“No Respect” Ravens beat Patriots, underdogs (again) for Super Bowl
By Terry Swayne
Super Bowl XLVII = Har-Bowl I
Las Vegas must be losing A LOT of money on the Baltimore Ravens this post-season. Or, maybe they are just happy to GIVE points to people betting ON the Ravens…either way, making the Ravens the underdogs this post-season has undoutably cost the odds-makes some serious loot.
A quick recap of the Ravens postseason shows that they were favored by a 2.5 point spread at home against the Indianapolis Colts. After shutting down rookie phenom, Andrew Luck and the Colts, in a game where Indy only managed three field goals, the Ravens drew the AFC’s #1 seeded Denver Broncos. Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Denver? Sure, I can see the Ravens being the underdogs, but…by 9.5 points? That was crazy. I thought it would be a close game and that it would come down to a field goal to win it…and it did. In what was one of the best NFL games of all time, the Ravens beat the Broncos in double overtime to punch their ticket to the AFC Championship.
Surely, after such a close, hard-fought game, the Ravens would get some respect by the oddsmakers….Nope! The New England Patriots were also given a 9.5 point spread. Which was absurd, considering the fact that the last two meetings between the Ravens and Patriots were decided by a field goal. The fact that Rob Gronkowki was out, or that Tom Brady has posted the worst numbers of his career against the Ravens, also should have decreased the point spread, but it didn’t. The odds-makers GAVE the Ravens 9 and 1/2 points….and we beat the Patriots by 15! A 24 point swing on a title game? That’s rediculous.
So, in the last three weeks, Baltimore has beaten three very good quarterbacks in #1 overall pick Andrew Luck, and future Hall of Famers Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Yet, the Ravens are listed as a 4.5 point underdogs going against Colin Kapernick who has nine career NFL starts? Doesn’t seem right…but we will see in two weeks. Ray Lewis said it best “nobody gave us a chance”. It’s time to prove Las Vegas wrong….AGAIN!
Don’t get me wrong, Kapernick has looked very good since being inserted into the starting role for the 49’ers, but he has 9 career starts and he has never played a team as hard-hitting and relentless as the Baltimore Ravens. They are nursing some injuries, but they will be ready to give it 100% in two weeks. I know the Ravens will feed off the “US AGAINST THE WORLD” mentality…it has always suited the Ravens well. They love being the underdogs, and they are motivated by being disrespected. This Super Bowl will be a great game. GO RAVENS!