SUPERBOWL SERVICE PLAYS
Dunkel Index - NFL- Super Bowl XL
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Pittsburgh 139.6 (2 1/2) Seattle 137.0
Total Points: 44 1/2
posted by phantom
36 replies
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0 likes
GAMEDAY 4 STAR PITT
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:23pm -
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BOXER SPORTS 12-2 IN PLAYOFFS
SUPER BOWL XL - SUNDAY FEBRUARY 5th 2006
302 Steelers -3.5 -110 ( 5* )
Ok guys Man do I love this Match up here. Steelers the Best team in the NFL right now Playing a Seattle team who in my opinion does not stand a chance. Steelers are Dominating on both sides of the Ball with ease. How do you stop this Steeler Offense? Well you can't. They have a dominating Run Game and a Passing game nobody can stop either. How come nobody can stop this Steeler Offense? The reason is simple. You put 8 in the box to slow down their running game and Big Ben will hurt you with his arm. You play soft up front to protect the pass and they will hurt you with their ground Attack. Steelers have been the most dominating Offense in the playoffs because of those reasons. Now comes the BLITZ-BURGH Defense. Man they are selling out and nobody can slow them down either. You have the best defensive player on the field with Polamalu who is flat out sick. Manning said it best, You just do not know where this guy is going to be on the field. The Steelers Have plenty of playmakers on the field as well. Steelers are here to win this game and the Seahawks are just happy to be in their 1st Super Bowl ever. Dick LeBeau's Defense will confuse Hasselback as he did with the Colts & Broncos making him have costly turn-overs. This game will be Dominated by the Steelers from the 1st snap to the end of the game.
Forecast = Indoors - Ford Field - Detroit, MI
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:24pm -
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ESPN Radio Mike & Mike STONE COLD LEAD PIPE LOCK's
Seattle +4
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:24pm -
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ESPN Radio Colin Cowherd:
Pittsburgh -4
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:25pm -
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surewager NFL - 2/5/2006
Best Bet! PITTSBURGH STEELERS -4
surewager NFL - 2/5/2006 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS at
PITTSBURGH STEELERS Over 47
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:25pm -
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STEELERS BABY$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
posted by takis28
Feb. 3 2006 1:25pm -
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Bettorsworld Key Plays
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We just feel it will be the Seahawks making the bigger plays and controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. As we head into the 4th quarter with the score tied, those 4 and a half points will loom large.
So sit back, crack a cold one, throw some hot wings in the oven, and enjoy the game as Mike Holmgren becomes the first coach to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.
3* SEAHAWKS +4.5 OVER STEELERS
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:29pm -
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Joey Gaffney
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NFL Picks
Team Units Line
Pittsburgh Steelers 8* PP -180
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:29pm -
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Cappers Access
Seattle +4 (Best Bet)
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:30pm -
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Cyber Sports Picks
They have Guaranteed play on SBXL. They have a long, long write up. If someone wants it, I can post it, but here is there pick
Seahawks (15-3) @ Steelers (14-5)
Sunday, February 05, 2006
5:30:00 PM Central
Non-Conference game on Turf
Opening Odds = Pittsburgh Steelers-3.5
Current Odds = Pittsburgh Steelers-4
Rating = 10 Star Selection
***Our Pick***
Take Pittsburgh Steelers -4
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:30pm -
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Northcoast Power Sweep
2* over 47
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:30pm -
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Brandon Lane..lang
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He just spoke on the radio and gave out his pick it is 1000 star on pittsburgh on the money line
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:30pm -
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Doc Enterprises
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6* Lock
Under
5* Top Play
Pittsburgh
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:31pm -
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greg roberts
FOOTBALL PROPS
1) 1ST QUARTER UNDER 7 (+120)
There has been only 1 touchdown scored in the 1st quarter in the last 6 Super Bowls. Lowest scoring quarter for Seattle is the 1st quarter while it's Pittsburgh's second lowest. Seattle also allows less points in the 1st quarter than any other.
2) TOTAL POINTS BY PITTSBURGH UNDER 24' (-110)
Seattle held 12 of its last 13 opponents to less than 24 points and is #2 in red zone efficiency.
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:33pm -
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Dr Bob
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Strong Opinion Seattle
Super Bowl Propositions
The only Super Bowl proposition I see with any value is Seattle’s
Matt Hasselbeck to go UNDER in passing yards (the
line ranges from 234 ½ yards to 240 ½ yards). My math model projects
191 net passing yards for Seattle and 14 sack
yards, which gives Hasselbeck 205 gross passing yards. I’ll consider
Hasselbeck Under in gross passing yards a
Strong Opinion.
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:35pm -
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Sports Marketwatch Super Bowl XL
Sports Marketwatch
NFL Playoffs - Super Bowl XL
2/3/2006 11:15 AM EST
by Daniel Fabrizio
Sports Marketplace
NFL Playoff Recap
All sportsbooks reported a healthy AFC/NFC playoff weekend, retaining between 4-5% of their handle. Steve Stone line manager at Oasis had this to say, “The Steelers winning hurt us but breaking up teasers and parlays fueled a profitable Sunday. Publicâ€Â
posted by phantom
Feb. 3 2006 1:35pm -
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Teams that have won the Super Bowl are 31-5-3 vs. the spread.Only five teams have won the super bowl and failed to beat the spread. Ignore the point spread.
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 12:06pm -
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alan boston - under
brent crow - under crow waiting for line to hit 5, 5.5 and playing hawks. this was on the radio show 2nite
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 12:06pm -
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Handicapper: Scott Spreitzer
League: NFL
Event: Seattle Seahawks vs Pittsburgh Steelers on 02/05/2006 at 15:20
Condition: Pittsburgh Steelers
Grade: Ungraded
Promotion: I'm laying the points with the Steelers. First the angle. You simply play ON the SB entry that won their conference championship as an underdog when their SB opponent won as a favorite. This angle is a perfect 6-0 with one push. Most recently, Carolina got the money against New England 2 years ago - and Tampa Bay crushed Oakland 3 years ago. On the field, Seattle will be hard-pressed to run the football against the Steelers' 3-4. Seattle has face three teams that use this defense, but 2 came against San Fran & Houston. The only quality 3-4 they faced came against the Cowboys. Alexander was held to 60 yards on 20 carries and the Seahawks barely escaped with a 13-10 home field win...scoring 10 late points. When Pittsburgh has the ball I expect big days receiving for Willie Parker out of the backfield and for TE Heath Miller, one of the best in the league. Also, look for special teams to come into play with the Steelers owning a huge advantage in punt return units. Seattle has been just a tad above average away from home this season, losing to Jacksonville and Washington, beating the Rams by only 6, escaping SFO by only 2 points, and pulling out a 4 point win over a weak Tennessee squad. And, well -- we've seen what the Burgh can do away from home in the playoffs. Add it up and we have a 10-to-14 point win for the Steelers. Pittsburgh minus points is my Super Bowl winner. Thanks! Good Luck! Scott.
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 12:06pm -
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Lenny "20 stars" Stevens
10 stars Seattle Seahawks
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 12:08pm -
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Dr. Bob
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Seattle (+4) 23 Pittsburgh 24
The pointspread in the Super Bowl is determined by public perception
more than a normal NFL game because more
amateur money is going to be placed on this game than on any other game
all season. The public deemed Pittsburgh’s
playoff road wins at Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Denver as more
impressive than Seattle’s two home wins over
Washington and Carolina and thus Pittsburgh is an undeserving 4 point
favorite in this game instead of the 2 or 2 ½
point favorite that they should be. I don’t want to diminish
Pittsburgh’s playoff accomplishments, as beating the
Colts and Broncos on the road is truly a great achievement, but two
games is an awfully small sample size and the
Steelers simply aren’t much better than Seattle when you look at each
team over the course of the season (and even
in the playoffs only). Seattle is getting criticized for playing an
easier schedule than the Steelers and that is
absolutely true, but my math model compensates each team’s statistics
for the level of the opponents that they faced
and those compensated numbers are pretty close. Seattle’s offense was
one of the very best in the NFL this season,
as their balanced attack would averag 5.79 yards per play against an
average NFL defense. That number was derived by
compensating Seattle’s offensive numbers by the defensive numbers of
their opponents (and the level of their
opponent’s opponents) while excluding games against the Colts in week
16 (Indy didn’t play their starters) and
against Green Bay in week 17 (Seattle rested many of their starters).
Seattle’s compensated yards per rush is 4.70
ypr and quarterback Matt Hasselback’s compensated yards per pass play
(including sacks) is 6.91 yppp. The league
average for yards per play is 5.13 yppl (I take kneel downs and
quarterback spikes out of my stats, which is why
that number is different from the official stats you may see), so
Seattle’s offense is 0.66 yppl better than
average. Pittsburgh’s defense would allow 3.66 ypr, 5.35 yppp, and
4.60 yppl to an average offensive team and a
team’s compensated defensive numbers are adjusted depending on
opposing quarterbacks faced. For instance, my ratings
adjust for facing backup Jon Kitna for all but 2 plays in the
Steelers’ first playoff game against Cincinnati
instead of facing All-Pro Carson Palmer. Pittsburgh’s defense is 0.53
yppl better than average, so the Seahawks’
attack has a slim 0.13 yppl advantage against Pittsburgh’s defense.
Seattle has proven themselves against good
defensive teams, averaging 5.5 yppl in games against Jacksonville,
Washington twice, and Carolina – the 4 games that
they played against teams that allowed less than 5.0 yppl for the
season (Green Bay also allowed less than 5.0 yppl,
but Seattle sat their starters in that game). Those teams would combine
to allow 4.8 yppl to an average attack, so
the Seahawks were 0.7 yppl better than average against good defensive
teams, which is the same that they were
overall this season.
Pittsburgh’s offense was without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in 4
games this season (weeks 6, 9, 10, and 11), and
the Steelers’ attack with Roethlisberger would average 5.67 yppl
against an average NFL defense. The rushing attack
is a bit below average (4.01 ypr compensated; NFL average is 4.13 ypr
when you exclude kneel downs as I do in each
game), but Roethlisberger averaged an impressive 7.90 yppp this season
and would average 7.81 yppp against an
average defensive team. Seattle is better defensively than most people
think, as the Seahawks would allow just 3.76
ypr, 5.64 yppp, and 4.81 yppl to an average NFL team, which isn’t
much worse than Pittsburgh’s compensated defensive
numbers. The Steelers are 0.54 yppl better than average offensively and
Seattle is 0.32 yppl better than average
defensively, so Pittsburgh has a 0.22 yppl advantage when they have the
ball. Pittsburgh faced 4 better than average
defensive teams with Roethlisberger at quarterback (New England in week
3 when the Pats had their secondary intact,
San Diego, Baltimore, and Chicago) and the Steelers averaged 5.1 yppl
in those 4 games against teams that would
allow 4.7 yppl to an average team, so Pittsburgh wasn’t quite as good
offensively against good defensive teams as
they were overall.
I project 5.32 yppl for Pittsburgh in this game and 5.23 yppl for
Seattle by using the compensated numbers for each
team and matching one team’s offensive numbers with the other
team’s defensive numbers. Projected turnovers are only
slightly in favor of Pittsburgh and special teams are slightly in favor
of Seattle. Overall, my math model favors
Pittsburgh by only 0.7 points. Some may argue that Pittsburgh is
playing better now than they played during most of
the season, but you may be surprised to find out that Seattle has
actually played better the last two weeks than
Pittsburgh has. The Steelers averaged 5.13 yppl in their playoff wins
at Indianapolis and at Denver (I left out
their playoff game against Cincinnati because of Palmer’s injury in
that game) and allowed 5.52 yppl, for a
difference of -0.39 yppl. The Colts and Broncos would combine to
out-gain an average NFL opponent at home by an
average of 1.23 yppl, so Pittsburgh was in fact 0.84 yppl better than
an average team in those two games from the
line of scrimmage. Seattle had a yppl differential of +0.99 yppl in
their two playoff victories over Washington and
Carolina (5.38 yppl on offense and allowed 4.39 yppl) and the Redskins
and Panthers would combine to out-gain an
average opponent by 0.24 yppl on the road, so Seattle was 1.23 yppl
better than an average team from the line of
scrimmage in their two playoff wins, which is considerably better than
Pittsburgh’s compensated performance the last
two weeks. So, those of you making a case for the Steelers based on
their playoff results should actually be
favoring Seattle in this game if playoff performance is your criteria
for Super Bowl success – which it shouldn’t be
(a full season of games is much more predictive than just two games).
Another way of calculating a fair pointspread involves using each
team’s individual game ratings and creating a
matrix using those ratings. For instance, Pittsburgh opened the season
with a 34-7 home win over Tennessee. That
game was at home (home field advantage this season was 3.5 points) and
Tennessee was 9.0 points worse than average
this season so the Steelers’ game rating in that week 1 win was +14.5
points (they won by 27 points, - 3.5 for being
at home, and -9 for Tennessee’s average rating equals +14.5 points).
I calculated a game rating for each of the
Steelers’ games and for each of Seattle’s games. I tossed out the 4
games for Pittsburgh that Roethlisberger didn’t
play in and the playoff game against Cincinnati when Palmer was knocked
out on the second play. For Seattle, I
didn’t include their week 16 game against the Colts, who rested their
starters, or the week 17 game against the
Packers when Seattle rested some of their starters. What I have
remaining is 14 game ratings for Pittsburgh and 16
game ratings for Seattle. If I compare each of Pittsburgh’s game
ratings against each of Seattle’s game ratings I
get a 14 by 16 matrix with 224 possible results - with each cell
representing a projected margin of victory/defeat.
I can use that matrix to determine what the median cell is (what the
spread should be) and how many cells have
Pittsburgh with an advantage. The matrix has a median cell of
Pittsburgh by 2 points and has the Steelers with an
advantage in 55.6% of the cells, which would represent their chance of
winning straight up. I have found that any
method of prediction using scoring margins is not as accurate as
predictions using yardage, since turnovers have
such an influence on scoring margins and past turnovers have a
relatively low correlation to future turnovers.
However, these teams project about the same in turnovers, and the
matrix is a good way to dampen the affect of
outliers (i.e. really good or really bad games that would skew the
season numbers), so I thought the use of a matrix
would be very insightful and pretty accurate in this case. The number
that is most important in this game is the
55.6% chance of winning that Pittsburgh has based on the matrix. Using
that percentage, and a standard distribution
of NFL margins of victory, gives Seattle a profitable 59.2% chance of
covering at +4 points (57.8% at +3 ½, 60.2% at
+4 ½). Pittsburgh may be worthy of being called the favorite in this
game, but the line should not be more than -2
or -2 ½ points and Seattle is certainly the percentage play in this
game. I also like the fact that Super Bowl
underdogs with the same or more number of victories (including the
playoffs), are 8-2-1 ATS since Super Bowl 15. I
will consider Seattle a Strong Opinion in this game and I have no
opinion on the total.
Super Bowl Propositions
The only Super Bowl proposition I see with any value is Seattle’s
Matt Hasselbeck to go UNDER in passing yards (the
line ranges from 234 ½ yards to 240 ½ yards). My math model projects
191 net passing yards for Seattle and 14 sack
yards, which gives Hasselbeck 205 gross passing yards. I’ll consider
Hasselbeck Under in gross passing yards a
Strong Opinion.
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 12:08pm -
0 likes
Newsletters..Superbowl week
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Marc Lawrence
SEATTLE over Pittsburgh by 3
Welcome to Super Bowl XL in Detroit. Some say it stands
for Seattle's XL-ent Adventure. In truth, it reads more like
the parka size of preference in Detroit this weekend.
While it's not exactly at the top of the most desirable destinations in
the world, it beats the proposed locale – Vladivostok – as a host city
for a runner-up bowl for championship game losers (Anchorage
was booked). Pot shots aside, the game itself is a matchup of two
teams that peaked at season's end, strong enough to earn a berth
in the biggest football game of them all. Pittsburgh's journey has
been historic, to say the least. Three of the Steelers' five losses this
season occurred on the final play of the game. They recorded no
less than NINE ROAD WINS while running the table on the playoff
road, defeating the AFC's #1, 2 and 3 seeds to become the first-ever
#6 seed to make it to the Super Bowl. Unlike 23 of the last 27 Super
Bowl winners that benefited from a week of rest at the onset of the
playoffs, the Steelers find themselves rested for the first time in
four months. Speaking of rest, Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher is
14-8 SU with rest in his NFL career, but only 6-11 ATS when favored.
Cowher's clubs also tend to struggle indoors in dome stadiums
where he is just 7-8 SU & 6-8-1 ATS in his career, including 1-4 SU
& ATS (and 0-5 UNDER) against an opponent that is off back-toback
wins. He also comes up empty when favored against teams
from the NFC, going 9-20 ATS – including 1-8 SU & ATS when
laying 4 or less points. While the Steelers are 25-4 SU behind QB
Ben Roethlisberger, Cowher has never covered the spread in a
PM EST
ABC TV
game against the Seahawks in his career, going 2-4 SU & 0-5-1
ATS (favored five times). Mike Holmgren, on the other hand, is 4-1
SU & ATS against Pittsburgh in his career, winning straight-up
both times he was installed as the underdog. The history books tell
us that four NFC teams arrived to the Super Bowl sporting perfect
10-0 SU records at home. All four of them – '85 Chicago (46-10), '86
NY Giants (39-20), '96 Green Bay (35-21), and St. Louis (23-16) –
left with rings. Throughout the course of the playoffs, underdogs
that own the higher win percentage are a glitzy 19-8 SU & 21-5-1
ATS, including 4-0-1 ATS in the Super Bowl. Seattle is a 13-win
team from the regular season and those clubs are 42-21-2 ATS in
the post-season when squaring off a against sub .777 opposition,
including 21-1 SU & 18-4 ATS if they are a dog or favorite of less
than 10 points and own a win percentage of .823 or higher. Before
closing up our database, remember these juicy Super Bowl tidbits:
the last nine Super Bowls have seen the favorite go 6-3 SU & 1-6-
2 ATS; the last 12 favorites to score 30 or less points are 0-11-1
ATS; teams who score 27 or more points are 22-1 SU & 20-2-1
ATS; teams who score less than 20 points are 0-21 SU & 3-17-1
ATS. So what we have is a #1 seeded Seattle squad that has
allowed more than 26 points only ONCE this season, taking points
from a #6 seeded Wild Card team in a complete role reversal from
the championship games (the Seahawks won and covered as a
favorite, the Steelers won as a dog). We're not saying the linesmaker
is wrong. We're saying Seattle is right.
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 12:09pm -
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Gold Sheet
Seattle 27 Pittsburgh 24
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 12:10pm -
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Harmon Forecast:
Super Bowl XL - Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006
*Pittsburgh 24 Seattle 23 -- The Steelers, listed as the home team for Super Bowl XL, have chosen to wear the road whites that have been successful three times in the postseason. That means the Seahawks will wear their blue jerseys, worn while winning two home playoff games. Both teams can run the ball. Seattle and RB Shaun Alexander produced the league's third-best rushing attack. Pittsburgh, with Willie Parker and Jerome Bettis, was fifth in the NFL in rushing. Both the Steelers (third) and Seahawks (fifth) had top 5 rushing defenses. So, while both teams would like to run the ball, it won't be easy for either one. As far as the passing game, Pittsburgh's 24th-ranked attack will go against the NFL's 25th-rated passing defense. Seattle's 13th-rated passing offense will face the league's 16th-ranked passing defense. On paper, this seems to have the makings of a great, close game. Then again, many Super Bowls seemed great on paper but turned out otherwise.
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 12:10pm -
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ESPN Scouts Inc.
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Scouts' Edge
These are teams that have traveled very different paths to the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh has already made history by becoming the only No. 6 seed to ever make it this far. As the No. 1 seed in the NFC, Seattle has taken advantage of its home-field edge. Despite the seedings, Pittsburgh comes in as the favorite. You can bet, Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren and his team have not let that go unnoticed. Pittsburgh has played the underdog role throughout the playoffs, and now the shoe will be on the other foot.
This game is really going to boil down to the play up front. For the Seahawks to win, their offensive line must play the best game of the season. Alexander is going to get hit early and often. He must continue to show he is willing to run inside and grind out tough yards between the tackles. In pass protection, Seattle's offensive line must be able to adjust on the fly, something that both Indianapolis and Denver could not do versus the blitz-happy Pittsburgh defense.
The Steelers have taken a different approach on offense. We used to talk about their chances of winning or losing resting with the running game. That can't be said anymore, as Roethlisberger has firmly established himself as the man driving Pittsburgh's offense. He has been unflappable thus far but will get a lot of pressure from a very underrated Seattle front seven that finished the regular season ranked first in sacks.
Although neither team could have gotten here without a win streak, it is hard to go against a Pittsburgh team that has completely dismantled the No. 3, No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in pretty easy fashion. For that reason, we look for Cowher to get that elusive first Super Bowl win.
Prediction: Steelers 24, Seahawks 20
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 12:10pm -
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Power Sweep Had Under 47 In The Super Bowl!!
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 12:10pm -
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Bob Balfe's Super Bowl Pick
Seattle +4 over Pittsburgh
The Seattle Seahawks may not have played any decent opponent on the road this season. It also can be argued that they recently completed a rather easy road to the Super Bowl. However, the ability of the Seattle running game and the lack thereof their opponents can not go unnoticed. Seattle's one weakness is the pass defense, but Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger is not the type of general who is going to pick your defense apart without making mistakes. Obviously, the talk all week has been about Jerome Bettis playing his final game in his home town of Detroit to capture the Super Bowl victory. This is a "feel good" story and Bettis is (was) a great player, but I assure you-the stingy Seattle defense has no tears in their eyes! Bettis is known for his goal-line and short yardage play. Seattle's defense will deny him the opportunity to even be involved in that situation. The Seahawks also have a better RB in Shaun Alexander. Matt Hasselback is no better than Roethlisberger, but he is a lot more experienced. Besides, in all reality, it's not that easy for a 23 year old to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. Stats and strength of schedule may indicate that Pittsburgh is better, but let's not forget that they almost missed the playoffs altogether and suffered a beat down from backup QB Jon Kitna in Cincinnati just a few weeks ago. The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for running the ball in the second half when they have the lead. We all saw how that almost backfired at them in Indianapolis. That particular game plan will simply not work against the dominant rush defense of Seattle. Pittsburgh's defense is also very good. However, they face a much bigger task simply due to the fact that they will need to pursue the almost impossible goal of containing Shaun Alexander-who, Oh by the way, happens to be the Most Valuable Player in the NFL. The public is slamming the Steelers, and after a season like this, the last thing Vegas wants is to allow the Super Bowl favorite to cash in. I assure you the lines are deceiving. Remember, this is a business. The best year ever for the NFL public bettors occurred in 2005-2006, as 60% of the favorites cashed in this year opposed to a seasonal average of approximately 50%. I like Seattle to cover AND get the outright win. This game should be tight and four points is a little too much. Take the value in Seattle!
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 9:11pm -
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JB Sports
PICK: Seahawks/Steelers UNDER (NFL Sunday
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 9:12pm -
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Stat Quoted by ESPN!
When the Superbowl is on ABC.
The NFC is 7-0 ALL TIME
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 9:12pm -
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ESPN Analysists:
Mike & Mike: Seattle
Dan Patrick: Seattle
Mark Schlereth: Seattle
Joe Theisman: Seattle
Chris Berman:Seattle
Colin Cowherd: Pittsburgh
HBO Inside the NFL:
Cris Carter: Seattle
Cris Collingsworth: Pittsburgh
Dan Marino: Pittsburgh
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 9:13pm -
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Chris Berman from ESPN....
The "Swami" says...
Seattle 24 Pittsburgh 23
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 9:13pm -
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RANDALL THE HANDLE:
Seattle Seahawks (15 - 3) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (14 -5)
Current Line: Pittsburgh –4 –1.20
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a rich football history. They have won four Super Bowls. The ‘Steel Curtain’ teams of the 70’s are still fondly remembered. Players like Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and Lynn Swann bring back vivid gridiron images. Hailing from a blue-collar community, they have always subscribed to playing hard and working harder. The Steelers current path to this extravaganza is a testament to that. Pittsburgh is the first six-seed to make it to this game. En route, they knocked off the top-seeded Bengals, Colts and Broncos. Even more impressive was winning all of those games away from home. While it is generally accepted that winning on the road in this league is a difficult task, these Steelers have won a remarkable 16 of their past 19 road games. The maturity and poise of Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been a big reason for their success, both home and away. Big Ben is an impressive 26-4 as a starter and despite attempting to become the youngest QB to win a Super Bowl, he plays with the savvy of a veteran. Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt has prepared brilliant game plans throughout these playoffs and his troops have executed them to near perfection. On the defensive side, coordinator Dick Lebeau’s efforts may be even more commendable after his schemes stymied three formidable offences. Safety Troy Polamalu is quickly becoming a household name for both his cat-like prowess and his cerebral play. There are many players that we could profile in this space but it is not necessary. Very similarly to the preceding champion Patriots, this group plays as a team and its sum is greater than any of its parts. To identify flaws on this Pittsburgh squad would be like reprimanding your child for getting an ‘A-minus’ on an exam.
The Seattle Seahawks have about as much history as Canada does in soccer. Perennial underachievers, this unfamiliar team has wallowed in mediocrity for years. Since arriving in the NFL in 1976, you would be hard pressed to name any notable players outside of Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent. Tucked away in the northwest corner of the United States, this city is better known as the birthplace of Starbucks than it is for its football team. Don’t think for a minute that oddsmakers aren’t aware of all this. Pittsburgh is football. Seattle is sleepless. The Seahawks hope to change that perception and don’t be surprised if they do. Sure, they came out of the weaker conference. No one can debate that. But is it fair to fault them for dominating their conference? We’ve been guilty of it ourselves but they’ve answered the call each time and then some. This team quietly scored the most points (452) in the NFL this season. They were tops in the red zone, scoring touchdowns nearly 72% of the time from inside opponents’ 20-yard line. QB Matt Hasselbeck quietly has become one of the league’s premier passers having tossed 24 touchdowns this season compared to just nine interceptions. Running back Shaun Alexander is the league’s Most Valuable Player. Much of the offence’s success can be attributed to an unheralded offensive line that employs three Pro Bowlers. Three guys that you likely haven’t heard of but a trio that was responsible for allowing Hasslebeck to be sacked only 27 times this season. As for the defence, they get very little recognition but this unit led the league in sacks (50), had the 2nd best percentage in preventing touchdowns inside the red zone and were 4th ranked in both points allowed and rushing yards allowed. The Seahawks allowed a mere five rushing touchdowns during the regular season, second only to Jacksonville.
In 10 of the past 12 Super Bowls, the favourite has been a 7-point pick or more. Regardless of the outcome, there was an anticipated victor. That is not the case here. Strong arguments can be made for both sides but because of their popularity, the strenuous path they had to follow to get here and the questionable pedigree of their opponent, the Steelers are the fashionable choice. St. Louis, Oakland and New England twice were the preferred and favoured teams in the previous four Super Bowls but all four games resulted in covers by the underdog. In fact, only two of the past 10 favourites have managed a cover in this event. This Seattle team has far better credentials than any underdog in recent memory. The Seahawks can easily win the game. They can also lose a close one and we get the cover. With what they bring to the table, that works for us.
Take: Seattle +4 (Risking 1.5 units).
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 9:13pm -
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Tom Stryker
WELCOME TO ISSUE #28 OF THE PRE-GAME REPORT!
Tom Stryker's 32-7 ATS Super Bowl XL Payday
#302 PITTSBURGH (-) over Seattle by 14 at 6:20 PM EST
There are a ton of handicappers that try and get cute at Super Bowl time. Not me. When I analyze the “big gameâ€Â
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 9:14pm -
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Jim Rich
Seattle & Over
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 9:14pm -
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Lane
1000 Dime - Pitt ML -195
500 Dime - Pitt-4
Props
Bettis scores a TD
Hasselback throws an INT
Seattle never leads in the game +220
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 9:14pm -
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from radio show
alan boston - under
brent crow - under
posted by phantom
Feb. 4 2006 9:14pm