Super Bowl 44 Betting Trends

Super Bowl XLIV: Colts vs. Saints Trends For Handicappers

The Colts have thrived under pressure this season, going 7-1 against the spread in their last eight games as the favorite. They've also delivered fantastic results against the NFC South-the Saints' division-by racking up a 7-1 record both straight up and ATS over their past eight.

Playing away from home shouldn't faze Indianapolis; the Colts are a very impressive 10-3 against the point spread in their last 13 games on the road, and two of those losses came in meaningless Week 17 games when the Colts basically didn't show up to play.

New Orleans, a four to six-point underdog in the Super Bowl depending on your sportsbook, hasn't delivered promising results in that role. The Saints are a miserable 2-12 straight up in their last 14 games as an underdog, and they haven't been much better against the spread (4-9-1 ATS). In fact, regardless of being the favourite or dog, New Orleans has covered just once in its last seven games. If you're still thinking about going with the underdog, take a hard look at bodog, which is offering a great line for New Orleans backers at +6 (you might only get +4 elsewhere).

New Orleans can at least boast an impressive record on the road as the Saints are 8-1 straight up in their last nine games away from the Superdome-with the loss coming in a meaningless Week 17 matchup against the Panthers.

Indianapolis has absolutely demolished New Orleans in their two most recent games. Obviously, the Colts and Saints don't play often but, when they have, it hasn't been pretty for Saints bettors. The Colts romped to a 41-10 home victory in 2007 and 55-21 road victory in 2003; Peyton Manning combined for nine touchdowns, 602 yards and zero interceptions in those games. Of course, he'll face a much different defense this time around, but those numbers are off the charts.

Those two games combined for 127 points, i.e. 63.5 per game-well over the Super Bowl total of 56.5. What can be expected this year? The total has gone under in four of the past five Super Bowls. New Orleans boasted the NFL's most prolific offense during the regular season, which pushed totals up all year, but they've gone over just twice in their last six games.

That's deceiving, however, as it includes four straight games late in the regular season when the Saints slumped. They've gone over the total in both playoff matchups against Minnesota and Arizona. Likewise, the Colts have tended to go over the total. Indianapolis has gone over in five of its last six games, failing to do so only in the 20-3 playoff win over Baltimore.