Pro Bowl Betting Preview
SBG Global Opening Line: NFC - 2.5 , Total 64
The annual AFC-NFC Pro Bowl takes place in Hawaii on Sunday and players better take a long look around because there is no guarantee the game will be played in Hawaii for awhile. Next year’s game will be played in Miami, a week before Super Bowl XLIV is played.
SBG Global reports that early NFL betting has the public taking NFC at Home.
The Pro Bowl is a showcase of the NFL’s best players and fans will be treated to a number of players from the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Outside linebacker James Harrison and safety Troy Polamalu will start for the AFC while James Farrior is a reserve. Arizona has five starters, three on offense in quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Adrian Wilson starts on defense at strong safety and Sean Morey is on special teams.
The Pro Bowl is also a battle between the Manning brothers as Eli Manning will be playing for the NFC while brother Peyton is on the AFC. The AFC squad will be coached by Baltimore’s John Harbaugh while the NFC team is led by Philadelphia’s Andy Reid.
The AFC has Peyton Manning at quarterback with reserves Jay Cutler and Kerry Collins. The NFC has Kurt Warner at quarterback with reserves Drew Brees and Eli Manning. The edge at running back definitely goes to the NFC with Peterson, Michael Turner and Clinton Portis. The receiving edge might go to the AFC if the Arizona receivers take it easy. Andre Johnson and Brandon Marshall could have big games for the AFC.
Here is a look at the NFL betting stats for Sunday’s game. The all-time series is tied at 19-19. The AFC holds a 15-14 lead in games played at Honolulu. Last season the NFC won 42-30 as Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Andy Reid is 1-2 in Pro Bowls as a head coach of the NFC team.
SBG Global Current Line: NFC - 2.5 , Total 64.5
If history is any indication then it could be the AFC’s turn to win the Pro Bowl. The NFC won last year’s Pro Bowl and the conferences have rotated wins and losses the last six years so it could be the AFC’s turn on Sunday.
What bettors need to know: Pro Bowl
By MATT SEVERANCE
AFC vs. NFC (-2.5, 64.5)
Line movement: Hasn't budged, although the total has risen a half-point at some books.
What's at stake: Let's be honest here, there's nothing at stake. It's a vacation for these guys and not much more. But you can still bet on it and it's the final football game until August, so that makes it relevant.
Aloha? This might be the final Pro Bowl in Hawaii and last one to include players from Super Bowl teams. The NFL is moving the 2010 game to the week before the Super Bowl in host city Miami. That could become the norm, holding the Pro Bowl the week before the big game. Hawaii officials are confident the game will return to the Big Island in some form, where it has been played since 1980. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said as much to reporters this week.
"The reality is, we'd like to be back here on a rotational basis," Goodell said. "It makes sense for us. The Pro Bowl has got a great history here and tradition. We know how much it means to this community, so we'd like to be here."
Goodell added that no plans were set in stone and that the NFL wants to see how it works out in 2010.
Find an advantage: At least the NFC should have a sense of offensive continuity with Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin having played just a week ago. And with Adrian Peterson and Michael Turner, the NFC has the two best running backs in this game.
But AFC starting QB Peyton Manning doesn't like to lose in anything and is the consummate professional, so he could be the one player giving the most effort on Sunday. Plus the AFC secondary is loaded with Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu and Nnamdi Asomugha.
A few numbers (all since 1971): The AFC has won this game in every odd year since 2003. The AFC has won seven of the last 11 Pro Bowls overall.
The total has gone over this year's number, 64.5, six times since 2000. For what it's worth, this was the highest-scoring season per game (44.1) in the NFL since 1965.
If you can decide on the winning team, definitely give the points. During the last 10 years, the average margin of victory has been 13.2 points. Only four times in history has this game been settled by less than three points – 1991, 1983, 1978 and 1974. Only two Pro Bowls have gone to overtime, with the AFC winning both.
If you are looking for a Pro Bowl MVP prop bet, go with a quarterback. A QB has won it five of the past eight years. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson won it last year and could join former Raiders QB Rich Gannon as the only player to win Pro Bowl MVP in back-to-back years. Peterson's 129 yards rushing last year were second in the game's history to the 180 that Marshall Faulk of the Colts got in the 1995 Pro Bowl. The only player other than Peterson with a chance to win a second Pro Bowl MVP award this year is Peyton Manning.
Both conferences have swept the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl nine times. Each conference has won this game 19 times.
Eagles coach Andy Reid Reid is 1-2 as head coach of the NFC in this game.
The AFC hasn't allowed fewer than 20 points since the 2001 Pro Bowl.