Super Bowl weekend is the best time of the year for my people. For this glorious two-week build up to the big game, every degenerate from Tallahassee to Tacoma is seen as a betting brother, and not some separate scum in society.
Look around.
ESPN writer John Clayton is leading his Friday column off, asking if Las Vegas got the spread wrong. You’d expect that from Chad Millman, but not the Football Hall of Fame Grim Reaper.
Your brother in-law Jim is playing bookie, your best friend Ted is letting his inner oddsmaker boil to the surface and your girlfriend Stacey is a wiseguy, telling you how she’s all over the first half under.
Even your minister, Father John, would rather be on the couch next to you Sunday, stuffing his face with cheese-covered nachos and getting some action on the coin flip, than in church preaching to a half-dozen people checking their watches every two minutes.
Yup, everybody’s got an opinion on Sunday’s game and this is the one time of the year when everyone puts their money where their mouths are. It’s the one day when even condemning Connies get off their moralist high horse and realize what the action addicts already know – betting on a game just makes a good thing even better.
I’m in Las Vegas now and I’ll be tweeting throughout the game, describing the reaction from the folks inside the book on both sides of the window.
Let’s move onto my loser Super Bowl pick (reverse jinx?).
New York Giants vs. New England Patriots (-3, 53) Is there anybody, outside of Massachusetts residents, who like the Patriots in this Super Bowl rematch?
Sure, New England has the better quarterback and coach – and not by a wide margin – but is there any other area you wouldn’t give the nod to New York?
Pass rush and secondary both have to go to NYG, and so does receiving weapons and running backs.
Hell, even
Madonna said she’d take Eli Manning over Tom Brady.
Abby, don’t worry. Eli’s not leaving you for a 53-year-old woman with bigger arms than Justin Tuck.
I’m an underdog bettor but it seems like the dog in this fight is the public favorite. The Giants are rolling and the Patriots seem like the worst 15-3 team in Super Bowl history.
So while the warning lights are flashing, I’m not going to fade the public just because they can’t be right. I think the Giants are the better team and they’ll prove it Sunday.
I’m on the Giants and the under. A 27-24 final score sounds about right to me.
Here are a few other prop bets I like: First score will be a field goal: +180
Total touchdowns scored by both teams: Under 6.5
Longest touchdown scored will be: Under 47.5 yards
Total receiving yards for Mario Manningham: Over 43.5
That’s it guys. Remember – drink, eat and gamble responsibly on Sunday.
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Ashton’s NFL record on the year 35-27-1 ATS. Looking for another way to bash Ashton’s picks? Follow him on Twitter @AshtonGrewal