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

NFL betting players are gearing up for a big weekend, so let’s jump right into this week’s divisional-playoff picks.

Cardinals vs Saints odds – Seven points is far too big of a spread for the Saints to have, even at home. The Cardinals are rolling behind Kurt Warner, and the Saints were awful to end the season. I’ll take Warner over Drew Brees, thank you very much. CARDINALS +7

Ravens vs Colts odds – The Baltimore defense looked very good against New England, but the Patriots were missing Wes Welker, who is a huge part of their offense. Peyton Manning and the Colts will be deadly, and it doesn’t hurt them that Joe Flacco is hobbling around with a hip problem. COLTS -6

Cowboys vs Vikings odds – In this highly-touted matchup between Minnesota’s Brett Favre and Dallas’ Tony Romo, I’ll take Favre’s experience. Look for Adrian Peterson to break out of his slump, as well. VIKINGS -2.5

Jets vs Chargers odds – The Jets are a good story, but a team with a rookie head coach in Rex Ryan, and a rookie quarterback in Mark Sanchez against a team that has won 11 in a row? No thank you. Anyone who gives out betting tips will tell you how much experience counts at this time of the year. CHARGERS -6

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

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.

A small break in the Super Bowl XLIII betting action to talk about the NFL draft, to be held on April 25 and 26 in its usual home of New York City. This draft will not have the name recognition of recent years, as most of the high-profile quarterbacks chose to stay in school.

Georgia’s Matthew Stafford and USC’s Mark Sanchez are generally expected to be the first two quarterbacks picked, but they lucked out as Heisman-winning Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, former Heisman winner Tim Tebow and Texas’ Colt McCoy returned to school for glory (any more glory for Tebow and he may explode, but that’s another story). The first three teams (Detroit, St. Louis and Kansas City) all need a new quarterback badly, and after the success of Matt Ryan in Atlanta and Joe Flacco in Baltimore, teams will probably be more accepting to pick a pivot with their first-round pick.

It’s not like any of those three teams will have good Super Bowl betting odds next season, but it’s a start, right?

Super Bowl XLIII betting players who are going with Arizona must be a bit worried by Anquan Boldin’s argument with offensive coordinator Todd Haley in the second half of their 32-25 win over Philadelphia to go to the Super Bowl. If you missed it:

Now, everyone is saying “that’s just part of the game” and “emotion” and whatnot, but Boldin’s been angry with the Cardinals all season due to a contract dispute, and they need him 100% focused for this contest. Boldin’s ability to draw coverage underneath allows Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston to take their defender deep in one-on-one coverage. If the Cardinals want to overcome these Super Bowl XLIII betting odds, they need all of their weapons.