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Super Bowl MVP Betting
By 5dimes.com
Once the matchup was set and the lines opened up for Super Bowl XLII, the flood gates also opened on all the other wagering options that surround the big Game.
Currently, 5dimes.com has the line at -12 for the Patriots (-460 on the money line) and the Giants are +12 (+360 on the moneyline).
Well be covering prop plays in-depth as the Game gets closer, as well as providing a full analysis on the matchup, but in this article we are looking at the always popular option of betting on which player will win the Pete Rozelle Super Bowl MVP trophy.
There has been solid early wagering volume on the MVP award and not surprisingly, the QBs are both getting a majority of the action (In the 41 year history of the Super Bowl, a QB has taken the award home in more than half the Games – 21 times)
Pats QB Tom Brady is the overwhelming favorite to be XLII MVP, listed at -200 despite reports of a foot injurybettors are looking for him to cap off this storybook season with more hardware, as he is seeing action at a 41% clip.
Last year, Peyton Manning took home the Rozelle trophy; will Eli make it back-to-back Manning MVPs?
His play has been invaluable to the Giants this postseason and 19% of 5dimes.coms customers are wagering on the younger Manning at +350.
The phrase offense gets the glory has, for the most part, held true for the Super Bowl as an offensive player (QBs included) has won the MVP 33 times, while defensive players have taken it just seven times and a special teamer once.
The betting action is following this trend, which is no shock, considering one of the participants is the best offensive team to ever take the field.
One of the reasons the Patriots are undefeated this year is because of the arsenal at Bradys disposal and all of his top WRs can potentially take home the MVP award; Brady has a knack for making receivers look good.
Wes Welker had a career year catching 112 Brady passes in the regular season and he wasnt even New Englands top receiving option. But bettors have tabbed the productive Welker as the player most likely to win the award if one of the two QBs dont pick it up.
He is the third most popular choice right now and at 8-1 (+800) is seeing 9% of the betting action.
It should also be noted that Welker is a return specialist as well and could do what Desmond Howard did back in 1997 and win as a Kick Returner.
The WR that ranks higher than Welker in the Pats pecking order, Randy Moss, had a brilliant regular season but has been quiet in the playoffs, which has impacted his appeal to the betting public. However, with his talent, he could be ready for a breakout Game.
Moss is listed at 7-1 and slots in as the Fourth most popular choice, seeing 7% of all the MVP betting volume.
On the other side of the field, New York WR Plaxico Burress had a very big Game in the NFC championship and he is seeing 3% of the action at 8-1.
Looking at the running backs, New Englands Laurence Maroney is listed at +500 and is seeing 4% of the bets, while the New Yorks second coming of Thunder and Lightning, Brandon Jacobs (+1000) and Ahmad Bradshaw (+1500) are seeing 3% and 4% of the action respectively.
What about a longshot? It happens, as Desmond Howard or Larry Brown or Dexter Jackson can attest to.
This year a few of the longshots getting some attention from the bettors are New York Giants DB Sam Madison, Asante Samuel from New England, Giants defensive captain Antonio Pierce and the Pats LB Adalius Thomas. Each of them paying out at the 50-1 mark and theyve each received approximately 1% of all the volume coming in on the award.
Whether its the big favorite Brady, or a 50-1 longshot, there is going to be a lot of money changing hands when the Super Bowl MVP is announced.
Enjoy the build up to the Game.
Check out 5dimes.com for their free $1 million Super Picks contest, as well as the hundreds of prop plays and special Super Bowl bonuses.