Recession? What recession? Judging by the early buzz on the Strip, this year will see Super Bowl betting in Nevada top the $100-million mark, shattering the record $94.5 million wagered two years ago on the Pittsburgh Steelers-Seattle Seahawks matchup.

Super Bowl XLII has a lot more box-office potential. The New England Patriots might be the best NFL team ever assembled – no fear of hyperbole with that statement. They’re also public darlings; New York Giants supporters might not have the same warm and fuzzy relationship with their team, but the Big Apple is still the biggest single football market there is. Relatively few people outside the Pacific Northwest cared about Seattle’s maiden voyage to the big game.

The early swing in the pointspread from –12 to –11 should bring in even more loot as we get closer to the Feb. 3 kickoff. You can just picture all those would-be Pats supporters with deep pockets, biding their time.