Super Bowl 2015: Halftime Performers, Date and Odds for Seahawks vs. Patriots

Championship Sunday produced a pair of polar-opposite contests, as the Seattle Seahawks escaped the Green Bay Packers in overtime to take the NFC crown and the New England Patriots routed the Indianapolis Colts to emerge from the AFC.

That leaves us with a clash of No. 1 seeds in Super Bowl XLIX.

This is sure to be a highly anticipated contest, as the Seahawks and Patriots have been arguably deemed the most dominant teams in their respective conferences down the final stretch of the season. But unlike several other playoff matchups, this impending game won't be a rematch from the regular season—these two squads haven't faced off since Week 6 of 2012.

So which team has the upper hand? Well, Vegas oddsmakers have already made their early opinions known, but before we delve into the odds, viewing information and preview for the big game, let's take a glance at what on-field festivities we should expect during halftime.

Halftime Show

USA TODAY Sports

The 2015 Super Bowl's halftime extravaganza features none other than pop sensation Katy Perry. Earlier this year, Perry showed her enthusiasm for football, making an appearance on ESPN's College GameDay and (correctly) picking Ole Miss to upset Alabama. She later rushed the field with fans and enjoyed a postgame celebration at a local watering hole.

It didn't take long for the NFL to realize the singer was widely accepted by football fans, and she was officially named the Super Bowl's halftime performer less than two months later.

According to Ryan Pearson of The Associated Press, Perry spoke of what to expect during her show, "Everything I've done in my career hasn't been blatant this or that. It's always with a wink. It's a soft-serve sexiness. My intention is that everyone talks about the music and nothing else. ... Sometimes you can't control other people. But I will control myself."

Pearson also noted that Perry would be performing alongside Lenny Kravitz, and that her 12-minute show would include other special guests, a variety of her hits and several costume changes.

Super Bowl Viewing Info

Date: Sunday, February 1

Where: University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

Channel: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Betting Info (via Odds Shark):

• Over/Under: 48.5
• Spread: Seahawks -1

Preview

The Seahawks appeared to be the league's hottest team entering the postseason, riding a six-game winning streak while allowing just seven points or fewer in five of those contests to end the regular season. However, after handily defeating the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round, Seattle was given a true test in the NFC Championship Game against the Packers.

Halfway through the second quarter, the Seahawks found themselves down 16-0 to the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers. That's a difficult situation for any team to overcome. However, a mixture of some special teams trickery, a fantastic running game, a stout defense and a resurgent quarterback allowed the team to pull off a shocking comeback victory.

Russell Wilson struggled throughout most of the contest, throwing four interceptions and remaining ineffective throughout the entire first half. But he stepped up when he was needed most and delivered some brilliant late-game drives en route to a game-winning 35-yard touchdown pass in overtime.

Incredibly enough, Wilson's numbers through his first three seasons as a starter are remarkably similar to those of his forthcoming opponent:

The quarterback was complemented perfectly by running back Marshawn Lynch, who racked up 157 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, averaging 6.3 yards per rush. He was also helped along by a defense that picked off Rodgers twice and held the dangerous Eddie Lacy to just 3.5 yards per carry.

While the win may not have been pretty, the Seahawks proved once again they are capable of overcoming opponents due to some phenomenal team chemistry and plenty of depth across the board. Those attributes could very well be the reasons Seattle is favored in the opening Vegas line.

Here's a rather telling postgame quote from head coach Pete Carroll, via the Seahawks' official Twitter account:

Still, if we're talking about teams capable of winning in a multitude of fashions, the Patriots must certainly be part of the discussion. They decimated the Colts by a score of 45-7 Sunday, defeating their opponents in practically every phase of the game.

Quarterback Tom Brady still remains ageless. He completed 23 of his 35 passing attempts for 226 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, earning a passer rating of 100.4 against a secondary that had been stifling its previous postseason opponents.

Wide receiver Julian Edelman was a very dangerous and underrated threat, hauling in nine passes for 98 yards and converting several crucial third downs.

Like Seattle, New England comes equipped with a solid running game. LeGarrette Blount is no stranger to playoff success with the Patriots—he scored four touchdowns with the team in 2013—and continued his trend on Sunday, rushing for 148 yards and three scores. The ball-carrier set a new league record against the Colts, according to Pro Football on ESPN:

A balanced offensive attack makes this team incredibly scary—even for Seattle's league-leading defense.

The Patriots aren't slouches on the defensive side of the ball, either. Indianapolis came into Sunday's contest boasting one of the league's most prolific offenses but was thoroughly shut down, totaling just 209 yards of offense, averaging 4.0 yards per play and converting just three of its 11 third-down attempts.

After taking that dominant performance into consideration, it's almost difficult to perceive how this team could possibly be viewed as an underdog.

Will the Seahawks earn back-to-back Super Bowl titles, or will Brady become the third quarterback in NFL history to win the big game four times? Let the debate commence.