Archive for the ‘NFL Picks’ Category
Super Bowl XLIV Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Colts -4 ½, 56 ½ O/U Super Bowl Sunday is finally here and the world is anticipating an exciting show featuring two of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL. The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints will partake in the fight for the Lombardi Trophy. The New Orleans Saints are making their first appearance in the Super Bowl while Peyton Manning and the Colts will be trying to win their 2nd Championship in 4 years. The Saints offense led the NFL in scoring this season averaging nearly 32 points per game and the Colts were not far behind averaging 26 points per game leading viewers to expect fireworks this Sunday night. Last year’s Super Bowl broke the all-time viewing record at nearly 98.7 million viewers and this year nearly 10 billion dollars is expected to be wagered on the big game worldwide. Therefore, it is easy to understand why the Super Bowl is easily the single biggest sporting event on the planet. Under those circumstances, both teams will be under a huge amount of pressure. A lot of people think the Saints have momentum on their side, but Colts QB Peyton Manning is perhaps the best in the business and has been in this situation before. So who will win the biggest game in sports? It is no secret that the Colts heavily favor the pass just like the Saints and have tons of success doing so, but their defense may not be getting the credit they deserve. The Colts defense has surrendered just 10 points on average in their two playoff wins. However, the secondary has been very questionable this season and that is the main concern when facing the Saints offense. Still, if the Colts defensive front can get pressure on QB Drew Brees they could really frustrate the Saints offense. Last week the Vikings held Brees to just a 55% completion percentage due to their relentless pass rush and that has to be the main focus for the Colts defensive front this Sunday. On offense, the Colts fast paced and methodical approach is difficult to defend. Manning reads defenses better than any quarterback in the NFL and is averaging over 300 yards passing per game in the two postseason victories. The Saints have really struggled against the pass this season, but they have also forced a ton of interceptions, 26 during the regular season. Therefore, Manning can not afford to give the Saints secondary chances to bring down any interceptions. WR Reggie Wayne is the big play threat and TE Dallas Clark is perhaps the go to guy in key situations. However, young wide outs Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie have inflicted most of the damage during the postseason as defenses have keyed in on Wayne and Clark. Collie and Garcon have combined for 360 yards and 3 touchdowns during the playoffs. The question is who will step up on the biggest stage? Still, if the Colts can just prevent turning the ball over and giving the Saints any additional opportunities with the football they will be hard to beat. The Saints offense has done a tremendous job at spreading the ball around this year and they have a ton of guys that the Colts must keep an eye on in the passing game. Wide receivers Devery Henderson and Marques Colston are extremely dangerous targets combining for nearly 2,000 yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season. Of course additions targets like Robert Meachem and Jeremy Shockey will also be in the mix of things as well. QB Drew Brees is having a sensational season throwing for 4,388 yards with 34 touchdowns while completing 70% of his passes. Those are very stellar numbers and Brees has performed well during the postseason as well. The key for the Saints offense will be “space.” They have to keep the Colts defense spread out giving their playmakers some 1 on 1 opportunities. When the Saints get space they can get some big plays and also work tailback Reggie Bush into the passing game. If that happens, the Colts secondary will have their hands full. For the Saints defense, they have to use the electricity from the big game and turn that into a positive. Often times in big games, you will see defenses step up and that has to be the Saints defense on Sunday. Safety Darren Sharper led the NFL with 9 interceptions during the regular season and a few of those big plays would be extremely critical in helping their chances in scoring the win. Nobody expects the Saints to flat out stop the Colts offense considering that is highly unlikely. However, if they can prevent the 7 point scores and force a few turnovers they will have a great opportunity to score their first ever Lombardi Trophy. Pick – I just do not see Manning losing this game and believe a late touchdown seals the deal for the Colts. Colts -4 ½
Indianapolis Colts vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday February 7th, 6:30PM Eastern
Tags: Colts vs Saints Pick, Super Bowl 44 Preview, Super Bowl XLIV Predictions
NFL Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Saints -3.5, 52.5 O/U The top two seeds in the NFC will meet for the Conference Championship Game this Sunday when the Minnesota Vikings collide with the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome. The Saints at one time appeared they could go unbeaten this season in credit to their unstoppable passing offense led by QB Drew Brees and finished with the top record in the NFC. The Vikings on the other hand have had a “magical” season behind QB Brett Farve and at many times appeared to be the most complete team in the NFC this season. After such convincing seasons, it is not any surprise that the Vikings and Saints are both just one game away from the Super Bowl and there is sure to be tons of entertainment when these two explosive offenses take the field this weekend. The Saints offense closed the year out poorly losing their final 3 games of the season. However, their playoff future was pretty much already set during that final stretch of games and the motivation factor may have been the blame. Those 3 losses were the only defeats the Saints experience all year as their offense posted some big numbers. That offense returned in a big way last week blowing out the Cardinals 45-14. QB Drew Brees completed 23 of 32 passing for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns. Brees actually led the NFL in touchdowns this season with 34 total. The Vikings pass defense has not been extremely impressive against the pass relinquishing 218 yards per game which raises the million dollar question will they be able to stop the pass? Not many have against the Saints as wide receivers Marques Colston and Devery Henderson deliver a tough tandem to defense. Add in target Robert Meachem who had a 3rd best 722 yards this season and it is easy to see why Brees has so many options to spread the ball around which causes tons of problems for opposing defenses. One factor that could be a difference maker is the Vikings defensive front. Even though the Vikings may not have the secondary to stop the Saints pass attack, their relentless pass rush could present Brees some troubles. The Vikings sacked Tony Romo a ridiculous 6 times last week in their blowout over the Cowboys and they also led the NFL with 48 sacks on the season. If Jared Allen and Ray Edwards continue to dominate up front, they could make it very hard for Brees to have enough time to deliver the football. More importantly that type of pressure could help the Vikings win the turnover battle which would really help keep the Saints dangerous offense off the field. As far as the Vikings offense, they were once considered the team of running back Adrian Peterson who is still one of the top running backs in the league. However, it has been pretty obvious that Farve has taken over not only leadership but has stepped up in their biggest games. The question everyone is asking is will the 40 year old “magic man” be able to pull off another milestone victory? Farve threw a playoff career high 4 touchdown passes in last week’s victory over the Cowboys finding his favorite target WR Sidney Rice for 3 of those scores. Farve was 2nd to only Brees in total touchdowns this season with 33 on the year. However, the offensive emergence in the passing game can be given as much credit to Rice rather than most who give credit to Farve. Rice has emerged as the superstar wide receiver who wins nearly every jump ball and catches anything thrown his direction. Rice does not have elite speed or quickness, but athleticism outmatches all defenders and that has proved to be very dangerous. Rice will definitely be needed in a big way this weekend as this game could turn into a quarterback dual as many expect. Still, respect has to be given to Peterson. Much of the focus has been turned away from Peterson due to the passing offense success and that could work in the Vikings favor. If Vikings Coach Brad Childress wants to put together a smart game plan, Peterson is the x-factor. New Orleans ranks just 21st in the NFL allowing 122 yards per game. If the Vikings get the running game going it will not only keep them in control of the clock, but they could control the pace of the game as well. The Saints have struggled in similar games where teams have had success running the football and have trouble getting into rhythm when that happens. Pick – The Vikings just seem to have something on the side this season and I’ve learned to not bet against Brett Farve. Take Vikings +3.5
Minnesota Vikings (12-4) at New Orleans Saints (13-3)
Sunday January 24th, 6:30PM Eastern
Tags: Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints Preview, NFC Championship Game Preview, Vikings at Saints free pick
NFL Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting preview – Colts -8, 39 O/U The AFC Championship Game will take center stage this Sunday afternoon when the Indianapolis Colts host the New York Jets in a match to determine which team is Super Bowl bound. The Colts have been the odds on favorite for most of the season to not only get to the Super Bowl, but they also are receiving the most favored odds at +120 to win the Super Bowl thanks to their NFL best 14-2 regular season record. The Colts are no surprise to be in this situation and they will look to capitalize on those high expectations. The Jets on the other hand will be carrying the big “underdog” title heading into Sunday’s game. New York at one time stood at just 4-6 this season and the thoughts of just making the playoffs appeared far-fetched. However, with the help of some great defense the Jets have come on strong and upset the heavily favored Chargers last week to earn their chance at an AFC Championship. While many think the Jets are still long shots to win the game, head Coach Rex Ryan says his team expects and will beat the Colts this Sunday. Sure Coach Ryan has a cockiness that many people do not find too appetizing, but so far he has been pretty accurate with predictions for what his Jets will accomplish heading into each week’s game. Ryan believes the Jets defense will have an answer for the Colts offense and be able to get some pressure on Peyton Manning. If they do, they may be the first team all season to accomplish getting consistent pressure on Manning. However, the Jets defense has been tremendous since the halfway point of the regular season. The Jets held opponents to just 8 points per game during their final 6 games of the regular season and also gave up just 14 points in both playoff victories. Last week’s performance was the cream of the crop when the Jets held the Chargers explosive offense to a season low 14 points. If they can again get that type of success on the defensive side of the ball, there is no reason the Jets can not pull off the upset. Of course as Ryan stated, they must knock down Manning a few times if that is to happen. On offense the Jets have been pretty mediocre for a playoff caliber team. The Jets have really played the field position game relying on their defense and allowing running back Thomas Jones to carry the work load. However since the postseason began, it has been rookie running back Shonn Greene that has provided the offensive sparks. Greene, the former Iowa Hawkeyes tailback, has carried the ball for 6 yards per carry and racked up 250 plus yards in the Jets two postseason games. Normally it has been Jones delivering that similar type of damage, but either way the Jets will look for their running game to deliver the offensive production. Also, it is ultimately imperative QB Mark Sanchez must protect the ball. Sanchez has not thrown over 200 yards but once in his last 9 outings. The reason is because he understands his role in the offense. The rookie must eliminate the turnovers that he was accustomed to earlier this season and let the running game when the overall battle. Of course a few big plays down the field could not hurt matters either and if there are any plays down the field WR Jerricho Cotchery will likely be the target. Still, all eyes will be on the Colts offense. The Colts just dominated a great Baltimore defense last week in a 20-3 victory. QB Peyton Manning had another solid outing completing 30 of 44 passing for 246 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Those numbers are actually a little under the norm for Manning who had a spectacular season throwing for 4,500 yards on the year. The Colts entire offense has just been unstoppable. From the time they break the huddle and snap the ball off is just remarkable. The pace of the offense definitely won the game last week as the Ravens never had a chance to read the offensive alignment. Manning had the ball snapped and pass completed many times before the Ravens defense was set. If the Colts can get into that type of rhythm again, there could be little hope for the Jets defense. The key is the protection Manning gets from the offensive line. Manning was sacked a measly 10 times during the regular season so needless to say he is the most protected quarterback in the league. Baltimore got 2 sacks last week, but both times Manning hit the ground to avoid contact. The Jets must get some solid hits on Manning if they are going to disrupt the momentum. If not, Manning is going to pick the defense apart most likely with tight end Dallas Clark up the middle. Clark can shred defenses apart on those middle range passes when defenses do not get pressure to Manning. Therefore, once that happens the big plays open up for WR Reggie Wayne down the field and those plays are usually scores. So again, it all goes back to how well the Jets pass rush can get into the backfield so look for that battle up front to be the difference. Pick – Expect a low scoring game as the Jets will attempt to do everything manageable to keep ball control. Still, even if the Colts offense gains rhythm I do not see their offense posting any big numbers. Take the under 39
New York Jets (9-7) at Indianapolis Colts (14-2)
Sunday January 24th, 3:00PM Eastern
They are led by arguably the best quarterback in the league in Peyton Manning and have a great supporting cast.
Tags: AFC Championship Game Preview, Jets at Colts Free Pick, New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts Preview
NFL Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Chargers -7, 42 O/U The New York Jets opportunity to just reach the postseason was considered a big long shot, but they closed out the year winning 5 of their last 6 games while getting help from some of the other teams around the league as well. The Jets backed up their underdog efforts last week with an impressive outing against the Cincinnati Bengals 24-14. The Jets finally are getting tremendous help from their defense and they are proving that they can play with the top teams in the league. However, the Jets will try to tackle the San Diego Chargers this weekend, who are the hottest team in the NFL in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs. San Diego won 11 games as the hottest team in the league to close out the year earning them a first round bye last week. The well rested Chargers will now attempt to pick up where they left off. The San Diego offense has proven to be unstoppable this season with QB Phillip Rivers under center. Rivers threw for 4,254 yards with 28 touchdowns and just 9 interceptions this season. Those are very solid numbers especially if you consider the lack of run game throughout the year meaning defenses knew the pass was coming but still could not stop it. The reason it’s hard to stop the Chargers passing attack outside of Rivers dangerous accuracy lies in the receivers. WR Vincent Jackson and tight end Antonio Gates possibly the most lethal duo combination in any passing game. The two have combined for 2,300 plus yards and 17 touchdowns. Jackson is a big wide receiver that has dominated cornerback this year and Gates provides excellent support underneath. Those combinations in the passing game have been deadly, but now they must get the momentum rolling after a week off and also against one of the best pass defenses in the NFL. The Jets lead the NFL in pass defense holding opponents to a lucrative low 154 yards per game through the air. The entire Jets defense has been even more impressive holding teams to just less than 9 points per game during their last 7 outings. However, the secondary may not have the height advantage to take the ball away from Jackson if he gets a few throws down the field. Jackson single handedly beat the Cowboys, who also have a disadvantage in size in their secondary, late in the regular season and the Jets can not afford to yield any similar results. For the most part, their pass defense has been very solid but will likely need to force a turnover or two quickly before the Chargers will change their attack. If they can keep San Diego out of the end zone early it will be vital to their success. The offense may put more on the arm of Mark Sanchez this week. Sanchez has been used very little considering the offense has ridden running back Thomas Jones over the past few weeks. However, points will have to be scored in this game as I do not think the Jets running game can absolutely control the game start to finish. They will have to get help from Sanchez who completed 12 of 15 for 182 yards last week against the Bengals. If Sanchez can repeat on those numbers and produce some points then they will have a shot at the upset. Thomas Jones has been the workhouse over the past few weeks and they will give him the ball often again. Jones needs a few solid runs out of the gate to set the tone for the offense so that they can try to give him the ball 20 plus times. However, as stated before Sanchez and the passing offense will have to give support at some time in this game. If the Jets can not score at least 20 points they will not win. Pick – Chargers roll
New York Jets (9-7) at San Diego Chargers (13-3)
Sunday January 17th, 4:40PM Eastern
Tags: New York Jets at San Diego Chargers Preview and Pick
NFL Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Minnesota -2.5, 45.5 O/U The Minnesota Vikings will host the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday at the Metrodome in possibly the most popular playoff meeting thus far in the postseason. On one side, you have the legend QB Brett Farve who signed with the Vikings while turning a rushing team into one of the most balanced offenses in the league. The Vikings at many times this season have appeared to be the most complete team in the league, but a few lackluster performances down the stretch has left some doubts on what was such a promising season. The Vikings are in search for their first NFC Championship in over 30 years, but before they have a chance at a Championship they must defend their home turf against the most hated team in America. The Dallas Cowboys ended all the critics talk of the postseason drought last week as they beat the Eagles for the 2nd straight week in a row to score their first postseason victory since 1996. The Cowboys are suddenly playing extremely well on the defensive side of the ball and also getting help from the offense along the way. The Cowboys now seem to have momentum on their side, something that has been missing for nearly two decades. Still, the Cowboys have a lot of support considered by one of the largest fan bases in sports. For most of those fans, the Cowboys rise to glory has been long overdue. However, a loss to the Vikings this Sunday would make the wait even longer. The Vikings offense has been a lethal threat to all defenses this season. The primary objective initially was to feed the ball to the sensational running threat of Adrian Peterson and then work the pass in as holes opened in the defense. However, Peterson has not had the incredible season that most would have expected yet has still been effective enough to rack up over 1,300 rushing yards. However as a result, Farve has thrown a lot more passes and WR Sidney Rice has emerged as a star in the passing offense. It will be interesting to see how the Vikings come out and try to establish their offense this week. The Cowboys defensive front has been very strong and just asks Donovan McNabb how well they are playing. Still, even with the Cowboys strong pass rush teams have been able to run the ball. On that note, expect Peterson to set the tone early and depending on their success running the football will decide which pace of offense the Vikings establish. Expect the Vikings run game to not be as successful early on when emotions are up from kickoff and they will likely turn to Farve rather quickly. I’m sure the Vikings passing attack will have their ups and downs. However, it could be a lot more struggles if the Dallas pass rush continues to dominate. The way the Vikings will get the offense involved is when they go back to the running game with Peterson later. Once the Dallas defense is worn down a bit, Peterson can have a step advantage in the holes and that is where they will find the offensive sparks. It will be up to Farve and the passing game to capitalize on those sparks. One thing is for sure that neither passing team can afford to turnover the ball as this will expectedly be a close game. The Cowboys offense will surely allow Marion Barber and Felix Jones to have plenty of carries. Both backs have the ability to cause damage, but Jones is appearing to be the star in the making. After busting out a few big plays against the Eagles in the first meeting, Jones rushed for 148 yards and a score on just 16 carries in last week’s win. QB Tony Romo completed 66% throwing for 244 yards and 2 scores. WR Miles Austin was yet again the favorite target catching 7 balls for 82 yards and a touchdown. However, keep an eye on WR Roy Williams. When Williams makes a few grabs it really opens the door for the rest of the receivers. The Cowboys numbers on offense has been pretty solid and they should be able to score some points again. The question is will the Vikings have their way on the offensive side of the ball as they have many times this season or will the Cowboys defense continue to impress? Pick – Dallas +2.5
Dallas Cowboys (11-5) at Minnesota Vikings (12-4)
Sunday January 17th, 1:00PM Eastern
Tags: Cowboys at Vikings, Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings Preview
NFL Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Colts -6, 44 O/U The Indianapolis Colts coaching staff led by Jim Caldwell received a ton of criticism for resting their players and seemingly throwing away the opportunity at a perfect season a few weeks ago. However, now the time is here to see if resting the starters was indeed the correct call. Possibly anything less than an AFC Championship would be a waste considering the Colts had a great chance to become just the 5th team in history to end the year undefeated. However, moving forward the Colts will put their focus to the visiting Baltimore Ravens this Saturday night. The Ravens just flat dominated the New England Patriots last week on both sides of the ball. Running back Ray Rice, who has been the heart of the offense, busted the first play from scrimmage open with an 83 yard touchdown run. The damage inflicted by the Ravens never let up as Rice rumbled for 159 rushing yards to lead efforts in a 33-14 victory over the Patriots. To make matters worse, the Ravens pass defense played incredible constantly filling the passing lanes, making quick cuts to the ball, and disguising the defense very well. Baltimore shut down Patriots superstar quarterback Tom Brady who just threw for just 132 yards while forcing 3 interceptions during the contests. If those numbers do not head warning for Peyton Manning and company, they definitely should. The Ravens defense is playing extremely well. They are getting excellent pressure up front playing even better in the secondary which will match-up very well against the Colts offense. If they keep Peyton Manning moving and limit the big plays to WR Reggie Wayne, the Ravens will have a good chance at scoring the upset once again. Of course keeping Manning contained like trying to tame a wild animal. Manning perhaps the best play caller in the league, threw for an NFL 2nd highest 4,500 passing yards this season. WR Reggie Wayne posted over 1,200 yards this season while tight end Dallas Clark was equally effective racking up 1,100 plus yards as well. So needless to say the Ravens secondary will be in for yet another task to stop the Colts passing game. However much like the Patriots, the Colts are fairly a one dimensional offense. Joseph Addai tallied 828 yards this season, but the Colts are anything but a rushing offense. If the Ravens can shut down the air attack, they could have very similar success. Of course that will be a bit more difficult this week as well. On the Ravens offense, QB Joe Flacco has had a decent 2nd year as starter. Flacco was banged up with a right hip injury last week in the battle with the Patriots. Luckily, Flacco was not needed often attempting just 10 passes throughout the evening. Flacco finished with just 34 yards on 4 completions, but again remember he was rarely needed at all. If the Ravens offense does need to move the ball down field in a hurry, they definitely have the tools to get it done. Flacco completed 63% on the year for 3,613 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Ravens have a lot of confidence in his arm and the playmaking ability of WR Derrick Mason who reached the 1,000 yard receiving mark this season for the 8th time in 9 years. However, the Ravens remain a rushing team. Baltimore has put major focus on running the ball with Rice in the last few weeks and has been a better team as a result. Rice can also produce a lot of damage catching balls out of the backfield so look for them to utilize the play calling around the newfound star very early in the game. Pick – Under 44
Baltimore Ravens (9-7) at Indianapolis Colts (14-2)
Saturday January 16th, 8:45PM Eastern
Tags: Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts, Ravens at Colts Preview
NFL Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Saints -7, 57 ½ O/U The Arizona Cardinals appeared to have magic on their side yet again as they took down the Green Bay Packers in one of the highest scoring games in postseason history 51-45 in overtime. The Cardinals appear to be carrying the perception they did last year at this time as a dangerous underdog. The Cardinals offense has been its best in the postseason over the last two years, but now Arizona will take on the NFL’s top offense in the New Orleans Saints. The Saints had a first round bye so they will be plenty rested after finishing the year with the best record in the NFC at 13-3. However, all of the Saints defeats came in the last 3 weeks of the season and it will be interesting to see if they can relocate their swagger. The Cardinals defense come up big on a few key plays intercepting Aaron Rodgers very first pass and Karlos Dansby recovered a fumble while running it back for a touchdown on the final play of the game. In between those big plays, the Cardinals secondary gave up plenty of big plays as the game turned into a quarterback dual between Rodgers and Kurt Warner. Rodgers was sensational after the pick racking up 422 yards against the Cardinals defense that just looked very confused too often. The pass defense will be the main concern this weekend as everyone knows that the Saints attack through the air more often than any team in the league. The Saints offense led the NFL for most of the season before sliding in their final few games to 272 yards per game. However, their passing attack led by Drew Brees is among the best there is and they will surely give the Cardinals defense tons of trouble if they play like they did last week. Even if the Cardinals defense struggles, they still have QB Kurt Warner on their side. Warner proved again last week why he should be Hall of Fame bound as one of the best quarterbacks when it comes playoffs time. Warner completed 29 of 33 passing for 379 yards and 5 touchdowns. That is 88% passing with more touchdowns than incomplete passes, which is simply amazing. The Cardinals will definitely need a lot of offense again this week to pull of the upset. WR Anquan Boldin is still hampering an ankle injury that kept him out of last week’s win against the Packers. While that definitely hurts, it is manageable if the Cardinals get WR Steve Breaston to have another big game. Breaston caught 7 passes for 125 yards to pick up the empty space by Boldin and they need another similar effort. Of course you can never forget about Larry “Mr. Playoffs” Fitzgerald as well, Fitzgerald caught 6 passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers may be a bit off from his record setting pace from last year, but as long as he continues to grab touchdown passes the Cardinals will be fine. The Saints offense as previously mentioned made defenses look like really bad earlier this year, but the passing offense burned out a bit down the stretch. Brees threw for 4,300 plus yards while completing 70% passing with 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on the season. However, the passing offense was not as efficient in their last few games. Hopefully the Saints can dial up the high power offense again and provide some fireworks. They definitely have the wide receivers to cause all kind of trouble for the Arizona defense. WR Marques Colston eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark this season along with 9 touchdowns. Also, receivers Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem both combined for 1,500 additional yards and 11 scores. If these guys can find holes early and keep the Arizona safeties on their heels they can really do some damage. However, their success will likely ride on the play of the offensive line. Brees has been protected very well this year, but the Cardinals defensive front is playing well. It is imperative that Brees have time to throw the football or they are doomed. Remember the Cowboys defensive pressure up front ended their shot at a perfect season and they do not need to let another solid defensive front have their way again. Pick – The Cardinals have reached the under in 5 of their last 7 games and I think the lines are a bit too high following last week’s shootout with the Packers. I’m leaning towards the under here and believe the Cardinals will also keep it within the points as well.
Arizona Cardinals (10-6) at New Orleans Saints (13-3)
Saturday January 16th, 2010 4:30PM Eastern
Tags: Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints Preview, Cardinals and Saints Playoffs Pick
NFL Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Patriots -3.5, 43 O/U The New England Patriots will host the Baltimore Ravens in the opening round of the playoffs this weekend from Foxboro Sunday afternoon. The game will be the only playoff meeting of the weekend that does not include a week 17 rematch. However, both of these two opponents did meet earlier in the season when the Patriots held off the Ravens for a 27-21 victory in week 4. The Patriots will be the slight favorites again this week, but they will be without one of their most useful targets in the passing game in wide receiver Wes Welker. Welker, who led the league with 123 catches, tore ACL ligaments in his knee in last week’s 34-27 loss to the Texans and is out for the rest of the year. The Patriots dynamic passing attack fueled by both Randy Moss and Welker will definitely be less potent without their leading receiver on the field. Moss can definitely carry the team as he is exceptional player and racked up 1,264 yards this season. However, Welker was the utility receiver that caught a ton of passes on underneath routes that aggravated defenses therefore opening the door down field for Moss and others. QB Tom Brady who has been battling his own injuries must overcome the adversity. Brady has been on somewhat of a tough stretch passing for over 200 yards just once in the last 4 games. In terms of yardage production, that is one of the worse 4 game stretches in his career. If those numbers stay down, the Patriots will have a tough time against the Ravens defense. Baltimore has a very strong defensive front allowing just 93 yards per game and if the Patriots are going to be successful they must move the football through the air. Keep an eye on tight end Ben Watson he may be used a lot more over the middle of the field in Welker’s absence as well. If Watson can make a few catches in the middle of the field, it perhaps could open up other options in the passing game as well. The Ravens offense has really emerged as a legitimate rushing team behind running back Ray Rice. Rice rushed for 1,339 yards and 7 touchdowns this season while coming on strong during the 2nd half of the year. However, QB Joe Flacco can distribute passes for big plays to give the Ravens a balanced offensive attack as well. Flacco has thrown for 3,613 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. Flacco attempted a season high 47 passes against the Patriots earlier this season. However, the reason for the high number of passes in the previous meeting was that the Ravens trailed the Patriots the entire game and were playing from behind. Flacco did complete 27 of those passes for 264 yards, but expect the running game to be a bigger focus this time around unless the Patriots jump out front early yet again. WR Derrick Mason has put up some big numbers this year and a big play or two would really help the Ravens cause especially if they can control the clock with Rice running the football. Betting Trends – Baltimore is 2-4-1 ATS in the last 7 games and has gone under the total in 7 of their last 10 games. The Ravens are also just 2-5 SU in their last 7 road games. New England is just 2-3-1 ATS in their last 6 games while going 14-6 SU in the last 20 games. The Patriots have also gone under the total in 5 of the last 6 games. Pick – Ravens +3.5
Baltimore Ravens (9-7) at New England Patriots (10-6)
Sunday January 10th, 1:00PM Eastern
Tags: Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots, Ravens at Patriots Preview
NFL Football Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Arizona -1, 47 O/U The Arizona Cardinals were the Cinderella story of the NFL playoffs last year limping into the postseason with one of the worse records of any playoff team and then putting on a tremendous streak of play to win the NFC to earn a trip to the Super Bowl. Well, the Cardinals are in similar situation this year earning a trip to the playoffs thanks to the less than stellar NFC West and will be looking to make fireworks again in the postseason. However, the Green Bay Packers stand in their way this weekend and the Packers destroyed the Cardinals last week 33-7 even though Arizona was resting many of their starters. Still, Arizona will look to put everything together and make another big run at the postseason. Green Bay would have won their division with a record of 11-5 in most divisions around the league, but ended up getting the #5 seed after falling short to the Vikings in the NFC North. However, the Packers have been one of the hottest teams in the NFC winning 6 of their last 7 games to close out the year. The Packers only loss was a one point defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers after giving up a touchdown on the final the play of the ground. QB Aaron Rodgers was brilliant against the Cardinals defense last week completing 21 of 26 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown. The 80.8 completion percentage was the highest of the season for Rodgers. Wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings are a dynamic duo for the Cardinal secondary to defend. Each wide out captured a 1,000 yards receiving and combined for 10 touchdowns on the season. Running back Ryan Grant rushed for 1,253 yards this season so that helps in adding the ground threat. Still, Rodgers will be the main concern for the Arizona defense and their strong passing attack. The Green Bay defense really helped their cause last week picking off 2 Matt Leinart interceptions and forcing 3 turnovers all together. The defense is the reason the game got ugly quickly and they were do their best to force a few more turnovers this weekend. Of course QB Kurt Warner will be the man behind center and Warner has protected the ball fairly well this year. Warner has thrown just 3 interceptions in the last 8 games while throwing for 3,753 yards on the season with 26 touchdowns. Arizona has had quite the up and down year as far as consistency on offense. However, they definitely have the tools to be very dangerous. WR Larry Fitzgerald A.K.A “Mr Playoffs” has posted 1,092 receiving yards this season. If you recall, Fitzgerald was the unstoppable force that fueled the Cardinals postseason fire last year breaking an NFL playoffs record with 546 receiving yards and they will need him to make another big impact this year. One big reason that they need Fitzgerald to play big this weekend is because the Cardinals may without their out playmaker at wide receiver in Anquan Boldin. Boldin caught 84 passes this season for 1,024 receiving yards, but suffered a high ankle sprain in last week’s loss. Boldin currently is listed as a game time decision, but the Cardinals locker room does not believe he will be nowhere near 100%. The Cardinals have never had a reliable running game even though Chris “Beanie” Wells may change that in the future. Wells has rushed for 793 yards in his rookie season. Still, the Cardinals are anything but a rushing football team. If they are to get the best offensive effort without Boldin, WR Steve Breaston will have to be the guy to step up and make some plays. Pick – Green Bay convincingly again
Green Bay Packers (11-5) at Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
Sunday January 10th, 4:30PM Eastern
Tags: Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals Preview, Packers at Cardinals Pick
NFL Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Dallas -4, 45 O/U The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys represent another week 17 rematch this Saturday in the opening NFC playoff game for wildcard weekend. The Cowboys dominated the Eagles last week shutting them out 24-0 to capture the NFC East crown for just the 2nd time in the last decade. In fact, it was the Cowboys 2nd straight shutout as they also posted a 17-0 victory over the Redskins in week 16. The sudden emergence of the Cowboys defense could really make a huge impact on the NFL playoffs considering the offense has been pretty solid all season. If the Cowboys continue to get big help from the defense, they could finally end their 13 year postseason winless drought and also make an even deeper run in the playoffs than many expect. The Cowboys have won both meetings against the Eagles this season, but Philadelphia will try to change some things up this week and prove how hard it is to beat a team 3 times in one season. One thing the Eagles may try to do this week is get Michael Vick involved in the game. Vick was not used in the last two games, but the Eagles may try to get him in the game in the “wildcat” formation to penetrate the Cowboys defensive line and may even let him throw a few passes to fool the Cowboys defense. The reason the Eagles may resort to Vick a few more plays is because the Dallas defensive line dominated the Eagles up front last week. QB Donovan McNabb was sacked 4 times and stayed under relentless pressure. McNabb was still able to throw for 223 yards in the contest frequently hitting tight end Brent Celek who racked up 96 yards. Celek may be the go to guy again if the secondary continues to focus on the explosive threat of WR DeSean Jackson who has the speed to get behind the secondary to make big plays. The Cowboys did a good job of giving help to the side of the field where Jackson was playing and I believe they will do that again. Therefore, Celek will again have some chances to get open. However, the Eagles are going to need to finish drives if they are going to have any chance at capturing the victory. The Cowboys simply need to do what they did last week. The defensive front led by DE DeMarcus Ware need to stay in McNabb’s face all day. More importantly the secondary, which has been vulnerable at times, can not allow any type of big plays. They must keep everyone in front and make tackles. If they get that type of effort from the defense again, the Cowboys offense definitely has the utilities to get the job done. QB Tony Romo completed 70% of passing last week for 311 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 pick. The interception was just Romo’s 2nd pick in the last 6 games and it was on a deflected pass that hung up in the air for some time. Needless to say Romo has exceeded expectations and WR Miles Austin continues to impress with another solid performance racking up 90 yards last week. Austin has 1,320 yards on the season and also tight end Jason Witten has also eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark on the year as well. Witten grabbed 6 passes for 76 yards last week. If they can keep the ball moving, the Cowboys will have the opportunities to score more points yet again. Also we have a few things to watch for heading into Saturday night’s game. Cowboys running backs Felix Jones and Marion Barber were both impressive at times last week. Jones knocked off a 49 yard touchdown run and Barber had 58 yards on the first drive alone. Look for those guys to set the tone for the Cowboys early. For the Eagles, it is important that McNabb finds a way to hook up with Jackson. They missed on a few chances last week and at least one of those occurrences Jackson was behind all of the Dallas defenders. If there are going to be any quick scores for Philadelphia, it is likely that Jackson will be the playmaker to post the points so McNabb must capitalize when he gets open with some solid throws. Philadelphia must get more help from the offense and Jackson will be the guy leading that charge. Of course the defense could really help issues if they can force a few turnovers. Pick – Seems like it would be no surprise for Dallas to fall apart here and the Eagles should play much better. However, the Cowboys still have too much momentum here and believe they edge out the Eagles similar to the first meeting.
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) at Dallas Cowboys (11-5)
Saturday January 9th, 8:00PM Eastern
Tags: Eagles at Cowboys Pick, Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys Preview
