Super Bowl Patriots vs. Seahawks Betting Pick

Moneyline favorites emerged as SU winners in the two conference championship games. The New England Patriots posted a 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game, paying off at 9/25 on the moneyline while covering as seven-point favorites on the NFL betting lines. The Seattle Seahawks claimed a 28-22 overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers as 3/10 moneyline favorites in the NFC Championship Game, failing to reward bettors as 8.5-point favorites.

Looking ahead to Super Bowl XLIX, the Seahawks opened as two-point favorites in NFL online betting but that line has since moved to Patriots -2 at top sportsbooks . . .

New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks
Game Line: New England -2 | OU 48.5

The Seahawks travel to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona in pursuit of their second straight Super Bowl title, a feat that has not been achieved since their opponent this year, the Patriots, won back-to-back Super Bowl titles a decade ago. The 14-4 Seahawks ride an eight-game SU winning streak into Super Sunday, going 6-1-1 ATS in NFL online betting, but have failed to produce an ATS win in this year’s postseason. Seattle has continued to dominate with defense, holding opponents to just over nine points per game during their current winning streak, while stymieing opposing quarterbacks; most recently Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and Carolina’s Cam Newton, who were held to a combined 401 passing yards and three TD tosses, while throwing a total of four picks.

Indeed, the defense may have saved the Seahawks’ season early on against the Packers, twice slamming the door on first-quarter drives deep inside the red zone, forcing the Pack to settle for a pair of field goals. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson had perhaps his shakiest outing of the 2014 NFL season last week, tossing three picks while failing to earn a first down in the first half. But with the Seahawks defense holding the Pack to just two first downs in the first 28 minutes of the second half, Wilson proved why he may be the NFL’s most versatile pivot, throwing for a TD while rushing for another. Simply put, if the Seahawks defense continues its strong play, bettors can be confident that Wilson will move the Seahawks downfield, eventually.

Not surprisingly, the 14-4 Patriots will live and die based on the performance of Tom Brady. The future Hall of Fame quarterback will be making a record sixth Super Bowl appearance following playoff wins over the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts in which he tossed three TD passes in each game while averaging 296.5 passing yards per game. While the Pats’ 45-7 win last weekend crushed the hopes of a growing number of sports bettors who had been attracted to an Indianapolis Colts team led by the fast-emerging Andrew Luck at QB, overall the Patriots have struggled to run up the score of late, averaging just 20.3 points per game in their previous three, failing to post an ATS win in NFL online betting.

Also of concern is New England’s struggle at times to produce points away from Gillette Stadium, scoring more than 23 points on just three occasions this season, and failing to do so since routing the Colts in Indy back in Week 11. Against a Seahawks defense that has proven capable of standing tall in the direst of circumstances, and has given up just 26 total second-half points, including a mere two TDs, over their last eight contests, it will be crucial for Brady and the Pats to get on the scoreboard early to keep pace with the defending champs.

Free Pick: Take Seattle and the points. Seattle 24-19