In one of the most anticipated Super Bowl matchups in NFL history, the number one seeded AFC New England Patriots take on the number one seeded NFC Seattle Seahawks. The world’s most famous sporting event is being played at the home of the Arizona Cardinals – the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Can the Seattle Seahawks become the first team in a decade to win their second straight Super Bowl? Can Tom Brady and Bill Belichick overcome their Super Bowl losing streak? This article reviews the recent form of both teams in the run up to the Super Bowl, and the best opportunities that can be found on the betting exchanges.
How Did They Get Here?
The Seattle Seahawks were big favourites in the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers, and were heavily odds on across the betting exchanges. After falling behind it looked like their Super Bowl chances had slipped away, however one of the greatest comebacks in playoff history saw the Seahawks score fifteen points in the last two minutes. They went on to win in overtime in an exhilarating game. The Seahawk’s quarterback Russell Wilson had a poor match throwing four interceptions, and his confidence may have been knocked going into the biggest game of the season.
The New England Patriots had a much easier time of it in the AFC Championship Game, cruising past the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 45-7. The fact that their defence held Andrew Luck to zero touchdowns would have pleased head coach Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady had a really impressive game as well. They come into the game in really good form. However the gloss has been taken off the win slightly by ‘deflategate’ and the widespread accusations of ball deflation in this game.
Whilst New England had a much better Championship Game, both teams have the same record of 14-4 going into the Super Bowl, meaning it’s expected to be the closet Super Bowl of recent times. You can see this reflected in the odds on the betting exchange. Seattle Seahawks are slight underdogs and are available to back at odds of 2.00. New England Patriots go into the game slightly favoured by the betting exchange punters and are available at odds of 1.90. Let’s look at the key matchups in offence and defence to see if these odds offer any value.
Offence vs. Defence
Both teams have a slightly different approach to the game, and we’ll look at this in more detail now. The Seattle Seahawks build their game on their defence. It’s widely regarded that they have the best secondary in the game with duo Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas. Both have slight injury concerns going into the Super Bowl, but they’ll reportedly both be fit for the game. It will be really interesting to see their matchup against the New England Patriots wide receivers.
Looking at the defence of the New England Patriots, they finished the regular season ranked 19th. They certainly played well against the Indianapolis Colts, but have a weaker defence than the Seattle Seahawks. They can be susceptible to the running game which is one of Seattle’s biggest strengths. They have arguably the best running back in the game in Marshawn Lynch, and expect them to really try and exploit the New England Patriots in this area.
New England’s offense is a lot more balanced. They have a good running game and a good passing game and they will look to mix it up and keep the Seattle Seahawks guessing. They have one of the best tight ends in the game in Rob Gronkowski, and it will be a very tough job for Seattle to stop him scoring.
We’ve already stated this once but feel it needs reiteration; it’s going to be a very tight and very even matchup! Let’s look at the stats from the season; Seattle Seahawks led the league in the number of games conceding less than ten points. New England Patriots led the league in the number of games scoring forty points or more. Something is going to have to give, and we certainly cannot wait to watch!
Recommended Bets
Based on our analysis of both teams, we recommend backing the Seattle Seahawks to win the Super Bowl at odds of 2.00 on WBX. Yes it’s going to be a close game, but we feel their defence will prevail over the Patriot’s offence. Another tip for traders is that the season winner market and the single match winner market are now essentially the same thing since it is down to the final two teams, but you can often find some variation in prices between the two markets, so be sure to check both to make sure you get the best available odds.
The commission you pay at WBX is less than other betting exchanges like Betfair, so make sure you open an account if you don’t have one! They have a great free bet offer for when you open a new account. In the first month you can gain up to £/€25 in free bets. You get a £/€10 free bet for the first £/€100 won or lost, and another £/€5 free bet for every further £/€500 won or lost.
Super Bowl XLIX is going to be an incredibly exciting spectacle which will be very close and a great market for sports trading. Enjoy the game and good luck with your bets!