NFL Super Bowl: Carolina Panthers VS Denver Broncos

This feels a little odd, we almost always have an "outright" interest in the Super Bowl, but come into this game's season finale unemcumbered, after the Carolina Panthers landed our Conference bet last weekend. It was nice to get that done and dusted and I "needed" the win and payout, but now that has passed, it would be fun to have a really big position this evening. Having said that, I would not wish to go through the 49ers first and goal from the seven yard line in Super Bowl XLVII ever again and those four plays are etched on my mind by branding iron ! I rarely focus too long on losers, but I am sure that i will be screaming "run the ***** ball" on my deathbed ! If you were involved, you will remember ! Anyway, this has taken a sombre turn, so back to today's game .

I do not have a lot to say to be honest, hence the waffling ! My notes on the two Conference championship games and the outright position on the Panthers can be found below. Carolina eased home 49-15 and in truth it was even easier than that scoreline suggests and only a late season loss has stopped the Panthers having the chance to record a perfect 19/19 campaign this evening, but in some ways that will have released the pressure a little and that looked the case in their three starts since, when they have gone back to their free scoring ways and blitzed opponents early and they have been an average 23 points up at half time in those games, including a combined 55-7 against the two other strongest teams in the NFC.

I expect them to get the job done tonight and with a bit of flair, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been the MVP of this season and is nothing if not a showman and we can expect him to be well and truly up for this and I would not be surprised to see him run in at least one, maybe even two touchdowns. His counterpart Peyton Manning is in the twilight ,of the twilight of his career, he is, or has been a superstar of the game, but his arm has gone and he is old school and Newton is the future, the most versatile QB in football and I can only see this ending one way. Denver has a fantastic defense , but even they need to overperform to keep Newton, Olsen, Ginn Jr, Stewart etc quiet and if they do not, Broncos lack the big play potential to get back into this if they fall more than a touchdown behind. My thinking is that Denver need everything to go right to win this, Carolina could have several big name players a little off and still come up with enough big plays to win and if everything clicks, this could get nasty for the Broncos , with many in the franchise still having nightmares about two years ago and the humiliating 43-8 loss to Seattle and this has the potential to turn equally nasty. To be honest, i hope not, as I need a little more excitement to keep me awake and I would hate to see Manning go out of the game like that, but it is a possibility and a live one. However, I will keep this simple and go with ..........

Carolina Panthers -6 points 2.12-2.14 Pinnacle/Matchbook ..........both available with Sportmarket Pro