Quick Early Look at Super Bowl 50
Scott Morris | January 25, 2016
The AFC and NFC Conference champions have been crowned. On Sunday, the Denver Broncos defense shut down the New England Patriots offense en route to a 20-18 win, while the Carolina Panthers offense took advantage of turnovers by Arizona to rout the Cardinals 49-15.
Denver now meets Carolina for Super Bowl 50 on February 7 at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. This is Denver’s second Super Bowl appearance in the past three years, while Carolina is back for the first time since 2003.
The favorites are carrying the load in the postseason with 8 wins in 10 games outright, but the dogs are a solid 5-4-1 against the number, including the Broncos 2-point win as a 3-point home dog versus New England.
The UNDER has cashed in 6 of the 10 games in this year’s postseason, with Denver cashing UNDER in its two playoff games thus far.
The line opened Sunday night with Carolina as 4-point chalk on most books, but others had Carolina -3.5. The point total opened at 45.5.
The Broncos and Panthers did not play head to head this season, but in 2012, Denver routed Carolina 36-14 at 3.5-point favorites.
Both teams were 4-0 in interconference games this season, as the Broncos are 6-2 over their past eight games versus opponents in the NFC, since losing to Seattle two years ago in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Carolina is the first team from the NFC South to play for the Super Bowl title since 2010 when the New Orleans Saints played.
The Broncos are 2-5 SU and ATS in Super Bowls. This is the fifth time in 8 Super Bowl appearances that Denver is the underdog.
This is Peyton Manning’s fourth Super Bowl. In his previous three, the quarterback is 1-2 SU and ATS. He lost to Seattle 43-8 in Super Bowl 48.
In Carolina’s only appearance in the Super Bowl, the Panthers were beaten on the game’s final play in Super Bowl XXXVIII against New England 32-29.
In the Panthers Super Bowl loss, they covered as 7-point dogs and the total cashed OVER as 61 points was scored on a 37.5-point total.
The NFC is 4-2 over the past six Super Bowls and the UNDER has cashed in 4 of the past 5 Super Bowls.
