It's been Groundhog Day in the States but will history repeat itself in Super Bowl XLVI? Don't bet on it..
We look at some of the best bets for the Super Bowl on Sunday
It's been Groundhog Day here in the States recently, but there is unlikely to be a sense of déjà vu in Sunday's Super Bowl when the Giants and Pats square off in a rematch of their big game four years ago.
For a start, with the way these two teams have been playing you'd be nuts to think a repeat of the 17-13 scoreline from their last Super Bowl in Arizona was likely to be repeated this time around.
With
Sky Bet's 100+ markets on America's biggest sporting occasion, there's plenty to pick from, and even though total points is right up at 54 points (10/11 over/under), you'd have to think that if any two teams could score that many points it would be these two.
Especially when you take into account the opposition defences! Yes they've both improved and the Pats have been far less porous during the play-offs, but with Eli Manning raising his game to a whole new level with three top-notch receivers then there are points to be had.
It's also a different game on Sunday given the change in personnel over the years, with just 19 players remaining from that Super Bowl - seven Patriots and 12 Giants are left over from last time out.
New England may be favourites (5/7), but it's hard to see why. Last time the Patriots were undefeated going into the Super Bowl and the Giants were deservedly underdogs.
Pass rush
With the Giants (6/5) in such good form and with such a fearsome passing attack going up against a questionable defence, you could do worse than side with the Giants on the handicap and take 5/6 with them enjoying a three-point head start.
Although again Tom Coughlin's men had to fight into the play-offs, they've done it in style, Manning is far better, and they have won in Green Bay and San Francisco and have already turned over Sunday's opponents once this season - and that was without Hakeem Nicks.
Victor Cruz may have been the big hit of the regular season but there's no doubt Nicks is the biggest touchdown threat for Manning, with four scores already in the play-offs, while Cruz has yet to find pay dirt despite some big yardage gains.
With Nicks on such a hot streak he will be a huge danger again so at 10/11 to score anytime he would be one of the best bets to find the end zone on Sunday.
A lot of talk here is also surrounding the Giants and their expert pass rush, with getting after Tom Brady seen as the key to their success, but the Pats only had eight fewer sacks themselves during the regular season.
New York managed 48 while the Patriots took down their opposing triggerman 40 times, and Sky Bet go 11/10 that the pass rushers will get to their man five times or more during the Super Bowl.
Whatever happens on Sunday will have happened before, as both quarterbacks have lifted the Super Bowl trophy before, but will it be Eli's crew repeating their 2008 upset win or the Pats getting back into the swing of their dominance of a few years ago?
Tune in to
Sky Sports on Sunday to find out.
