For the 12th straight season, the Puppy Bowl will air on Super Bowl Sunday. What started as a ratings gimmick has turned into a bonanza for Animal Planet as the event has become the network’s most highly rated broadcast each year and the second-highest rated event on Super Bowl Sunday. With multiple spin-offs, new animals, and other new features, this has become just as American as football in many ways. That’s why we’re going to break down the exciting showdown between Ruff and Fluff.
Don't miss the Puppy Bowl on Sunday, February 5, 2017 at 3 p.m. ET. Catch every moment of the game live on Animal Planet.
Puppy Bowl Odds at BookMaker.eu
Team Ruff -6
Team Fluff +6
KEYS TO WINNING
For Team Fluff, it’s all about finding ways to get Blitz open. Blitz is the playmaker for a Fluff squad that some thought was too soft to make it this far. He has been a firecracker for Fluff in all the practices running up to The Bark Game and without him this team would have been the runt of the litter in the Pedigree Conference.
Blitz has amazing lateral quickness and out of this world vision and is drawing comparisons to Randy Moss or Tyreek Hill. No golden retriever has ever won the Puppy Bowl MVP and in these divisive times it would make sense for one of America’s most popular dog breeds to get some love on the national stage.
Team Ruff needs to keep starting quarterback Puddles protected and out of danger if it wants to cover the spread. Although Puddles is one of the youngest participants in the field at just 13 weeks old, she isn’t as mobile as larger dogs might be. Her inability to take large strides and make other dogs miss could prove costly. However, she is one of the most accurate dogs in the league and is deadly with time in the pocket.
Puddles led all tail waggers in the Purina Conference this season. She was able to get hearts to melt with just a few sad looks and nobody danced for treats better than her. Short dogs have dominated the MVP race over the 11-year history of the Puppy Bowl and a Shih Tzu cocker spaniel mix should be a pretty popular choice.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Whoever wins the war in the trenches is going to have a big advantage in this Puppy Bowl so it’s important to break down the bigger breeds on the team.
Precious has been one of the toughest enforcers for Team Fluff this postseason and her style of play is not for the faint of heart. As an American Pit Bull and Terrier mix she has a feisty side and knows how to back it up against other dogs. At 15 weeks, she is one of the older puppies in the group and knows what it takes to win. Don’t be surprised if she’s tussling throughout the game.
Looking into Stormy’s eyes can be mesmerizing. His milky blue eyes are a rare sight among dogs and he is able to use them to get his owner to do anything he wants. Stormy’s frame makes him a difficult foe to bully around so you need a puppy with speed and quickness to take advantage of this vulnerability.
THE PICK
There’s been quite a bit of line movement on these props since they came out. Ruff was originally a 3-point favorite, but lots of heavy action came in and pushed that line down to 9 points two weeks ago. Since then, there has been another adjustment as the line currently sits at 6 points now.
In an event like the Puppy Bowl, it’s hard not to pick the underdog. There are so many unknowns and a side getting this many points is crazy. Bet on the underdog for the outright ML.
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