Super Bowl 2015: Predictions, Updated Odds and Schedule Guide
The Lombardi Trophy is now in reach for four teams. The Super Bowl is on the horizon.
Glendale, Arizona, will host one heck of a football game on Feb. 1, as any one of the four teams is deserving of hoisting the championship trophy. Tom Brady, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers have all been there before, but Andrew Luck is a part of the next wave of potential championship quarterbacks. Will this be the year he gets his first?
The odds aren't in his favor considering the rest of the competition, but he's already come this far. Another win gets him into the pinnacle of the sport.
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It's nearly impossible to guess what's to come next weekend, but use a complete list of odds—via Odds Shark—and the following predictions to take a crack at picking the two teams that will play in the Super Bowl.
| NFC Championship | Sunday, January 18 | Fox, 3:05 p.m. | Packers vs. Seahawks | CenturyLink Field |
| AFC Championship | Sunday, January 18 | CBS, 6:40 p.m. | Colts vs. Patriots | Gillette Stadium |
| Super Bowl | Sunday, February 1 | NBC, 6:30 p.m. | TBD | University of Phoenix Stadium |
| Packers | 5/1 |
| Colts | 15/2 |
| Patriots | 193/100 |
| Seahawks | 117/100 |
Predictions
AFC Championship Game
With the way the Indianapolis Colts are playing, there's a very good shot they give the New England Patriots a run for their money on Sunday. Of course, Indy hasn't had much success against New England lately, as The Boston Globe's Twitter account points out:
These teams last met in the playoffs in 2013—a 43-22 romp by the Pats. The star of the game wasn't named Brady. It was LeGarrette Blount, who ran for four touchdowns and 166 yards on 24 carries. Blount has just 21 attempts over his past three games, but he's a candidate to be used heavily against a Colts team that ranked 18th against the run in the regular season.
Head coach Chuck Pagano told ESPN's Mike Wells the importance of stopping the run on Sunday:
Teams cannot allow the Patriots to carve them up on the ground. That's just asking for Brady to pull the play-action pass out of his pocket when least expected, resulting in big gains or—even worse—long touchdowns.
A successful running game also allows Brady to let his running back work for the yardage. If Brady doesn't have to throw 50 times, that means he'll be fresh in case a late fourth-quarter drive is needed.
It's unlikely that Blount will be Indy's problem considering how little he has been utilized. Predicting which runner will see the bulk of the carries isn't easy. New England ran just 13 times last week. Brady led the team with six carries.
If the Pats choose to run more than they have in recent weeks, then the Colts will have a hard time advancing to the Super Bowl. It's nearly impossible to prepare for the run game, as Blount, Shane Vereen or Brandon Bolden could lead the team in any given game.
Somebody will be unleashed on Sunday. That's bad news for the Colts.
Prediction: Patriots win, 31-23
NFC Championship Game
Aaron Rodgers' calf will undoubtedly be the story of the afternoon in the NFC Championship Game. He has been hobbled since Week 16, yet he is still trudging on. He refuses to give up on his team in the playoffs:
Gaining yards and putting up points won't be easy for Rodgers against a suffocating Seattle defense, though. The NFL's official Twitter account tweeted how different the two teams are:
A strong defense generally beats a potent offense, and that could ring true again—especially if Rodgers isn't playing at 100 percent.
There's simply no weakness to Seattle's defense. The unit can completely shut down Eddie Lacy on the ground. The Seahawks effectively eliminate sweeps and pitches to the outside because of their ridiculous speed off the edge, so Lacy will be limited to running between the tackles. That's not necessarily a bad thing for Lacy, but it certainly limits how diverse the Packers can be.
The Legion of Boom will challenge Rodgers on every throw. Attempting more than 35 passes because of an inconsistent ground game is just asking for trouble, as that is giving Richard Sherman and the rest of the secondary far too many opportunities to make plays.
Playing the Seahawks is all about momentum. A defense that dominant can change momentum in a hurry, as all it takes is a turnover to deflate the offense's balloon.
Green Bay has to be perfect on Sunday to even have a chance at stopping the hottest team in the NFL. There are too many variables, though.
Prediction: Seahawks win, 28-17
Super Bowl
A Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl is what everyone wants to see. Both No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, the Patriots and the Seahawks are the class of the NFL. Their performances in the playoffs have only reinforced that, as their regular-season success was the precursor to what we're seeing now.
It's the game's most accomplished playoff quarterback against the defending champion, and that has the potential to be one of the best Super Bowls we've seen in years.
That said, the Seahawks will win. And it will be because of a dominant showing from that defense.
Brady won't know what hit him with Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas ball-hawking in the secondary. Then he has Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin to worry about in the middle of the field. Oh, and the defensive line is filled with guys who will put pressure on the Pats offensive line.
Don't be surprised if the Pats are held to fewer than 20 points.
Sure, these might be bold predictions, but the Seahawks have to be the favorites as it all stands today.
Prediction: Seahawks win, 24-17
Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn
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