A road game in the middle of the season where Balt was fighting for their lives in the play off hunt isnt the play offs.
The ONLY reason Den would be a small dog is because books know Peyton manning is a bigger money sponge than brady.
Big difference is Patriots WIN those games. Patriots as a dog are automatic money ATS. Not so great SU, just 500 but ATS they have only 1 loss.
Books might try and pull a fast one and just make Pats +1 with big vig, throw out a 'safe' ML 2 days before the game and let it get slapped around a little bit, and hope, but I dont see it. That would be a big gamble on their part. A lot of people will bet Manning, but the BIG money will bet the Patriots in any dog capacity in the Play offs. Books have to factor that in.
Denver has beaten one good team this year, and has been the benefactor of as easy a schedule as youll see next to whatever schedule Alabama has in the NCAA. We dont know really how good they are yet, they certainly havent proven anything to deserve the odds they have. While Pats arent exactly world beaters they have stepped up in a few big games and even had that SF laugher start to get close. THATS why patriots have to be respected. In a basically meaningless game where they were losing by 100 they scored so many points late people were actually thinking they could win it. Pats could have just mailed that game in, but they didnt. if they do that on a meaningless game against an NFC opponent what are they going to do in an AFC championship type game?