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The AFC made it a mildly interesting in the second half, but couldn’t overcome a 42-point deficit, losing 55-41.

The AFC had an abysmal start to the game. Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning and Matt Cassel all threw first-half interceptions to help the NFC build an early lead. The seemingly disinterested AFC squad did make a run in the second half, though the game never really seemed in doubt.

“You underthrow one just a hair and they intercept it,” Rivers said. “You get a deflection for an interception. … They had all the breaks early.”

The game was a PICK, which is understandable in a game full of all-stars. The Total was shocking 66.5 and the game still went way over, the NFC tied the highest point total for a pro bowl team ever.

"It feels amazing. It was a lot of fun," Minnesota's Adrian Peterson said. "We came out and put up a bunch of points and had some fun doing it, so it was a good day.”

The game’s MVP was DeAngelo Hall, who had one of the NFC’s five interceptions and returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown.

Now that the NFL’s annual trip to Hawaii is over, now focus will be Super Bowl XLV all week long. The Green Bay Packers are 3-point favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the game kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 6:25 p.m. ET.

Be a player and bet on Super Bowl odds and props in the Bodog Sportsbook.

The Pro Bowl 2011 has already finished, and few hours ago, a lot of football fans have witnessed how the NFC defeats its rival the AFC ending up a score of 55-41. Furthermore, the NFL All-Star Game also known as the Pro Bowl 2011 is being broadcast in FOX Sports and was held in Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. Now we are now ready to focus our much attention to the upcoming and highly anticipated Super Bowl 2011. Now lets have a brief background about the Super Bowl 2011 introduction. The Super Bowl XLV will be the 45th annual edition of the Super Bowl and considered as the 41st annual championship game of National Football League (NFL). The Super Bowl 2011 will be held live at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas this February 6, 2011. This will be a total clash for two powerhouse teams. The AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers will try to grab the Super Bowl 2011 title against its rival the NFC Champion, Green Bay Packers. The two teams will decide the NFL Champion for the 2010 season.

Apparently, this is the first time that the Super Bowl will be held in Dallas- Fort West Area and third time to be held in Texas, where Houston was the host city to Super Bowls VIII and XXXVIII. This will be the eighth appearance in the Super Bowl for the Steelers (who hold the record with six Super Bowl wins) and the fifth for the Packers (who hold the record with 12 overall NFL titles, including three Super Bowl wins and nine league titles prior to the Super Bowl-era).

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team finished the 2010 regular season with a 12-4 record. This was their third Super Bowl appearance since Ben Roethlisberger became the team’s leader and starter in 2004. Roethlisberger finished the season with 3,200 yards and 17 touchdowns, with just 5 interceptions, giving him a 97 passer rating. He also rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns. The team’s top receiver was Mike Wallace who caught 60 passes for 1,257 yards and 10 touchdowns, giving him 21 yards per catch average.

For the Green Bay Packers, the teams finished the season with a 10-6 record and it’s their second no. 6 seeded team to reach the Super Bowl. This will be their fifth Super Bowl appearance after defeating the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship game last weekend.

And with the biggest volume of viewers around the world, the Super Bowl 2011 will definitely be witnessed in every part of the world in particular country listings where the much anticipated event will have a live streaming broadcast. Please find below the local channel listings and airing updates of the Super Bowl 2011 per country:

The Super Bowl 2011 will have a wide range of advertising list and commercial ads. Since September 15, 2010, Fox has sold 90% of all available slots. Pepsi-Cola will return after a one-year retreat with three ads for their Pepsi Max drink, which is the official soft drink of the NFL. Pepsi’s Frito-Lay brand will also advertise Doritos. Both brands will have their advertisements created by web users as part of the annual USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter contest, which offers a prize of US $5 million.[17] In addition, Anheuser-Busch InBev, GoDaddy-com, Coca-Cola, and Hyundai have announced plans to buy ad time.

Fox Sports is scheduled to televise the game in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the game will be broadcast live on television by the BBC and Sky Sports. Additionally, BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra will broadcast live radio commentary.

In Australia, the game will broadcast live on One HD

In France, the game will be broadcast live on W9.

In Italy, the game will be broadcast live on ESPN America.

In Brazil, the game will be broadcast live on BandSports and ESPN Brasil

In México, the game will be broadcast live on Azteca 7 and XHGC Channel 5.

In Canada, the game will be broadcast live on CTV.

In Denmark, the game will be broadcast live on TV3+/TV3+ HD.

In Romania, the game will be broadcast live on Sport 1.

In Germany, the game will be broadcast live on ARD.

In Belgium, the game will be broadcast live on PRIME Sport.

In Portugal, the game will be broadcast live on Sport TV.

In Sweden, the game will be broadcast live on TV6.

In Asia, the game will be broadcast live on ASN (All Sports Network). ASN

In The Netherlands, the game will be broadcast live on ESPN America.

Up north, CTV will be covering the game for Canada. Across the pond, (and five hours ahead of East Coast time) the live game will play out in the wee hours on BBC in the UK.

Kick-off time will be approximately 6:25 pm on the East Coast; 5:25 pm Central; 4:25 pm Mountain; and 3:25 pm Pacific.

Meanwhile, there are only few days to go before the Super Bowl 2011 live streaming will start. There will be a pre-game announcements and events. Find out more the latest happening at the Super Bowl 2011 here with our full coverage on the day itself.

Super Bowl 2011 at Bodog Sportsbook



Welcome:

The Montreal Canadiens should be pleased with their midseason report. While some predicted a major fall for the Habs, they’re sitting in a playoff spot and have 30/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup. But mounting injuries could derail what was looking like a very solid campaign.

Montreal (27-18-5) was at the center of a storm during the offseason when it traded playoff hero Jaroslav Halak. That meant committing to much maligned goalie Carey Price. Price has been brilliant at times and terrible at others, and this season he’s lived up to his potential.

The youngster has started a whopping 44 games, posting a 2.36 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. He also has four shutouts and is second in the NHL in wins. Were it not for Price’s efforts, there’s a very good chance Montreal would be on the outside looking in at the playoff picture right now.

That’s because the offense has been pitiful. The Habs are just 23rd in scoring, and that number could get even worse in the coming weeks. Michael Cammalleri is second on the club in points (31) and goals (13), but he’ll miss the next two-to-four weeks with a separated shoulder. Without Cammalleri, an already struggling offense could be practically toothless.

That’s not the only injury to hurt the Habs. Defenseman Josh Gorges is out for the season after suffering an injury on Dec. 26. Since then, the Montreal penalty kill has slowly regressed until completely melting down over the past few weeks. Once one of the better killing units, Montreal has allowed seven power play goals in its last five games.

Throw in the season-ending injury to Andrei Markov, and the Canadiens are getting chewed up. Youngsters like P.K. Subban have helped on the blueline but, unless this team manufactures some more offense, it is destined for a short playoff run.

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The Dallas Stars might be the NHL’s most surprising team. Did anyone predict they’d have 18/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup by their midseason report?

Dallas (30-15-5) leads the Pacific Division and is in contention for the top seed in the Western Conference. The team is playing solid if unspectacular in all phases of the game. The Stars rank 12th in goals per game, 12th in goals allowed per game, and 10th in power play percentage. Dallas doesn’t dominate at anything, but it also isn’t poor at anything.

The offense is quite well-rounded. Six different players are on pace for at least 50 points, with four of them gunning for 25 goals or more. Brad Richards (20 goals, 57 points) leads the pack. Perhaps most impressively, Richards is finally showing some defensive awareness. After posting horrific negative plus/minus ratings in four consecutive seasons — minus-19, minus-27, minus-4 and minus-12 — Richards is riding a solid plus-7 this year.

Richards was joined in the All-Star game by teammate Loui Eriksson, who continues to be one of the league’s quiet stars. Eriksson scored 65 goals over the past two years and already has 17 in 2010-11. He’s also a good bet to record his first ever 80-point season.

Like everything else, the goaltending is solid if unspectacular. Kari Lehtonen has long been regarded as one of the NHL’s better prospects. This season, he’s finally healthy and putting it together. Lehtonen boasts a 2.57 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. Backup Andrew Raycroft has done a nice job when Lehtonen needs the night off.

Dallas has been excellent so far, but will the Stars turn into a pumpkin at midnight? They’ve got some nice talent up front and potentially a franchise goalie between the pipes; if they can keep rolling, there’s some great value in their 18/1 Cup odds.

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Few teams would receive as high a grade as the Tampa Bay Lightning on their midseason report. It’s not so much surprising that Tampa has turned things around, given how much talent is there — it’s surprising how far and fast the Lightning have come. They have 12/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup.

Tampa Bay (31-15-5) leads the Southeast Division and is vying for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, just four points behind Philadelphia. Only a year ago, Tampa finished fourth in the Southeast with 80 points; the Lighting already have 67 this year.

The Lightning have plenty of weapons, but it all begins with Steven Stamkos. The third-year forward leads the NHL in goals (38) and points (67). Sixty goals isn’t out of the question, and the youngster has already nudged himself nearly into the same stratosphere as Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin.

But Stamkos doesn’t have to do it alone. Even at 35 years old, Martin St. Louis shows no signs of slowing down. He’s on pace for a fifth straight 80-plus point season, and an eighth consecutive season with 25-plus goals.

If the team can get Vincent Lecavalier going, watch out. The bruising forward hasn't been as dominant over the past few seasons and has just 23 points in 35 games. Perhaps he’s just finally slowing down.

The best news is that Tampa may finally have found an answer in net. After getting shaky performances from Dan Ellis and Mike Smith, the Lightning acquired veteran netminder Dwayne Roloson. Rollie the Goalie has been excellent since joining the club, going 7-3 with a 2.25 goals-against average, .920 save percentage, and three shutouts.

Believe it or not, the Tampa Bay Lightning could very well be in the midst of a championship season.

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For the most part, the New York Rangers can boast a solid midseason report. They have 30/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup but, if that’s going to happen, there are certainly a few kinks that need to be worked out.

New York (29-20-3) sits sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. Certainly, fourth place — and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs — is within striking distance, but the Rangers will have to find more offense if that’s going to happen.

Quite frankly, the Rangers just don’t have much offensive talent. Marian Gaborik is clearly ahead of the pack, though he needs to stay healthy. The speedy winger has 31 points in 38 games. Inconsistency has also plagued Gaborik. During a recent five-game stretch, for example, the Czech was held pointless four times — but scored four goals and five points in the fifth game.

But unless Gaborik catches fire, there’s a chance New York won’t even boast a single 60-point scorer. At least the team will get a boost from Ryan Callahan, who has been out since mid-December with a broken hand. The winger has 23 points in 32 games this season. Not star material, but a pretty strong contribution.

With the Rangers struggling to score, most of the pressure falls on goalie Henrik Lundqvist. As usual, Lundqvist is delivering brilliant results. The Swede has a 2.29 goals-against average and .924 save percentage. He’s already racked up a league-best seven shutouts and should be in the Vezina discussion at the end of the year.

It’s easy to say New York will only go as far as Lundqvist takes them, but that’s unfair to the goalie. He’s going to deliver fantastic work in net, end of discussion. New York’s Cup hopes rest with the offense, and whether or not it can deliver enough punch to ensure Lundqvist’s efforts don’t go to waste.

Get the best NHL props at Bodog Sportsbook – always know the odds!

Will Pittsburgh defensive end Aaron Smith be able to play in Super Bowl XLV despite not having suited up for a game since late October? That answer should come on Wednesday when Smith has an MRI on his injured arm.

Smith is a huge long shot to play against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, despite recovering faster than he anticipated after partially tearing his triceps in an Oct. 24 game against the Miami Dolphins. Pittsburgh has been saving a roster spot in the hopes that Smith would be able to rejoin the team at some point this postseason. Doctors and the Steelers are hoping that the MRI provides clarity as to whether Smith can play against Green Bay.

The Steelers listed the 12th-year veteran as questionable for Super Bowl XLV on the injury report released Friday. But Smith hasn't fully practiced since his injury, and time is waning in his bid to complete a comeback like Rod Woodson's in 1995, when the former Steelers great missed virtually the entire regular season after having reconstructive knee surgery only to return in time for Super Bowl XXX. Smith’s 44 career sacks rank ninth on the team's all-time list, and he’s also terrific against the run.

Even if cleared to play, Smith won’t start. Ziggy Hood, the team's first round pick in 2009, has made his first nine career starts since Smith was injured. He has four sacks, including one in the postseason, coming in the Steelers' 31-24 divisional round playoff win over the Ravens. The Steelers don’t want to possibly risk the possibility that Smith, 34, injures the tendon worse and then possibly misses the start of next season. But the MRI should give a definitive answer.

Be a player and bet on Super Bowl XLV at the Web’s gaming leader: Bodog Sportsbook

Half of American adults bet on the Super Bowl, ranging from $1 squares to heftier wagers with online sportsbooks, estimates RJ Bell, a Las Vegas-based sports betting expert and the founder and CEO of Pregame.com.

Bell figures that only 1 percent of action on Super Bowl Sunday, the biggest one-day betting extravaganza of the year, takes place in Nevada, where it's legal. The Nevada Gaming Control Board reported more than $82 million was wagered at Nevada sportsbooks for the 2010 Super Bowl. That means the actual figure wagered worldwide on that Sunday could've been somewhere closer to $8.2 billion.

Yep, the Super Bowl is about betting just as much as it is about the Lombardi Trophy and new Bud Light commercials. Even if outside of Nevada it is — gasp! — illicit.

Gamblers can place bets, called proposition bets, on just about anything — from the length of the national anthem to who wins the coin toss.

But most of the serious money still involves who wins the game, and by how much.

Thankfully the point spread and over-under for Super Bowl XLV won't be listed in Roman numerals.

For the record — and entertainment purposes only, of course — during the previous 44 Super Bowls, favorites are 32-12, straight up. And in seven of the last 10 Super Bowls, the underdogs covered the spread.

Big bucks for big spenders

Buying a handful of $5 squares isn't enough for everybody.

Golfer Phil Mickelson formed a betting syndicate in 2000 that placed a preseason wager of $20,000 on the Baltimore Ravens, who were 22-to-1 to win the Super Bowl. Baltimore smashed the New York Giants, 34-7, in January 2001. The payout? A reported $560,000.

"The year before they'd finished the season at 6-2, barely missing the playoffs," Mickelson explained his reasoning in USA Today. "I liked their off-season player acquisitions."

Mickelson reportedly won big later the same year betting on Arizona to win the World Series.

• One of the biggest reported Super Bowl payouts went to the late Bob Stupak, a gambler and entrepreneur known as "Mr. Las Vegas." Stupak wagered $1 million on Super Bowl XXIII in 1989, taking Cincinnati , a seven-point underdog to San Francisco. While the 49ers won, they didn't cover the spread with the 20-16 victory. Later, reports indicated that Stupak may have hedged his bet by placing halftime bets to minimize a loss.

• Retired NBA star Charles Barkley caused a stir in Vegas after Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. He bet $550,000 on the New England Patriots , 14-point underdogs to St. Louis, and wagered another $50,000 on the money line. The Pats won, 20-17.

What was good for Chuck wasn't good for the sportsbook director at Mandalay Bay who signed off on Barkley's wager. Barkley, it seemed, didn't have a sufficient line of credit and hadn't signed a marker but was still allowed to place the bet. Mandalay didn't want to pay, but Barkley demanded his winnings of nearly $800,000.

Giving props to oddball wagers

What song will The Black Eyed Peas belt out first at halftime? "Imma Be," "I Gotta Feeling" or "Boom Boom Pow"? Which team will win the coin toss (the NFC team, astoundingly, has won it in 13 consecutive Super Bowls)? Which voluptuous celebrity, chilling in one of Jerry's suites, will be shown on the broadcast? Who will score more — the NFC champion or NBA star LeBron James , when Miami plays the Clippers the same day?

All are likely options as proposition or "prop" bets. They're the kind of random bets that can draw even the most casual fan into the pop culture event that is the Super Bowl.

Experts reportedly trace the trend back to William "Refrigerator" Perry, an oversized defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX (1986). Bettors wondered whether the occasional short-yardage running back would score a touchdown. (He did.)

Later came the idea of cross-sport betting. In Super Bowl XXX (1996), NBA great Michael Jordan scored more points for his Bulls than the Cowboys scored against Pittsburgh. (The Cowboys won, 27-17.)

The bets became wackier from there, feeding on the proliferation of online sportsbooks, where, unlike Nevada, the betting action isn't required to be decided on the field, Bell said. The weirder the bet, the more publicity that usually follows. Consider these recent prop bets:

•Whom will the Super Bowl MVP thank first? God, teammates, family, coach, no one?

•What color liquid will be dumped on the winning coach? Clear, red, yellow, blue, orange, lime green?

•What commercial will be the highest rated on the USA Today annual Super Bowl ad meter?

•How many times will CBS announcers fully mention Hurricane Katrina during the game (when the Saints played in last year's Super Bowl) from kickoff until final whistle?

On upsets, dogs and spreads

The biggest Super Bowl upset, point-spread speaking, came in Super Bowl III, when the New York Jets beat the Baltimore Colts. Baltimore was an 18-point favorite, though that didn't keep the Jets' Joe Namath from famously guaranteeing the win.

In 1998, Denver beat Green Bay despite being an 11-point dog. In 2002, New England beat St. Louis after being a 14-point underdog. Then roles reversed for the Patriots, who fell to the New York Giants in XLII (2008), despite being 12-point favorites.

Alternatively, close point spreads don't always mean to expect nail-biters. The last four times the spread has been a field goal or less, the games have resulted in 20-plus point bores.

Favorites are 24-18-2 all time against the spread. The biggest Super Bowl spread was in 1995, with the San Francisco 49ers deemed 18 1/2-point favorites over San Diego . Steve Young and Co. covered, winning, 49-26.

As Super Bowl week continues, estimates are coming out on how much is expected to be wagered on this year's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers. On Tuesday, all gamblers could think about was how to get to Dallas before Sunday.

The weather in Dallas has caused a major problem for travelers arriving in town for Sunday's match up of two of the most storied organizations in the NFL. Snow has been the main contributor to travel plan problems, and the Dallas ISD has already closed school on Wednesday.

Children in the city had a snow day Tuesday, and now they will be receiving one on Wednesday as well. For parents, the timing could not be worse, many of which work in industries that are preparing to host the Super Bowl. Surrounding cities and school districts have also started making plans for no school on Wednesday.

Reports surfaced Tuesday of how it is expected that over $10 billion dollars in bets will be placed on the Super Bowl this year. The game has annually been one of the largest gambling draws at Las Vegas casinos. In foreign countries, more money is still spent gambling on the World Cup.

The weather was a problem not only for travelers Tuesday, but also for the Super Bowl participants. The players held their annual media day, with reporters battling the elements to get into the new Cowboys stadium. As the day wore on, there was more snow and the league starting discussing ways to combat the weather the rest of the week.

The inclement weather in Dallas is being used by NFL purists as a reason that the biggest game of the year should be played in warm weather states. In the past, Florida, Arizona, and California have been the main locations of the Super Bowl, but starting this year, the NFL has started to branch out from those states. Concerns are growing about future Super Bowl locations, one of which is New York.

The 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) is scheduled to be played on Sunday February 6, 2011, at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game is between the Pittsburgh Steelers vs the Green Bay Packers.

The official broadcast starts at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, but (judging from past years) kickoff will be slightly after 6:30 p.m.

In the US:
Super Bowl XLV (45) will be hosted by FOX


The 2011 Super Bowl XLV Online: Bodog Sportsbook


:dance:

Most people have a favorite team when it comes to Sunday's Super Bowl, and many are willing to wager a buck or two that their team will win.

But this isn't just the Super Bowl of professional football. It's the Super Bowl of gambling.

It seems fun when oddsmakers post lines on everything from how long Christina Aguilera will hold the note on"brave" at the end of the national anthem to the color of the Gatorade that will be dumped on the head of the winning coach.

But though wagering on the Super Bowl may be fun for some, it's life or death for others.

That's because for compulsive sports bettors, the Super Bowl can be one of the lowest times of the year — a time when their debt and desperation escalate to a point of crisis, said Uberto Mondolfi, a psychotherapist who treats problem gamblers on behalf of the Altamonte Springs-based Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling.

"It can be the worst day for problem gamblers and the last hope for digging out of their gambling debt," Mondolfi said. For some, their Super Bowl losses "could lead up to suicide," he said.

Statistics from calls placed to the statewide Gambling Helpline operated by the council show 83 percent of gamblers are affected by depression and 81 percent are experiencing anxiety, said the council's executive director, Pat Fowler. Suicidal thoughts and/or attempts were confirmed in 11 percent of those who called, and it is estimated that one out of every five pathological gamblers will attempt suicide, she said.

For the past five years, calls to the help line have doubled in January and February — leading up to and immediately after the Super Bowl — and the same pattern is expected this year, Fowler said. More bets are placed on the Super Bowl than any other sporting event, she said.

According to DailyFinance.com, about $90 million was wagered in Las Vegas on last year's Super Bowl game. But that's just the legal wagering.

But larger amounts are wagered illegally — from office pools to bets placed over the Internet.

Fowler said the FBI estimated that legal and illegal wagering combined for last year's Super Bowl exceeded $5 billion.

Of the callers to the help line during the past year, 60 percent of the sports bettors said they had resorted to selling or pawning assets to obtain money to gamble, more than half said they were having difficulty at work because of gambling and half said they had committed crimes — including fraud, theft and embezzlement — to finance their gambling.

Of the sports bettors, 56 percent said they had placed wagers with a bookie, and 29 percent said they used Internet sites to gamble on sporting events, Fowler said.

"Playoff games and the Super Bowl are to the compulsive gamblers what New Year's Eve is to the alcoholic," said Arnie Wexler of Boynton Beach, a recovering compulsive gambler.

According to the National Gambling Study Commission, there are 5 million compulsive gamblers in the United States and 15 million people at risk of becoming compulsive gamblers, he said.

Mondolfi's recovery began more than seven years ago, when his sister directed him to resources and help in Miami.

"I was so relieved because finally there was someone there for me who understood," he said.

Though the Super Bowl is the biggie, trouble isright around the corner when the NCAA basketball tournament starts, Mondolfi said.

" March Madness is right there with the Super Bowl," he said.

The last time the point spread in a Super Bowl was less than three, the year was 1983 and “Maneater” by Hall and Oates was the No. 1 song in the country.

In that game, the Redskins rolled the Dolphins as a two-point underdog. Vegas is expecting to be rooting for a similar result 27 years later. The Packers, favored by 2½ points, are garnering the majority of attention so far.

“Everyone that is going to back Green Bay is going to believe that the game is going to be high-scoring, so laying three isn’t going to be an issue for them,” said Jay Rood, director of the MGM sports book in Las Vegas.

The line could have been even smaller. According to Rood, the ankle injury suffered by Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey in the AFC Championship Game was a big factor in setting the line.

“I think the injury to Pouncey is what dictated a little bit of the number coming this way,” Rood said. “And the fact that the Steelers played not-so-hot in the second half against the Jets.”

If you like the Steelers, you’ll be searching for a three-point spread. Then if the Packers kick a field goal to win the game, you’ll earn a push. However, bookmakers are notorious for avoiding moving a line to that magic number.

Since so many games are decided by a field goal, they don’t want to lose bets on both sides.

“If it becomes a tidal wave of Green Bay money, at some point were going to have to go to three. But I’m in a spot right now where I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that whatsoever,” Rood said. “That would be last resort for me, going to three.”

There’s a history from 2009

These two teams met in Pittsburgh during Week 15 of the 2009 season.

The Steelers were a 2½- point favorite in that one. The Packers covered even though they lost, 37-36.

The over/under is set at a reasonable 44½ for the Super Bowl, mostly because of improved......defense. The Steelers and Packers ranked first and second, respectively, in scoring defense this season.

Betting trends

Pittsburgh

» The underdog has covered the point spread in six of the last nine Super Bowls.
» The Steelers have covered both of their playoff games this season and six of their last seven overall.
» The Steelers are 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 playoff games.

Green Bay

» The Packers have covered five of their last six games against teams with a winning record.
» The Packers have covered all three of their playoff games this season and five of their last six overall.
» The Packers are 6-2 against the spread in their last eight games as a favorite.

Fun with propositions

1-1
Odds the MVP will thank God first
Other choices include teammates at 2-1 and coach at 9-1. But “does not thank anyone” at 3-1 is an intriguing play.

12-1
Odds the Gatorade dump will be blue
Blue is the longshot as the radical, new flavor. We still like yellow as the crispest choice, even though it’s the favorite at -120.

2 1/2
Over/under Brett Favre name drops
With the controversy between Aaron Rodgers and Favre still a story, the over here looks like a lock.

Regular props

Three of the more commonly bet props:

1 Player to score the first TD — Heath Miller is our pick for value at 12-1.
2 Number of punts in the game — Started at 7½, and it’s up to 8½ now.
3 Will any points be scored in the first 6 1/2 minutes — If the Steelers get the ball first, no is a strong bet.?

Bodog Sportsbook

It’s the Super Bowl, so that means all kinds of unique props are brought out of the woodwork for the biggest betting day of the year in the United States. And some of the best are the cross-sport props comparing athletes’ performances in different sports on the same day. With that said, let’s take a look at one of those offered on Bodog’s NFL odds: Total completions by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV against the number of points Miami guard Dwyane Wade scores in a noon EST NBA game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Wade has opened as the slight -1 (-125) favorite with Rodgers at +1 (-105). Let’s start with Rodgers. He had 312 completions in the regular season in 15 games played, for an average of 20.8 per game, although that number is a tad skewed because Rodgers only had seven completions in Week 14 at Detroit before he left with an injury (and sat out the following week). In the playoffs, the Packers have been running the ball more but Rodgers also has been incredibly accurate, so he is actually averaging 22 completions per game in the postseason.

Wade, meanwhile, enters Thursday’s game with Orlando averaging 25.7 points per game. But in his past five games entering tonight, Wade is averaging 33.3 points per game, although he has missed two of the past five with injuries/migraines (he will play against the Magic and should be fine to go on Sunday). The Heat faced the Clippers once earlier this season and Wade had 31 points in a loss – L.A. is not a good defensive team. So it’s likely Rodgers will need a big Super Bowl to be able to surpass Wade’s points total.

Be a player and bet on this Super Bowl cross-sport prop only at Bodog Sportsbook

1. The quarterback battle. Ben Roethlisberger could cement his place among the immortals with a third Super Bowl win in his first seven years in the NFL, while Aaron Rodgers has been The Next Big Thing at the position since summertime. I wouldn't be surprised if either of these guys plays an MVP game and throws for 350 yards.

2. More points than most people think. The over-under on the game is 45. At my Tweetup in Dallas on Thursday night, a guy asked me my prediction of the score. "Pittsburgh, 33-27,'' I said. He gleefully said he was betting the over. Don't put that responsibility on me for losing the mortgage, but I will say I will be surprised, very surprised, if these teams don't score a combined 50 or more points.

3. Saturday's big labor meeting. In case you hadn't heard, this is the last football game for seven months ... or maybe quite longer. Judging by the harsh tone of the NFLPA's press conference Thursday, I doubt much will get done at the Saturday session, the first big meeting the two sides have had since Thanksgiving week.

4. Saturday's other big meeting. The 44 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors gather Saturday in downtown Dallas to pick the 2011 class of enshrinees. I expect Deion Sanders to moonwalk in, and from talking to some of my peers on the committee, I'd say the next most-logical guy is Marshall Faulk. After that, it's the usual maelstrom. My best guess -- and that is all it is, because I am consistently wrong on this -- is that the other three slots (assuming we elect the maximum five modern-era candidates) will go to Richard Dent, Shannon Sharpe and NFL Films founder Ed Sabol. But if Cris Carter, Charles Haley, Andre Reed, Tim Brown, Curtis Martin, Dermonti Dawson, Willie Roaf or Jerome Bettis have their name called Saturday night on NFL Network when the class is announced, I will not be surprised.

5. How this area handles the worst weather in 20 years. Good timing, eh? This place feels more like Calgary than Texas. I went to four stores in the past 48 hours, looking for a true winter coat. Sold out, everywhere. Plows ... what plows? Salt? For roads you need Zambonis to travel on? Who needs salt.

6. How Green Bay defends Rashard Mendenhall. It's no secret that the Packers will put their 1,117 pounds of noseman beef -- Howard Green, Ryan Pickett, B.J. Raji -- in the lineup on first downs and obvious run plays. And I'd guess the Steelers will counter by throwing more on first down than they normally do. It'll be an interesting chess match.

7. The distractions will mean nothing. Ben Roethlisberger and friends out until 1 a.m. at a piano bar, singing, "Piano Man,'' was reported by TMZ the other day. I care nothing about it. Absolutely nothing. But in Super Bowl week, a 28-year-old jillionaire quarterback having a few beers with his friends apparently is news (and don't give me this idiocy that Roethlisberger shouldn't have done it because the last time he was in a bar publicly it was a bad scene). I love what Mike Tomlin said about it: "Anybody who cares anything about what is reported during Super Bowl week is nuts.''

8. The right ankle of Maurkice Pouncey. We should know soon enough if he's playing. In fact, check back on this site around 3 p.m. Eastern time for an update on the Pittsburgh center. I'll be inside Steeler practice as the pool reporter today.

9. The Black-Eyed Peas. Last month, in a Super Bowl planning meeting, Commissioner Roger Goodell asked, "Are they going to play that, 'I Got A Feeling' song?' " I should hope so. If they do, Sunday night's going to be a good night.

10. The game. We might not see another one for a long time. Savor what should be a great Super Bowl.

The executive director of the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling says Super Bowl Sunday is the single largest day of wagering in the U.S.

Mike Stone calls it the worst day of the year for people addicted to gambling. He says it’s sometimes referred to as the gambler’s New Year’s Eve, because that’s when many resolve to stop betting, after one last wager on the game.

“Super Bowl Sunday is the culmination of a lot of debts through the year, and they try to get well and get their money back through a big bet on the Super Bowl, it causes them to have those kinds of resolution statements and feelings of remorse,” he said.

Stone says it’s estimated that illegal betting alone on the Super Bowl tops $4 billion.

Stone says anyone needing help with a gambling problem can call 1-800-GAMBLER to talk to a trained counselor.

It’s the sixth-seeded Packers against the second-seeded Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, but it’s hard to argue these aren’t the best two teams in football when they face off on Sunday evening, with Green Bay a 3-point favorite and the total at 45 on Bodog’s NFL odds.

Certainly these are two of possibly the most historic franchises in the league with nine combined Super Bowl titles, a record for any one game’s two participants. Yet they have never played each other with the NFL title on the line. These two did meet last year in the regular season, a 37-36 Pittsburgh win at home in which Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for a team-record 503 yards and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers threw for 383 yards. No one expects this game to be anything like that considering these are the top two scoring defenses in the league this year, marking the first time the top two defenses in that category will play in the Super Bowl since 1982.

Green Bay enters on a five-game winning streak, which started with must-wins at the Giants and Bears to close the regular season. The Pack were 9-7 against the spread during the season and 4-3 ATS when favored by 3 points or less. The Steelers also are on a five-game winning streak, but both of their playoff wins came at home while three of Green Bay’s were away. Pittsburgh was 10-6 ATS this season and 2-1 ATS when a dog under 3 points.

Rodgers is the heavy Bodog MVP favorite at 3/2. He threw for 28 TDs and 11 interceptions in the regular season, and has six TDs, two picks, a 109.2 rating and 71 completion percentage in postseason. Running back James Starks barely saw the field in the regular season with only 29 carries but has rushed for 263 yards on 70 carries in postseason. Rodgers’ top target is WR Greg Jennings, who has 17 catches for 239 yards in the postseason after 76 for 1,265 and 12 touchdowns during the regular season. The Packer offense ranked No. 9 overall, No. 24 rushing and No. 5 passing. The defense is led by NFL Defensive Player of the Year runner-up linebacker Clay Matthews. He had 60 tackles, 13.5 sacks (fourth in league) and an interception return for a touchdown during the year. Green Bay’s defense ranked fifth overall, No. 18 against the run and No. 5 against the pass.

Pittsburgh’s Roethlisberger is the second Bodog MVP favorite at 7/2 and had a fine season despite missing the first four games due to suspension. He threw for 3,200 yards (thus average about 5 yards per game than Rodgers), 17 touchdowns and five interceptions, with 97.0 rating during regular season. He has been a bit quiet in the playoffs with Pittsburgh running the ball often. Big Ben is 2-0 in his Super Bowl career. Rashard Mendenhall is the workhorse on the ground and set career-highs with 1,273 yards and 13 TDs during the season. He enters off a 121-yard, one-TD game against the Jets in the AFC title game. Mike Wallace has replaced Hines Ward as the top Steelers WR, with Wallace having 60 catches for 1,257 yards and 10 scores during the season; his 21-yard average topped NFL regulars. Wallace hasn’t done much in the playoffs. The Pittsburgh offense ranked 14th overall, No. 11 on the ground and No. 14 through the air this year. On defense, the Steelers are led by NFL Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu, who had 63 tackles and seven picks this year. He is arguably the biggest defensive game-changer in football. The Pittsburgh defense was No. 2 overall during the year, No. 1 against the run and No. 12 against the pass.

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As one would expect, the two starting quarterbacks for Sunday’s Super Bowl XLV between Green Bay and Pittsburgh are the two heavy MVP favorites: the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers at 3/2 (and he has gotten so much action his odds have dropped from 7/2) and the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger at 7/2.

Then you have the two starting running backs among the favorites as well, with Green Bay’s James Starks at 16/1 and Pittsburgh’s Rashard Mendenhall at 15/2. Don’t forget each team’s No. 1 receivers: The Packers’ Greg Jennings at 12/1 and the Steelers’ Mike Wallace at 16/1. Those guys should all be favored. After all, a quarterback has won the award 23 times, a running back seven times and a receiver six times. That means all other positions have combined for just eight awards.

But here are a few long-shot bets (25/1 or higher) who might just steal the award away from one of the big names:

James Jones, Packers WR (30/1): Jones has emerged as a solid big-play threat when teams focus on Jennings. Jones tends to be all or nothing, as he had a total of two catches for 19 yards in the playoff wins over the Eagles and Bears. But against Atlanta he had four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. Overall he has found the end zone four times in Green Bay’s past six games. If the Steelers focus on shutting Jennings down, Jones and not Donald Driver might benefit the most.

Tramon Williams, Packers CB (25/1): Charles Woodson gets all the publicity but Williams has been this team’s best cornerback of late. He had six picks in the regular season and has three to lead all players in the postseason, including one brought back for a touchdown against the Falcons.

James Harrison, Steelers LB (25/1): Harrison perhaps should have been the Super Bowl MVP two years ago for that epic interception returned for a TD 100 yards at the end of the first half against the Cardinals. Harrison remains a terror off the edge with 10.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. Plus he had two picks this year. Green Bay’s offensive line is a bit questionable and Harrison could have a huge game.

Heath Miller, Steelers TE (30/1): The Packers are strong at cornerback so they might be able to take the outside of the field away from Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, Antonio Brown, etc. That could open the middle for Miller, who has seven catches for 77 yards and a touchdown in these playoffs. And for what it’s worth, in last year’s shootout win over Green Bay, Miller had seven catches for 118 yards.

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Certainly one of the key players in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLV between Pittsburgh and Green Bay will be Packers star Greg Jennings. And on Bodog’s NFL odds there are a handful of prop bets involving Jennings.

The 27-year-old from Western Michigan University had 76 catches to rank 18th in the NFL this season. His 1,265 yards included 12 touchdowns. His 27 catches of 40-plus yards since 2007 are most in the NFL. Green Bay will no doubt throw it often because Pittsburgh’s run defense is so stellar. Jennings has been the favorite of Aaron Rodgers this postseason as well. Jennings was quiet in the playoff opener in Philadelphia with one catch for 8 yards but followed that with eight catches for 101 yards against the Falcons and eight more catches for 130 yards in the NFC title game against the Bears. Because the Packers have five receivers with at least 40 catches, defenses can’t simply try to focus on Jennings.

Jennings is among the favorites to win Super Bowl XLV MVP at 12/1 odds. Bodog’s total for yardage on Jennings’ first catch of the game is 11.5. In the playoff opener he obviously only had that one catch for 8 yards. Against Atlanta, Jennings’ first catch went for 30 yards. Against Chicago it was for 22 yards. Bodog lists Jennings’ longest reception at 27.5 yards. His longest in the playoffs was that 30-yarder against the Falcons. In 10 of the Packers’ 16 regular-season games, Jennings’ longest reception would have gone over the total. Finally Bodog lists Jennings total catches at over/under five and total yards receiving at over/under 82.5. During the regular season, Jennings was either at five catches or under that total in nine games. He was under the yardage total in 10 games but, as mentioned, has surpassed it in Green Bay’s past two playoff games.

Whether Jennings will score a touchdown is -115 on both yes and no. He did score in nine regular-season games for Green Bay but hasn’t since Week 15.

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Some of the best props to bet on for a Super Bowl are the historical comparisons of players from different eras but at the same position and team. Of course the Green Bay Packers basically kicked Brett Favre to the curb three seasons ago to make room for Aaron Rodgers in the starting lineup, and you can bet on how Rodgers fares against Favre’s statistics from Super Bowl XXXI.

That Super Bowl was played on Jan. 26, 1997, between Favre’s Packers and the New England Patriots of Drew Bledsoe, Curtis Martin and Coach Bill Parcells. Favre got the Packers on the way to their 35-21 win by throwing a 54-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison on Green Bay’s second play from scrimmage. Favre also added a then-Super Bowl record 81-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman 56 seconds into the second quarter. In winning his only Super Bowl, Favre finished 14-for-27 (51.8 percent) for 246 yards with two touchdowns and no picks.

Certainly Rodgers should be throwing the ball in Super Bowl XLV more than Favre did that day because those Packers had a much better running game than the 2010 version does. And you also have that Green Bay is facing the NFL’s top rushing defense in the Steelers. Plus teams simply throw a lot more these days than they did in 1997. Rodgers’ total yardage in Sunday’s game is set at -29.5 (-110) on Bodog’s NFL odds to Favre’s 246 for which total is higher. However Favre’s two touchdown passes is the -155 favorite, with Rodgers at +125 to throw for more than two. Both 1997 Favre and Rodgers opened at -115 in terms of the higher completion percentage, but Rodgers is -11.5 percent on that prop. Rodgers completed 65.7 percent of his passes during the season and is at 71 percent in the playoffs.

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Cool prop option on Bodog’s NFL odds for this Sunday’s Super Bowl XLV between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers is a historical comparison of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger from Super Bowl XL five years ago and XLIII two seasons ago to this year’s game.

Super Bowl XL was played on Feb. 5, 2006, at Ford Field in Detroit between Pittsburgh and the Seattle Seahawks, who made their first and still only Super Bowl. Those Steelers, coached by Bill Cowher, were a definite run-first team with Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker splitting carries. And in Pittsburgh’s 21-10 victory, Bettis and Parker combined for 24 carries and 146 yards with a touchdown – the TD was a 75-yard score by Parker, which remains the longest run in Super Bowl history.

That was Roethlisberger’s second season in the NFL and he wasn’t asked to do too much in the Super Bowl, going 9-for-21 for 123 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. In fact Big Ben didn’t even throw the most important pass in the game – Antwaan Randle El did, a 43-yard touchdown to Hines Ward, who would be named the game’s MVP. The most noteworthy play for Big Ben, who became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, was a bad pass that that Kelly Herndon of the Seahawks returned a then-record 76 yards that set up Seattle’s only TD.

The 2010 Roethlisberger is -115.5 passing yards to exceed the 2006 version, with this season’s QB a slight -120 favorite. Back in 2009, the Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 on Feb. 1 in Tampa. Big Ben threw for 256 yards in that game. The total on this year’s game is 15.5 yards over/under that 256 yards for Roethlisberger, with both over and under at -115. The QB averaged 267 yards during the regular season but has been held to 226 and 133 in two playoff games.

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