NFL: Luck to prevail against ex-Colt Manning in shootout

The young pretender will get the better of the old master in what could be Manning’s last game

It’s always nice to play your old team. The nostalgia for that time always creeps back and even when it’s in a high-octane playoff game, it’s difficult to block out. Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos face the Indianapolis Colts late on Sunday in what could be his final hurrah against the team he gave so much to.

There’s no denying that his play has dwindled down the stretch, his MVP form from last year hasn’t been matched and whilst the Broncos have improved overall, it’s still Manning that can get them over the line. That’s not the issue in Indy, where Andrew Luck is easily their best player and he played almost without fault last week and comes into this one full of confidence, ready to finally claim his place in the Championship game.

It’s a tough one to call. This’ll certainly be a shoot-out but it’ll be very close until the end. Go for Luck to finally show that he’s an elite QB and lead his team to a high-scoring win with both teams combining for over 53.5 points at 5/1. It’s two offenses that love racking up the score and neither will be repressed in this one.

However, expect a few little growing pains as Luck adjusts to playing a top-level defence. They’re good against both the run and the pass but their fatal flaw is that they simply allow too many points to be considered elite. They’ll just do enough to keep the scores close though, so the Colts to win by one to six points is also worth considering at 5/1.

Now, as this might be Manning’s last dance, we have to expect him to come up with some little pieces of magic. He’s a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer, rightfully seen as one of the greatest of all time and he’ll want to show that for as long as he can. Look for his team to be the first to ten points at 9/20. Age catches up with us all and if he should retire after this one, it’s been a fine career for a humble QB that’s only ever wanted to win the right way.