As a football fan, I want Green Bay to win Super Bowl XLV. I want to see the Packers hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy. I want Ben Roethlisberger to wait for his third Super Bowl ring.

[media-credit id=20120 align=”alignleft” width=”175″][/media-credit]</span But I just can’t bet against the experience of the Steelers. They’re dominant on both sides of the ball and eager to sock someone in the mouth. I may be rooting for Green Bay, but I’m putting my money on Pittsburgh this year.

The bookies in Las Vegas have made the Green Bay Packers two and-a-half-point favorites. Really? Let’s look at how both teams fared this season. The Packers ended the regular season with a record of 10-6 with losses to Washington, Miami and Detroit. Green Bay lost to the Lions by a score of 3-7, after starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of the game with a concussion. Without Rodgers, the Packers looked lost and incompetent. Rodgers is healthy and has been picking apart every defense he faces, but his play may be limited by James Harrison and the rest of the hard-hitting Pittsburgh defense.

On the other hand, the Steelers won three of the first four games without their starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. With the top-ranked defense in the league, Pittsburgh went on to secure a 12-4 regular season record and advance to the team’s third Super Bowl in the last six years. Twenty-five players on the Steelers have played in a Super Bowl, while the Packers only have two players with experience in the biggest game of the year.

With the NFL’s second-ranked defense and the precision of Aaron Rodgers, the Packers will put up a fight. The game will be close. But lets get back to the spread. Two and a half points in Green Bay’s favor means the game is a virtual coin toss. The Super Bowl could be decided on a last-second field goal. That said, I believe the Steelers will win the game and prove the bookies wrong. Raised in Las Vegas, I know the first rule in sports betting is to never bet with your heart. Check the statistics and put your money on the best team. Bet on Pittsburgh and take the points in this year’s Super Bowl. It’s as safe a pick as you can have in sports betting.

This year, the Pittsburgh Steelers look poised to prove their dominance over the NFL and win Super Bowl XLV.

Prediction: Pittsburgh Over Green Bay 24-21