The two best teams in the regular season clash on Super Bowl XLVIII when
the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos take the field at MetLife
Stadium.



The Broncos are currently favored by 2 points across the board but an
argument can be made for each team as the NFL's best offense will face
the league's best defense.



Peyton Manning had the best season by a quarterback in NFL history,
shattering records for touchdowns and passing yards, the two most
important statistics in factoring effective quarterbacks, and a win
could settle the debate of whether he is the greatest quarterback of
all-time. Complemented by talented wide receivers, an effective running
game and an emerging defense, Manning and the Broncos have what it takes
to win this game.



However, the Seahawks are the real deal and they match up well against
the Broncos in terms of talent. Their secondary ranked atop the NFL
during the season, giving up just 172.0 passing yards per game. Richard
Sherman leads a defense that doesn't allow anything easy through the air
and that unit has made plenty of plays to help the Seahawks win the
NFC.



The playmaking ability of Russell Wilson in the pocket along with the
Marshawn Lynch's running ability allows the Seahawks to pound the ball
offensively. But that could present problems against a Broncos team that
shut down bruising Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount in the AFC
Championship Game. The return of Percy Harvin could be a huge boost for
the offense, which has been somewhat thin at wide receiver without him.



Keys to the Game



As great as Seattle's defense is, their best defense against Denver might actually be their offense.



The last time the Broncos lost, the Chargers pounded the ball on the
ground, handing the ball off 29 times to Ryan Mathews in Week 15. The
Chargers rushed 44 times, while Philip Rivers attempted only 20 passes.



The Seahawks have a bruising running back in Marshawn Lynch they have to
establish the run game because the Broncos can't score if they don't
have the ball.



The Broncos are defined by their prolific offense, but the most
impressive facet of their win over the Patriots in the AFC Championship
Game may have been the performance of their defense, which stymied Tom
Brady and the Patriots for most of the game.



Everyone knows what the Broncos can do on offense, but they showed how
dominant they can be when their defense plays well. The Broncos need to
keep that defensive momentum going against the Seahawks.



Prediction



This game will come down to whoever takes care of the ball best and
takes advantage of scoring chances. It's hard to predict this game as
these two teams are incredibly talented on both sides of the ball and
match up well against one another in certain aspects, which is why I
have to go with the quarterback who is most likely to avoid making
mistakes. Peyton Manning has been here before two times and he knows
what is like to win and lose a Super Bowl and that experience will be
the difference in the end.



Game Information:



When: 6:25 PM ET, February 2



Where: MetLife Stadium



Line: Broncos -2 at America's Bookie



Total: 47



Coverage: FOX



Weather: 36° F/ 2° C

Partly Cloudy



Last meeting: 8/17/13 Broncos 10 Seahawks 40



Trends:



- The Seahawks are 12-6 ATS



- The Seahawks are 9-6 ATS in games played on turf



- The Seahawks are 7-3 ATS after two or more consecutive wins



- The Broncos are 11-6-1 ATS



- The Broncos are 3-1 ATS in non-conference games



- The Broncos are 3-6 ATS after two or more consecutive wins