It’s one of the most highly anticipated sporting events of the year, and this year, Super Bowl 49 did not fail to impress.

After rising through the ranks in 2014 and managing to be crowned Super Bowl champions last year, the Seattle Seahawks looked set to take the coveted title once again this year, particularly thanks to their dependable Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson.

However, it seems that this year the Seahawks were no match for Tom Brady, who, despite rumors of retirement, managed to carry the New England Patriots to their 28-24 victory.

After starting out losing to the Patriots, things were looking up for the Seahawks when they were one yard out from a touchdown. Just four points behind the Patriots, the dependable running back Marshawn Lynch had the simple task of running with the ball to score their much needed touchdown.

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Super Bowl Sunday is finally here, so we can finally get to the game as opposed to the endless talk out there on the web and all the cable channels. The game has been analyzed from every possible angle, and while opinions vary greatly on who will win, many expect this to be a close game and a classic Super Bowl. You can be sure that bets are flowing into the sportsbooks in Las Vegas and betting enthusiasts all over the world are researching various bets, including the famous Super Bowl prop bets and a list of free bet offers.

The most interesting angle here involves Peyton Manning versus the Seattle defense. We’ve seen so many examples of high-powered offenses getting stuffed in the Super Bowl, with notable examples being Jim Kelly’s Buffalo Bills who seemed unstoppable untile they ran into the New York Giants defense and an offense that ground out the clock. We also saw a diffeent Giants defense stuff Tom Brady when he had some of his best offenses. Even though they won their Super Bowl, the “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams were definitely slowed down by the Titans, and then they ended up losing to the Patriots.

We’ve also seen plenty of offensive explosions, particularly in the 1980s when Joe Montana was racking up big numbers in the Super Bowls. But he faced some pretty weak defenses in those games.

So the big offense versus tough defense storyline is front and center here, and it’s magnified due to the involvement of Peyton Manning. Manning has gotten some grief for mediocre playoff and Super Bowl performances, and now he has another chance to enhance his legacy with this matchup. The important aspect of Manning’s game is that he’s an excellent tactician, so he won’t be afraid to use the running game if necessary to keep Seattle off balance, unlike Jim Kelly who seemed determined to win the game with his arm and then paid the price. On the other hand, we’ve seen Manning get frustrated by the great Patriot defenses in the past. Can that happen here?

Which then brings us to his legacy. If Manning loses, there will be those who hold that against him. That’s just the way these things go. He is one of the greatest QBs ever already. The question is how many people try to argue he belongs at the top of that list. If he wins today, he will be the only quarterback to win Super Bowls with more than one team, and that will certainly add to his legacy.

So be prepared to have this topic discussed endlessly after the game.

Now that all of the drama about the weather is subsiding a bit, the betting frenzy around the Super Bowl can focus more on the teams and the game. The video above gives some perspective on how Las Vegas handles the biggest betting event of the year and how professional betters deal with the game. The key is grinding it out over time.

THis of course has nothing to do with how casual betters will approach the game, where it’s much more about fun. Of course there are plenty of serious and smart sports betters on this game, and many of them will be reaserching everything about the matchups and checking out Top Betting Reviews on where to handle their action. They probably won’t mess around with the crazy prop bets.

As for the game, this matchup offers plenty for betters to ponder. With the weather looking mild, it appears that Seattle will have to rely on their own abilities to stop Peyton Manning and Denver’s high octane offense. But we’ve seen that happen in Super Bowls before, with high scoring passing teams like Tom Brady’s Patriots and Jim Kelly’s Bills. The Patriots were pummeled with a real pass rush. The Bills seemed to be addicted to the pass and wouldn’t let their running game get going.

This time we have Seattle’s excellent secondary which seems to smother wide receivers. The key is whether they can do this to the Broncos. The problem is that Peyton Manning understands how to exploit what a defense is doing, and here he has two weeks to prepare.

Of course, we also have the Seattle offense to consider. Can they run on the Broncos? If not, can Russell Wilson win this game for them? Wilson is the wild car here. He’s not nearly as good as some analysts suggest, but he’s capable of making a big play with his legs and his arm.

Still, while a close game is probably in the cards, it will be interesting to see how Seattle responds if Denver jumps to a quick lead.