Super Bowl betting is getting more and more intense as the big day looms closer. Both the New England Patriots and the New York Giants have gone through their media days and are now focusing on football. But the price per head sports experts still have questions that have not been answered and those questions could affect the outcome of the game. Lets take a look at the latest developments in the news leading up to Super Bowl XLVI. The Line The pay per head betting experts had set the line for this game at 3 ½ in favor of the Patriots when the championship games had ended. But there are a lot of factors that are causing people to think that this game will end with a field goal differential and not everyone is convinced the Patriots will win. At 3 ½ points, most people considered the best bet to be the Giants. With the action going hot and heavy in New York’s direction, the odds makers moved the line to New England -2 ½. With the line at -2 ½, New England can win the game by a field goal and bettors would still see their pay day. That has shifted some of the action back towards the Patriots, but there is still a large contingency of people who believe that the Giants will win this game outright. To this point, the action on the Giants has slowed enough where the Patriots are still considered to be the favorite. The Injuries Only one injury is making headlines this week and that is the ankle injury to Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski. The reason Gronkowski’s ankle is getting such attention is because the Patriots’ offense is not nearly as effective without him. A sportsbook review of the Patriots’ offense shows that Gronkowski is a major factor in New England scoring touchdowns. He broke the NFL single season record for the most touchdowns in a season by a tight end and was easily quarterback Tom Brady’s favorite target inside the red zone. Gronkowski was reported to have participated in the Patriots’ Friday practice, which means that head coach Bill Belichick can put Gronkowski in the game. But it is unclear how effective Gronkowski will be one the game gets started. It is reported that his ankle will require surgery once the Super Bowl is over. The Giants All of the speculation and headlines have followed the Patriots around this week. Between Tom Brady’s comments on Buffalo hotels, Wes Welker’s discussion on Bill Belichick’s wardrobe and Gronkowski’s ankle; the Patriots are becoming the media target they do not want to become. The Giants have been very quiet and have not said much at all during media week. NFL fans are starting to appreciate how focused the Giants are and it is making people wonder if the Giants will be able to use that focus to defeat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. Considering the NFL scores that the Giants have posted in the playoffs, an upset could be very likely.
