Here's Our Pick For Who Wins The Super Bowl
Super Bowl Sunday is the best and worst Sunday of the year. It's the worst because it means it's the end of the football season. It's the best because there are lots of good commercials and an over-the-top halftime show. It's the worst because that halftime show takes forever, as do the commercials. If you really like football, then the whole pomp around the game is tiresome.
But, you already knew all of that!
What you don't know is who will win the Super Bowl. And that's where I step in. I'm 6-4 in my playoff picks, so if I get this one wrong, I still had a winning record. The pressure is off for me. That means I'm either going to nail this pick since I'm not stressed about it. Or it means I'm going to mail it in and get it wrong. Read on to decide for yourself which is right.
The San Francisco 49ers are 3.5 point favorites against the Baltimore Ravens, according to Vegas Insider. For non-gamblers like my boss Henry Blodget, this means Vegas believes the 49ers win by 4 points or more.
I agree with Vegas. I think the 49ers will win by 4 points or more.
But before you go and make a bet, be aware that I have not believed in the Ravens at all during this playoff run. I thought the Colts would cover the spread, and possibly beat the Ravens. I thought for sure Peyton Manning and the Broncos would kill the Ravens. And while I took the Ravens and the points against the Patriots, I agonized over the pick because I really thought Brady would win by 10.
I think the head coach is excellent. But the offensive coordinator, Jim Caldwell, is uninspiring. He nuked the Colts when he was head coach last year.
Ray Rice is a stud. Other than that, I can't get comfortable with the Ravens.
The 49ers, on the other hand, look great. The defense hits hard, plays fast. The quarterback, Colin Kaepernick runs all over the place. His wind up on throws is longer than I'd like, but he's clearly got a cannon for an arm.
And the coach is the best coach in the league. When Jim Harbaugh took over the 49ers, they were a mess. One year later, in a lockout-shortened season, he was a muffed punt away from getting to the Super Bowl. This year he had the guts to bench Alex Smith, a quarterback who was playing really well, in favor of his hand-picked QB, Kaepernick. This could have easily blown up in his face.
Those are the big reasons I'm taking the 49ers.
But, there are reasons to be concerned. The defense isn't as great as everyone thinks. It has struggled to put pressure on the quarterback in the last month. The corner backs, as good as they are, have been beaten by receivers.
Kaepernick is basically a rookie. He's played well in big moments, but he's only started nine games. Maybe he's too young to realize that this isn't normal — there aren't going to be a lot of Super Bowl chances. Maybe he just thinks to himself, "If I lose this one, I'll win next year."
I'm guessing that's what Kaepernick thinks. And so, I'm going with him to win.
The padlock: The 49ers -4. For non-gamblers like Henry Blodget, that means I think the 49ers win by four or more.