BSNblog

What: NFL Pro Bowl

When: Sunday January 30, 2011, 7:00 p.m. EST

Where: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii

Even though the Pro Bowl has no effect on Super Bowl betting, it is still fun to watch the best in the game get on the field one more time before the Super Bowl is played, and football is gone for seven months. This particular season has some added importance to the Pro Bowl because, judging by the way the NFLPA and the NFL are talking, there may not be any NFL predictions to make in 2011 as there may not be a season. But, for now, we look forward to the display of some of the best talent in the league as they kick off one last time in 2010-2011 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

AFC:

The AFC will send out quarterback Tom Brady to start the game. Brady will be throwing to wide receivers Andre Johnson of Houston and Reggie Wayne of Indianapolis. Let us also remember that San Diego tight end Antonio Gates will be out there as well. Running the ball for the AFC will be Jacksonville Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew.

On defense it is a combination that would rule the AFC if it ever got together on one team in a real game situation. Nose tackle Vince Wilfork of New England plays between defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis of Indianapolis. It looks like Terrell Suggs of Baltimore will start in place of Super Bowl bound James Harrison at linebacker, while Eric Berry of Kansas City plays safety for Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu.

NFC:

The starting quarterback for the NFC will be Philadelphia’a Michael Vick. No matter what happens, Vick will put on a show for the fans watching the game. Atlanta’s Michael Turner will start at running back, and the wide receivers will be Roddy White of Atlanta, and Calvin Johnson of Detroit. Dallas stalwart Jason Witten makes the team as the tight end.

The NFC defensive line is another dream combination that would make any NFC team an instant Super Bowl contender. Rookie sensation defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh of Detroit plays between defensive ends Julius Peppers of Chicago and John Abraham of Atlanta. Antrel Rolle of the Giants will get the start at free safety in lieu of NFC champion Nick Collins, and Adrian Wilson of Arizona is the only strong safety on the roster.

Outlook:

The Pro Bowl is normally an offensive explosion, but defense has been taking center stage in the NFL the past few years and that will me a very competitive game. These guys will not go all out to try and win at all costs, but the rivalries built up between wide receivers and defensive backs should make this a great game to watch. The AFC has just a bit more to offer than the NFC, but that will not prevent it from being a good game for fans to watch.

BSNblog Pick: AFC

Packers vs. Bears Betting – Sunday, 3:00 PM ET

Aaron Rodgers showed little care for Atlanta’s great reputation at home, as Rodgers led the Packers in a 48-21 slaughter of the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. Rodgers was 31-of-36 for 366 yards and three touchdowns with no picks as the Packers racked up 442 yards on offense, going 8-of-12 on third down, and they were 4-of-6 in the red zone. It wasn’t just the offense that did their thing, as the defense fed off Rodgers and company, holding the Falcons to 194 yards while forcing four turnovers, and Tramon Williams ran a pick back 70 yards for a score. NFL betting players would probably say this is the best performance of the playoffs so far, and there’s a worry that Green Bay peaked already.

Jay Cutler wasn’t bad at all in his first playoff game since high school, going 15-of-28 for 274 yards and two touchdowns with no picks, and he added two more scores on the ground as the Bears rolled to a 35-24 win over Seattle at home. The Bears also ran for 176 yards, which allowed them to hold the ball for over 37 minutes, and Chicago really controlled this game until a couple of late touchdowns by the Seahawks to make the score more respectable (and scare those who bet on the 10-point spread for the Bears). Many figured Cutler would fall on his face in his playoff debut, but he handled it very well, albeit against a team that isn’t really that good.

Whether it’s worth the price per head or not (tickets are reportedly going for upwards of $900 for this game), it’s going to be a Midwest classic, and the Packers are 3.5-point favorites on the road in Chicago, where they are 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five trips. The home team won both times when these two played this season, which is why some think it’s strange the Packers are favored. But Green Bay have been playing out of their mind as of late, and Rodgers has been bolstered with the emergence of James Starks, whose presence in the running game keeps the blitz off Rodgers. Meanwhile, we’re not sure how Cutler will handle the Green Bay blitz, as we’ve seen him put up some ducks in the pass when he’s pressured. We’re sticking with Green Bay to cover the sports betting spread on Sunday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are counting their lucky stars that they are still part of the NFL betting circus after being down 21-7 at the half in their divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens. In the second half, Roethlisberger helped move the ball down the filed and running back Rashard Mendenhall helped to punch the ball into the endzone. By the time the game was over, Roethlisberger had thrown for two TDs and Mendenhall had run for two. The defense Ben will face against the Jets is much more dangerous than the one he victimized in the divisional game against the Ravens.

The Jets’ offense stumbled their way to an impressive win over the New England Patriots. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez looked shaky in the first half as many of his passes were off target. But in the second half, Sanchez made just enough key throws to put his team into the AFC Championship game. Running back Shonn Greene had a big day for the Jets as he ran for 76 yards and a touchdown. But the Steelers defense offers a significantly larger obstacle than the Patriots did to the Jets’ Super Bowl hopes.

Offense:

It was a sports betting bonus for the Pittsburgh Steelers that Rashard Mendenhall was able to gain yards on the ground. The pay per head sportsbook experts know that the Ravens have a very strong run defense, and the fact that the Steelers were able to gain almost 150 yards on the ground is impressive. What killed the Ravens was Ben’s inability to stick with the play. Roethlisberger puts his receivers out on patterns, and then Roethlisberger makes up the rest of the play. Sometimes it works as it did in the second half of the Ravens game, and sometimes it does not as it didn’t in the first half of the Ravens game. But it is still something that the Jets will have to worry about.

Rex Ryan is an expert at putting together a game plan that plays to the strengths of his offense. The Jets are a running team with a quarterback that is still learning the ropes. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez seems to be gaining confidence, but he was still way off target in that opening half against the Patriots. If Sanchez throws wild passes against the Steelers, safety Troy Polamalu will make him pay. Look for a lot of running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene in this game as Rex Ryan puts his offensive line against the Steelers defense.

Defense:

The Jets defense has finally decided to show up. New York now has the hard-hitting shut down defense it was supposed to have all season long. Darelle Revis looks like he is not having any issues with his hamstring, and cornerback Antonio Cromartie seems to be enjoying the spotlight. The front seven for the Jets is fast and punishing. This is just a good defense.

The Steelers love to rush their linebackers on blitz plays that are sure to give the New York offensive line problems. The reason the Steelers can blitz linebackers consistently is Troy Polamalu. With Polamalu playing the middle of the field, tight ends and running backs out of the backfield are going to have serious problems finding open space to catch the ball.

The Bottom Line:

The Patriots had a weak secondary and the Jets exploited it. The Colts had a weak defensive line and the Jets exploited it. In this game, it is hard to say what weakness the Steelers have that the Jets can exploit. Either way, this promises to be a very good football game.

Sportsbooks Odds Free Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL Betting: Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears

Online Sports Betting Odds: Bears – 10

The Seahawks will be the visiting team this time around, against a heavily favored Bears’ team that won all but three home games this season. One of those losses however, was against Seattle, a 23-20 decision back on Oct. 17.

Why To Bet On The Seahawks

Nobody thought that Seattle would be able to stick around with the Saints in the Wild Card round, and they ended up beating them, so why can’t they cover against Chicago? A revitalized running back Marshawn Lynch will have plenty to prove against his former team after being cut by the Bears two years ago, and after the 67-yard touchdown run he registered against the Saints, he should be right on football betting track to deliver. Speaking of revitalized, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck looked just that with a 404-yard, four-touchdown performance in the Wild Card win. The Bears finished near the bottom of the NFC in passing yards allowed, and if Hasselbeck can have another big game there is no reason to think that another upset is not in the cards.

Why To Bet On The Bears

It won’t be easy though against a Chicago team that has found a way to win all year. The Bears rank in the bottom-half of the league in nearly every significant statistical category on both sides of the ball with the exception of their second-ranked run defense, yet found a way to finish with 11 wins. The Seahawks can be exposed defensively with both the run and the pass, and although the Bears weren’t consistent in either area, they should be primed for a big week after the extra sports betting bonus week to game plan. Chicago’s tough wall up front should be able to slow down Lynch, and after watching Cutler’s three-touchdown performances against the Jets in week 16, this one could get out of hand.

How The Game Will Play Out

The Seahawks benefited from home field advantage and the fact that they were underestimated against a Saints’ team that probably thought they would have their way by simply showing up. That illusion is now gone, and there is no way that Seattle will catch Chicago off guard as they fight for their first playoff win in years. The crowd at Soldier Field will swing the edge to the Bears, and be another key factor as Hasselbeck and company come crashing back down to earth.

Seahawks Bears Betting Pick: Bears - 10

The NFL betting lines on this game are very close, and for good reason. This game is a football betting enthusiast’s nightmare because it pits two hard-nosed defenses against two completely unpredictable offenses. The NFL pick for this game should be based on the team that is best able to establish a running game and possess the ball the longest. But with these two defenses on the field, neither team stands much of a chance of running the ball.

The Ravens completely shut down the high-powered running attack of the Kansas City Chiefs last week on their way to a 30-7 win on wild card weekend. The Baltimore secondary also kept Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel in check and did not allow him to throw the ball deep. The Steelers thrive on the occasional deep ball, but that option may not be available in this game with Ed Reed patrolling the secondary for the Ravens.

Offense:

The Ravens were solid and balanced on offense against the Chiefs. The running game put up a little over 100 yards for the day, and Joe Flacco completely dismantled the Chiefs secondary for 265 passing yards and two touchdowns. The only problem for the Ravens was that the offensive line could not open up the holes to unleash running back Ray Rice. Rice only had 56 rushing yards on the game, but he was able to pick up critical first down yardage when the Ravens needed it. The Ravens offensive line has been a problem spot all season, and it may be the thing that the Steelers exploit in this game.

The Steelers on offense are hard to judge. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can either be a defensive coordinator’s nightmare by scrambling out of the pocket to create plays, or he can consistently take bad sacks because he won’t get rid of the ball when he should. Running back Rashard Mendenhall is a weapon out of the backfield, but he has yet to have a 100-yard game against the Ravens this season.

Defense:

The Ravens completely shut down the offense of the Kansas City Chiefs last week, and they did it by stopping the run. Once the Chiefs could not run the ball, Matt Cassel tried to find places to throw it. With Ed Reed out in the secondary, there was nowhere to throw the football. The way the Ravens play defense can cause serious problems for Roethlisberger. The Ravens know that the way to beat the Steelers is to get to Big Ben, and they have the personnel to do it.

The Steelers will shut down Ray Rice and the Ravens running game. That will leave safety Troy Polamalu to terrorize Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and the Ravens passing game. This defensive battle has to go to the Steelers only because their linebackers are more capable of shutting down the middle of the field than Ray Lewis and the Baltimore linebackers.

The Bottom Line:

This will be a great playoff football game. The intensity will be there and the hitting will be on display. In the battle of great AFC defenses in 2010, the Steelers have to be considered the best. In this game, that is all it will take to win.

Sportsbook Odds Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers

Compass Bowl Betting – Saturday, 12:00 PM ET

The Panthers (7-5) were the preseason college football betting favorites to win the Big East, but stumbled to a 7-5 mark and were blown out at home by rival West Virginia in the “Backyard Brawl”. That meant the end of the road for coach Dave Wannstedt, who was replaced by former Miami (OH) coach Mike Haywood. Haywood was then fired after domestic-violence charges, and they still haven’t announced who will coach the team on Saturday. On the field, running back Dion Lewis has been a disappointment, although he did run for 261 yards in the final game of the season, and Tino Sunseri did improve as the year went on. The Panthers may have to lean on their ninth-ranked defense a lot.

The Wildcats (6-6) also underachieved, considering they were in the SEC weak East division. Their 26th-ranked passing attack was led by quarterback Mike Hartline and receiver Randall Cobb, but Hartline was arrested in December and will miss the final game of his college career, leaving little-used Morgan Newton to hold it down. Running back Derrick Locke should be healthy enough, and the Wildcats will need him in this contest. Kentucky is 46th in the country defensively, but 72nd in points allowed, and they allowed seven 100-yard rushers this year, so look for Pitt to target that aspect.

The NFL football betting community has come to the conclusion that New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is never going to learn when it comes to arrogant talking before a game. Someone on his own team, or anyone in the online football betting world, should have reminded Ryan that it was the Buffalo Bills his team beat in week 17. Beating the Buffalo Bills does not mean that the betting services of the world are ready to proclaim the Jets the best team in the playoffs, regardless of what Ryan says.

The Indianapolis Colts are keeping a much lower profile after their week 17 win over the Tennessee Titans. The Colts secured the third seed in the AFC after beating the Titans, and that is what earned them the right play mighty mouth Rex Ryan and the New York Jets in Indianapolis. The Colts are on a roll, and they are playing well on both sides of the ball. The biggest improvement for the Colts is the play of quarterback Peyton Manning. Indianapolis is in a good spot thanks to the play of their future hall of fame quarterback.

Offense:

The Jets enter the playoffs with the most questions at quarterback. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez played one series in the week 17 win over the Bills, and never threw a single pass. Rex Ryan has been coddling Sanchez for two seasons, and now Ryan expects Sanchez to just walk out on the field in this game and start throwing the ball with precision. Sanchez is making mistakes when he throws the ball, and it would not be a surprise to see veteran Mark Brunell under center before this game is over. Brunell played extremely well against the Bills, and his passes looked strong and accurate. But Ryan has expressed faith in Sanchez all season long, even if Ryan won’t let his quarterback throw the ball.

The Colts offense started to show the glimmer of a running game against the Titans. Running back Joseph Addai is healthy and had he, along with the return of running back Dominic Rhodes, put 92 rushing yards up against a stiff Tennessee defense. The only problem is that the Jets defense is far more punishing against the run, and that means the Colts will have to rely on their passing game. When a team’s passing game is quarterbacked by Peyton Manning, then relying on it is not such a bad thing.

Defense:

When the Colts won Super Bowl XLI, their defense looked weak going into the playoffs. When the playoffs arrived, the Colts defense suddenly turned up and took the team all the way to the title. With players like linebacker Gary Brackett, defensive lineman Dwight Freeney and defensive lineman Robert Mathis; the Colts have the personnel to do the same kind of quick change on defense again this year. The Colts run defense was stout against the Titans but the pass defense looked like it was having problems against the long ball. If the Colts can figure out their defense, they have an excellent chance to repeat as AFC Champions.

The Jets defense has been excellent up front but suspect in the secondary all season long. It would be thought that Peyton Manning may hesitate to throw into a defensive secondary that has cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie and Darelle Revis. But both corners have been beaten this season, and Manning may have to take chances anyways as the Jets front seven may be too much for the Colts to run against.

The Bottom Line:

The Jets are cocky but they are also 2-3 in their last five games. The Jets are not the best team in the AFC, and neither are the Colts. But the Colts have Peyton Manning, and now Manning has his chance to redeem himself for last year’s Super Bowl flop. Look for Manning to drive his team past the Jets in this game.

BSNblog Free Pick: Indianapolis Colts