The classic quarterback battle of our time will have another chapter added to it on Sunday night in Foxborough, MA, as Peyton Manning leads his Denver Broncos into Gillette Stadium for a date with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Brady and Manning have gone head-to-head thirteen times before, and that has included some very memorable encounters. Brady has been on the winning side in nine of those games, many of which have gone toward deciding division races and/or conference championships.
In the NFL betting odds that are listed on this game by the people at BetAnySports, the Broncos are the favorites:
NFL Betting Odds Courtesy of BetAnySports US Sportsbook
Denver Broncos -2
New England Patriots +2
Over 54 Points -110
Under 54 Points -110
How many times are the Patriots an underdog at home in the pro football betting lines? Not many times; in fact, you’d have to go back to 2005, when they were catching four points and got beat 41-21 by – you guessed it – Peyton Manning, when he was quarterback with the Indianapolis Colts. That is one that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady undoubtedly remember.
There is no question that Denver is the more high-powered offense at the moment. The Broncos average 6.4 yards per play, and they have averaged 3.04 points per drive, which is best in the NFL. Manning’s 34 touchdown passes have him on course to throw 54 for the season, which would break Brady’s all-time record. The Pats, who have surrendered just 56.3% completions this season, would like to slow Manning’s pace. But how do they do it? BetAnySports customers know that Manning has ideal balance between his receivers – Demariyus Thomas has caught 60 passes, with Eric Decker grabbing 54 and tight end Julius Thomas 45 (with ten touchdowns). And then there’s Wes Welker, who left New England, where he had developed a contentious relationship with Belichick, to unite with Manning and leads the team with 61 receptions.
Brady gets a fighting chance here, because he at least has the services of tight end Rob Gronkowski once again, along with wide receiver Danny Amendola, who was going to be the Welker substitute this season until being slowed with injuries. Brady plugged Julian Edelman into that slot position, and he’s caught 52 passes thus far. But NFL bettors are aware that Brady has to avoid the Denver pass rush, led by Shaun Phillips, which has 29 sacks. Manning has been well-protected, for certain, but he also has a high ankle sprain, and was fortunate that his line, including left tackle Chris Clark, kept his jersey clean last week in the 27-17 win over Kansas City. The Patriots have registered 32 sacks so far.
There is a head-to-head NFL prop at BetAnySports that pits Manning and Brady against each other with regard to passing yards. Manning is a 34.5-yard favorite in the prop, in which you would also have to lay a price of -135 with the Denver quarterback. You can take a price of +105 with Brady in the proposition Want more odds and props? Sign up for an account at BetAnySports and get it all!