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October 31, 2007

Colts look like "live 'dogs"

Let's see...
The undefeated (7-0) Colts are the reigning Super Bowl champions. They've won 12 games in a row, including playoffs, going back to last season. They've won 12 straight regular-season games at home, and 25 of the last 27. They've beaten the Patriots three times in a row, including a 38-34 victory in last year's AFC championship game in Indianapolis, after they were trailing, 21-3, late in the second quarter. They've also beaten the Pats the last two times they played in Foxboro -- 27-20 last November, and 40-21 in Nov. of '05.
And yet they're 5-point underdogs for Sunday's showdown in the RCA Dome?
"The point spreads are really public opinion," Colts coach Tony Dungy told the Indianapolis Star earlier this week. "They (the oddsmakers) are trying to get an even number of bets on both sides, so they have to respond to public opinion, not to any reality. A lot of people obviously think New England's going to win."
This Patriots team is, without question, much better than the one that lost twice to the Colts last year. They have been all-but unstoppable offensively, as QB Tom Brady already has thrown more TD passes (30) in half a season than he had in any previous season. His previous high was 28, in 2002, and the Super Bowl championship season of '04.
But, as many points as the Pats have been scoring, Peyton Manning and the Colts can get the ball into the end zone, too, and they look awfully tempting playing at home, having been slighted by the betting public, even though they're the defending NFL champs.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 12:35 PM | Permalink