I don’t know if it means I know something or if it was a case of the blind squirrel finding a nut, but I nailed the conference championships, picking the Colts to beat the Jets both straight up and against the spread while guessing the Vikings would beat the spread but lose a close one to New Orleans. That puts me at 7-3 straight up and 6-4 against Vegas lines for the playoffs. And so on to the Super Bowl.

Straight up: Colts
Spread: Saints +5

The Super Bowl presents another intriguing match-up between two high-powered offenses going against defenses that have been vulnerable at times this season.

Among the most interesting aspects of this tilt will be the quarterback duel between Peyton Manning and Drew Brees – a match-up that brings back memories of Staubach vs Bradshaw or Montana vs Elway. With Dwight Freeney injured and either out or playing at less than full strength and the Saints sporting a very good offensive line, I expect Brees to have plenty of time to throw. The same should be true of Manning, who is rarely sacked.

Saints coaches have been quoted talking about the need to get “remember me” hits on Manning – the problem with that is even when he does get hit, Manning is so good at minimizing the damage that it makes those “remember me” hits difficult to achieve.

To the extent that either team runs the ball, the Saints I think are slightly better. They’ve got the power in Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas to go with the finesse of Reggie Bush. Joseph Addai has had a decent season for Indy, but I don’t see the Super Bowl coming down to the ground game.

I expect to see an aerial show with lots of points (I’d take the over if I were in Vegas) and yards. A couple score lead in this game won’t mean much because both teams are equipped with the talent to score quickly and frequently.

It’s trite and cliché, but it’s so often true that games like this come down to avoiding turnovers and catching breaks. Both teams have done that particularly well this season (witness Colts v Patriots or Saints v Bucs, Redskins). In the end I think Manning, having been in the Super Bowl before, is going to keep the Colts one step ahead of Brees and the Saints. I think the Saints will keep the score close throughout, though I think the Colts will win the game.

Zoneblitz sought a couple other opinions on the Super Bowl as well. Here’re their thoughts:

Anthony Maggio, freelance fantasy sports writer and owner if the Punting Baxter blog

The Colts and Saints should provide a fun game to watch but an awful one to listen to with references to “Hurricane Katrina,” “Who Dat,” “Destiny,” and plenty of other references to New Orleans deserving this opportunity for the city in full force. I’m not disagreeing or agreeing with any of it, I’m just prepared to be annoyed.

As for the on-field fireworks, I expect a close contest with plenty of scoring. Indy’s got a decent defense, but it won’t provide much resistance to Drew Brees’ flying circus. The Colts allowed 12 touchdown passes from Week 10 through Week 15 before throwing in the towel the final two games, then faced two run-heavy offenses in the playoffs. It’s not that I expect Indy to be unprepared, but it could be a bit overwhelmed after going so long between games against opponents who can actually throw the ball.

Peyton Manning is too good to let the Saints run away with the game, but will find New Orleans to be a much tougher challenge than Brees must deal with. The Saints have allowed just one touchdown pass in two playoff games and have allowed multiple touchdown passes just once in their last nine games. I expect a pair of them from Manning and probably something out of Joseph Addai, but ultimately I don’t think it will be enough for Manning to win his second Super Bowl.

My prediction: Saints 31, Colts 27.

Tony Tellijohn, co-owner, Zoneblitz.com

Saints 38, Colts 35

Not sure why. Just a gut feeling.

And that’s the kind of analysis that keeps you coming back to Zoneblitz.com.