Yesterday, I compared the Pittsburgh Steelers to the eventual NBA champions, the Boston Celtics. I’ve been thinking about this super bowl betting matchup, and I’ve concluded that the Arizona Cardinals are the NFL’s version of the Atlanta Hawks.

This is Mike Woodson’s fifth year coaching the Hawks, but he’s improved every season, taking the Hawks to the postseason last year when they pushed Boston to seven games, while Ken Whisenhunt has guided the Cardinals to the Super Bowl in his second season. Both teams were steadied by veteran arrivals (Kurt Warner for the Cardinals, Mike Bibby for the Hawks), and both have a ton of athletes, such as Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals, and Josh Smith of the Hawks, and a pair of explosive young players like Steve Breaston of Arizona and Al Horford of Atlanta. The only difference is attention to defense, in which Atlanta has the edge in. This could be the reason the Cardinals fall short in this super bowl betting matchup.

Roy’s been heavy on super bowl betting lately because, well, it’s the biggest thing in online sports betting right now. And I’ve been thinking a lot about similarities between the Pittsburgh Steelers and last year’s NBA champions, the Celtics.

Both are defensive powerhouses, and are led by veteran players (Kevin Garnett, Troy Polamalu)….Offensively, Paul Pierce would be considered the Ben Roethlisberger of the Celtics (but with fewer turnovers), while Ray Allen is the wily veteran, Hines Ward-style (although Ward blocks better than Allen screens). Mike Tomlin and Doc Rivers are both quiet coaches, but when they speak, the veteran players show them respect. Furthermore, both lead or are tied for the lead in their respective pro leagues in championships, as the Steelers can leave San Francisco and Dallas in the dust with a sixth title, while the Celtics won #17 last season. If the Steelers want more inspiration (which is doubtful), all they need to do is look over to Beantown, and follow the Celtics.