Our 20/1 tip in September for this season’s SuperBowl, the Denver Broncos, are doing us proud and, now that we’re down to the play-offs, are 3/1 general favourites to lift the trophy in New Orleans next month. Early backers are, of course, in an ideal position now. They can comfortably lay off their investment on the men from Colorado on the exchanges and still guarantee a very healthy profit. But if you did manage to get on at those hugely inflated odds, it is worth taking out a little extra insurance that you retain an interest until the very end?
The Broncos are still the most likely winners, in my opinion, as long as Peyton Manning remains fit. The veteran quarter-back is right on track to be named the NFL‘s MVP if he keeps up his percentages and Denver have won their last 11 games. They haven’t given up more than 17 points since week 13 which confirms that the defense is doing its job very effectively and, though there are sterner tests to come, confidence is sky-high at the Mile High Stadium at present.
The New England Patriots (4/1 with Skybet and William Hill) have to be a danger having won the AFC Championship five times in the last 10 years. They will have home-field advantage in the play-offs, having won nine of their last 10 in the regular season. A settled side has again been key and they make more appeal than San Francisco 49ers (6/1 in most places). The 49ers have blown too hot and cold this season for my liking and, while they can be brilliant on their day, you would have to question whether they’ll be able to produce their best in three high-pressure games.
As dark horses, the Cincinnati Bengals make most appeal. The Bengals are 66/1 to win SuperBowl with Paddy Power but those odds have failed to take into account the massive improvement they’ve shown this time around. They blitzed the Giants a few weeks ago and have also beaten the Ravens and the Steelers in a run of eight matches which has seen them come out on top seven times. They’ve uncovered a real star in defensive tackle Geo Atkins and are difficult to score against. I’d much rather have a saver on them than the Atlanta Falcons (15/2 with Skybet), who have a terrible draw, and the Houston Texans (16/1 with Ladbrokes and Stan James). The Texans face the Bengals in the wild-card play-offs but are woefully out of form and have to gone to pieces, defensively, in their last three games.
