Denver remains Super Bowl pick

Who will win?
If anyone could consistently answer that question, there would be no reason to play the games.
But even though sports predictions are a 50-50 proposition (at best), it’s still fun to make them. This month’s questions are all about trying to figure out two things — which teams have put themselves in the best position to win, and which teams actually will win.
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Which team(s) have made the best offseason moves in Major League Baseball so far this year?
—Nathan Miller,
Wanamaker

There were a few big trades made since the World Series that will no doubt have a big impact on the upcoming season.
But when I look at big moves that could vault teams into the postseason, I look at the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants.
Detroit helped itself with both offense and pitching with its signings of Justin Upton and Jordan Zimmermann.
Upton has hit 25 home runs in each of the last three seasons, and Zimmerman won 13 games with a 3.60 ERA in a down year in 2015. Both are veterans who are still under the age of 30.
San Francisco’s free-agent focus was its pitching staff with the signings of Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija.
Cueto struggled following his trade to Kansas City last year, but then was key to the Royals’ run to the title. And while Samardzija struggled with the White Sox in 2015, he has the kind of strikeout ability that can wreak havoc on opposing lineups.
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Indiana remains unbeaten in the Big Ten. Do you think their favorable early Big Ten schedule is the reason, or are they really playing that great? Also who wins Big Ten regular season?
—Jason McGraw,
Portland

Indiana’s 7-0 mark in the Big Ten is both because of a favorable early schedule within the conference and because the Hoosiers are playing well.
Indiana has played just one Big Ten team that has a winning record within the conference. That was Ohio State, and resulted in a 25-point blowout.
But in the process of playing those teams, IU has done what good teams should do. It has taken care of business.
In Big Ten play, the Hoosiers are averaging 80.6 points per game (No. 1 in the conference) and giving up 65 (No. 3). They also rank first in assists and steals, and are second in rebounding margin.
A lot will be learned in the next few weeks, starting with tonight’s rematch against Wisconsin. Other upcoming games will see Indiana square off against Michigan (15-5, 5-2 Big Ten), Michigan State (17-4, 4-4) and Iowa (16-3, 7-0).
As for who wins the Big Ten regular-season title, I’ll take the Hawkeyes.
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The last time the top offense played the top defense in the Super Bowl, defense took an extremely lopsided win. Should we expect a similar result this time?
—Steve Garbacz,
Fort Wayne

What a difference two years have made.
The last time the No. 1 offense met the No. 1 defense was in 2014, when Denver had the most prolific offense in the league. The Seattle Seahawks and their No. 1 defense stomped the Broncos in the Super Bowl.
This year, Denver’s offense has struggled. But its defense has been spectacular in leading the way back to the big game, and now its opponent, the Carolina Panthers, sports the No. 1 offense in football.
The history of such Super Bowls heavily favors the defense. In fact, the only top-ranked offense to beat a top-ranked defense was the San Francisco 49ers when they trampled Denver in 1989. Six other top defenses have defeated top offenses for NFL titles.
My mind says pick the Panthers, who have been the best team in the NFL all year. But history, and the hope of Peyton Manning riding off into the sunset following a Super Bowl victory John Elway-style, lead me to pick the Broncos.