Super Bowl Line: Breaking Down Latest Spread for Ravens vs. 49ers Battle

Even though the odds say that the San Francisco 49ers are the favorite in Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens, this game really is so close that you could be forgiven if you called it a pick 'em. 

The 49ers were always going to be favored in this game because they had the better record during the regular season, had one of the most impressive playoff wins against Green Bay in the Divisional Round and are perceived to be one of the two or three best teams in the NFL. 

However, the Ravens have been the most impressive team this postseason. Say what you want about their game against Denver in the Divisional Round, but two special teams blunders put the Broncos in the driver seat. The Ravens got their revenge thanks to a late blunder by Rahim Moore. 

In three playoff games, the Ravens defense has given up a total of 43 points to Indianapolis, Denver and New England. Using that as a determining factor, one could make a strong case for them as the favorite in this game. 

According to Bovada, the 49ers are four-point favorites in Super Bowl XLVII and the over/under has been set at 48 points. 

If you are looking for patterns to follow based on the postseason that tell you which way to bet, good luck. 

The 49ers covered the spread in their 45-31 victory over the Packers in the Divisional Round. In the NFC Championship Game, they were four-point favorites on the road and wound up winning 28-24. 

The Ravens have been more successful in beating the odds this postseason. They covered the spread in their 24-9 victory against Indianapolis. They were underdogs on the road against Denver and New England, yet managed to come out on top in both games. 

Based on those incredibly small sample sizes, you could say that the Ravens are a safer bet to at least cover the spread, if not straight-up win. 

But we don't know how the Ravens are going to react to facing a team as balanced as San Francisco, which has one of the biggest offensive lines in the NFL and contains Colin Kaepernick's arm and legs. 

At the same time, we don't know how the 49ers' secondary will perform after getting picked apart by the big Falcons' receivers in the NFC Championship Game. The Ravens have their own collection of big playmakers that can move down the field. 

The oddsmakers understand what they are doing when they make these spreads. The 49ers have earned the right to be the favorite in the Super Bowl, while the Ravens have done nothing to make you think they can't easily cover it. 

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