Sports betting fans have to consider this the most interesting NFL betting game of the NFL Divisional Playoffs as the number one seeded New York Giants take the field against their arch rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles were fantastic on the road this past Sunday when easily covering a 3 point BetUS online betting spread against the Minnesota Vikings.
Both the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins finished the season with 11 and 5 straight-up records. The Ravens didn’t just finish the season with a terrific straight-up record but they also finished the season with a fantastic sports betting against the spread record of 12 and 4. That’s easily the best record in the NFL, after the Tennessee Titans’ 13 and 3, against the BetUS online betting spread.
The Eagles got a lot of help in the last week of the regular season. More than anything else, however, they helped themselves, with a 44-6 win over Dallas that propelled them into this position after all may have seemed lost the week before against Washington. Meanwhile, the Vikings got a one-point win over the Giants, in a game they didn’t necessarily need, since Chicago lost its “must win” game against Houston.
The Dolphins have won nine of their last ten games to complete a ten-game improvement, and did so by bucking a trend and beating the Jets in the regular season finale. If you recall, the only win for Miami last year was a 22-16 overtime thriller at this site when Troy Smith was the Baltimore quarterback.
The Atlanta Falcons travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals in the first NFC Playoff Wild-Card game of the weekend. The Cardinals finished out the regular season by losing 4 out of their last 6 games. The only two teams they managed to beat were the hapless St. Louis Rams and the even worse Seattle Seahawks.
Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals (+1.5)
Just a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like the general sentiment was that the Arizona Cardinals were a one-and-done in the playoffs. But now that they are a home underdog to a team that is led by a young quarterback, a lot of people are scratching their heads wondering whether they should take the points with the Cardinals.
Sports betting fans can’t help but feel that the San Diego Chargers backed their way into the playoffs. The Chargers needed the AFC West division leading, at the time, Denver Broncos to lose three games in a row in order to make the playoffs. Well, that’s what happened. It doesn’t mean that the Chargers are all of a sudden worthy of the 8 to 1 BetUS online sportsbook wagering odds that they were at in the beginning of the season to win the Super Bowl.
The Eagles roll into Minnesota to take on a Vikings team that was all out to beat the New York Giants last Sunday even though the Giants rested quarterback Eli Manning in the second half. By contrast, Philadelphia needed the entire world to pretty much crash in order to make the playoffs. Luckily for them it did.
The Jets are going so bad right now that they managed to gain just 265 yards in last week’s pitiful loss at Seattle. Brett Favre, who’s been intercepted 19 times this season, was just 18 for 31 and suffered four sacks.
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
BetUS NFL betting odds: N.Y. JETS -2.5, Total 42
Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints (+3)
Last week, the Carolina Panthers were playing for the right to clinch the top seeding in the NFC. This week, if they lose, they can fall all the way down to the No. 5 seed in the conference.
The Panthers take their potent running game on the road to New Orleans as they try to topple a team that doesn’t have anything to play for. The Saints have been eliminated from postseason contention and aren’t playing for much more than pride and Drew Brees’ record.
BetUS Sportsbook bettors who follow pro football know that the New York Giants (12-3 SU, 11-4 ATS) have clinched home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings (9-6 SU, 6-9 ATS) can clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win when these two teams get together in Sunday’s NFL betting action that is scheduled to get underway at 1 PM ET at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (artificial turf) in Minneapolis.
The Bears tried to kill themselves last week, showing even less imagination of offense than they normally do, but they stayed with it and took advantage of Packer mistakes to keep themselves alive for another week.
They also had some incredible luck.
Will that luck continue, as Chicago heads into the final week having to win, and hope for Minnesota and/or other teams to stumble?
Obviously the Chargers are a testament to the “never say die” attitude, as they looked well out of the division race but were playing hard anyway, just in case Denver would falter. The Broncos, not being a very good team, did just that. So that opens things up for a winner-take-all showdown that will decide the AFC West title, and will be the “Flex game” that NBC televises on Sunday night.
The New York Giants travel to Minnesota this Sunday with nothing to gain in beating the Vikings. The Giants secured home field advantage through-out the playoffs by taking down the Carolina Panthers in their last game. They also suffered some injuries in that game. So, I doubt that coach Tom Coughlin will keep his starters in for very long, if he starts them at all, against a hungry Vikings’ squad.
This is going to be akin to watching an NFL Pre-Season game. The Colts have secured the number five seed in the AFC Playoffs by virtue of their 11 and 4 record. Most sports betting fans should be aware that the Tennessee Titans beat the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday and secured the number one seed in the AFC Playoffs.
The Carolina Panthers travel to the Big Easy to take on the Saints in a game that Carolina sort of has to win. If the Panthers lose and the Falcons win, then Atlanta gets the number two seed in the NFL Playoffs wagering and a bye next week. That’s a lot for Carolina to play for in this game. They could go from playing for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs to losing the NFC South Division and having to play next week.
