With the Super Bowl odds up and a total set of 56.5, nobody is thinking that this year’s Super Bowl will be a defensive showdown. Even so, here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the two Super Bowl defenses:

Defensive Line:

Hard to argue in this case as the Indianapolis Colts have two Pro Bowlers on the edges while the New Orleans Saints really only have one good rusher.

The Colts have Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney while the Saints have Will Smith. The edge goes to the Colts in this battle.

Linebackers:

This one is a bit tougher to gauge. While the Saints have the best playmaker of the bunch, the Colts have the best trio.

The Saints have Jonathan Vilma, who is a playmaker and a Pro Bowler, but the Colts have Clint Session and Gary Brackett, which gives them the better threesome. Scott Shanle and Scott Fujita leave much to be desired in the Saints linebacking corps.

Secondary:

The edge in the secondary has to go to the Saints because of their Pro Bowlers. They have two (Darren Sharper and Roman Harper) while the Colts just have Antoine Bethea. The Saints also have the better cornerbacking crop while the Colts employ a couple of inexperienced players.

Overall:

Most betting tips say this is going to be an offensive showdown but the defense that can slow the other team down will win. In this category, the Saints have the edge.

Overcoming the 2010 Super Bowl odds would be a great story for the New York Jets, but the team that they beat to start a run to the playoffs, Indianapolis, will have revenge on their mind.

Jets vs Colts odds - Sunday, 6:40 PM ET

The Jets are 7.5-point underdogs in this contest, and they’ll need their running game to be at its best, because it’s a tough ask of rookie Mark Sanchez to beat the Colts on his own. The defense is a bit banged up as Shaun Ellis and Bart Scott limped through practice, and someone may need to step up in the front seven.

The Colts took their starters out with a 15-10 lead in their Week 16 meeting with the Jets before losing 29-15, and they’ll be out to avenge that loss. Peyton Manning had success against New York coach Rex Ryan’s defenses when Ryan was in Baltimore, and he’ll look to Dallas Clark a lot. No one on the Jets can guard Clark one-on-one, and he’ll need to have a big game as Reggie Wayne will be watched closely by New York’s Darelle Revis.

NFL picks: Indianapolis -7.5

Super Bowl odds are against the New York Jets this weekend, and their star cornerback, Darelle Revis, was slighted in the Defensive Player of the Year award, losing to Green Bay’s Charles Woodson. But did the former Heisman winner deserve these accolades?

The answer is yes, and actually, you could have given it to either. Revis emerged as the best cover corner in the league, shutting down the best receivers in the league. The Jets were also the best in the league in pass defense, and obviously Revis had a huge part in that. But Woodson was tied for the NFL lead in picks with nine, and some say, “teams don’t throw at Revis”, and that’s a fair statement. But Woodson forced four fumbles, tackled very well, and he played multiple positions as the Packers switched from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense, and he showed that there is more to being a great secondary player than just coverage. Revis is a great cover corner, and he’ll be more well-rounded as he gets older. But for Woodson to have the season he did, under those conditions, and at age 33, no less, the Green Bay and former Michigan standout is very deserving of the award, and a reason while Green Bay will have some very good bookmaker odds (bookmaker reviews) next year.

Super Bowl odds proclaimed Indianapolis as the favorite to win professional football’s biggest prize, but they’ll have their hands full on Saturday when they host a dangerous and hungry Baltimore team.

Ravens vs Colts betting – Saturday, January 16, 8:15 PM ET

The Ravens had three sacks and forced four turnovers in a 33-14 dismantling of New England on the road, and Ray Rice also had a big day, rushing for 159 yards and a pair of scores. Joe Flacco wasn’t called upon much, and he’s been bothered by a hip injury.

The Colts lost their last two after deciding to sit their starters, but Peyton Manning still won his fourth MVP award in a landslide. Manning has continued to put up big numbers while losing some of his weapons, along with a subpar running game. The defense has also been bit by injury, particularly on the corners.

Indianapolis is a 6.5-point favorite in this contest, and they’ve won seven in a row over the Ravens, including a 17-15 victory in Week 10 in Baltimore. The Colts need to shore up their run defense to keep Rice under wraps, but their main priority is Manning. If they can keep their leader on his feet, the Colts always have a chance. After a week of rest, take the Colts this weekend.

Bookmakers odds (bookmaker reviews) pick: Indianapolis -6.5

Some NFL betting news to throw your way - do you think Michael Vick will play football in 2009? Sportsbook odds give it a big thumbs down as far as him playing in the NFL in 2009, but there is other opportunities, like the CFL.

Those who bet sports know that Vick has definitely paid his dues after two years in jail but will the NFL Commissionner, Roger Goodell, deem that to be enough time? Is Goodell above the law to punish Vick even further?

I wouldn’t put it past him but from an NFL betting standpoint, it would be good to see Vick around in the NFL. Think about it: Dan Orlovsky, Sage Rosenfels and Gus Frerotte all started at quarterback last season. So did J.T. O’Sullivan, and Shaun Hill, and Ken Dorsey. Vick is better than all of those quarterbacks and should get another chance. He’s just over 30 and those who bet sports know that for a quarterback, that’s not ancient. Give him a chance to get some money back.

That’s right NFL betting fans, you’re favorite cornerback, DeAngelo Hall, is once again getting paid. By my count, this is now two huge paydays in the last two years for Hall.

NFL betting fans know this guy as the loud mouth trash-talker who opposing quarterbacks have no problems targeting.

Now he’s going to get paid even more to be that guy.

In total, Hall has earned $46.5 million in guarantees over the last two years, which kind of gives me the impression that the economy is fine.

It’s the first day of free agency and obviously it’s a key day for NFL betting fans. In other news, Kellen Winslow was shipped off to Tampa Bay. Obviously, Eric Mangini doesn’t want to deal with any of his garbage and neither do NFL betting handicappers. He’s not worth the headache.

The Detroit Lions aren’t worrying about Baseball Classic odds or the March Madness odds right now. They are wondering whether they should draft a quarterback with the first overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Like last year, there are questions about the quarterbacks. Nobody was fully sold on Matt Ryan, but look at how he turned out.

Those who bet sports didn’t really know much about Joe Flacco either, but he turned out pretty well.

Sportsbook odds don’t have Stafford - or a quarterback- favored to go as the top pick in the draft. That’s likely because new head coach Jim Schwartz is more of a “line of scrimmage” guy, which might mean they opt for an offensive tackle instead.

I’ll take a break Baseball Classic odds as the tournament rosters are about to be announced tonight to talk about a different roster move in the NFL. Pro Bowl defensive tackle is rumored to be heading to the Washington Redskins in a deal that could break the $100 million range.

Those who bet sports might not really care, but for NFL heads this is an insane contract.

Haynesworth is a lazy player who performed well on essentially two one-year contracts. Now he’s going to have long term security and he’s going to mail it in.

Online betting handicappers have watched several free agent signings by the Washington Redskins just blow up in their faces. This will be the next.

Back to March Madness odds and Baseball Classic betting. The NFL season is still a ways away.

I’ve been busy with the Daytona 500 line, and looking forward to March Madness betting, but I figured I’d pass this along to you guys since I saw it on the net. This is the Raiders new 50th season logo:

It still doesn’t change that JaMarcus Russell is overweight, and the franchise sucks, but the logo looks cool. Not sure if those who bet sports are going to care so much.

Super Bowl XLIII betting is taking up most of the NFL attention nowadays, but leave it to the Dallas Cowboys to make sure they aren’t forgotten this offseason. Already, Pacman Jones has been released under allegations of yet another shooting, we’ve had Troy Aikman calling out Tony Romo for going on a vacation before a playoff loss last season, and now, Michael Irvin will be the host of a reality show that gives one person a chance to win a spot on the Cowboys’ roster.

This is the LAST thing the Cowboys need, which is more cameras and more attention. The locker room is a mess, and it all started in the preseason when Dallas was featured in the “Hard Knocks” series. Now they want more cameras? I’ll only think this is a great idea if Emmitt Smith is Irvin’s co-host. There should actually be a Super Bowl XLIII betting prop to see how many mistakes Smith makes on Super Bowl Sunday’s pregame show.