# Early Superbowl XLIX Talk **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 29, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444 "2014-12-29T15:39:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/1 "2014-12-29T15:39:01Z")
Yesterday was an exciting first week of the playoffs! 🙂 Looking forward to the real playoff games starting next week. Personally, I’m hoping for the longshot of a Denver/Dallas Superbowl. But, with the way all the teams are playing, I think it will be an entertaining Superbowl regardless of who’s in it. (Another Pittsburgh/Arizona matchup is not entirely out of the question) :eek: Brag about your team, give predictions, rag on someone else’s team… ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/2 "2014-12-29T15:48:58Z")
Cardinals need Drew Stanton back in a big way. Carolina is beatable ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/3 "2014-12-29T15:54:14Z")
Gonna be lots of SB threads this year! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/4 "2014-12-29T18:53:27Z")
[Early odds](http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_futures_odds.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/5 "2014-12-29T18:58:56Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > [Early odds](http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_futures_odds.shtml) 100-1 on the Cardinals seems kind of crazy. I doubt they’ll win it, but that would be tempting to put $20 on if I were in Vegas this week. That said, the Cowboys at 17-2 is probably the best value bet on that board. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/6 "2014-12-29T22:09:16Z")
Changed the title for you, as you asked. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/7 "2014-12-29T22:17:14Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Changed the title for you, as you asked. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/8 "2014-12-29T23:07:17Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Cardinals need Drew Stanton back in a big way. Carolina is beatable While the Panthers are absolutely beatable, Drew Stanton induces fear in no one. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/9 "2014-12-30T03:14:52Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > While the Panthers are absolutely beatable, Drew Stanton induces fear in no one. The Cards have won with Stanton, with Lindley, they may as well stay in the locker room and order BBQ rather than take the field. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/10 "2014-12-31T17:37:11Z")
Can Steelers make it past first round without star [running back](http://www.givemesport.com/533552-pittsburgh-steelers-likely-without-leveon-bell-for-playoff-against-ravens)? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/11 "2014-12-31T17:47:40Z")
I’m just looking forward to next year because Superbowl L is a funny thing to call a game; it sounds like a Kryptonian football game. ---
**Author:** ![Seydell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Seydell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seydell)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/12 "2015-01-01T08:57:46Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I’m just looking forward to next year because Superbowl L is a funny thing to call a game; it sounds like a Kryptonian football game. Next year’s won’t be called Superbowl L, it will be called Superbowl 50. Though it appears they may go back to roman numerals for Superbowl LI. > **[Super Bowl 50](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_50)** > > Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers, 24–10. The game was played on February 7, 2016, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. As this was the 50th Super Bowl game, the league emphasized the "golden anniversary" with various gold-the... ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/13 "2015-01-01T15:10:25Z")
Let’s predict the score on that one! Raiders 3 Redskins 2 ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/14 "2015-01-01T18:59:22Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > Can Steelers make it past first round without star [running back](http://www.givemesport.com/533552-pittsburgh-steelers-likely-without-leveon-bell-for-playoff-against-ravens)? Bell is walking without a limp and saying that he feels fine. But, even if he doesn’t go, I’m not worried at all. The last time they played the Rats Ben went for over 300 yards and 6 touchdowns, with only 55 yards rushing on the day. They could go all-pass against that secondary. The only hope the Rats have is Suggs and Dumervil laying the wood to Ben. Don’t count on that happening. If Ben gets any time at all he’ll pick them apart, even if it’s Bad Ben instead of Good Ben that shows up. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/15 "2015-01-02T02:17:03Z")
From what I’ve seen across the Internet, the Patriots are the team most pundits seem confident in, with their opponents generally either the Seahawks, Packers, or Cowboys. So, like, would a Cardinals/Ravens Super Bowl be the most amusing? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/16 "2015-01-02T02:58:58Z")
As boring as it is to pick the Seahawks, I picked them to repeat before the season even began, and I have no reason to stop now. That said, I am endlessly amused by these “odds” charts that don’t add up. The one linked to by the OP (not the OP’s fault, I must stress, that the math doesn’t add up) says, in the best possible interpretation, that there is about a 115% chance that someone will win the Super Bowl. Er, okay. I think maybe that’s high. By 15% or so. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/17 "2015-01-02T03:13:50Z")
But those are betting odds, not probability-based simulations. Betting odds are set to try to spread the total bets placed over all the teams in the playoffs. As such they represent bettors’ confidence in the teams rather than the actual probability that any given team wins the game. For the kind of mathematically consistent odds you’re talking about, check out 538’s [Elo rankings](http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/week-18-nfl-elo-ratings-and-playoff-odds-wild-card-edition/) or Football Outsiders’ [DVOA-based odds](http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/playoffodds). ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/18 "2015-01-02T23:41:46Z")
Weekend weather may have an impact on a couple of the games. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/19 "2015-01-03T00:13:25Z")
> [@Seydell](#): > > Next year’s won’t be called Superbowl L, it will be called Superbowl 50. Though it appears they may go back to roman numerals for Superbowl LI. > > [Super Bowl 50 - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_50) “Despite the league standardizing the Super Bowl logos beginning with Super Bowl XLV so that all would follow the same template, the graphic designers determined that using the template with only the letter “L” would not have been aesthetically pleasing enough.” Good heavens. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444/20 "2015-01-03T17:58:59Z")
I’ll have to go with Patriots vs. Packers in the SB. Dallas can beat the Lions, however that game is in Dallas and the Cowboys’ road record is better than their home record. They won’t beat the Packers again. Who CAN beat the Packers? Seattle? Maybe… Same with Patriots. Steelers have a shot, hell, so do the Bengals. But the Patriots are healthy. Best time to BE healthy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-superbowl-xlix-talk/708444.md?page=2)