load for the Fins if Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams leave. We’re intrigued by the selection of Charles Clay, as he can run the ball and line up at tight end or even slot receiver, and the “jack of all trades” type is just what Head Coach Tony Sparano loves to work with. Final Grade: B-

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings might have ended up with a ton of draft picks when push came to shove, but unless Christian Ponder turns out to be the second coming of Daunte Culpepper, this draft was probably a waste. The only other viable player that we see out of this drat was Kyle Rudolph, but if he doesn’t have a QB to throw him the ball, he’ll bust as well. Final Grade: F

New England Patriots: There are definitely ups and downs in this draft for New England. The biggest upside is that the team now has another first and another second round draft choice next year after trades in this draft, but the biggest downside is that the biggest needs of the team were never addressed. Two running backs and a quarterback in Rounds 2 and 3 really didn’t strike anyone in Beantown, and the only two men that really look like they can step in right away as potential full time starters are Nate Solder and Ras-I Dowling. We’re not generally ones to ask questions of Head Coach Bill Belichick and company, but this time, we really don’t know. Final Grade: C

New Orleans Saints: Greg Romeus was the perfect pickup for the Saints in the seventh round, as this was a man that really had a ton of potential before getting injured in his final season at U-Pitt. The first three picks that New Orleans had look good, as Cameron Jordan, Mark Ingram, and Martez Wilson are all potential starters. The problem that they have is that the Saints gave up their first round draft pick next year to get Ingram, and they know that Reggie Bush is on his way out the door. Final Grade: B-

New York Giants: The Giants drafted a lot of quality guys this year, and they should have a lot of potential playmakers out of this draft. Prince Amukamara was Top 10 talent, and Marvin Austin knows that he could’ve been a first rounder as well. Jerrel Jernigan was a steal at receiver in Round 3, and Greg Jones is definitely a leader at linebacker that might turn out to be a great pickup in Round 6. Final Grade: A

New York Jets: There were a lot of decent college names that came in this draft for the Jets, but the question is whether there will be an real players in the bunch. We don’t doubt that Muhammad Wilkerson and Kenrick Ellis were great finds, but names like Bilal Powell and Greg McElroy don’t excite us — at least yet. Final Grade: B-

Oakland Raiders: Give us a break, Oakland… Giving up a future second rounder to move up in the draft just wasn’t a great idea considering the fact that the Raiders are probably going to stink again next year, and there really weren’t too an fantastic draft picks with what was out there on the board. Demarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa are just blazers at corner, but neither are going to be starters in this league to replace Nnamdi Asomugha when push comes to shove. Final Grade: D-

Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles made some interesting selections late on in the draft, including Stanley Havili, Brian Rolle, and Julian Vandervelde, and Alex Henery might have been the best place kicker in the draft as well. We’re still not thrilled with Danny Watkins in Round 1, nor was Jaiquawn Jarrett all that exciting in Round 2 either. Final Grade: C

Pittsburgh Steelers: The lines were bulked up for the Steelers, with four picks out of five being used on big boys. The rest of the picks were on DBs. It’s hard to say that the Steelers really didn’t address needs, because they clearly did. Still, there wasn’t much to work with in terms of great picks, and Pittsburgh didn’t do anything overly spectacular. Final Grade: C+

San Diego Chargers: Jordan Todman might be one of the steals of the draft in the sixth round, and he compliments a fantastic draft by the Bolts. San Diego has a new big time lineman in Corey Liugey, and Marcus Gilchrist could become a great DB as a third option. Vincent Brown might be able to line up in the place of Vincent Jackson in due time as well. Final Grade: B+

San Francisco 49ers: Names like Ronald Johnson and Bruce Miller are definitely recognizeable for the Niners, but the real picks in this draft that will be under scrutiny for years will be those of Aldon Smith and Collin Kaepernick. We’re just not so sure that trading up to get a quarterback that has only played in the Pistol offense over the last four years is that great of an idea, but we trust Head Coach Jim Harbaugh to get the job done and groom the former member of the Nevada Wolf Pack. Final Grade: B-

Seattle Seahawks: Be honest with us, Seattle fans. Are you in any way, shape, or form excited over this draft? We don’t think that James Carpenter was a great pick along the offensive line, as there had to be bigger needs on the team than that, especially after taking Russell Okung last year. Beyond that, there was really nothing all that special to speak of. A ‘D’ grade is being nice. Final Grade: D

St. Louis Rams: The Rams stockpiled some talent through this draft, and they filled some needs as well. Sam Bradford now has two new receivers to work with in Austin Pettis and Greg Salas, and Lance Kendricks could prove to be a great, athletic tight end as well. Robert Quinn is a sure starter along the defensive line, and Jermale Hines could turn into a stud out of Ohio State. Final Grade: A-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The second two days of this draft really did make up for the Adrian Clayborn pick in Round 1 for the Bucs. Da’Quan Bowers was arguably the best second round selection in the draft, and Luke Stocker and Ahmad Black highlight a potentially lucrative second day as well. Give General Manager Mark Dominik credit for building up this team into what could be a contender again this season. Final Grade: B

Tennessee Titans: Unless we end up being proved wrong about Jake Locker, this draft really stunk for the Titans. Second and third round choices, Akeem Ayers and Jurrell Casey were solid picks, but Locker is clearly the crown jewel of the draft one way or the other. Tennessee knows that it has a lot of grooming to do, and there could be plenty of losses in the future. Final Grade: D

Washington Redskins: This was a nice effort by the Redskins in the draft, chock full of a ton of picks to work with late on. If any of these picks in the third day pan out, things will be great for Washington, which already did a nice job grabbing Ryan Kerrigan, Leonard Hankerson, and Jarvis Jenkins. Watch out for Roy Helu this year, as he could immediately step into the lineup as a starter and be a dark horse for rookie of the year. Final Grade: A-

Making Superbowl picks are our specialty here at Bankroll Sports, and in order to give you a helping hand on the upcoming duel in the Super Bowl, we’re breaking down some of the most notable Super Bowl trends for the duels left in the second season!

Sunday, February 6th, 6:35 ET: Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL Trends of Note
The Packers are…
-5-1 ATS in their L/6 games against teams with a winning record
-5-1 ATS in their L/6 games overall
-19-6-1 ATS in their L/26 games following games in which they hold their foes to two TDs or fewer
-6-2 ATS in their L/8 games as favorites
-8-3-1 ATS in their L/12 games played on field turf
-12-5-1 ATS in their L/18 games following an ATS win
-2-5 ATS in their L/7 playoff games as favorites

The Steelers are…
-4-0 ATS in their L/4 games overall
-9-1 ATS in their L/10 playoff games
-5-1 ATS in their L/6 games following an SU victory
-4-1 ATS in their L/5 games following an ATS victory
-16-5-1 ATS in their L/22 games as underdogs of three points or fewer
-34-16-1 ATS in their L/51 games as underdogs overall

The over is…
-4-0 in Pittsburgh’s L/4 games following an ATS victory
-4-0 in Pittsburgh’s L/4 games following an SU victory
-5-1 in Pittsburgh’s L/6 playoff games as an underdog
-4-1 in Pittsburgh’s L/5 games overall
-16-5 in Pittsburgh’s L/21 playoff games

The under is…
-4-0 in Pittsburgh’s L/4 games as an underdog
-6-1 in Green Bay’s L/7 games following an SU victory
-8-3 in Green Bay’s L/11 games following an ATS victory
-5-2 in Green Bay’s L/7 games as a favorite of three points or fewer
-9-4 in Green Bay’s L/13 games against teams with a winning record
-5-2 in Green Bay’s L/7 games played on field turf

Series History
These are, without a shadow of a doubt, the two most storied franchises in the history of the NFL. Between them, there are 20 championships, nine of which are Superbowl betting victories. The two teams don’t generally play all that often, but they did last year, and Pittsburgh came away with a 37-36 triumph at home at Heinz Field. The Steelers have had the upper hand on the Pack for quite some time as well. Dating back to 1980, these two teams have met eight times, with Pittsburgh going 6-2 SU and 4-4 ATS. Though the last game between them featured 73 points, there hasn’t been another game between them that has had more than 47, and three of the L/6 clashes have featured 30 points or fewer.

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All season long, the NFL has been chock full of high scoring affairs. In fact, this season alone, there have been 147 ‘over’ contests against 114 ‘under’ games with some pushes mixed in, meaning if you bet on the ‘over’ in every single duel, you cashed in 56.3 percent of the time. Will this continue to be the case on the Super Bowl XLV odds, or will we revert back to a lower scoring duel? Check out these three keys that are going to probably be the decisive factors in whether this one goes over or under the posted 46.

Key #1: James Starks needs to keep control of the clock
We’ve already talked about the importance of Starks in the Super Bowl for the Packers to beat the Superbowl XLV odds, but he is going to be very instrumental in the ‘total’ as well. Green Bay has to want to keep feeding him the football to keep this clock moving on a regular basis. It seems to go without saying that the more runs there are in a game, the fewer plays that there are, thus the fewer opportunities there are for points. The good news with Starks for those looking to back the ‘under’ is that he really isn’t all that much of a home run threat. If he’s going to move the ball 60s yards on you, he’s going to do it in 10-12 carries, not just in one pop. As we know, this probably isn’t going to work against the Pittsburgh front seven though, so in a bit of an ironic twist, if you back the ‘over’ on the Super Bowl betting lines, you’re probably more interested in Starks not getting his act together.

Super Bowl XLV Odds at BetUS Sportsbook
Pittsburgh Steelers +2.5
Green Bay Packers -2.5
Over/Under (Total) 46
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Key #2: Teams need to avoid careless mistakes
This is what has really been killing anyone that has backed the ‘under’ in a Pittsburgh game in the playoffs. Dumb, dumb, dumb mistakes. Remember in the duel against the Baltimore Ravens… The visitors picked up 17 points off of a punt return that came all the way back inside field goal range, a 35 yard pass interference penalty, and a fumble out of QB Ben Roethlisberger’s hands that was scooped up and returned for a TD. Green Bay hasn’t been all that swift of late either, as QB Aaron Rodgers coughed the ball up in enemy territory against the Chicago Bears. Of course, we know the importance of flags as well, and the good news is that these teams are very disciplined. There shouldn’t be too many drives that get down to the opposing 30 yard line, only to end in a punt because of a holding penalty or a false start call. However, you must remember that there is going to be rust on both sides, and both defenses are good enough to not just take points away from enemies, but to directly parlays those into TDs, just as both teams did on Championship Game Sunday.

Key #3: Special teams and trick plays will be key
Neither the Steelers nor the Packers really excelled this year in the kick and punt return department, which is really a surprise for two teams that are duking it out to beat the Super Bowl XLV lines. However, we know that both teams are capable of pulling off some big plays, especially via some creativity, especially the Steelers. It was only six years ago that they pulled off the wide receiver pass from WR Antwaan Randle El to WR Hines Ward to help beat the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and they have enough talented players that can run, catch, and throw to make the Packers shake in their boots. Remember the onside kick that the New Orleans Saints pulled off in last year’s Super Bowl? Gimmicks like that are becoming more and more popular, especially with teams having two weeks to prepare for this game. You can bet that there are going to be at least three or four really tricky plays that are tried out for the first, and probably the only time on February 6th, and when they happen, you if back the ‘over’, you hope they work, and if you are relying on the ‘under’, you hope that they fail and fail miserably.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers are already getting set to do battle in the Lone Star State, and in order for you to make your Superbowl XLV picks, we have the three biggest keys to the game that you must remember that will probably determine the outcome of the game.

Key #1: The Steelers have to use experience to their advantage
When you look at the roster for the Steelers, you see a whole slew of men that have already won rings titles, many of which have helped Pittsburgh to two victories over the Super Bowl odds in their tenures wearing black and gold. QB Ben Roethlisberger, the heart and soul of this team, is arguably the most important player on the field, and he not only figured out how to do it as a young buck, who just relied on his defense and handed the ball off a ton, but he also did it in a shootout against a two-time Super Bowl MVP in QB Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals just three Super Bowls ago. There aren’t all that many coaches left in the league that can flash a Super Bowl ring in their locker room, but Head Coach Mike Tomlin is certainly one of them. He was the youngest head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl, and the youngest to ever win it, and now, he is the youngest to bring a team to the pinnacle of the NFL twice in his career. When the Steelers won their first title in this run with a very young team, Head Coach Bill Cowher had already coached in the Super Bowl once before, and he was able to use that experience to get through to his younger players. Unfortunately for Head Coach Mike McCarthy, he really doesn’t have that to rely on. Sure, DB Charles Woodson played in Super Bowl XXXVII with the Oakland Raiders, and DT Ryan Pickett did so in Super Bowl XXXVI with the St. Louis Rams, but aside from that, there isn’t a single player on this team that knows what it’s like to play in the biggest game of the season. Pittsburgh really needs to exploit that advantage to beat the Superbowl lines on February 6th.

Super Bowl XLV Odds at JustBet
Pittsburgh Steelers +2.5
Green Bay Packers -2.5
Over/Under 46
Click Here to Bet on Your Super Bowl Picks!

Key #2: The Packers need to figure out how to get into the face of Ben Roethlisberger
This is what the New York Jets had success with… sometimes. When Roethlisberger was kept in the pocket in the AFC Championship Game, he frequently made some mistakes. The pressure can really come from the outside, where Pittsburgh is very weak at the offensive tackle position, and this is a great thing for LB Clay Matthews, as these are the men that he is going to be going against. It’s when Big Ben breaks containment that things start to get hairy for the opponents. There might not be a signal caller that is better at escaping trouble and making something out of nothing than Roethlisberger in the entire league, and again, we have to stress the fact that he has really done it at every stage of the game in his career. Green Bay already has six INTs and 10 sacks so far in three playoff games this year. It really needs to make sure that Roethlisberger has hands in his face at all times and that he just doesn’t get to the outside, or these corners, no matter how great they are, just don’t stand a chance to win against guys like WR Mike Wallace, WR Antwaan Randle El, and WR Hines Ward.

Key #3: James Starks has to keep the Pittsburgh defense honest
We can be realistic when we say that Starks isn’t going to rush for 100 yards against the Pittsburgh defense in the Super Bowl, and we’re fairly sure that if he does, the Packers are going to be the champs and will beat the Super Bowl betting lines. However, the role that Starks has played, even though he has only averaged 3.76 yards per carry in the playoffs, is that he is taking some of the pressure off of QB Aaron Rodgers. Where this rookie from Buffalo has been all season long is beyond us, but he is clearly the best running back option that the Pack have had all season since losing RB Ryan Grant to a season ending ankle injury in Week 1. Starks, along with RB Brandon Jackson and RB John Kuhn, have to be able to keep Green Bay in front of the down and distance in this game. Punting is okay, but forcing Rodgers into situations in which he has to pick up third and long on a regular basis is going to create mistakes. The Steelers can overcome blunders every now and again. Odds have it, Green Bay won’t be able to. If Starks can’t at least get something going though, there is just going to be too much pressure on Rodgers, and he is going to be in for a very long game against a defense that just loves to make you one dimensional.

Making Superbowl picks are our specialty here at Bankroll Sports, and in order to give you a helping hand on the upcoming duels in the AFC and NFC Championship Games, we’re breaking down some of the most notable Super Bowl trends for the duels left in the second season!

Sunday, January 23rd, 3:00 ET: Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears
NFL Trends of Note
The Packers are…
-5-1 ATS in their L/6 games on grass
-4-1 ATS in their L/5 on the road against teams with winning home records
-5-2 ATS in their L/7 as favorites
-5-2 ATS in their L/7 road games
-7-3 ATS in their L/10 against teams from the NFC
-11-5-1 ATS in their L/17 following an ATS victory
-1-5 ATS in their L/6 playoff games as a favorite
-9-3 ATS in their L/12 visits to Soldier Field

The Bears are…
-4-0 ATS in their L/4 games in January
-6-1 ATS in their L/7 against teams with a winning record
-4-1 ATS in their L/5 against the NFC North
-2-9 ATS in their L/11 as underdogs of between 3.5 and 10 points
-5-2 ATS in their L/7 following an SU victory
-4-1 ATS in their L/5 home games against teams with a winning road record
-6-1 ATS in their L/7 played on grass

The over is…
-4-1 in Green Bay’s L/5 playoff games
-5-2 in Green Bay’s L/7 road playoff games
-16-7 in Green Bay’s L/23 games as favorites of between 3.5 and 10 points
-4-0 in Chicago’s L/4 home games
-9-1 in Chicago’s L/10 games played in January
-5-1 in Chicago’s L/6 playoff games
-4-1 in Chicago’s L/5 home games against teams with a winning road record

The under is…
-5-0 in Green Bay’s L/5 games as road favorites
-6-2 in Green Bay’s L/8 against the NFC North
-5-2 in Green Bay’s L/7 road games against teams with winning home records
-8-2 in Green Bay’s L/10 road games
-18-7-1 in Chicago’s L/26 games as underdogs of between 3.5 and 10 points
-61-30-2 in Chicago’s L/93 games as underdogs overall
-6-0 in the L/6 meetings between Green Bay and Chicago
-5-1 in the L/6 meetings of Green Bay and Chicago at Soldier Field

Series History
You aren’t going to find two teams that really hate each other more than this, as these two teams have a history that is very, very deep. The Bears did pick up the victory against the NFL odds in both meetings this year with the Packers, but those were the first two covers in this series for the men from the Windy City since December 2007, a stretch of four straight for the Pack. Since 2004, these two teams have been relatively split, as Chicago is 8-6 SU and 7-6-1 ATS. However, the previous six meetings all belonged to Green Bay both SU and ATS. The Packers just love coming to Soldier Field. Since 1994, they are 14-4 SU and 13-5 ATS. The only time that these two met in the month of January here in the Windy City was in 2005, a 31-14 win for the visiting Packers.

Sunday, January 23rd, 6:30 ET: New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL Trends of Note
The Jets are…
-4-0 ATS in their L/4 against the AFC
-6-1 ATS in their L/7 played in January
-4-1 ATS in their L/5 playoff games
-12-4 ATS in their L/16 played on the road
-8-3 ATS in their L/11 as underdogs
-10-4 ATS in their L/14 as underdogs of between 3.5 and 10 points
-14-6 ATS in their L/20 as road underdogs
-9-4 ATS in their L/13 against teams with a winning record
-4-1 ATS in their L/5 meetings with the Steelers

The Steelers are…
-9-0 ATS in their L/9 played in January
-5-0 ATS in their L/5 home playoff games
-8-1 ATS in their L/9 playoff games overall
-5-1 ATS in their L/6 overall
-5-1 ATS in their L/6 playoff games as favorites
-4-1 ATS in their L/5 home games
-4-1 ATS in their L/5 as home favorites
-4-1 ATS in their L/5 as favorites of between 3.5 and 10 points in the playoffs
-22-9 ATS in their L/31 home games as favorites of between 3.5 and 10 points

The over is…
-4-0 in New York’s L/4 games as a road underdog of 3.5 to 10 points
-5-0 in New York’s L/5 games on grass
-10-1 in New York’s L/11 road games
-7-1 in New York’s L/8 games as an underdog
-8-2 in New York’s L/10 games in January
-8-2 in New York’s L/10 games following an ATS victory
-9-3 in New York’s L/12 games following an SU win
-19-7-1 in New York’s L/27 games against the AFC
-5-2 in New York’s L/7 playoff games
-5-0 in Pittsburgh’s L/5 AFC Championship Games
-4-0 in Pittsburgh’s L/4 playoff games as favorites
-10-1 in Pittsburgh’s L/11 home playoff games
-19-2 in Pittsburgh’s L/21 games played in January
-14-2 in Pittsburgh’s L/16 playoff games
-20-7-1 in Pittsburgh’s L/28 home games against teams with a winning road record
-51-25-3 in Pittsburgh’s L/79 games as a home favorite

The under is…
-5-2 in the L/7 meetings in this series

Series History
Dating back to 1981, there are only 15 meetings between the Jets and the Steelers, and this is bound to be yet another epic clash. The only playoff meeting in the bunch came in 2005, when New York had every chance in the world to pull off the upset as 9.5 point underdogs, but kick after kick kept either coming up short or sailing wide to give the Steelers a chance. Eventually, they came up with a 20-17 triumph in OT. The Jets did win the one meeting this year between these teams, and it came here at Heinz Field. The 22-17 win was the victory that really started this great run of games for the Jets, who are now in their second straight AFC Championship Game. New York has covered three straight in this series, but the Steelers are 11-4 ATS since 1981.