Mon, Sep 6, 2004
Pats bettors raking it in vs. Manning
In case you?ve been hiding out in a cave somewhere for the past 10 months or so, the New England Patriots have now won an incredible 15 straight 'Real Games' including last year?s Super Bowl.
Everyone and their drinking buddy is talking about the streak as the Pats get set to play the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL season opener this Thursday night. What most people aren?t talking about is that when the Colts have played New England recently, Indianapolis couldn?t cover a bed with a sheet, let alone a pointspread.
The Colts have now failed to cover the number against the Patriots in the last seven meetings and have managed to bag the cash only three times in the last 13 meetings.
This year, the Patriots are slated as 3 to 3 ?-point favorites depending on where you place your bets. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning could use the points, but that doesn?t mean he relishes the role of underdog.
Manning is 2-5 ATS (against the spread) as an underdog against New England in his career, and a horrid 0-3 as the favorite. And if you?re a Colts backer, skip the next paragraph because the numbers get worse.
The Patriots are 5-0 against the 98 million-dollar man at home and 4-1 ATS. One of those wins came last season in the AFC Championship game when New England won 24-14 as a 4-point chalk. Manning threw four interceptions in that loss to elevate his total to 18 picks in 10 games against the Pats.
For all the ugliness, Manning has at least provided some exciting games for bettors.
Last season in Week 13, the Colts pivot led his team back from a 21-point third-quarter deficit to tie the Patriots early in the fourth. The Pats went ahead, only to give Indy a chance to win it with a fourth down situation on New England's 2-yard line with 14 seconds left.
But a makeshift offensive line couldn?t punch the ball in the end zone and New England won 38-34. The Patriots barely nipped the 3-point spread.
"I don't see how it could be any closer than what it was,'' New England coach Bill Belichick said in the week leading up to the AFC Championship game.
This could be the year the Colts turn ?close? into a cover. Their offense ranked No. 1 in passing yards, No. 3 in total yards and No. 2 in scoring last season. The numbers are good enough for oddsmakers to boost the total for Thursday?s game to 46 after opening it at 41 ?.
However, it?s usually New England?s defense that turns out to be the problem. And at times during this preseason, the Colts have stumbled against teams that have considerably weaker defenses than the Pats on paper.
"You can't say, 'Well, we've got all these guys and we've made big plays in the preseason,'? Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy told the Indy Star. ?We have, but we haven't scored and we haven't been consistent because we're not doing the things you have to do."
Indianapolis went 2-2 straight up and 3-1 ATS in the preseason. They managed fewer than 18 points per game in those contests.
