A friend asked me to pick a winner in this weekend’s much-hyped battle between unbeaten defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis and un-close-to-even-being-beaten New England. This one’s easy. The winner?
Us.
You, me, and everyone else who watches will get to see the two best teams in the league, playing perhaps the best football the league has seen in a while, duke it out to see who wins what is being tagged Super Bowl 41 1/2.
New England is averaging 41 points per game and Tom Brady is on pace to shatter opposing QB Peyton Manning’s single-season record for touchdown passes. The Colts have not lost in nearly a year and have the rings to prove it, and were the last team to knock off the Patriots, in last year’s AFC title game.
These teams have won four of the last six Super Bowls, and are clearly the likely choices to face off for the right to make it five of seven by playing in this season’s AFC Championship.
And right now, if Las Vegas oddsmakers are used as a benchmark, the Patriots are the top dog. Case in point: The game is in Indianapolis and the Colts have won the past two meetings between the clubs, but New England has been installed as a six-point favorite.
Before forming the opinion that the Colts have been disrespected, however, consider this: Losing by six would still be 11 points closer than any team has come to beating the Pats this season. And 39 points closer than the Redskins came last week.
Perhaps it’s fitting this game is being held in racing-rich Indianapolis, because the winner certainly would be in the driver’s seat for home field for the AFC Championship. Sure, there are some other quality passengers in the AFC (San Diego, Pittsburgh, and even Tennessee deserves mention), but it appears that the Colts and Pats are the teams firmly holding the conference steering wheel, with their foot on the gas. And this game won’t lead us to the checkered flag, but the team that makes a pit stop will have a hard time catching up late in the race.
So Brady, Manning … start your engines. We’ll enjoy the ride.
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The celebrity picks:
Lance Burton, Monte Carlo headliner
(13-9-2)
Redskins –3 1/2 at Jets
Packers +2 1/2 at Chiefs
Ravens +9 at Steelers
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Anthony Crivello, star of "Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular"
(12-10-2)
Redskins –3 1/2 at Jets
Packers +2 1/2 at Chiefs
Titans –4 1/2 vs. Panthers
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Danny Gans, Mirage headliner
(13-9-2)
Redskins –3 1/2 at Jets
Titans –4 1/2 vs. Panthers
Jaguars +3 1/2 at Saints
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Oscar Goodman, mayor of Las Vegas
(15-8-1)
Patriots –6 at Colts
Cowboys –3 at Eagles
Steelers –9 vs. Ravens
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Hans Klok, Planet Hollywood headliner
(14-9-1)
Redskins -3 1/2 at Jets
Cowboys –3 at Eagles
Steelers –9 vs. Ravens
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Wayne Newton, "Mr. Las Vegas"
(8-12-4)
Falcons –3 vs. 49ers
Patriots –6 at Colts
Raiders –3 vs. Texans
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Penn & Teller, Rio headliners
(17-7)
Patriots -6 at Colts
Jets +3 1/2 vs. Redskins
Eagles +3 vs. Cowboys
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Rita Rudner, Harrah's headliner
(14-9-1)
Patriots –6 at Colts
Cowboys –3 at Eagles
Vikings-Chargers over 41