Sports Betting Overview: 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
Most Super Bowl betting players weren’t even thought of when Chicago and Green Bay met for the first time in the NFL, as the Chicago Staleys blanked the Green Bay Packers 20-0 in the Windy City on November 27th, 1921. Of course, the Staleys are now the Bears, and these two will meet in the playoffs for the first time since 1941 as the Bears host the Packers at Soldier Field on Sunday. 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.
Betting Online Overview: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
