Posted on 1/29/2008 1:30:57 PM

NFL Wagering - Super Bowl XLII: Brady on the limp

By BetUS Staff

Tom Brady’s right ankle is stealing the NFL betting spotlight.

Only one reporter was allowed to watch the New England Patriots practice in Tempe, Ariz. on Monday: Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune. Pompei reported that Brady, the Patriots quarterback for each of their three Super Bowl victories, had a slight limp as he went through the full range of drills. Brady is expected to go for his fourth championship ring this Sunday when the Patriots meet the New York Giants; however, according to one report, the 2007 league MVP would not be playing if it weren’t for the extra week off.

ESPN’s John Clayton told a radio audience Monday morning that Brady’s high ankle sprain, suffered during the third quarter of the AFC title match versus San Diego, is bad enough that he would not have been able to play the following week. The NFL extended the break between the Conference round and the Superbowl to two weeks after the 1993 season.

Clayton’s surprising comments have yet to be echoed in written form, so he could very well have been overstating Brady’s injury situation. But NFL fans and handicappers have already been burned by poor reporting and mixed messages on the status of Chargers QB Philip Rivers during the AFC championship. Given the importance of Brady to the outcome of the Super Bowl 42, bettors have every right to be cautious about the slightest change in his health.

Brady’s ankle was at least serious enough for him to miss three practice sessions back in Foxborough, Mass. last week. And his comments Sunday night to the Associated Press are open for interpretation: “I am not concerned about how (the injury) is going to affect my playing, and I can't run anyway, so it is not going to have much of an impact.”

Both the Patriots and Giants will release official injury lists on Wednesday – not that those lists have a stellar reputation for reliability. The Pats have been relatively healthy of late, with special teams safety Mel Mitchell (injured reserve) the lone casualty in the march toward Sunday’s matchup at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The Giants likewise expect all hands on deck, including CB Kevin Dockery (hip) if need be.

The Patriots were holding strong as 11.5-point faves on the NFL odds list at press time, with the total also steady at 53.5 points. Kick-off is 6:20 p.m. Eastern time on FOX.

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