Another sign of impending victory

So, when comparing this match-up with previous Super Bowls, the one that has come to mind most consistently for me is XXXVII in '03: Bucs vs. Raiders. Just because I was curious about it, I looked up a list of all the point spreads of past Super Bowls. Guess who was favored in '03? Yep. The Raiders. Those high-powered Raiders with Tim Brown and Jerry Rice and Jerry Porter and Charlie Garner were 4-point favorites in that game against a bruising Warren Sapp-led defense.

Final score? Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21.

People love, love, love to bet on offense...

I see the line of thinking here.. with the defense vs. offense angle.. but that Super Bowl was much different matchup wise than this one is. Tampa Bay literally knew all of Oakland's plays, personnel substitutions, blocking schemes, etc. It was a blood bath. I remember watching the NFL Films special after the game and Lynch/Brooks knew the Raiders plays before they were even run. Callahan did a horrible job game planning for Gruden..

I think a better comparison is the year the Giants beat the 18-0 Patriots or the year the Patriots won their first SB against the high powered Rams attack.

Hasselbeck":2irylsjk said:

I think a better comparison is the year the Giants beat the 18-0 Patriots or the year the Patriots won their first SB against the high powered Rams attack.

Click to expand...

Hehe, OK. If you insist. The Greatest Show on Turf was an *unimaginable* FOURTEEN point favorite that day! Yowzers, I had totally forgotten about that!

The undefeated, FU-touchdown Patriots were mere 12-point favorites over Eli and the boys.