I normally hesitate to make predictions, but here's how I see today's game shaping up.
In the AFC Championship Game two weeks ago, the Patriots were successful in part because of their ability to disguise their coverages -- in particular, Rodney Harrison and Ty Law would often switch off after the snap, leading Peyton Manning to believe he was going to hit an open man. The result: 3 picks by Law.
Sometime during today's game, the Patriots are going to be forced to stack the box in order to stop Carolina running back Steven Davis. And if Carolina calls for a play action pass, their receivers are going to be in single coverage against the New England secondary. And that's when Jake Delhomme will make his mistake. Take the Patriots to win, and to cover. Additionally, take the under.
UPDATE: Guess I forgot to mention that the above is for entertainment purposes only, and shouldn't be used as the basis for any actual cash wager.
I hope you didn’t have money on the game, Eric.
D’oh! I liked the Pats, too. Still, a fun game to watch.
Fortunately, no. In all of my life, I’ve only laid money down on one game — a Monday night Packers-Cowboys back in 1996. I won that night, but the bug really hasn’t caught me ever since..