Super Bowl Odds 2015: Spread Info, Money Line Picks for Patriots vs. Seahawks

Every Super Bowl really has two epicenters: the host city and Las Vegas.

Gambling and the NFL's big game go hand in hand, and Super Bowl 2015 provides those with money to burn a tasty matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Numerous eyes will be monitoring the Vegas lines in the buildup to Sunday's contest at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

With Deflategate generating headlines and takes across the nation, the action surrounding the big game could be even more intense than usual, as the unique storyline draws in the gridiron-ambivalent and morbidly curious crowds. Oh, and global pop star Katy Perry probably isn't hurting the Super Bowl draw either.

While the Vegas oddsmakers haven't yet declared this game a toss-up, one might expect there to be plenty of action on both sides of the fence for this one.

It's a monumental contest, and no one wants to go searching far and wide for the odds. Let's take a look at the spread and money line for this contest, followed by a quick prediction on the final score. 

Team	Spread	Money Line Odds	Over/Under
New England	-1	-107 (100-107)	47.5
Seattle	+1	-103 (100-103)	47.5

Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and updated as of Jan. 30 at 7 a.m ET.

Final Score Prediction

The spread suggests the Seahawks are slight underdogs, but even that term seems like a bit much for the defending champions with the league's scariest defense. It's the old-dynasty Patriots against a potential new dynasty in the form of Seattle, and the game appears to be a true toss-up.

Some might note the Seahawks were slight underdogs last year, and that clearly didn't matter, as they eviscerated the Broncos in a 43-8 laugher. In fact, recent Super Bowls have been fairly kind to those less favored by the Vegas oddsmakers.

Year	Winner	Score	Loser	Spread
2014	Seahawks	43-8	Broncos	+2 SEA
2013	Ravens	34-31	49ers	+4 BAL
2012	Giants	21-17	Patriots	+2.5 NYG
2011	Packers	31-25	Steelers	-3 GB
2010	Saints	31-17	Colts	+4.5 NO
2009	Steelers	27-23	Cardinals	-6.5 PIT
2008	Giants	17-14	Patriots	+12.5

What does that chart say? Just take the points; nobody is covering spreads these days.

Another thing to note from that table is just how close most of the recent Super Bowls have been—fans who suffered through the lopsided scorelines of the late 1980s must be pinching themselves every year.

Expect this game to play out as a back-and-forth thriller, with head coaches Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll doing their best to outsmart and outduel each other in gridiron-chess warfare. It will be great for sponsors, better for the fans and absolutely dreadful for the health of bettors.

Let's try to separate these teams. But where to start?

Both teams overcame shaky starts and went 12-4 in the regular season, securing the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences. New England's point differential came out to plus-155, while Seattle posted a strong plus-140.

The Seahawks put together the third-ranked rushing defense, but New England wasn't too far behind at ninth and even gave up fewer touchdowns on the ground (six to Seattle's eight allowed).

Tom Brady threw 13 more touchdown passes than Russell Wilson in the regular season, but the latter added six scores on the ground, and the two had nearly identical passer ratings (97.4 for Brady, 95.0 for Wilson).

Seattle boasts one of the league's elite cornerbacks in Richard Sherman, a physical, punishing corner who picked off four passes in the regular season and two this postseason. Of course, the Pats have an elite cornerback of their own in Darrelle Revis, who has stranded many a wideout on his eponymous island and isn't a player most quarterbacks find themselves willing to challenge.

Although the players are often compared, Sherman did note some differences in their approach to the game, via NFL.com's Dan Hanzus:

"

We play the game two different ways. He plays it more, I guess, meticulous. More conventional. People say his technique is a little more conventional and mine is more unorthodox, which means it's more difficult to replicate what I do on the football field. So everybody is going to make comparisons, but it's two different styles to compare. I play my way, he plays his way, and both of them are effective.

"

With both teams fairly evenly matched in several categories, one might look for the personalities to take control on one of sports' biggest stages.

Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch lets his game do the talking and figures to be a key figure in this contest. Although New England was fairly tough against the run this season, no front seven is a true match for Lynch, who quaked his way to 1,306 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns this season while doing fine work as a receiving option and in pass protection.

Look for Seattle to establish the running game early, utilizing the read-option as much as possible and limiting Wilson's early attempts to manageable situations. They don't want to see a turnover-fest like they did in the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers.

As for New England, it will send tight end Rob Gronkowski into the breach, where he could be in for some stadium-rocking collisions with Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor. Seattle will no doubt be looking to take Gronk out of the passing game, but that's easier said than done. Sports Illustrated's Peter King called Gronkowski the key to the Super Bowl:

"

Now, Gronkowski isn’t Graham. Gronkowski is better. He likes the physical stuff. Graham is diminished by the physical stuff. But if Wright plays Gronkowski often, I think his assignment is going to be to slow him down and be sure he doesn’t get the free releases he obviously wants. Throw off his timing. Make him fight through traffic. Occasionally double him near the line with Chancellor. Give corners Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell a shot at him when Gronkowski lines up wide...

"

Despite noting the Seahawks' likely kitchen-sink efforts in containing Gronk, King sees him racking up between 70 and 90 yards through the air. If he can have that big of an impact while drawing attention away from the likes of Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell, it will be a good day for the Patriots offense.

But not good enough.

Wilson will recover from his four-interception performance in the NFC Championship Game, and there will be no stopping Lynch in this contest. Fired up from his media standoff and amped to win another championship, Beast Mode will have another triple-digit day and lead the Seahawks to victory over the Patriots. Take the points, bettors.

Prediction: Seahawks 27, Patriots 24