If you are looking for a little comic relief, to break the tension of Super Bowl Sunday, you may want to turn to the puppy bowl, which is a taped event televised on animal planet starting at 3 PM ET from GEICO Stadium in a studio, well, somewhere. This is, without a doubt, the most imaginative event connected to Super Bowl Week, although it doesn’t have any connection to the Super Bowl itself. In fact, it was originally developed as counter-programming to the Big Game, designed for people who weren’t particularly interested in football. However, it has developed into something that is more or less “complementary,” and indeed, you don’t have to watch it as it originally airs, as the reruns will go for 12 straight hours.

This is the battle between Team Ruff and Team Fluff, and there are no “veterans” in the game, because all of the contestants must be between 12 and 24 weeks old, and generally speaking, all of them are adopted after the game is over, because they come from a host of animal shelters and rescue organizations around the country.

Oh yes, there is wagering on the game as well, and BetAnySports has a line on it:

Team Ruff -7.5 (+100)

Team Fluff +7.5 (-140)

And here is the money line price:

Team Ruff -170

Team Fluff +130

There are certain similarities between the Super Bowl and the Puppy Bowl, not the least of which is that there is an MVP award that will be given at the end of the program. Of course, this stands for Most Valuable Puppy, and it’s pretty hard to predict, since we don’t necessarily have a track record on each of the animals. There is a tailgate party as well, and if you want to see that, Tune in at 2:30 PM ET.

Certainly an event like this could not pass without a gala halftime show, and in this one, the felines step up to the table. The Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition provides the kittens who will perform in the Kitty Halftime Show, so don’t turn that dial.

BetAnySports patrons, in handicapping this event, have to take the officials into account. This year Dan Schachner, who is known as the “Rufferee-” is being assisted by someone in black and white stripes. Sure, most clear-minded fans believe that the officials stink, but in this case, he really does. He is Stanley the Skunk, and there is no doubt going to be a lot of attention on him.

There is a 13-year age difference between the two quarterbacks will square off later on in the day – Cam Newton and Peyton Manning. Well, that wouldn’t even equal one dog year, if that offers any perspective to you.

There are actually no quarterbacks in this game, but you’ll see some back and forth action, much like a hockey game. Expect a lot of changes in possession.

And don’t worry about not knowing the players without a scorecard; before and during the game, Animal Planet will bring you close to the action with their special “Pup Close and Personal” segments, so by the end of the day, you will be looking to bring one of these newly-minted athletic stars into your home.

BetAnySports offers wagering on the Puppy Bowl, as well as the Super Bowl, with thousands of props to choose from. Don’t forget that you can get involved in the action using your Visa card, a person-to-person transfer or the virtual currency of Bitcoin!