Super Bowl Bettors Picking Indianapolis Colts At Rapid Rate

NFL News - January 29th, 2010 - Written by John Ritter

Super Bowl 44 opened with one of it's tightest lines in two decades, but that number is quickly widening before this weekend.

Per Bloomberg Press, the Indianapolis Colts were originally favored anywhere from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 points, depending on the sportsbook, but that spread has risen to up to six points because gamblers are dumping their money on them, according to NFL Betting Lines.

"The appetite to bet the Colts was pretty strong because we’ve seen nothing but Colt money at this point," Jay Rood, director of the MGM Mirage's Race and Sports Book said.

The New Orleans Saints were already underdogs because they are making their first championship trip ever, but it didn't help that they failed to cover the 3 1/2-point spread over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship. Plus, Indianapolis, which had already won a Super Bowl in 2007, beat up on a defensively-strong New York Jets team in it's conference championship game, giving bettors all the more confidence in Peyton Manning.

Manning won the league MVP earlier this month, and was named MVP of the AFC Championship. He was the standout performer in the '07 Super Bowl, in which he threw for 247 yards in a 29-17 win over the Chicago Bears.

The Colts are hoping to stay with tradition by staying in the same hotel as they did four years ago, and are maintaining the same practice routine.

"We've been through the routine, same practice facility," Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell said. "There are 25 guys on our team that have actually been through this before. So, that does indeed help, but it doesn’t give you any guarantees."

But it hasn't been a completely smooth week.

Team officials have been battling with the NFL over it's requirement to send Pro Bowlers to the exhibition game this weekend, despite the fact that they won't play in the game. The Colts threatened to boycott the game until coming to an agreement which would allow those players to attend the game, stay in Miami overnight and then join up with their teammates the next day.

Many sportsbooks believe Indianapolis is receiving all of the early money because of prior history and perception.

"We opened relatively high based on the Colts perceived as better on both sides of the ball," Las Vegas Hilton assistant director Jeff Sherman said. "The lines are created on recent events and that’s where most of the public will bet."

But the Saints come into the game as the league's highest-scoring offense with the most yards gained this season. They have the top-rated passer, four receivers with 500 yards or more, and three players who have scored at least eight touchdowns.

"They've put a lot of points on the board, so they’re tough to handle," Caldwell said. "Teams, when they get to this point, don't have too many holes, and they certainly don't."

Four of the last six Super Bowls have been won by fewer than five points, but the betting trend may force the final game spread up to as much as 6 1/2. Still, USA Online Sportsbooks continue to believe New Orleans money will come soon enough, especially as the big game draws closer.

“I’m going to hold pat at 4 1/2, thinking the Saint money will come,” Rood said. “Giving a team with that kind of offensive firepower even 4 1/2 is pretty generous. When you talk about six points, that’s a lot.”