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<< Vikings hire Colts assistant Frazier as defensive coordinator
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -Leslie Frazier became the first assistant coach to leave the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts on Thursday, accepting the job as defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings.A special assistant to Colts coach Tony Du

<< 'Tank' Johnson pleads guilty to probation violation
SKOKIE, Ill. (AP) -Bears defensive lineman Terry ``Tank'' Johnson pleaded guilty Thursday to violating probation in a 2005 gun case.Cook County Judge John Moran denied a request to lift the player's home confinement, but said Johnson could leave his

<< Phillips to replace Parcells in Dallas
IRVING, Texas (AP) -The Dallas Cowboys hired Wade Phillips as their new coach Thursday to replace the retired Bill Parcells.Phillips' hiring was confirmed by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of a

<< Mavs center Mbenga out for season with knee injury
DALLAS (AP) -Mavericks reserve center DJ Mbenga will miss the rest of the season because of a torn knee ligament.He is scheduled for surgery in two weeks, and there is no timetable for his return, the team said Thursday.Mbenga was hurt in the fourth

Hobbled Iverson skips Nuggets trip >>
DENVER (AP) -Allen Iverson's swollen right ankle doesn't have any structural damage, but he still stayed home while the Denver Nuggets left for a two-game trip to the Midwest.Iverson aggravated his sprained ankle during overtime in the Nuggets' loss

Selig unsure whether he will attend games as Bonds chases record >>
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -Barry Bonds might get a telephone call from baseball commissioner Bud Selig instead of a handshake if the San Francisco Giants slugger breaks Hank Aaron's home run record.Selig wouldn't say Thursday whether he would attend any Gi

Sports still waiting for active gay player >>
A pro athlete who waits until his career is over to declare he's gay, the way John Amaechi just did in a new book, is yesterday's news.He has something to sell, little to lose and does less to advance the cause he's fighting for - helping sports get

Niners thrilled to keep Turner >>
Norv Turner won't be the Dallas Cowboys' next head coach after all.That's great news for everybody with the San Francisco 49ers, and even Turner doesn't seem too disappointed to be staying home.The Cowboys hired Wade Phillips on Thursday, about 10 d

Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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