TODAY’S MATCHUP

INDIANAPOLIS (13-4) at NEW ENGLAND (14-2)

* Kickoff: 1:45 p.m.

* TV: Channel 2.

* The line: New England by 1 1/2 .

* Indianapolis update: In six career games against the Patriots, Peyton Manning has nine touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He’s looking to reverse that trend, and with the way he has been playing, he probably will.

* New England update: The Patriots, winners of two of the past three Super Bowls, have had more than their share of injuries this season. Now, they have a depleted secondary that will be staring down the barrel of one of the most prolific passing offenses in NFL history.

* The story line: Can Manning shake the Bill Belichick bugaboo and inch his team closer to the Super Bowl? Is the end of New England’s reign just around the corner?

The pick: Indianapolis. Manning will prevail, sloppy field and all.

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Sam Farmer

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*--* STATISTICAL COMPARISON Ind NE Points scored 32.6 (1) 27.3 (4) Points allowed 21.9 (18) 16.2 (2T) Pass offense 288.9 (1) 224.2 (11) Rush offense 115.8 (15) 133.4 (7) Total offense 404.7 (2) 357.6 (7) Pass defense 243.2 (28) 212.5 (17) Rush defense 127.3 (24) 98.2 (6) Total defense 370.6 (29) 310.8 (9) Take/Give +19 (1) +9 (8) 3rd-down pct. 42.7 (7) 45.1 (5) Time poss. 28:40 (25) 31:22 (7) Penalties 50.1 (3) 51.4 (5) Regular-season statistics, league rank in parentheses

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