New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers meet in AFC Championship Game
The New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers meet in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday at Heinz Field (6:30 pm ET, CBS).
In football betting odds the Steelers are a 3-point favorite and the over/under total at 39.
The Steelers are 4-3 SU and 3-4 ATS in the past seven meetings. Five of the past seven meetings have gone under the total.
The teams met just last month, when the Jets beat the Steelers 22-17. New York covered as a 4-point road underdog. The score sent over the total of 36.
New York beat the New England Patriots 28-21 on the road, covering as a 9-point underdog. The score went over the total of 45.
The Steelers were a 31-24 winner against AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens in an AFC divisional game Saturday. They covered the 3.5–point spread as favorites, while the total score went over the total of 38.
New York is 11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS this season while Pittsburgh is 12-4 SU, 10-6 ATS.
The total has gone under in 9 of the last 11 meetings overall. Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in their last 6 meetings at home. The Jets are 4-9 ATS in the last 13 meetings. The total has gone under in nine of the past 11 meetings.
The Jets are 13-3 SU in their last 16 games on the road, and 4-1 SU in their last five games overall. Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home, and 7-1 SU in its last 8 games overall.
Green Bay Packers and the Atlanta Falcons – NFC Divisional Playoffs
The Green Bay Packers and the Atlanta Falcons meet in an NFC divisional playoff matchup on Saturday at the Georgia Dome (8 pm ET, FOX).
NFL Odds have the Falcons listed as 2-point favorites and the total at 45.
Atlanta is 4-3 SU and 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings. The teams met on Nov. 28 this season, when the Falcons won 20-17 and cashed as a 2-point favorite. The score went under the total of 48.
Green Bay beat the Philadelphia Eagles 21-16 in an NFC Wild Card game Sunday, covering as a 1.5-point road underdog. The score of 37 was under the total.
Atlanta beat the Carolina Panthers 31-10 in its regular season finale, cashing as a 14.5-point home favorites. Green Bay is 10-6 SU, 9-7 ATS and Atlanta is 13-3 SU, 11-5 ATS.
The total has gone under in 8 of Green Bay’s last 9 games on the road, and Green Bay is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games overall.
Atlanta is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games overall and 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home.
Pittsburgh Steelers Playoff, Super Bowl History
The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for the 2011 NFL Playoffs in the coming weeks. This team has been to the playoffs many times over the years and they are ready for another postseason challenge. This team has managed to make the playoffs a total of 26 times in the history of their franchise.
Pittsburgh is at 11-2 Super Bowl betting moneyline odds to win Super Bowl XLV.
The Steelers have not only appeared in the playoffs a bunch of times over their history. They have also managed to advance through the playoffs many times in their history. The Steelers have managed to advance to the Super Bowl 7 times in their team’s history.
The most impressive thing about the Steelers is that they seem to win the big game every time that they advance to the Super Bowl. In their 7 Super Bowl appearances the Steelers have managed to win the Super Bowl 6 times.
This team’s winning tradition should bring a lot of confidence to the field during the playoffs. This team’s roster may have more postseason success and confidence than any team other than the Patriots in the playoffs. They have won the Super Bowl twice in the last decade and their roster still has many of the same players.
The other Super Bowls that have been won by this franchise happened in 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979 and 1995. The Steelers have a chance in this postseason to level things out with the Patriots as the Patriots have won the big game three times since the start of the new century.
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
The Tennessee Titans will take on the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis this Sunday in an AFC South battle.
The Colts are in desperate need of a victory in this game. If the Colts win their game or the Jaguars lose their game they will be a lock for the playoffs. However, if they lose and the Jaguars win they will be out of the playoffs for the first time in years. The Titans have nothing at stake, but they have a great chance to play spoiler and end the season with a bang.
The Colts will be the 9.5 point favorites in NFL Week 17 Odds. The total for the game is set at 48.
The Titans should really struggle against the Colts defensively. They have one of the worst pass defenses in the league and they will be taking on one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. While Manning has not been as good recently, you can expect him to come with his “A” game with the season on the line.
The Titans will need to get their running game going. The Colts have a run defense that struggles and can be exploited. Look for Chris Johnson to have a big week.
The Colts will need to put pressure on Collins and make him make mistakes. He is known for lacking the ability to protect the football. If Mathis and Freeney can get to Collins early and often the Titans will really struggle to get things going offensively.
This game definitely favors the Colts.
Dallas Cowboys visit Arizona Cardinals
The Dallas Cowboys will square off against the Arizona Cardinals this weekend. The Cardinals are coming off of a loss, while the Cowboys seem to have started to turn things around as of late. The Cowboys hung on to beat the Redskins last week. The Cowboys are now 5-9 on the season, while the Cardinals are sitting at 4-10.
The Cowboys will be 6-point favorites in NFL Lines football betting odds.
The Cardinals have a truly anemic offense and they will need to figure out a way to get something going against the Cowboys. The good news is that most teams do find a way to score points against the Cowboys. They have allowed more than 28 points per game this season.
The Cowboys have a solid offense and they will likely put up a lot of points on the board against this Arizona Cardinals team. They aren’t particularly strong against the run or against the pass. This poor defense has contributed to the 8 losses that they have suffered in their last 9 games.
The Cardinals have continued to slide further and further without a quarterback to carry their team. The quarterbacks on their team will have a great chance to turn things around and finish off the season strong. With a strong finish they’ll have an outside chance of keeping their job.
If the Cardinals don’t get superb play from their quarterbacks you can expect the Cowboys to run away with this one without any problems.
San Francisco 49ers at San Diego Chargers
The San Francisco 49ers will head to San Diego this week to take on the Chargers on NFL Thursday Night Football.
Both of these teams find themselves well within reach of the playoffs after each team knocked off the top team in their division last week. Both teams not only won, but dominated their respective games in convincing fashion. This game will carry a lot of weight for each team.
The Chargers are the 8.5 point favorites in NFL Odds. The total for the game is at 44.5.
The Chargers are in a must win situation. Even with a loss they could tie Kansas City, but the problem is that the Chargers cannot afford to finish the season in tie with the Raiders after losing both of their games against Oakland. If the Chargers win out they will likely represent the AFC West in the playoffs.
The 49ers are just 1 game out of first place, but a loss in this game would all but eliminate them from contention. The 49ers managed to put up a lot of points last week and they will need to figure out how to keep that up. The Chargers have one of the best defenses in the NFL in terms of yardage and they will not roll over for the 49ers.
The Chargers will have the advantage in this one because of their offensive passing game. Rivers has led a dominant air attack and they will be taking on the 20th best pass defense in the NFL. With the playoffs coming around you never know which teams will step up and show they’ve got. Don’t count out the 49ers just yet.
This Weekend Minnesota Vikings Meets New York Giants
This weekend, the New York Giants will lock horn with the Minnesota Vikings. For now with a 5-7 record this season, the Vikings have been a very average team that has underachieved whereas the Giants look like one of the top teams in the league as they are 8-4 on the season.
The total for the game is currently off, whereas in NFL Week 14 Odds the Giants will be the 2-point favorites in football betting.
Even though the Vikings did have a spark last week that we haven’t seen in a while, they have been average all season. The team was able to discover Sidney Rice for deep passes some times, whereas Adrian Peterson looked extraordinary. As he was injured, the Vikings did not have Favre in the game throughout this stretch. Next week if the Vikings can get back on track with Favre in the lineup, this will be interesting to watch.
The Giants with the Eagles are joined for the division lead as they have won 2 games consecutively. Where they are 3-2 on the season, they will be playing on the road. By winning 13 of their last 15 games at home the Vikings are an incredible home team and they should be geared up for New York. On the whole they have won 4 of their last 5 games in opposition to New York.
This should be a good battle between these two teams as this game will come down to the rushing games of both teams. When both teams can move the ball on the ground, they operate much more efficiently. Yet, in their run defense both teams are relatively stingy.
Chicago Bears visit NFC North rival Detroit Lions
The Chicago Bears will be taking on the Detroit Lions this Sunday in Detroit (1:00 PM ET,FOX).
The Lions are 3-point underdogs in NFL football betting Odds and the over/under total is at 44.5
The Lions have improved throughout the season, but they still do not seem to have what it takes to play well for four quarters. The Lions were able to stick with the Patriots last week for a while, but they were put away late in the game. The Lions will need a full four quarters of play against the Bears if they hope to win. The bears have a solid defense that will not give up as the game goes on.
The Bears keep proving to everyone that they are a top notch team. They beat the Eagles last week and they have looked great recently. They have won four games in a row and they are really starting to look like Super Bowl contenders.
Last week Jay Cutler looked the best that he ever has in his career. The Lions struggle in their secondary and they will need to step up against Cutler. Last week Brady was able to dominate them through the air. If the Lions don’t step up in their pass defense they will struggle to keep up with the Bears.
The key for the Lions will be Calvin Johnson. When he is able to get free it really opens things up for the offense. The Bears will need to keep an eye on him if they hope to contain the Lions.
New York Giants Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars In NFL Action
This weekend, the New York Giants will battle against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They have achieved at varying levels, even as these teams have the identical records this season.
In the game, the Giants will be playing at home and they will be the 7.5 point favorites in football betting odds. At 44.5, the total for the game sits.
In spite of looking extremely terrible at times, the Jaguars have managed their 6-4 record. They have been outscored by their opponents by a vast margin this season as this team has been blown out in a couple of games. In favor of the Jaguars the good news is that Maurice Jones-Drew is starting to come on. He saved the day with a huge reception for a 75 yard touchdown, last week.
In opposition to the Giants, the Jaguars rely heavily on the running game and they will require establishing it before time. This season, the Giants have allowed just 90 yards for each game on the ground. A win would confirm that they are true contenders in the AFC as the Jaguars have won 5 of their last 7 games.
Last week, the Giants experienced a tough loss at the hands of Michael Vick and Lasean McCoy. At the same time as they were focusing on Vick, Vick was mostly held under wraps by the Giants, but they allowed McCoy to have a couple of big runs. The Giants should be able to key in on Jones-Drew on defense, as the Jaguars will not have a mobile quarterback like Vick.
This game should be a good competition as these two teams have divided their last 4 games.
Houston Texans battle New York Jets
The Houston Texans will head to New York to take on the Jets this weekend. The Texans find their team in a must win situation against the Jets. The Texans started off the season strong, but they now have a subpar record of 4-5. If they do not win this week they will need to win out for the rest of the season to have a solid chance at the playoffs.
The Jets are the 7-point favorites in NFL Betting. The total sits at 45.5.
The Jets have very little to worry about at this point. They are 7-2 on the season and they have things working well on both sides of the ball. While it is well known that they rely heavily on the running game, Sanchez has demonstrated the ability to step up the passing game this season. This will be key against the Texans this week as they surrender more than 300 yards in the air per game.
The Jets have dominated the series between these two teams as of late. In their last 4 matchups against each other the Jets have won every game. They have averaged nearly 25 points a game while the Texans have managed just 10 points a game over that stretch. The Texans will need to turn things around if they hope to hang tough.
The Texans are sliding, losing 4 of their last 5. They do have some hope, however. The Texans have shown the ability to win on the road. They have won 4 of their last 6 road games. This team has all of the tools, the only question is whether or not the defense will step up.