The line moved almost as fast as it was posted and it was clear how bettors feel about Peyton Manning. The Super Bowl odds moved quickly to -2.5 in favor of Denver over Seattle.

The past four times that the best offensive team met the best defensive team in the Super Bowl, the defense won the championship three times.

That pattern has not swayed Super Bowl bettors from throwing early money behind the Denver Broncos as they prepare to face the league's top defense in the Seattle Seahawks.

The total for the game is currently set at 47.5 or 48 points.

"But the Super Bowl has not been kind to AFC teams or favorites lately, so we expect tons of action on both sides of this game," said Jack Randall of OddsShark.com.

Indeed, underdogs are 5-1 ATS in the past six Super Bowls and they have won outright in four of those games. And the NFC was riding a 5-0 ATS streak before the 49ers lost to the Ravens a year ago, a key consideration for anyone looking to bet on Super Bowl XLIV.

For the first time since the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts met in Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, the NFL's top two seeds clash in the Super Bowl this year in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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Super Bowl 2014, betting odds: Denver Broncos favored vs. Seattle Seahawks