We are less than two weeks away from the 50th “Big Game” and it will pit the Denver Broncos vs. the Carolina Panthers in San Francisco. Must say “big game” instead of what it is really called, or the NFL will send its pack of money hungry lawyers after you. However, if you have paid the BIG bucks to the NFL (No Free Lunch) to use the real name, good for you.
With the Panthers and Cam Newton coming in after a 15-1 regular season and the broncos with Peyton Manning, maybe riding in his last rodeo, the odds are favoring Carolina by 4 at this point, but that is sure to change by the time Feb. 7 rolls around. The over/under is presently at 45.5 points and that is also likely to change over the next week or so. Higher or lower? Who knows, but personally I think the 4 point spread is too thin.
This will be a game of Carolina’s offense going up against the “Orange Crush” defense of the Bronco’s. The panthers have so many weapons besides newton that almost lets them score at will. They were up against several standout defenses during the season but still managed to come out winners with their power cache of offensive weapons, not the least of which is Newton. On the other hand the Denver defense is also stacked with a lot of weapons that can put a stop to an offense, just ask Brady and the Patriots. The broncos defense swarms you like bees and totally befuddles you play after play. Can Ron Rivera and his coaches devise a game plan where Newton can outthink the Denver defense?
I’ll go into more detail, next week on both teams offense and defenses, but I just wanted to set the stage a little. I look for this to be a much better game than some think. A lot of the so called “experts” feel this could be a Carolina run away and be over by halftime. Some think it will be a hard fought game, close and not be a sure thing until the clock reads zero. For me, as of today, I see the Panthers getting more than they bargained for but still coming away with a 10 point win.
Like the Las Vegas spreads and odds, my thoughts could change as well, we’ll see when I file the next report on the “Big Game” next week, so stay tuned.
Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN
