The Indianapolis Colts have been rusty a few times coming off of bye weeks and heading into playoff games but this year might be different.
Head coach Jim Caldwell decided to start resting his players in Week 15 instead of aiming for a perfect regular season score and the difference should pay off in the first round of the playoffs.
The Baltimore Ravens got revenge against a team they lost to earlier in the season in the Wild Card round. They won’t be doing the same in the divisional round as they make a trip to Indianapolis.
The Arizona Cardinals got lucky in round one of the NFL playoffs but sports betting cappers know they’ll need even more breaks in the second round.
There was no shortage of offense this past weekend as all four wildcard playoff games went over their total. While the first three games were one sided victories, the final game between Green Bay and Arizona was not only a thriller that has to be already considered an instant classic; it set the record for most points ever scored in a postseason game.
The Arizona Cardinals decided to rest their starters in a meaningless contest against the Green Bay Packers but somehow they came out of it with injuries. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin suffered a knee and ankle sprain in the first quarter and corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie also suffered a knee contusion.
If you are placing some bets and making your NFL picks this weekend, it’s hard to side with the Arizona Cardinals in this matchup. Sure, they represented the NFC in the Super Bowl last year but the magic is gone. The Cards have stumbled into the playoffs and they aren’t healthy. Unfortunately for them, their opponent is.
One of three rematches from Week 17. The Jets dominated the Bengals in that one, winning by a score of 37-0. Of course, the Bengals played their scrubs in that one and the score is not indicative to Cincinnati’s chances this Saturday. The Jets enter the playoffs with the leagues number one rated rushing attack and number one rated overall defense.
The Baltimore Ravens started the season 3-0 but then had a tough, last-second loss in New England that derailed their season. Now people making their NFL picks will get another shot to get this game right as the Ravens head back to Gillette Stadium to settle the score.
The Baltimore Ravens played a sloppy, undisciplined game against the New England Patriots back in Week 4 and they still had a shot at the end of the game to win it. If they have learned anything from that contest, they have an excellent chance to win.
Throw in the fact that the Patriots will be play without 123-reception man Wes Welker and you realize that the Ravens could be in very good shape to spring an upset.
In a rematch of last week’s Week 17 finale, the Eagles and Cowboys continued their storied rivalry in the first round of the playoffs. Before last week’s loss to Dallas, the Eagles were the NFC team-to-beat, and with good reason. They had won six straight, were getting healthier each week and looked better than they had all season.
For a third time this year, the sports gambling community is going to see the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys square off. The fans in Philadelphia will be hoping for a different result as the Cowboys have taken the first two matchups.
A lot of sports handicapping experts saw this coming but we’ll have to see if the results are any different. Three matchups we saw in Week 17 will be replayed the Wild Card round of the playoffs and the general hope is that the games are a lot more competitive.
Make it three straight weeks that the total bet was split right down the middle as the odds makers did a great job setting the lines on a very difficult week to handicap.
Eight games stayed under the total with the lowest score coming in the Philadelphia @ Dallas game with the Cowboys pitching the 24-0 shutout.
The Cincinnati Bengals what happened the last time they qualified for the playoffs. It looked like such a bright start as the Bengals looked like the perfect team to knock off the Pittsburgh Steelers…until Kimo Von Oelhoffen fell into Carson Palmer’s knee and threw the franchise off for years.
The Denver Broncos fired coach Mike Shanahan last year when the team lost its final four games, blew a division lead and missed the playoffs. Just one year later under a new coach and a new regime, the Broncos are poised to do the same.
The Seattle Seahawks have been one of the worst teams in the NFL this year and they are set to be this way for years to come. The Seahawks have been outscored 106-24 in their last three games and they have a look of a team that is ready to rebuild.
