Super Bowl 2016: Panthers vs. Broncos Odds and Prop Bets Guide, Predictions

Peyton Manning may ride off into the sunset after Super Bowl 50, or maybe Cam Newton will steal the torch from him and start his own fairy tale.

Either way, fans of the sport win when the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos collide at Levi's Stadium on February 7 with the Lombardi Trophy on the line.

Folks know the deal. Newton looks like an MVP backed by an elite defense after accounting for 45 total touchdowns in the regular season. Manning looks more confident than earlier in the season, where injuries and an eventual benching pulled his future into question.

Alas, it's been an impressive journey sure to end in impressive fashion. Prop bets are beginning to roll out of Las Vegas, so let's take a look at the game info and how to play some of the odds.

Game Details

When: Sunday, February 7, at 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Levi's Stadium; Santa Clara, California

Television: CBS

Over/Under: 45

Spread: Carolina (-5)

Notable Prop Bets and Predictions

Las Vegas hasn't dished the crazy stuff in prop-bet form, but rest assured the "how many times will someone mess up the national anthem" and other such basic bets are well on the way.

For now, bettors will have to throw down hard-earned coin on more basic in-game stuff. Stuff like the future odds of who wins the Super Bowl outright, with Odds Shark having Carolina (-210) looking much better than Denver (+175).

This correlates quite well into the prop MVP realm, where Odds Shark has Newton leading all candidates quite well:

Player	Odds
Cam Newton	-140
Peyton Manning	+275
Luke Kuechly	+1400
Ted Ginn Jr.	+2200
C.J. Anderson	+2200
Von Miller	+2200
Greg Olsen	+2200
Jonathan Stewart	+2200
Demaryius Thomas	+2200
Emmanuel Sanders	+2200
Josh Norman	+2800

It's not hard to see why Newton leads the way by a large margin in the face of one of the league's top defenses, a Von Miller-led unit that dissected New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in unexpected fashion in the AFC Championship Game.

Gaudy numbers and stunting Brady or not, the Broncos seem to understand the size of the upcoming task.

"He's probably the most dangerous quarterback in the NFL right now," Denver corner Aqib Talib said of Newton, according to Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post.

Think Newton's 50 total touchdowns (including playoffs) are impressive? Look at the NFC Championship Game, where he rode a defense that picked off Carson Palmer four times while leading the Panthers to a 49-15 outcome, pretty much the only final margin of victory folks would have ignored outright if given a list to choose from because of how impressive the Cardinals had looked all year.

The defensive dominance makes it easy to understand why Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly comes in third place right behind Manning on the MVP prop. Top-tier corner Josh Norman isn't so far down the list, either. The two combined to help the Panthers rank first at a plus-20 turnover differential.

In fact, seeing Manning's name so high up the MVP list is rather interesting. He's a big name and tossed two touchdowns while besting Brady, sure, but many of his throws were off target in the AFC title game. 

There was room for error from Manning under center thanks to his elite defense, which still coughs up just 18.5 points per game. But that same margin might not exist against Newton and the Panthers.

Manning will lean on C.J. Anderson in the backfield for help, who also sees his name come up on the MVP list. He's posted 72 yards or more with three total touchdowns over his last four games, so his ability to keep running strong would go a long way toward taking the pressure off his quarterback.

But in that same vein, Newton will lean on Jonathan Stewart—he of 75 or more yards in each of his last four games with four total scores—when not taking the ball himself to keep the Denver pass rush honest.

That is where this matchup breaks down the most. Newton has looked unstoppable, even helping Ted Ginn, also an MVP candidate, look like a statistical monster. There won't be much Denver can do to change that, not with Newton escaping the pocket or borderline acting as a running back.

It's a whole different ballgame for the Denver defense as opposed to New England, which didn't pose a serious threat on the ground not only from its quarterback, but also its reserve running backs.

For now, look for Newton to take home the MVP award as the Panthers pull away late. It's not the biggest payout in the world, but the house has to protect the house, remember? Some of the more interesting odds, presumably such as how many times Manning screams Omaha and how many times Newton smiles or dabs, or does both together, will provide more in the way of opportunity in the coming days.

Prediction: Panthers 28, Broncos 20

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of January 27. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. All betting information courtesy of Odds Shark.