We’re just hours away from kickoff so it’s finally time to make my selection. No need letting the cat out of the bag early. When the Colts and the Saints won their respective conference title games, Indianapolis quickly became the favorite for most people. That all changed when we learned about Dwight Freeney’s ankle injury.
In the two weeks since, all we’ve really learned about Freeney is he has a torn ligament and hasn’t practiced but will try and give it a go today. Whether he plays or not, his effectiveness has to be lessened and that is a point in the Saints favor. Unless the Colts find other ways to apply pressure on Drew Brees, they could be in for trouble.
That said, the odds are in Indy’s favor. Teams who are making a return trip to the Super Bowl hold a 19-4 advantage over squads making their first appearance. Having four Time MVP quarterback Peyton Manning on your side along with four different playmaking receivers improves the Colts odds greatly, even without a significant running attack.
The X factor could be Reggie Bush. Are we going to see the Reggie who dazzeled us all with his play against the Arizona Cardinals or will we see the Reggie that disappears into the woodwork and doesn’t make an impact on the game? No one knows for sure.
Then there’s the kicking game. Garrett Hartley won the NFC title game with his overtime field goal, but he’s still a second year player. Matt Stover is the most experienced kicker in the game and one of the most accurate in history.
New Orleans is a great story, but even with karma and voodoo on their side, I’m going with the odds. I’ll take Manning and the Colts. 31-27.
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