Patriots-Colts game is one for bookies

Don’t blame oddsmakers if they are a little excited about Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts at the RCA Dome.

Not only does the game represent the most anticipated NFL regular-season matchup in years, but the showdown between the 8-0 Patriots and the 7-0 Colts could attract record-breaking betting action.

“Without question, this will be the most wagered-on game of the 2007 regular season,” said Michael Seaton, general manager of Spread Media Inc. “The point spread opened on Monday at New England minus-4 and within hours moved to minus-5 1/2 to minus-6 1/2 at most sports books.

“By Tuesday morning, our public betting information already showed 10,000 bets being placed on this game. That is almost four times as many bets as the other games this week and it’s only Tuesday.”

The game, which marks the first time in the NFL’s 88-year history that two teams with at least seven wins without a loss have played, has everything a bettor needs.

The defending Super Bowl champion Colts have defeated the Patriots three consecutive times, including a 38-34, come-from-behind win in the AFC championship game last season, when Indianapolis erased an 18-point deficit.

But before that, New England had won six in a row, including two over the Colts in the playoffs. Indianapolis Coach Tony Dungy said he wasn’t concerned about his team being home underdogs.

“Point spreads are really public opinion. That’s one thing I do understand,” Dungy told reporters Monday. “They are trying to get an even number of bets on both sides. . . . A lot of people, obviously, think that New England is going to win.”

Powered by quarterback Tom Brady, who leads the league with 30 touchdown passes, the Patriots are perfect against the spread this season. They have scored at least 34 points in each game and have defeated every opponent by 17 points or more.

New England also has covered the spread in 13 of its last 14 games, with the only time it failed coming against the Colts in last season’s AFC championship game.

Indianapolis, 5-2 against the spread this season, has won 12 consecutive games and the combination of quarterback Peyton Manning and Dungy is 67-20.

Boxing

A fight that isn’t getting much attention but should be a good one is Saturday’s super middleweight unification bout between Joe Calzaghe and Mikkel Kessler, which is expected to draw a crowd of 60,000 to Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

Calzaghe (43-0, 32 knockouts), the World Boxing Organization champion, is listed as the favorite at -160 over Kessler (39-0, 29 knockouts ), the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Assn. champion. Kessler is at +130.

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