Going into Sunday’s game, the Colts were favored to pull out the win.  The odds weren’t heavily in their favor, but it was enough to persuade, “Of ESPN’s top 8 experts, 7 picked the Colts, as did 7 of 10 ESPN ‘analysts,’ 5 of 6 ESPN editors, and 4 out of 5 Scouts Inc. pundits.”

Well, if you haven’t heard the results by now, then I’m about to spoil it for you, the Saints beat the Colts.  The interesting part about this story? Madden NFL 10 got the prediction right against all odds.

Last week, EA ran a Super Bowl simulation through the latest Madden game and nearly replicated many Super Bowl XLIV stats that extend past a mere victory.  In the virtual matchup, Drew Brees threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns ultimately named MVP.

In the actual game, Brees threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns also being named the game’s MVP.  Considering the game is a virtual representation, it came within 11 yards and 1 touchdown of being exact.  That’s pretty damn close.

On the other hand, Peyton Manning’s stats were less accurate.  While the yardage was nearly identical (Madden: 322 yards / Super Bowl: 333 yards), his touchdowns were not.  In the Super Bowl, Manning threw one touchdown and one interception, while in Madden, he threw two touchdowns.

Similarly, while the game correctly predicted the outcome, the score was a bit off as well.  The game predicted a 35 – 31 win over the Colts,  while the final tally was 31 – 17.

Nonetheless, Madden has correctly predicted six of the last seven Super Bowl winners.  The one that got away?  Yeap, you guess it.  Super Bowl XLII: Giants vs Patriots.

So readers, if you were placing numerous Las Vegas bets on the next Super Bowl, would you more likely base your decisions off of a video game or a team of ESPN analysts?

Source: Plugged In