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NFL Playoffs Betting: Colts vs Patriots

What has become one of the NFL’s most heated rivalries will once again highlight Conference Championship weekend as the Indianapolis Colts host the New England Patriots Sunday night.

The San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens were the favorites going into Divisional Round action last weekend, but playoff veterans the Patriots and Colts prevailed and will battle for the AFC Championship.

Of course, betED is in the thick of the action. The Colts are listed as favorites at betED:

Money Line (-155), Point Spread -3(-110), Over/Under U47.5 (-110).

Both teams sport identical 14-4 records.

New England has traditionally been a thorn in the side of Indianapolis, especially in the playoffs, often frustrating quarterback Peyton Manning into mistakes. But the Colts have been a different team during this year's playoffs, relying not on Manning but on hard-hitting defense. The Patriots will try to match the Colts' intensity and count on Tom Brady to lead them to yet another Super Bowl.

Peyton Manning has done nearly everything a quarterback can do in the regular season, from setting records to winning MVP awards. His lack of postseason success, however, has thus far been a blemish on his career and cast the Colts as playoff underachievers.

Much of Manning and the Colts' troubles have come against the Patriots, who are poised once again to knock Indianapolis out of the playoffs.

But with the conference's top two seeds eliminated and New England coming to the RCA Dome for the first time in six meetings between the teams, perhaps this is the year that Manning can elevate his squad and take the Colts to the Super Bowl for the first time since the Baltimore Colts beat Dallas 16-13 in Super Bowl V.

Twice in the last three years, though, New England has ended Indianapolis' season, making Manning look ordinary in the process. Patriots coach Bill Belichick devised schemes that forced Manning into four interceptions in a 24-14 victory in the 2004 conference title game, then found a way to shut him down again the next season in a 20-3 victory in the divisional round, keeping the Colts out of the end zone the same season Manning threw for an NFL-record 49 touchdowns.

By: Michael Cash - theSpread.com - Email Us

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