Super Bowl Champs In My Tea Leaves!

What was this? I looked into the bottom of my cup of tea. And OMG! The tea leaves. Believe it or not, they spelled out the winners of the NFL Championship games. I swirled the cup, and Voila. Up floated...it was the Super Bowl! I felt giddy. This was awesome! How could this happen? Well, it was organic tea.

As of Wednesday, Jan 20 these were the spreads on the two Championship games in the NFL:
Time: 1/24 (11:00 PT). COLTS. -7.5, -$340. Over/Under 39
JETS. +$280
Time: 1/24 (3:40 PT) SAINTS -3.5, -185 Over/Under 52.5
VIKINGS +$160

Knowing the final scores sure makes this a whole lot easier. So, here's my take on the final NFL games, and the Super Bowl.

At the start of the NFL season the odds makers had The Patriots favored to win Super Bowl XLIV, but Brady had his problems, couldn't do it with a knee brace, so now it's Manning and the Colts. These are the same odds makers that embraced the Chargers. How could San Diego lose to the hapless Jets. We all watched. Chargers the ones got KO'd. Aesop was right, slow and steady won the game for the Jets. Odds makers, wrong again.

In Week 16, with the the Colts, (14 – 0), head coach Jim Caldwell pulled his starters and not only did they lose to NY, but to the Bills a week later. The Bills? You say you want to save your players. But losing still sticks in your head.

In baseball, after an intentional walk, pitchers can't throw strikes. They have a problem getting back on track. Same here. Winning teams peak at year's end. Same with the Super Bowl. Peaking teams become Champions.

Not only did the Colts crawl into the playoffs, the Saints lost their last three regular games, after starting 13-0. Even though both teams won their Divisional games, Super Bowl winners win at the end of the year.

The Vikings won at the end of the regular season, then put it to the Cowboys 34-3. Brett Favre threw four touchdown passes. Even though Romo's offense let down near the end, the win was due to the Viking Defense. Plain and simple.

And we know what the JETS did. Again the odds makers 'miscalculated.' Jets were an eight point underdog. Chargers were supposed to ride rough shod. Again defense took charge. It will be that way this week end, and on Super Bowl Sunday.

That said, here's what the tea leaves told me:

VIKINGS 21, SAINTS 9. Team's behind Brett. New Orleans comes in a little soft, looking past the Vikings. Viking defense will prevail. Tough for Bush to go back-to-back with good rushing games. He too is looking Super Bowl, not Vikings.

JETS 31, INDY 21. Maybe the Jets have been 'lucky' so far. But the Jets like playing for Sanchez. Indy turnovers will be key. Indy might underestimate coach Rex Ryan's conservative boring rushing game. Jets will 'hang around ' and win late. (ALA Chargers). Jets have good special team stats. Remember, Jets beat the Colts already this year.

SUPER BOWL. VIKINGS 21, JETS 9. Favre will seize Super Bowl Sunday.

Now for the occasional sports fan, (who has read this far), here's how football odds work.

THE SPREAD is 7.5. If you bet on the Jets, you get a 7.5 point head start. The Jets are said to be a 7.5 point underdog. You will double your money, (bet $20, get back $40), even if the Jets lose the game by 7 points, but not by 8. If you bet on the Colts, you have to win by 8.

THE MONEY LINE. COLTS: You have to bet $340 to win $100. ( Bet $340, get back $440).
JETS: You bet $100 to win $280. (Bet $100, get back $380).
With the Money Line all you have to do is win the game. Spread doesn't matter.

OVER/UNDER. This is the final score. Will the final score total over or under 39? (Bet $100, get back $200). If the score is 20 to 19, then it's a push. Nobody wins, and you get back your $100.

Old hat to most of us, but some may not be clear on this.

That's my take. Go with the underdogs. Go with the tea leaves!
CorneliusButterfield.com