Posted on 1/25/2008 5:07:15 PM

Football Betting - Super Bowl XLII: Brady’s Boot

By BetUS Staff

It’s the biggest story to hit NFL betting since Barret Robbins went missing. It might turn out even bigger than Curt Schilling’s bloody sock.

An ocean of ink is being spilled on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his right foot. Paparazzi caught Brady on Monday wearing a protective boot as he walked up to girlfriend and leggy supermodel Gisele Bundchen’s apartment in New York. The boot was absent later in the day and had yet to reappear at press time.

The Patriots are understandably tight-lipped about Brady’s health status as their Super Bowl XLII matchup with the New York Giants approaches. The league MVP admitted on his radio show to getting “nicked up” in New England’s AFC Championship victory over San Diego; sources indicate Brady has a high-ankle sprain, but apparently nothing serious enough to keep him out of action.

Brady is such a celebrated figure and an important part of Super Bowl 42 that it’s all too easy for Patriots’ supporters to panic over the slightest mark on Brady’s body. But Brady fed that fear Thursday by not showing up at Foxborough for practice during the scheduled media access period. Did Brady miss the whole practice? Did he show up late? Or is Patriots coach Bill Belichick just toying with us all?

“The injury report will be out next Wednesday and we’re excited to give that to you,” Belichick told reporters with his special brand of sarcasm. “That form will be filled out completely and I can’t wait to give that to everybody.”

Fortunately for handicappers, they don’t have to rely on the injury report to get a sense of Brady’s health. The video footage of Brady in his boot is available on YouTube, along with hours of unsolicited opinion, commentary, and Brady dropping an F-bomb while golfing at Pebble Beach. The general consensus is that Brady is healthy and fully functional.

The less intriguing, but more serious injury questions lie on the side of the Giants. Cornerback Kevin Dockery and left guard Rich Seubert missed the media access period of Thursday’s Giants practice; Seubert is expected to play in the Super Bowl, along with the eternally gimpy Plaxico Burress and his fellow New York wounded. For the Giants, having two weeks off is a very good thing.

The Patriots remained 11.5-point favorites on the NFL betting odds list at press time, with a total of 53.5 points. Kickoff from the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale is Feb. 3 at 6:20 p.m. Eastern time.

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