Super Bowl 50 is officially set. Levi's Stadium will play host to the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos on February 7, 2016. This marks the third straight season the top seed in each conference has advanced. The game will broadcast on CBS, kicking off at approximately 3:30 p.m. PT. The game will be available via live stream at CBS Sports.
The Panthers rolled the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game. They benefited in part from some bad decisions by Carson Palmer, or poor play by Patrick Peterson, but they were clearly the better team. It looked like Arizona might make it a game when they cut the Panthers lead to 17-7, but a late second quarter touchdown sent the momentum back Carolina's way. And this time around, the Panthers did not take the foot off the pedal, rolling to a 49-15 victory.
The Broncos advanced thanks primarily to their defense. Peyton Manning managed a first quarter drive that was his best of the season, but the defense contained the New England Patriots offense in a big way. The Patriots had a shot late, but could not convert a two-point conversion, and the Broncos won 20-18.
The Broncos defense should make for a great matchup against the Panthers offense, but if Peyton Manning looks like he did today, I don't see how the Broncos can get many points on the board. The Panthers opened as a 4-point favorite, and I have a hunch the public will hit that number heavily. The Broncos defense could draw in sharp money, so it will be really interesting to see how the line moves over the next two weeks.
Here's all the information you need to know about Super Bowl 50:
Date: Sunday, February 7, 2016
Time: 3:30 pm PST
Location: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
TV Channel: CBS
Online streaming: CBS Sports
Announcers: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Phil Simms (color analyst), Tracy Wolfson and Evan Washburn (sideline reporters)
Odds: SB Nation Odds Page
Halftime show: Coldplay, featuring Beyonce and Bruno Mars
Referee: Clete Blakeman