Odds: New England favored by nearly a touchdown.
Tom Brady and the Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl in search of a sixth title. The Patriots will try to match the Pittsburgh Steelers’ six Super Bowl trophies.
Oddsmakers in Las Vegas like the chances of Brady, who is 40 years old and in his 17th season as New England’s quarterback, winning a sixth Super Bowl ring, making the Patriots nearly a six-point favorite to beat the Eagles.
Betting on this Super Bowl is expected to smash the existing record of $138.5 million set last year.
“Sports betting couldn’t be more popular than it is now,” said Jay Kornegay of the Westgate Las Vegas sports book. “That combined with the (fans) of the Eagles and the strong economy will mean a record handle on this game.”
Bettors didn’t take long to weigh in. One gambler took the six points and put a big bet on the Eagles at the South Point resort before their rout of the Vikings was over.
Oddsmakers at the William Hill chain also made the Patriots a 9-2 favorite to win next year’s Super Bowl in Atlanta, followed by the Eagles at 17-2.
Crisco cops: Thousands of Eagles fans took the streets to celebrate following the win. Huge crowds gathered in neighborhoods around the city. There were no immediate reports of any problems.
Earlier in the day, workers who called themselves the “Crisco Cops” greased light poles to prevent fans from climbing them. During the fourth quarter, Philadelphia police posted an image of Crisco on Twitter. While urging fans to celebrate responsibly, they wrote, “Now comes the time in the night where we must warn everyone about the dangers of Saturated Fats.”
The city used the Crisco approach in 2008 when the Phillies won the World Series. It did not stop everyone.
What happens to the Crisco on Monday?
“If necessary, police or streets department will perform the cleanup,” said Capt. Sekou Kinebrew, a spokesman for the Philadelphia police. “But we’re expecting rain tomorrow, so it may not be necessary.”
Briefly: Official word on Brady’s injury: He hurt the thumb of his throwing hand while handing off to running back Rex Burkhead in practice. Brady has a sprained ligament and 10 stitches. After team owner Bob Kraft learned of the injury, he raced home from Florida.
Brady is set to play in his eighth Super Bowl. That would be three more than any other quarterback (John Elway is second with five).
The Patriots will play in their 10th Super Bowl. They already held the NFL record with nine appearances.
The win over Jacksonville was New England’s 13th in 14 games since their 2-2 start. Their only stumble since September was a 27-20 loss at Miami on Dec. 11.
The Eagles last won an NFL title in 1960, years before the first Super Bowl (1967).
Browerville, Minn., (pop. 790) is about 150 miles northwest of the Super Bowl site. Brady’s mom was from there and each summer he visited the family farm there.
Philadelphia and New England met in the Super Bowl after the 2004 season with the Patriots prevailing 24-21.
The Vikings were hoping to become the first NFL team to serve as host to a Super Bowl in its stadium, but they followed their “Minneapolis Miracle” with a “Philly Flop.”