Not a lot of people predicted a Patriots-Giants matchup for Super Bowl XLII. But now that we’re here, let’s crank up the old crystal prolate spheroid and see what fate has in store for Glendale.

1. Wes Welker will be named Super Bowl MVP. The Giants will leave the middle of the field open for Welker to roam.
2. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw will combine for over 100 yards rushing. Bradshaw is the X-factor in this one.
3. Lawrence Tynes will not miss a field goal. That was the case 14 times this year.
4. Domenik Hixon will return a kick for a touchdown.
5. Randy Moss will catch a TD pass.
6. Eli Manning will throw two interceptions.
7. Tom Brady will throw for over 400 yards.
8. Mike Vrabel will catch a TD pass.
9. Junior Seau will retire after the game.
10. You’ll be very tired of hearing the word “dynasty” very soon.

2007 turned the fantasy football world upside-down. Quarterbacks thrived, while top running backs fell to injury and disuse. Blame it if you like on the ubiquitous Cover 2 defense, and opposing coaches going for the easy short-yardage passes.

In this brave new NFL, Tom Brady is king. His 426.10 fantasy points lead the Bodog leagues heading into the season finale. There is nobody hotter in the league right now, even with the Patriots offense playing at a lower gear these past few weeks. Pats WR Randy Moss has a chance to overtake Dallas QB Tony Romo and Eagles RB Brian Westbrook for second place this week.

Aside from the walking wounded at tailback, the league’s coldest marquee fantasy player might be Tennessee QB Vince Young. He’s thrown nine TD passes on the season compared to 17 interceptions. Over the past three games, Young has two TD passes, three picks and a grand total of 34 yards rushing. Brrrr.

So the New England Patriots are laying 24 points to the New York Jets. No problem. That makes a lot more sense than when the Pats were –24 against the Eagles, who nearly pulled off the upset in Week 12. Philadelphia has talent. The Jets don’t. They’re 3-10 SU, 4-8-1 ATS and the worst defensive team in the league in terms of efficiency. I’ll eat that chalk, and I’ll like it.

I’ll also take the big favorite in the Indianapolis Colts-Oakland Raiders matchup. That, of course, would be the Colts at –11. The Raiders are playing at a worse level than the Jets despite their 4-9 record (5-8 ATS). That’s because they’ve gotten to play other teams in the awful AFC West so often. Indy is not far behind New England among the league’s elite. A line of anything under two touchdowns seems like a blessing compared to what New England has to cover this week.

It takes a village to raise a good NFL handicapper. Whatever level of betting prowess you possess, you need sources of advice and information you can trust.

Here are my Top 10 NFL blogs (outside the Bodog family, that is), in no particular order.

Football Outsiders: The premier place for advanced football statistical analysis.

Two Minute Warning: Stats from a gambling perspective.
Pro Football Talk: Gaining a reputation for its news collating and opinion.

Bam’s NFL Rumors: A news/rumor aggregate with weekly picks.

Deadspin: Hugely popular sports site includes insightful NFL picks and commentary.

Larry Brown Sports: Comprehensive blog with lots of linkage (and thongage).

Fanhouse: Sure, it’s AOL, but they do a good job of getting to the point.
Kissing Suzy Kolber: Which we’ve all thought about from time to time.

Hashmarks: Not quite as good as True Hoop, but at least ESPN is getting there.

Dave’s Football Blog: Every kind of football there is, with sharp analysis.