The big game is less than two weeks away, so now is the perfect time to start making a fool of myself by making some bold Super Bowl predictions. The last time I wrote an article making Super Bowl Predictions - at the beginning of January before the first game had been played - I suggested that the Saints were in real trouble and that I didn't expect them to win a game. Needless to say, I have changed that opinion somewhat since. In fact, not to give anything away, but if you keep reading this article you'll find that they have now become my Super Bowl pick - good sports betting s all about swallowing our pride quickly and often.

Here are five Super Bowl Predictions I boldly offer:

1. It will start very slowly - The Colts have been slow out of the gate in each of their playoff games, and seem to need some time to get everything working properly and to capture and channel their momentum. New Orleans hasn't been as slow to start their playoff games, but during the regular season we often saw that they needed to get into a hole before they were able to turn things around and unleash their fury. When you add on top of that the fact that this is the biggest game there is, and that a lot of players on both sides haven't been to the Super Bowl before, I expect the first quarter to be lethargic and quite possibly even boring. I think that the game is going to come through and be an exciting one in the end, but it could be ugly at the start.

2. Drew Brees will have all the time he needs - The Colts have a couple of pretty nice pass rushers that make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. I'm reasonably confident, though, that Brees isn't going to be particularly bothered by that. There are a few reasons I think that. Dwight Freeney was hurt late in the AFC Championship Game, so he may not be at full force in the Super Bowl. He and the rest of the pass rushers were unable to get to Mark Sanchez at all last week, even though Sanchez is a young QB who should be vulnerable to a scary rush. The Saints do a very good job of protecting Brees as well. He was not sacked at all in six games this year, including the first playoff game. Last week he went down just once, and the o-line was able to isolate and minimize the impact of the scary Jared Allen. Brees is a very dangerous passer when given time, and time is just what he'll have on the big day.

3. Indianapolis will do some new things with receivers - On paper, the Colts - with guys like Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon - should not have had nearly the season that they did given the youth and inexperience that they have at wide receiver. Despite everything that's working against them, the receiving corps won their QB an MVP, and Collie and Garcon had absolutely massive days against the Jets - they combined for 274 yards. With two weeks to scheme and devise, I expect Peyton and the Colts to come up with some new and creative ways to use their receivers - ways that the Saints won't be ready for. Manning's biggest strength is game-planning and management, and this extra week just isn't going to be fair for the Saints' secondary.

4. It's not going to be a defensive battle - I'm not exactly going out on a limb with this one. The best aspect of both teams is their passing offense. The Colts can't run much, but the Saints should be able to challenge the Colts with their running game. Both teams stand a chance of making something happen on special teams. If you were to isolate a single concern for both teams it would be the depth of their secondary. All of the strengths for both teams are in ways that they can put points on the board, and most of the weaknesses will make it easier for the opposition to score. It all boils down to one thing - it would be a major upset if this game turned into a low-scoring duel.

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5. The Saints will win - There, I said it. I long ago learned to give up on counting the Colts out. They are just too consistent and too determined. Despite that, I like what the Saints bring to the table just a little bit more. I think that their offense is a bit more balanced, their defense has slightly more potential for the big play, and they have more potential to be explosive whereas the Colts are slightly more methodical. Manning is the best quarterback in the game, but Brees isn't too far behind, and will certainly be able to hold his own. Most significantly, Brees and the Saints are playing with the tangible weight of their city riding heavily on their shoulders. The same goes for the Colts, of course, but it's different with New Orleans, and the Saints have clearly felt that and been able to channel it all year. Finally, I get very nervous of the line movement so far in this game. As soon as the line opened the action was hot and heavy on the Colts and the number jumped up a couple of points. Whenever the Super Bowl seems to be obvious it never seems to turn out that way.

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