Super Bowl: At a glance

How They Got Here

After winning the NFC East, the Giants trounced the Falcons at home as the No. 4 seed before pulling off road wins against No. 1 Green Bay and No. 2 San Francisco, the two top seeds in the conference.

New England was the AFC's No. 1 seed, earning a first-round bye. The Patriots routed the Broncos in the divisional round at home and held on for a 23-20 victory against Baltimore at Gillette Stadium to advance to the Super Bowl for the seventh time.

At A Glance

WHEN: 6:29 p.m.

WHERE: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis

TV/CREW: NBC, Ch. 8 (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya)

ODDS: Patriots by 3 points

Injury Report

GIANTS – Questionable: CB Will Blackmon (knee), WR Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), CB Corey Webster (hamstring), LB Jacquian Williams (foot). Probable: C David Baas (abdomen, neck), LB Chase Blackburn (calf), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot), S Tyler Sash (concussion), DE Osi Umenyiora (ankle, knee).

PATRIOTS – Questionable: WR Deion Branch (knee), T Marcus Cannon (ankle), S Patrick Chung (knee), LB Dane Fletcher (thumb), TE Rob Gronkowski (ankle), S James Ihedigbo (shoulder), DT Kyle Love (ankle), G Logan Mankins (knee), LB Rob Ninkovich (hip), LB Brandon Spikes (knee), T Sebastian Vollmer (back, foot), WR Wes Welker (knee), LB Tracy White (abdomen). Probable: G Dan Connolly (groin), WR Matthew Slater (shoulder).

Key Stat

The Patriots allowed the most yards in the AFC, but also easily led the conference with a plus-17 turnover ratio.

Quote of Note

"A lot of people had a lot of negative things to say about both of these teams earlier in the year, and now all of a sudden you have these teams playing on Super Bowl Sunday. You can never count football teams out.''

– Patriots DT Vince Wilfork

Why The Giants Will Win

During their five-game win streak, the Giants have forced 11 turnovers while committing only two giveaways. New York won 24-20 at New England three months ago, handing the Pats their only home loss, and a dynamic defensive line is healthy and peaking. Pro Bowl QB Eli Manning has won seven of his past eight postseason starts and set an NFL record with 15 fourth-quarter touchdown passes in the regular season. WRs Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks should cause problems for a suspect secondary, and the Giants will run just often enough to keep the Pats defense off balance.

Why The Patriots Will Win

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady boast an NFL-record 16 postseason wins as a coach-quarterback tandem and have been eagerly waiting for revenge against a Giants franchise that wrecked New England's hopes for a perfect 2007 season. Brady's quick release and startling accuracy could prove frustrating for a pass rush that hounded Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith into mistakes. The Giants haven't faced a slot receiver like Wes Welker (NFL-best 122 catches) or tight ends like Rob Gronkowski and ex-Gator Aaron Hernandez, who combined for 24 touchdown receptions, this postseason.

X-Factor

Vince Wilfork dominated the line of scrimmage against Baltimore, stuffing RB Ray Rice between the tackles and pressuring Joe Flacco repeatedly. If Wilfork can apply consistent heat up the middle, Manning will provide some opportunities by throwing into coverage. The Patriots have forced at least one takeaway in 17 of their 18 games, and Wilfork will require constant double-teams inside for New York's offense to remain on the field.

Key Matchup

Veteran LT Matt Light has protected Brady's blind side very effectively over the years, but today's task is daunting as he lines up across from Pro Bowl DE Jason Pierre-Paul. If Light can neutralize the former USF standout, Brady will have chances to hurt the Giants downfield, but Pierre-Paul's athleticism – especially on turf – will pose problems all evening.

Prediction

IRA KAUFMAN'S CALL: Giants, 30-20