Football Playoff News & Notes: Steelers versus Denver broncos

The Pittsburgh steelers are matched up vs the Denver broncos in the nfl post-season. The Denver broncos concluded up with an 8-8 record narrowly claiming victors of the AFC West, whilst the Pittsburgh steelers concluded as a wild card with an impressive record of 12-4 in the AFC North division. The Pittsburgh steelers will be visiting Denver to face off vs them at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

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Denver has enjoyed some success this season and a ton of press hype encompassing quarterback Tim Tebow after he took the reins the starting position with the departure of Kyle Orton. They were able to find some intriguing comeback victories as his play along with their solid defense has kept them in competition in many contests this year.

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Tebow will need to have confidence and remain calm under strain to advance in the playoffs and maybe cement himself as the franchise quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Former Denver Broncos quarterback and current VP of operations John Elway has provided Tim Tebow some words of encouragement for the impending game. If the Denver Broncos find themselves slipping behind early in this playoff match up, then it will be very hard to turn it around vs the solid defense of the Pittsburgh steelers. Both teams will count on their defense to keep themselves in the game and give their offense a chance to step up and perform. Pittsburgh steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has done well this season and looks to continue that success in the 1st round of the playoffs. Also look for running back Isaac Redman to step up as Rashard Mendenhall is tending to a knee injury.

The Denver broncos aren’t going to have an effortless time vs the powerhouse Pittsburgh steelers, which is why the Pittsburgh steelers are established as eight point faves to advance in the playoffs. The over/under on overall points in this match is 35.5.


College Football BCS Championship Betting – Tigers vs Alabama Crimson Tide

It all boils down to this as the #1 ranked LSU Tigers battle against the #2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the BCS National Championship Game at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA on January 9th. Alabama head coach Nick Saban is no stranger to this game, winning the national championship in 2009 and additionally winning it with LSU as a head coach in 2003. LSU head coach Les Miles is additionally no stranger at this instant as he’s won the national championship in 2007. Two excellent teams and head coaches clashing on a collision course in what is certain to be a great game. The oddsmakers currently have this at Alabama (-1) with the over-under scheduled at 40 points.

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The LSU Tigers come into play unbeaten at 13-0 with an 8-0 record in the SEC. They have additionally gone an astounding 8-0 versus ranked teams with victories over number 3 Oregon, #25 Mississippi State, #16 West Virginia, #17 Florida, #20 Auburn, #2 Alabama, #3 Arkansas, and #14 Georgia. This match is a rematch of the classic November 5th game at Alabama with the Tigers winning in overtime over the Tide 9-6. The Tigers have a great offense ranked 12th in the country with 38.5 points per game won. LSU’s true weapon is their defense which is ranked second in the country with just 10.5 points per game given up. Senior Qb Jarrett Lee with 1,306 passing yards and also a 152.0 rating mans the Tigers passing attack. With each racking up over 700 yards on the ground, the team of sophomores Michael Ford and Spencer Ware pace the LSU running attack. CB Tyrann Mathieu ended fifth in the Heisman competition whilst nabbing 6 picks and attaining 173 yards off of those picks which rank first in the country.

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The Alabama Crimson Tide come into this game trying to get revenge for their loss to LSU back in November. The Tide has gone 11-1 overall with a 7-1 record in the SEC. They have gone 4-1 versus the Top 25 this year with victories over #23 Penn State, #14 Arkansas, #12 Florida, and #24 Auburn. Their just loss was the aforementioned game versus LSU in November. The Tide has averaged 36.0 points per game on offense with an outstanding running game. As excellent as LSU is on defense, the Tide are even greater at it ranking first in the country just permitting a mindboggling 8.8 points per game. The CrimsonTide place the offense in sophomore Qb AJ McCarron’s hands, McCarron has 2,400 passing yards and a 149.8 passer rating. Junior Running back Trent Richardson ended 2nd in the Heisman whilst attaining 1,583 rushing yards and 20 td’s on the ground.


Jan 7 – Detroit Lions against Saints Game Preview

Maybe the Detroit Lions just are unlucky in terms of scheduling. First, they conclude their regular season against their division foe Packers, who additionally boast the league’s top record. They then follow that up by drawing the Saints in the first round of the playoffs.

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The Jan 7 – Detroit Lions vs New orleans saints game will be the second meeting of the two squads this season. New Orleans won the first matchup in New Orleans 31-17. This is perhaps part of the reason New Orleans is a 10.5 point favorite to beat Detroit this week.

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The other is that the Saints are on a roll. They have won 8 contests in a row coming into this week’s meeting with Detroit, defeating three other playoff squads during that stretch. Detroit managed to pull things together following defensive star Ndamukong Suh was suspended for two contests following kicking an enemy competitor with his cleats. They won 3 out of their last 4 contests of the season, only losing a tight game to 15-1 Green Bay. When they last played New Orleans, they were lacking Suh, and Detroit is intending the return of his existence to the defensive line is going to be the change they must stop Drew Brees and the strong New Orleans offense.

Sadly for Detroit, that Saints offense has been amazing for the second half of the season. They have gone over 40 in 4 of their last 6 and obtained more than 40 points in their last three contests. They’re 8-0 in their home stadium this season and earlier this year in New Orleans they tumbled 62 points on Indianapolis.

Detroit has had trouble this year against higher powered competition, going 1-5 against playoff squads (only defeating Denver). Their offense has the possibility to be high-flying, and so it will likely be up to their defense to ensure they are in this match. If Suh is likely to make up for his two-game suspension, now is the time.


Jan 8 – Falcons against New York Giants

The Atlanta Falcons pray that slipping into the playoffs undetected in 2012 will allow them greater results, after finishing with the greatest record in the league last year, and getting dismissed in the first round by the Green Bay Packers. Atlanta concluded 10-6 this year, earning them a first round wild-card match-up with the NFC East winning New york giants (9-7).

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New York appears to have the traction heading into the playoffs for the Jan 8 – Atlanta Falcons against New York Giants game, however. Sportsbooks have acknowledged this, and made New York a 3-point favorite. This is perhaps a astonishing position for a team that lost 4 games back to back in November-December. The New York Giants had to count on huge mistakes by their division foe Dallas Cowboys to allow them an chance to attain the playoffs. A win over Dallas in week 17 secured them the division championship.

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New York players could claim that their losing streak this year came when starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw was hurt. And this is a legitimate argument, as 3 of 4 losses in that streak came when Bradshaw was on the sideline. Now that he is back the New York Giants have appeared as if a changed team, winning 2 must-win games back to back over challenging tournament (Jets and Dallas).

Atlanta has struggled all year vs winning squads, though Atlanta won 3 of their last 4 games coming into the playoffs. Atlanta is only 2-4 vs squads that concluded over .500. Just 2 weeks ago, they were completely destroyed by the New orleans saints, 45-16.

Both squads are led by quality qbs, the New York Giants by Eli Manning and the Atlanta Falcons by Matt Ryan. The change in this match, however, could be in quarterback strain. The New York Giants defensive line can get to the quarterback, and documented 48 sacks this year, good for 3rd in the nfl. The game will be based on how well Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons offensive line can withstand the strain of the Giants’ defensive front.


Football Playoffs Wagering – Bengals vs Houston Texans

The Bengals will be competing against the Texans in pro football playoffs. The Cincinnati Bengals will travel to Reliant Stadium in Houston for the match up. Cincinnati finished their year with a record of 9-7 and attained the playoffs this year as a wild card in the AFC North division. After coming out ahead as the leading squad in the AFC South this year, Houston finished with a record of 10-6.

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With the Texans having significant accidents to qbs Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart and the Bengals losing each game against playoff powered teams, both teams have still had their fair share of struggles this year. Both qbs were lost for the year with their accidents and rookie T.J. Yates has taken control. Houston has furthermore seen big accidents to linebacker Mario Williams as well as wide receiver Andre Johnson. The 2 teams have already faced one another in the course of the regular season and the Texans made a last effort return try with a match winning td pass captured by wide receiver Kevin Walters with mere seconds left on the clock.

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The Cincinnati Bengals impressive run game with running backs Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott has been what’s worked for them this year, so they are going to need to try and stick to that. If they can achieve this they might have the edge and finally wipe out a playoff squad and progress past the 1st round for the 1st time in just over 20 years.

This could come down to the wire yet again as it’s going to be a tight one. Even with several accidents to plenty of key star players, the Texans are slight favorites. The over/under for total total points for this particular game is 38. The line is established with the Houston Texans as three point favorites at their home field to the longshot Cincinnati Bengals.


Nfl Week 17 Wagering – Arizona Cardinals against Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks (7-8) will be visiting challenge the Arizona Cardinals (7-8) in an NFC West divisional matchup. Each individual squad has fallen just shy of playoff contention this year as they were looking for a wild card location, but there is a little bit of reason that a win will allow either squad a winning record. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has yet to lose a match versus the Cardinals in his tenure, but Arizona qb Kevin Kolb could return and start for his squad following recovering from a concussion.

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Arizona must stop the formidable run game from the Seattle Seahawks with foremost rusher Marshawn Lynch seeking to continue to add to his impressive career high of 1,118 yards. Lynch has furthermore won a td in a squad record 11 games.

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Both squads are getting ready as if this were any other game and would love to finish strong with a winning record. Both of them have prospective bright odds ahead with several competitors being acquired to the Pro Bowl roster including Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and defensive competitors Adrian Wilson and Patrick Peterson. Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was furthermore picked for the Pro Bowl squad and all these leading competitors should be playing this final battle with the exclusion of Peterson who is sketchy with an injury to his left Achilles’ tendon. Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch likely feels he should have been chosen for the Pro Bowl honors too and after being overlooked most likely will want to prove why he really does belong there.

This matchup will be an appealing one to see who is able to end on a solid note and maintain a winning record for the 2011 year. The Arizona Cardinals are a fave over the underdog Seattle Seahawks with a spread of -3. The over/under for overall points in this match is 40.5.


Nfl Week 17 Gambling – Browns against Pittsburgh steelers

This game between the Pittsburgh steelers and the Cleveland Browns will highlight two squads who have different goals for the last two competitions of the season. The Steelers are presently in the playoff contest and are simply only getting set for the playoffs. Alternatively, the Cleveland browns are only attempting to save their season with a few more victories following having had a quite poor season. Both squads nonetheless will be playing hard despite the difference in their records. It’ll be a quite tight game if both squads play hard.

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The Steelers are presently 11-4 and have only come off a major win vs the St. Louis Rams. The Cleveland browns have lost 5 straight competitions while the Steelers defeat the Rams 27-0 and displayed awesome defense. The Cleveland browns last game vs the Ravens demonstrated just how difficult it is for the Cleveland browns to score and they’re certainly going to have a tough time with the Steelers defense. Nevertheless, a solid portion of the game will rest on the team’s stars and how they’re going to play under pressure. Watch for both squads finish with a flurry since the regular season is nearly done.

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The Cleveland browns will pray that Hardesty will control the ground game while the Steelers are focusing on Big Ben to drive the team for major passes that will lead to multiple touchdowns. The Cleveland browns nonetheless will must work together as a unit to have the ability to eliminate the Steelers as the talent is certainly on Pittsburgh’s side. Both squads will look to play hard and keep it a low scoring game but watch for a major performance by Big Ben and the Steelers. The Cleveland browns will only have a shot if the Steelers completely break down offensively but this is very unlikely.


Week 17 News & Notes: Eagles versus Redskins

The Philadelphia Eagles (7-8) will be visiting the Redskins (5-10) in an NFC East divisional match-up in their final game. Both squads are at the bottom of the division standings and have been removed from playoff contention this season. Philadelphia had a huge amount of press buzz before the start of the season being branded the dream team with their impact in the free agent market.


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However, they have not quite lived up to the exceptionally high expectations and have had their fair share of battles this season with injuries to crucial players such as qb Michael Vick. They still have something to play for as Eagles head coach Andy Reid is perhaps on the hot seat for remaining the squad’s coach next season.


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With an injury to his toe, Redskins running back Roy Helu is doubtful to play one time again. With crucial Eagles defensive players doing well such as defensive ends Jason Babin and Trent Cole, their deficiency of depth at the running game combined with their vulnerable offensive line will be difficult to overcome. It will be up to Redskins qb Rex Grossman to have an awesome passing game for them to have any kind of chance. The Eagles are averaging about 400 yards on offense per game and you are able to expect them to do just as well with the team of a healthy Michael Vick at qb and running back LeSean McCoy. Philadelphia cornerback Asante Samuel isn’t likely to compete with a hamstring injury.

Even with both squads not earning a playoff spot for the 2011 season, they still would like to end on a positive note and come out on top for the final game of the year. The Philadelphia Eagles are favorites in this specific game to the long shot Redskins with a line of -9. The over/under for points is at 46.5.


Football Week 17 Wagering – Green bay packers vs Lions

Week 17 of the nfl Season is constantly full of trap games. The game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers in Green Bay is one such game.

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The Detroit Lions have had a renaissance season. They have already qualified for the postseason with a victory over the San diego chargers this last week, on top of already having a winning record. Having claimed all that, nonetheless, the Detroit Lions pale in comparison to the Green bay packers who are 14-1 and already defeat the Detroit Lions 27-15 in Detroit earlier in the season. All of it says this should be a Green bay packers win, but one has to wonder why odds makers are making the Detroit Lions a 3 point fave in the game. The answer is…

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The Green bay packers come into this game with the number one seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Green bay packers have nothing to play for since win or lose, they are going to be the number one seed. Given this, all indications are the squad will rest key players on its offense and defense. For instance, stud quarterback Aaron Rodgers might play only the first quarter. This is particularly accurate as the squad tries to get rest for its battered offensive line. In general, the Green bay packers seem to be ready to sleepwalk through this game.

The Detroit Lions take a different approach. It’s now seeking to get the highest seed [5th] possible, although the squad has qualified for among the two wild cards in the division. The edge of this higher seed means the Detroit Lions would play a weaker choice of division winners depending on the end result of the other games in week 17. That can be the distinction between being one and done in the playoffs or having a deep run. The Detroit Lions will be highly motivated for this game in general.


Football Week 17 Gambling – Saints vs Panthers

The Jan 01 – Carolina Panthers at Saints competition is a fascinating one for Nfl fans and gamblers. The Saints come into week 17 at 12-3. They’ve already finished up the 3rd seed in the NFC, and the only way they can strengthen that seeding is if San Francisco loses to 2-13 St. Louis, which doesn’t seem likely. Therefore, New Orleans may not play their starters for the complete game and there’s the possibility qb Drew Brees will sit for most, if not all, of the game.

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Needless to say if Drew Brees and various New Orleans starters sit will have a major effect on the match. New Orleans is favored in the game by 8. These 2 teams last met on October 9th this season. Although it seemed as though the Carolina Panthers would eke out a victory, Brees led the Saints to a game-winning td with 50 seconds left and the Saints pulled out a 30-27 win.

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Although the Carolina Panthers (6-9) don’t have an opportunity at the playoffs this season, they have a great deal to be excited about for next season. Their rookie qb, Cam Newton, has set a rookie record for passing yards plus an Nfl record for rushing tds by a qb. The Carolina Panthers have won four of their last five.

This is an critical game for the Carolina Panthers, even though the Saints could rest some competitors. They would like to finish their season one game below .500, and with a victory over their division rival Saints, in New Orleans. As they came within a td (and one minute) from defeating New Orleans earlier this year, it would seem that 8 points is a manageable spread for the Carolina Panthers to cover. The Saints have been hot lately, nevertheless, and are undefeated at home this season. Thus, it will all come down to who winds up on the field for the Saints on Sunday, and who takes time resting for the playoffs.