49ers -3.5 vs. Ravens, total is 47.5 for SB XLVII

Published on Monday, 1/21/13, at 4:47 p.m. Eastern.

By Brian Edwards

UPDATE on Thursday, 1/24/13: 49ers currently -3.5, total of 47.5.

As of early Monday night, most betting shops were listing San Francisco as a four-point favorite against Baltimore for Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans on Feb. 3.

The total is 48 at most spots. Gamblers can take the Ravens to win outright for a plus-160 payout.

Proposition bets galore will be released in the coming days.

Jim Harbaugh’s team fought back from a 17-0 first-quarter deficit to collect a 28-24 win at Atlanta as a four-point road favorite. Gamblers who got on the Falcons earlier in the week cashed tickets as 4 1/2-point underdogs, while the 52 combined points slipped ‘over’ the 49-point total.

Baltimore dominated New England in a 28-13 win as an eight-point road underdogs. The Ravens hooked up their money-line supporters with a lucrative plus-300 payout (risk $100 to win $300).

Before beating the Patriots, Baltimore was available for 8/1 odds to win the Super Bowl last week.

The media will not be lacking for storylines the next two weeks. Obviously, we have two brothers coaching against each other for the right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. We have Ray  Lewis, one of the greatest NFL players off all-time, finishing his career on the biggest stage.

There’s John Harbaugh’s brave and accurate decision to go with the young QB in Colin Kaepernick. And there’s the Alex Smith story in how he’s handled the situation and what his future holds.

While Lewis deservedly will garner much of the attention, we can’t forget about perhaps the best current linebacker in the NFL, Patrick Willis. There’s Vernon Davis, who is carving out a potential Hall of Fame career since his infamous disagreement with former coach Mike Singletary that might have been the best thing to ever happen to Davis.

After going 3-0 yesterday with winners on the Falcons, ATL-SF ‘over’ and the Ravens, my NFL record now stands at 47-36 (57%) for the season. For my Super Bowl winner, you can click here.