The Seattle Seahawks’ quest for back-to-back Super Bowl titles is still very much alive after a thrilling overtime win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game. The only problem is Bill Belichick and the rest of the New England Patriots are lying in wait, ready to spoil their party. The Patriots are desperate for a victory to end their decade-long Super Bowl drought.
With both teams carrying winning traditions, selecting a side in this year’s Super Bowl will surely be a tough task. Fortunately for you, we have compiled the best sporting minds across the internet to help you decide on who to support in the biggest sporting event of the year.
Read on below for their respective selections and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of Super Bowl XLIX here.
[sc:Football ]Expert Picks for the 2015 Super Bowl
Sunday, February 1
Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots (6:30 PM ET)
| Expert | Straight Up Pick | Against The Spread Pick (Line) |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) | New England Patriots | New England Patriots (-1.5) |
| Will Brinson (CBS Sports) | New England Patriots | New England Patriots (-1.5) |
| Jared Dubin (CBS Sports) | Seattle Seahawks | Seattle Seahawks (+1.5) |
| Ryan Wilson (CBS Sports) | New England Patriots | New England Patriots (-1.5) |
| Dave Richard (CBS Sports) | Seattle Seahawks | Seattle Seahawks (+1.5) |
| Jamey Eisenberg (CBS Sports) | New England Patriots | New England Patriots (-1.5) |
| John Breech (CBS Sports) | Seattle Seahawks | Seattle Seahawks (+1.5) |
| Evan Brier (Bleacher Report) | New England Patriots | New England Patriots (-1.5) |
| Jarrett Bell (USA Today) | New England Patriots | – |
| Nate Davis (USA Today) | Seattle Seahawks | – |
| Lindsay Jones (USA Today) | Seattle Seahawks | – |
| Gary Mihoces (USA Today) | Seattle Seahawks | – |
| Lorenzo Reyes (USA Today) | New England Patriots | – |
| David Steele (Sporting News) | Seattle Seahawks | – |
| Matt Bowen (Bleacher Report) | Seattle Seahawks | – |
| Yahoo! Sports | New England Patriots | – |
| Rantsports.com | Seattle Seahawks | – |
Even though the Seattle Seahawks were fortunate to escape with a victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game Sunday, majority of the experts still believe they will capture the Super Bowl title in a couple of weeks time. Why not? They are the defending champions and without a shadow of a doubt the best defensive team in the league today.
[sc:NFL240banner ]During the regular season, the Seahawks allowed just 267.1 total yards against them, the best mark in the entire league. They were third in the league in rushing defense (81.5 YPG) and first in passing defense. The Seahawks’ secondary was tough to breach this season, allowing just 185.6 yards per game via the aerial route.
Matt Bowen of the Bleacher Report is firm in his belief that the Legion of Boom will tilt this year’s Super Bowl in Seattle’s favor. They held Aaron Rodgers to just 178 yards Sunday night with two costly interceptions and they will fancy their chances of doing the same against another elite quarterback in Tom Brady.
With that being said, a worrying concern for the Seahawks is Richard Sherman’s elbow injury that he suffered late in the game against the Packers. The Seahawks cornerback may have injured some elbow ligaments when he ushered Green Bay running back James Starks out of bounds in the fourth quarter but he has already said that he would “100 percent play on Super Sunday.”
Sherman is a vital cog in Seattle’s defensive scheme and his presence will be crucial in stopping New England’s high-octane offense in Super Bowl XLIX. The Patriots finished fourth in the regular season in scoring, averaging 29.2 points per game. They have carried that excellent form in the postseason, averaging 40 points per game in their two playoff games thus far this season.
The Patriots exploded for 45 points Sunday night as they hammered the hapless Indianapolis Colts by 38 points in a lopsided AFC Championship game. Tom Brady was the man of the match for the Patriots, completing 23 of 35 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. LeGarrette Blount joined in the scoring parade for the Pats as well, carrying the ball 30 times for 148 yards and three scores.
Much has been made about New England’s offense these days but one surprising aspect of the Patriots’ game this postseason is their superb play on the defensive end. Interestingly enough, the Patriots are the no. 1 team in the league in scoring defense this postseason and not the Seahawks. They are allowing just 19.0 points per game in their two playoff games thus far this season. Their defensive intensity was evident in their game against the Colts where they held Indianapolis to a measly seven points.
Unfortunately for the Patriots, their victory over the Colts has been tarnished with allegations that they purposely deflated the balls used in the AFC Championship game. League sources familiar with the investigation revealed that 11 of the 12 New England game balls used in the AFC finale were inflated significantly below the NFL requirements.
Under league rules, the balls are required to be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch and weigh between 14 and 15 ounces. The main question now is did the Patriots cheat their way to their eighth Super Bowl appearance.
In a press conference last Thursday, Brady vehemently denied altering the football in any way. He said, “When I pick those footballs out, at that point, to me, they’re perfect,” he said. “I don’t want anyone touching the balls after that. I don’t want anyone rubbing them, putting any air in them, taking any air out. To me, those balls are perfect, and that’s what I expect when I show up on the field.”
ESPN’s panel of experts were quick to pounce on Brady’s comments. Mark Brunell opined that he didn’t believe a single word that Tom Brady said, saying that there’s no equipment manager in the NFL that would, on his own initiative, deflate a ball without the starting quarterback’s approval. Jerome Bettis offered the same thought, saying he’s disappointed in Brady.
This controversial issue brings to light the recent scandals that engulfed the Patriots organization in the past. Back in 2007, head coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for having an assistant spy on the New York Jets’ defensive signals. Needless to say, there’s more to this story than we already know so expect this deflate-gate scandal to dominate all the sports headlines leading up to Super Bowl weekend.
Despite the controversy, many experts are still backing the Patriots to win Super Bowl XLIX in a couple of weeks time. In fact, majority of the experts at CBS Sports picked New England to prevail over Seattle in the grand finale. Bookmakers have taken a liking to the Patriots’ chances as well, making them slim 1.5-point favorites for the big game as we speak.
Do you agree with the experts? Check out the latest Super Bowl odds and put your playoff pick to the test. Create a betting account now and cash in on the biggest NFL game of the season.
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