It’s Super Bowl week, and you know what that means, right? Like every reporter, journalist, blogger, radio host, ex-player, columnist and lingerie model, I have an opinion on the game. After all, that’s what this is about, right? Everyone forcing their opinions on one and other, until they all turn into one big blur?

Which is why I’ve decided that rather than giving you a boring, old, 800 word column on “Why X team is going to win,” I figured, I’d do something better...and give you an article on prop bets!

For those of us who don’t have a rooting interest in the game, that ends up being the best part of the Super Bowl, anyway. Well, unless Ali Landry comes out with a new Doritos commercial.

So which Super Bowl Prop Bets do I like the most? They’re listed below, and they’re provided by our the people at BetUS.com.

Now, the picks…

Aaron Rodgers- Over 285 ½ Passing Yards (-120) or Under 285 ½ Passing Yards (-110):  I’ve got a theory on Rodgers.

Is he good? Absolutely. In the same elite class with Brady, Rivers and Manning? Probably. But is he as good as everyone is making him out to be? I say no. Especially since if you listen to most reporters, they’ve got him pegged as some weird cross between Joe Montana, Fran Tarkenton and Will Beamon from Any Given Sunday, with a dash of Tom Brady’s good looks, Peyton Manning’s smarts and Peter North’s libido thrown in for good measure. Rodgers is good; don’t get me wrong. But the way people are talking about him, you’d think he’d just found a cure for global warming or something.

In all honesty, Rodgers is a classic case of how our eyes can deceive us when it comes to sports. Rodgers had the game of his career in the Divisional Round against the Falcons, which just so happened to be on a Saturday night: when there were no other sports to watch and no girlfriends nagging us to go to Home Depot, like we might’ve gotten on a Sunday afternoon.

Rodgers had our full attention, and yeah, we saw him pick apart the Falcons like a high school star going against the JV defense in practice. The guy was surreal that night. Rodgers completed 86 percent of his passes, threw for 366 yards, had three touchdowns, and I’m pretty sure he may have even administered medicine to sick children at halftime. Truth be told, I blacked out somewhere around his 20th straight completion.

That doesn’t make that one game the end-all, be-all. Truth is, Rodgers was definitely good in his two other postseason games, but far from the superhuman force he displayed against Atlanta. Rodgers threw for just 180 yards against Philadelphia on Wild Card weekend.  He tossed for 244 and got picked off twice against the Bears in the NFC Championship Game. Again, good numbers—but let’s not chisel his plaque for the Hall of Fame just yet, OK?

Which is why I like the under here. Rodgers is good, but going against the Steelers— with an extra week to prepare mind you—I expect him to regress a bit back to the mean.

200 yards sounds likely. 250 seems feasible if everything goes right.

But 285 ½? I just don’t see it.

Super Bowl Betting Pick: Aaron Rodgers UNDER 285 ½ Passing Yards (-110)

Hines Ward- Over 45 ½  Total Receiving Yards (+100) or Under 45 ½ Total Receiving Yards (-130): Alright, so anyone who knows me knows that I don’t watch a ton of professional football. College is more my game.

Still, I think I’ve got the Steelers offense figured out. Tell me if I’m wrong: They’re going to run the ball at all costs with Rashard Mendenhall. Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders are their deep threats. Heath Miller is their short yardage and red zone go-to guy. Antonio Brown is the, “When all hell breaks loose, and Ben needs to make a play, let’s just pray he can get five yards of separation,” guy. Sound good so far?

Which leaves us with Hines Ward. Honestly, to me, Ward is like the old guy that everyone has in their office. You know him: the one who has been around since the mid-70’s, leaves most Fridays at 1:30 p.m., and whose only real responsibility is to make sure the coffee pot is filled. Sure, he’s fun to have around for morale, but is he really necessary? I don’t think so.

Ward is no different. He’s had a grand total of five games in which he went over 45 ½ on the season and hasn’t totaled that much yardage in the Steelers two playoffs games combined.

Now if this prop were, “Number of times Hines Ward slaps Mike Wallace on the butt, and whispers words of encouragement in his ear,” I might take the over.

But 45½ yards receiving? Two words: Puh and leeze.

Super Bowl Betting Pick: Hines Ward UNDER 45 ½ Total Receiving Yards

Troy Polamalu- Over four and a half Solo + Assisted Tackles (-150) or Under four and a half Solo + Assisted Tackles (+120): I know Polamalu’s been slowed by a bad Achilles these last few weeks, but to quote the ESPN guys, “C’mon, man!!”

This is the Super Bowl! You don’t think he’s gonna be jacked up to be playing here? You don’t think he’s gonna be flying all over the field and jumping in on every gang tackle? You don’t think he’s going to be so pumped up on water buffalo tranquilizer that he won’t even be able to feel his Achilles?

C’mon, man! Take the over.

Super Bowl Prop Bet Pick: Troy Polamalu OVER four and a half Solo + Assisted Tackles (-150)

James Starks- Over 16 ½ Rushing Attempts (-115) or Under 16 ½ Rushing Attempts (-115): Like you, I’ve got no idea where this James Starks guy came from. I know his team bio says he played at Buffalo, but I watch a lot of college football and had never heard of him until two weeks ago. He could’ve been working at the Jiffy Lube down the street from me in November for all I know.

Really, though, this Super Bowl Prop Bet is a simple numbers thing. Mike McCarthy wants to run the ball. You know that. I know that. The homeless guy who smells like pee and lives at the bus station knows that.

And James Starks gives him the best chance to do that successfully. Starks has had at least 22 carries in every game this postseason, and honestly, I find it hard to believe that McCarthy is going to change that in the biggest game of the year. Starks is gonna get the rock.

Plus, it’s not like Pittsburgh’s playcalling is going to effect the Packers in any way. The Steelers are going to run the ball and keep running the ball, and at no point do I see them getting a big enough lead where the Packers will have to abandon the run and start throwing the ball all over the field.

This seems like the safest bet on the board.

Super Bowl Prop Bet Pick: James Starks OVER 16 ½ Rushing Attempts (-115)

(Because of length, this article was split into two separate parts. To read the REMAINDER of the Prop Bets in Part II, please click here or visit www.aarontorres-sports.com.

Also, be sure to follow Aaron on  Twitter @Aaron_Torres)