Against the Odds - Super Bowl XLVII Feb 1, 2013 | More
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San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens (+3.5)

Hey Sharks, I’m currently in New Orleans having a great time at “Super Gras.” Both 49ers and Ravens fans seem to be getting along in the streets, but I expect that to change once the game starts Sunday night.

During the season, head coaches Jim and John Harbaugh made major changes to their offenses, something that most teams would shy away from doing in the middle of the season. Coach Jim benched 49ers starting quarterback Alex Smith for Colin Kaepernick, a change that many questioned at the time but proved to be the right one. Kaepernick has more skills and is a dual threat, something game-manager Smith couldn’t offer.  In December, coach John decided to fire Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Cameron himself said “it was a brilliant move” and that it brought the team together. It has also helped quarterback Joe Flacco, who has had a great playoff run, throwing for 853 yards and eight touchdowns in three games with a quarterback rating of 114.7.

On defense, the 49ers are one of the best in the NFL, ranking second in the league in points allowed at 17.1 points per game and are third in the NFL in total yards allowed. On the other side, the Ravens have an aging defense and their rankings reflect it. They ranked 20th against the run, giving up almost 123 yards per game and ranked 17th in both passing yards (228 yards per game) and total yards (351 yards per game) allowed.

I’ve been taking bets with Ravens fans all week and feel that San Francisco is the superior team and will win their sixth Super Bowl this weekend. Kaepernick will be the difference and the San Francisco run game will have their way against the Ravens run defense.

Gimme the 49ers minus the points.