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Nfl Championship Trends /tips / Articles And Other Info - Tons Of Stuff !!

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  • Nfl Championship Trends /tips / Articles And Other Info - Tons Of Stuff !!

    NFL


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    Tips and Trends
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    Sunday, January 20

    San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots (CBS | 3 PM ET)

    This is a rematch of a Week 2 matchup at New England, which the Patriots won 38-14. That game was played with some major revenge by the home team, who was accused of stealing signals the week before against the Jets. Randy Moss had a big game for the Pats with 8 catches for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns while Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson was limited to 43 yards on 18 carries. Neither player was effective last week, with Tomlinson nursing a knee injury that will likely keep him from playing at 100 percent. EDGE: PATRIOTS
    San Diego Pro Bowl CB Antonio Cromartie did not play in the 1st meeting, as he did not see action until Week 3 at Green Bay. Cromartie played a key role in Sunday's win at Indy and picked off Peyton Manning 4 times in 2 meetings. He led the NFL in interceptions with 10 and will likely be assigned the task of checking Moss in the AFC Championship. SLIGHT EDGE: CHARGERS
    Patriots are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games after starting the season on a 9-1 ATS run.
    Chargers are 8-0 SU & ATS in their last 8 games.
    Chargers are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 games vs. AFC opponents.
    The OVER is 11-2-2 in San Diego's last 15 road games.
    The OVER is 16-6-1 in New England's last 23 game overall.
    The OVER is 8-3-1 in New England's last 12 games on field turf.
    The UNDER is 9-2-1 in New England's last 12 home playoff games.


    New York Giants at Green Bay Packers (FOX | 6:30 PM ET)

    These teams also met in Week 2 of the regular season before Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had fully implemented his scheme. The Packers rolled to an easy 35-13 victory at New York behind 3 touchdown passes from Brett Favre. The Giants were led by Derrick Ward's 90 rushing yards and Jeremy Shockey's 5 catches for 60 yards. Both Ward and Shockey are out of the playoffs with injuries, but the team has had little trouble replacing them. SLIGHT EDGE: PACKERS
    Packers RB Ryan Grant was 5th on New York's depth chart in the preseason behind Ward, Brandon Jacobs, Reuben Droughns and Ahmad Bradshaw. Grant was then acquired by Green Bay from the Giants for a 6th-round draft pick before another team could claim him on waivers. Even though he fumbled twice against the Seahawks, Grant's 201 rushing yards clearly set the tone for the rest of the team's win. He will likely be the key figure again at frigid Lambeau Field on Sunday in what could very well be a ball-control game. EDGE: PACKERS
    Giants QB Eli Manning has played well in the last 3 games, throwing 8 touchdowns with just 1 interception. However, all 3 of those games were played in good weather conditions while the temperature in Sunday's game might not even reach double digits. EDGE: PACKERS
    Packers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite.
    Packers are 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 games on grass.
    Giants have won 9 straight on the road, going 8-1 ATS in those games.
    Giants are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games vs. NFC opponents.
    The UNDER is 8-1 in New York's last 9 road games.
    The OVER is 13-3 in Green Bay's last 16 games overall.

  • #2
    NFL


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Tips and Trends
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Sunday, January 20

    San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots (CBS | 3 PM ET)

    This is a rematch of a Week 2 matchup at New England, which the Patriots won 38-14. That game was played with some major revenge by the home team, who was accused of stealing signals the week before against the Jets. Randy Moss had a big game for the Pats with 8 catches for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns while Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson was limited to 43 yards on 18 carries. Neither player was effective last week, with Tomlinson nursing a knee injury that will likely keep him from playing at 100 percent. EDGE: PATRIOTS
    San Diego Pro Bowl CB Antonio Cromartie did not play in the 1st meeting, as he did not see action until Week 3 at Green Bay. Cromartie played a key role in Sunday's win at Indy and picked off Peyton Manning 4 times in 2 meetings. He led the NFL in interceptions with 10 and will likely be assigned the task of checking Moss in the AFC Championship. SLIGHT EDGE: CHARGERS
    Patriots are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games after starting the season on a 9-1 ATS run.
    Chargers are 8-0 SU & ATS in their last 8 games.
    Chargers are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 games vs. AFC opponents.
    The OVER is 11-2-2 in San Diego's last 15 road games.
    The OVER is 16-6-1 in New England's last 23 game overall.
    The OVER is 8-3-1 in New England's last 12 games on field turf.
    The UNDER is 9-2-1 in New England's last 12 home playoff games.


    New York Giants at Green Bay Packers (FOX | 6:30 PM ET)

    These teams also met in Week 2 of the regular season before Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had fully implemented his scheme. The Packers rolled to an easy 35-13 victory at New York behind 3 touchdown passes from Brett Favre. The Giants were led by Derrick Ward's 90 rushing yards and Jeremy Shockey's 5 catches for 60 yards. Both Ward and Shockey are out of the playoffs with injuries, but the team has had little trouble replacing them. SLIGHT EDGE: PACKERS
    Packers RB Ryan Grant was 5th on New York's depth chart in the preseason behind Ward, Brandon Jacobs, Reuben Droughns and Ahmad Bradshaw. Grant was then acquired by Green Bay from the Giants for a 6th-round draft pick before another team could claim him on waivers. Even though he fumbled twice against the Seahawks, Grant's 201 rushing yards clearly set the tone for the rest of the team's win. He will likely be the key figure again at frigid Lambeau Field on Sunday in what could very well be a ball-control game. EDGE: PACKERS
    Giants QB Eli Manning has played well in the last 3 games, throwing 8 touchdowns with just 1 interception. However, all 3 of those games were played in good weather conditions while the temperature in Sunday's game might not even reach double digits. EDGE: PACKERS
    Packers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite.
    Packers are 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 games on grass.
    Giants have won 9 straight on the road, going 8-1 ATS in those games.
    Giants are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games vs. NFC opponents.
    The UNDER is 8-1 in New York's last 9 road games.
    The OVER is 13-3 in Green Bay's last 16 games overall.

    Comment


    • #3
      NFL Recent Trends
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      Sunday, January 20

      San Diego (13-5) at New England (17-0)

      San Diego:
      SD are 43-20-2 ATS in their last 65 games overall.
      SD are 35-17-3 ATS in their last 55 vs. AFC.

      New England:
      Under is 9-2-1 in NE last 12 playoff home games.
      Over is 16-6-1 in NE last 23 games overall.
      Over is 8-3-1 in NE last 12 games on field turf.

      -----------------------------------------------------------------------

      N.Y. Giants (12-6) at Green Bay (14-3)

      N.Y. Giants:
      Under is 8-1 in NYG last 9 road games.

      Green Bay:
      GB are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite.
      Over is 13-3 in GB last 16 games overall.
      GB are 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 games on grass.

      Comment


      • #4
        NFL


        Sunday, January 20

        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        NFL In Depth Trends
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        Trends - San Diego at New England

        ATS Trends

        San Diego
        Chargers are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games following a S.U. win.
        Chargers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games.
        Chargers are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win.
        Chargers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
        Chargers are 14-3-1 ATS in their last 18 games as an underdog.
        Chargers are 4-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
        Chargers are 11-3-2 ATS in their last 16 games as a road underdog.
        Chargers are 46-15-2 ATS in their last 63 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
        Chargers are 25-9 ATS in their last 34 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
        Chargers are 27-10-2 ATS in their last 39 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
        Chargers are 43-20-2 ATS in their last 65 games overall.
        Chargers are 35-17-3 ATS in their last 55 vs. AFC.
        Chargers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as a road underdog of 10.5 or greater.
        Chargers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games as an underdog of 10.5 or greater.

        New England
        Patriots are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Conference Championships games.
        Patriots are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 playoff home games.
        Patriots are 44-19-2 ATS in their last 65 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
        Patriots are 13-6-2 ATS in their last 21 games in January.
        Patriots are 41-20-3 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
        Patriots are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games on field turf.
        Patriots are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite of 10.5 or greater.
        Patriots are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
        Patriots are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.
        Patriots are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite.
        Patriots are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. AFC.
        Patriots are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
        Patriots are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. win.
        Patriots are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a favorite.
        Patriots are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
        Patriots are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
        Patriots are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
        Patriots are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a favorite of 10.5 or greater.


        O/U Trends

        San Diego
        Over is 4-0-1 in Chargers last 5 games as a road underdog.
        Under is 4-0-2 in Chargers last 6 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
        Over is 6-1-2 in Chargers last 9 road games.
        Under is 5-1 in Chargers last 6 games in January.
        Over is 5-1-1 in Chargers last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
        Over is 4-1-1 in Chargers last 6 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
        Over is 4-1-1 in Chargers last 6 games as an underdog.
        Over is 4-1 in Chargers last 5 games as an underdog of 10.5 or greater.
        Over is 6-2 in Chargers last 8 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
        Over is 9-3-2 in Chargers last 14 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.

        New England
        Over is 5-1-1 in Patriots last 7 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
        Under is 9-2-1 in Patriots last 12 playoff home games.
        Over is 10-3-1 in Patriots last 14 games as a favorite of 10.5 or greater.
        Over is 9-3-1 in Patriots last 13 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
        Over is 9-3-1 in Patriots last 13 vs. a team with a winning record.
        Under is 19-7-1 in Patriots last 27 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
        Over is 8-3-1 in Patriots last 12 games as a home favorite.
        Over is 8-3-1 in Patriots last 12 games on field turf.
        Over is 8-3-1 in Patriots last 12 home games.
        Under is 8-3-1 in Patriots last 12 playoff games as a favorite.
        Over is 8-3-1 in Patriots last 12 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
        Over is 16-6-1 in Patriots last 23 games overall.
        Over is 13-5-1 in Patriots last 19 games as a favorite.
        Over is 15-6-1 in Patriots last 22 games following a S.U. win.
        Over is 5-2 in Patriots last 7 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
        Under is 12-5-1 in Patriots last 18 playoff games.
        Under is 9-4 in Patriots last 13 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.


        Head to Head
        Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in New England.
        Over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
        Chargers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 meetings.
        Underdog is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

        -----------------------------------------------------------------------

        Trends - N.Y. Giants at Green Bay

        ATS Trends

        N.Y. Giants
        Giants are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 playoff games as an underdog.
        Giants are 4-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
        Giants are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 playoff road games.
        Giants are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a road underdog.
        Giants are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
        Giants are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog.
        Giants are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games.
        Giants are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
        Giants are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games on grass.
        Giants are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in January.
        Giants are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 playoff games.
        Giants are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
        Giants are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. NFC.
        Giants are 7-16-3 ATS in their last 26 games after accumulating less than 150 yards passing in their previous game.
        Giants are 8-20-1 ATS in their last 29 games after accumulating less than 250 total yards in their previous game.

        Green Bay
        Packers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0.
        Packers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing less than 250 total yards in their previous game.
        Packers are 7-0-1 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
        Packers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games.
        Packers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite.
        Packers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite.
        Packers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.
        Packers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
        Packers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a SU win of more than 14 points.
        Packers are 4-1-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
        Packers are 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 games on grass.
        Packers are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games following a S.U. win.
        Packers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
        Packers are 14-4-2 ATS in their last 20 vs. NFC.
        Packers are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a ATS win.
        Packers are 19-7-2 ATS in their last 28 games overall.
        Packers are 1-4-2 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.


        O/U Trends

        N.Y. Giants
        Under is 4-0 in Giants last 4 games as a road underdog.
        Under is 4-0 in Giants last 4 games in January.
        Over is 4-0 in Giants last 4 games after accumulating less than 250 total yards in their previous game.
        Under is 4-0 in Giants last 4 playoff games.
        Under is 5-0 in Giants last 5 vs. NFC.
        Under is 8-1 in Giants last 9 road games.
        Over is 5-1 in Giants last 6 games after allowing more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
        Under is 5-1 in Giants last 6 games on grass.
        Under is 5-1 in Giants last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
        Under is 4-1 in Giants last 5 games as an underdog of 3.5-10.0.
        Under is 4-1 in Giants last 5 games following a ATS win.
        Under is 4-1 in Giants last 5 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10.0.
        Under is 5-2 in Giants last 7 games as an underdog.
        Under is 5-2 in Giants last 7 games overall.

        Green Bay
        Over is 6-0 in Packers last 6 games following a S.U. win.
        Over is 4-0 in Packers last 4 games as a home favorite.
        Over is 7-0 in Packers last 7 games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.
        Over is 6-0 in Packers last 6 games on grass.
        Over is 4-0 in Packers last 4 home games.
        Over is 6-0 in Packers last 6 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
        Over is 4-0 in Packers last 4 vs. a team with a winning record.
        Over is 5-0 in Packers last 5 games following a SU win of more than 14 points.
        Over is 4-0 in Packers last 4 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0.
        Over is 7-0 in Packers last 7 games as a favorite.
        Over is 7-0 in Packers last 7 vs. NFC.
        Over is 11-1 in Packers last 12 games following a ATS win.
        Over is 5-1 in Packers last 6 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
        Over is 13-3 in Packers last 16 games overall.
        Over is 4-1 in Packers last 5 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
        Over is 4-1 in Packers last 5 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
        Under is 7-3 in Packers last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.


        Head to Head
        Giants are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
        Road team is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

        Comment


        • #5
          10 NFL trends that might matter this weekend

          When it comes to handicapping trends and against the spread (ATS) statistics, you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Here’s a list of compelling tidbits for you number nerds out there.

          San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots (-14, 47 ½)
          Sunday Jan. 20, 3 p.m. ET

          San Diego is 14-3-1 against the number in its last 18 games as an underdog
          - San Diego hasn’t been dogged since dropping a 24-17 decision at Jacksonville as a three-point favorite in Week 11. The week before that, the Chargers downed the Colts 23-21 as 3 ½-point favorites.

          San Diego is riding an 8-0 streak both straight up and ATS
          - Looking back, San Diego’s slow start out of the gate makes a lot more sense. The Chargers were still getting used to Norv Turner and they get a pass for two of those losses (at Green Bay and at New England). Since then they’ve been a lot more like last year’s dominant 14-2 team.

          San Diego is 2-6 ATS in its last eight games as an underdog of 10 ½ points or greater
          - Unfamiliar territory for San Diego bettors here, so take this one with a grain of salt. The Chargers haven’t been this big of an underdog since the 2000 season.

          New England has dropped six of its last seven games ATS
          -The public perception police will be banging on my door if I keep this up, but you can’t ignore the impact of the media’s Patriots mania on New England’s pointspreads. This is the best team I’ve ever seen. However, that doesn’t mean the Pats can be two touchdowns better than every other club in the league every single Sunday. Everybody wants to be the team that beats the Pats so they’re getting everyone’s best game right now with some awfully big spreads to cover.

          Six of the last eight meetings between New England and San Diego have played over the total
          - San Diego’s injury status might be the difference here. If Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates are all healthy enough to play, the Chargers should be able to put some points on the board. And you know the Pats won’t be held down.


          New York Giants at Green Bay Packers (-7, 42)
          Sunday Jan. 20, 6:30 p.m. ET

          New York is 7-0 ATS in its last seven road games against a team with a winning home record
          - I love New York sports fans – as long as their team’s winning. You have to respect their passion and intensity, but the ruthless fans at Giant Stadium are part of the reason why this team is so good away from home.

          New York is 5-1 ATS in its last six January games
          - The Giants have won January games in sunny Tampa Bay and Dallas this year and beat the Eagles in Philadelphia last year. It was 53 degrees in Philly for that one. They might get a real taste of winter football at Lambeau this week.

          Green Bay is 11-3-1 ATS in its last 15 games played on grass
          -Ryan Grant is great at making one cut to the weak side and pointing his shoulders straight downhill to take would-be tacklers for a ride. Green Bay’s nasty defense is made for a grass surface too.

          Green Bay is 5-0 ATS in its last five home games
          - Years ago you won’t even consider betting against the Pack at Lambeau once November hit. You’ll hear that rule of thumb a lot more now that they have a running game again.

          Green Bay has played over in 13 of its last 16 games overall
          - I didn’t think Brett Favre had it in him to protect the ball and take check-downs instead of launching bombs into triple coverage like he did last year and pretty much every year before that. But I love Green Bay’s play-calling now. Favre’s seeing results and that’s enough to keep him happy.

          Comment


          • #6
            NFL


            Sunday, January 20


            --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            NFL mismatches: Where to find the edge in Sunday's games
            --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots (-14, 47 ½)

            Chargers’ receiving corps vs. Patriots’ linebackers

            If the Patriots have one weakness it’s their aging linebacker corps. It has had problems covering quick receivers as the season wore on, with the Eagles’ Brian Westbrook and the Giants’ Plaxico Burress enjoying successful games.

            Tedy Bruschi, Junior Seau and strong safety Rodney Harrison are especially vulnerable in coverage situations, and they are not comfortable chasing people. The average age of that trio is 35.6 years, and it’s been a bruising 17-game season for them.

            The Chargers have several options to take advantage of that weakness. LaDanian Tomlinson, who is struggling with a knee injury, will certainly wear down Seau and Bruschi if he is fit enough to play.

            If not, they still have Michael Turner and Darren Sproles, who are capable of causing the Pats problems.

            Patriots quarterback Tom Brady vs. Chargers’ pass defense

            This mismatch isn’t because of any major weakness in San Diego’s pass defense, it’s just because Tom Brady is that good. The Pats quarterback keeps getting better and his record in the postseason makes for impressive reading.

            Brady has won 15 of 13 career playoff games, completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,479 yards and 23 touchdowns. In last week’s win over Jacksonville, he was close to perfect. He set an NFL postseason record with his 92.9 completion percentage, throwing for 262 yards and three TDs.

            San Diego’s pass defense was 13th overall in the regular season, allowing 212.7 yards per game. Last week against the Colts, it gave up 402 passing yards and three touchdowns to quarterback Peyton Manning.


            New York Giants at Green Bay Packers (-7, 41 ½)

            Giants’ pass rush vs. Packers’ offensive line

            In the second half of last Sunday’s game against Dallas, the Giants had Tony Romo on the ground after almost every play he made. They’ll be looking to do the same to veteran quarterback Brett Favre this week, and it’s hard to see the Packers stopping defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan.

            That duo has combined for 83 tackles and 23 sacks this season, as part of a Giants’ defense that led the league in sacks (52). They had two sacks against Tony Romo last week, and were consistently getting close enough to tackle him after the pass.

            During the regular season, Favre got sacked 15 times in his 16 games. He was sacked just once in Green Bay’s previous meeting with New York this season (Sept. 16), but Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin still called it a “shoddy” performance from his offensive line.

            Packers quarterback Brett Favre vs. Giants’ pass defense

            Even if the Giants pass rush gets after Favre, he’s still going to have a major impact on this game. The veteran has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, and produced 173 yards and three touchdowns against Seattle last week.

            Favre joined Joe Montana as the only NFL passer with 5,000 postseason yards and he continued his streak of 17 consecutive playoff games with a touchdown pass. He also recorded his highest passer rating in 21 postseason games last week (137.6).

            The Giants ranked 12th in the league against the pass this season, giving up 212.7 yards per game in the air. They allowed Favre to throw for 286 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-13 Green Bay win on Sept. 16.

            Comment


            • #7
              NFL
              REPORTS



              for Sunday’s games (January 20)

              -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Reports: AFC, NFC Championship games
              -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              AFC

              Injured Chargers limp to Foxborough after Rivers, Tomlinson are injured

              San Diego Chargers (13-5) at New England Patriots (17-0)

              The last time the San Diego Chargers went to New England, they had Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and a healthy Antonio Gates.

              They lost anyway, 38-14.

              The Chargers may have beaten the Indianapolis Colts 28-24 on Sunday without their top players, but they'll have a hard time keeping up with the unbeaten Patriots in the AFC title game if they're still out. The same thing seems true in the NFC, where the New York Giants will head to Green Bay after upsetting Dallas 21-17 with a banged-up secondary missing its top three cornerbacks.

              Back on Sept. 16, a Sunday night game in the second week of the season, the Patriots were just getting started on their 16-0 run and blowing away anyone in their path. Their margin of victory dropped markedly in the second half of the season, but New England will still be 17-0 when it plays host to the Chargers next Sunday.

              ''A lot's happened since then,'' Patriots coach Bill Belichick said after the Chargers beat the Colts to qualify for a trip to Foxborough and the AFC title game. ''We'll definitely start all over on the preparations. It's like it's a new team.''

              The first question for San Diego is the health of Rivers and Tomlinson, its starting quarterback and star running back, who was the 2006 NFL MVP. Both injured their knees against the Colts and their status isn't yet known for the conference championship. Gates played with a toe injury, but clearly wasn't at full speed.

              Both Rivers and Tomlinson said they hope to play. Coach Norv Turner said they both were questionable.

              Even if they do take the field, the Chargers (13-5) face a daunting task.

              Tom Brady did to Jacksonville in Saturday night's 31-20 win what Peyton Manning did to the Chargers early in Sunday's game, completing his first 13 passes, most of them underneath, to help Indianapolis take a 7-0 lead. But after Marvin Harrison, coming back from injury, fumbled one of his completions to give the Chargers life, Manning started taking more chances and had less success deep.

              San Diego managed to beat the Colts with subs - good ones in Michael Turner and Darren Sproles at running back, plus journeyman Billy Volek at quarterback leading the winning TD drive. Turner and Sproles together equal Tomlinson, but Volek is not going to beat the Patriots. Rivers will have a hard time doing that if he's ready.

              If the Chargers, who opened as a 15-point underdog, are to have a chance, they'll have to get the kind of pressure they got on Manning on critical drives late in the game. That was most notable when Shawne Merriman got around rookie left tackle Tony Ugoh to force an incomplete pass on fourth down inside the San Diego 10-yard line with just over 2 minutes left.

              Merriman is certainly one of the NFL's best pass rushers and Shaun Phillips is formidable from the other side.

              So Brady may not have as much time as he had Saturday night in completing 26 of 28 passes, an NFL playoff-record 92.9 percent. But the Chargers don't cover as well as Jacksonville, and Randy Moss is unlikely to be limited to one catch for 14 yards, as he was by the Jaguars.

              Now we wait to see if Rivers and Tomlinson will even play.

              Belichick thinks they will.

              ''We're prepared for everybody. As we saw today, any number of players could be in the game,'' he said. ''If they're on the 53-man roster, we'll prepare for everybody.''

              ========================================

              NFC

              New York Giants (12-6) at Green Bay (14-3)

              Like the Patriots and Chargers, these two played in the second week. That one was at Giants Stadium and the Packers won 35-13 before New York understood the defense installed by Steve Spagnuolo, its new coordinator.

              That defense, with its stunts and twists, confused and harassed Tony Romo enough in the second half against Dallas on Sunday to keep him from exploiting a secondary without Sam Madison, Aaron Ross and Kevin Dockery, its three top cornerbacks for most of the season.

              The Packers opened as a 6 1/2-point favorite, which seems a little low.

              Consider that Eli Manning's revival - eight touchdown passes, just one interception and passer ratings of well over 100 in his last three games - all came in good weather. And he has attributed his problems in the four previous games to wind and cold.

              Attention Eli: The long-range forecast for next Sunday in Green Bay is a high of 4 degrees. Yes, Brett Favre, like Manning, is a southerner - his hometown of Kiln, Miss., and Manning's New Orleans are about 60 miles apart.

              But Favre has played in Green Bay for 16 seasons and thrives there. Had he been forced to go to Dallas, he would have been returning to a place where he is 0-9 as a starter.

              If it turns into a ground battle, there's the matchup that probably will be second only to Brett-Eli in the pregame hype: Ryan Grant, who rushed for 201 yards against in the 42-20 win over Seattle in the snow on Saturday vs. the Giants running backs.

              Grant, who played high school football less than 20 miles from Giants Stadium, was signed as an undrafted free agent from Notre Dame by New York in 2005. He spent that year on the practice squad, then last season on injured reserve.

              He was impressive in preseason but was fifth on the depth chart behind Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, Reuben Droughns and Ahmad Bradshaw. The Packers, knowing he would be cut, gave the Giants a sixth-round pick for him before some other team could claim him on waivers.

              Now Grant stands between his old teammates and the Super Bowl.

              Comment


              • #8
                NFL
                Line Report


                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                NFL – Line Report for games on January 20
                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                NFL title games opening line report

                It doesn’t matter that LaDainian Tomlinson and Philip Rivers probably are going to play, or that frigid weather is expected in Green Bay. Bookmakers are going to make you pay a high price if you want to lay the favorites.

                New England opened as high as -15 hosting San Diego in the AFC championship game, while the Packers are -7 hosting the New York Giants.

                “You always want to be on the high side in these championship games,” said Mike Seba, senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants, in expressing the house’s point of view.

                “But my personal opinion is I think these lines are inflated. It’s a lot of points to be laying into two hot teams.”

                The Chargers have won and covered in their last eight games. They beat Indianapolis on the road as a double-digit underdog, despite Tomlinson and Rivers going down with knee injuries and Gates hampered by a dislocated toe.

                The Giants have won nine road games in a row, despite suffering massive injuries the past few weeks, including losing tight end Jeremy Shockey for the season.

                The Patriots’ number has settled in at -14. The total has come down, too, to from as high as 51 points to 47 ½. The early weather forecast for Sunday’s day game at Foxboro is 15 degrees, no snow and some wind.

                LVSC’s recommended number on the Chargers-Patriots matchup was New England -14 with an ‘over/under’ of 50. This was factoring in Tomlinson and Rivers, both of whom are listed as “questionable.” Both probably will see action. The oddsmakers at LVSC consider Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates closer to doubtful than probable. Gates played on-and-off against the Colts.

                The undefeated Patriots have failed to cover seven of their last nine matchups after beginning the season with eight straight covers. A combination of inflated lines, bad weather and the Patriots gearing for the postseason have factored in the team going 1-6 against the spread during their past seven games.

                “The Patriots defense has looked vulnerable,” Seba said. “They haven’t looked like the Patriots of Week 8.”

                Seba doesn’t anticipate the number rising. He said he would be surprised if the Patriots reached -14 ½ again, which they were on Sunday and Monday at some places.

                “I think there’s more of a chance they close at 13 ½,” he said.

                The Giants-Packers total also dropped within the first 24 hours since it was posted on Sunday. Some books opened the ‘over/under’ at 43 ½. The total currently is down to 41 ½ with an early forecast calling for 40 percent chance of snow with a high of 12 degrees for the night contest.

                LVSC’s sent-out number on the game was Packers -7. Seba’s number was lower at -6. He believes the Giants are a take getting a touchdown.

                “It’s too many points,” he said of the touchdown line. “The Giants winning nine straight road games is pretty impressive. I can see catching seven with the Giants when the temperature is going to be about five degrees.

                “This isn’t going to be like the Seattle game for Green Bay. I don’t see things playing out like that (a 42-20 Green Bay victory) at all. This is going to be a conservative game played in extremely cold weather.

                “I’m not a big (Giants coach) Tom Coughlin guy, but you can’t argue with the way the Giants have been playing.”

                The Packers being favored by seven seems like the right number. Professional bettors would instantly grab 7 ½ if they liked the Giants, or 6 ½ if the Packers were their inclination.

                “It won’t close 7 ½ if the weather is supposed to be the way it is,” Seba said. “There’s more of a chance it would close 6 ½.”

                Comment


                • #9
                  NFL
                  What bettors need to know…….


                  Sunday, January 20

                  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  What bettors need to know: Giants at Packers
                  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  New York Giants at Green Bay Packers (-7, 42)

                  Little brother comes up big

                  Giants quarterback Eli Manning stepped out of his big brother’s shadow on Sunday. While Peyton and the Colts were laboring to a 28-24 defeat to San Diego, younger brother Eli was leading his team to the NFC Championship game.

                  The Giants’ Manning threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-17 win over No.1 seed Dallas. He led a game-changing 71-yard drive at the end of the first half, tying the score at 14-14 before the break.

                  “That's the man who won this game for us," Antonio Pierce said. Amani Toomer added: “Eli was just outstanding,"

                  Brandon Jacobs reserved the most praise, saying: “He's the best quarterback I've ever played with. I love the guy to death. I don't give a damn what anyone says about it. I don't know if he silenced the critics. In this game, you're always going to have critics.”

                  Youthful pack

                  The Green Bay Packers were the NFL’s youngest team at the start of the season, with an average age of 26 years and 89 days. Heading into Saturday’s playoff game against Seattle, veteran cornerback Al Harris said he thought Green Bay’s inexperience might count against them. Man, was he wrong.

                  Greg Jennings, 24, caught two touchdown passes and had a total of six receptions for 71 yards. Strong safety Atari Bigby, 26, had seven tackles and forced an important fumble early on. Defensive end Cullen Jenkins, 26, had one and a half sacks and was within inches of sacking Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck on two other occasions.

                  And probably the most impressive show of character was from 25-year-old tailback Ryan Grant. He had two early fumbles that helped Seattle jump out to a 14-0 lead, but recovered his composure to run for 201 yards.

                  Of course the team’s veteran leader, Brett Favre, was also impressive. He threw for three touchdowns and 173 yards and his 137.6 passer rating was his best in 21 career postseason games.

                  Depleted secondary steps up

                  The Cowboys had about four minutes to rescue their season in the fourth quarter on Sunday, but the Giants’ defense came out on top. The defense’s performance is even more impressive when you consider the secondary was without several starting players because of injury.

                  Reserve defensive back R.W. McQuarters, along with his fellow reserve cornerbacks Corey Webster and Geoffrey Pope, were pressed into service due to the injury problems. They didn’t disappoint, and McQuarters produced the game-ending interception with nine seconds left on the clock, as Dallas pressed for the victory.

                  “It was a great win for us,” coach Tom Coughlin told the New York Times. “Our defensive guys were on the field for the majority of the time and had to make some big-time stops. And R. W., two weeks in a row now, played super in the secondary.”

                  The Giants two main injury concerns in the secondary are starting cornerback Sam Madison and his rookie counterpart Aaron Ross. Madison is struggling with a strained abdominal muscle, while Ross left Sunday’s game in the third quarter with shoulder injury.

                  Both are listed as doubtful for this week’s contest.

                  Road warriors

                  The Giants travel to Lambeau on an NFL-record nine-game road winning streak. With Sunday’s win over Dallas they became only the 10th team in history to win their first two playoff games on the road. Unfortunately for New York, only one of the nine went on to win the Super Bowl.

                  Green Bay, meanwhile, is an NFC-best 8-1 at home this season. It covered the spread in all but one of those eight wins.

                  Head to head

                  These teams have already met once this season, with the Packers coming out 35-12 victors at Giants Stadium on Sept. 16. Overall, Green Bay has won five of its last six against the Giants, covering the spread in three of the last four.

                  The Packers are 13-3-1 ATS for the season, compared to the Giants 12-6-0 mark

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    What bettors need to know: Chargers at Patriots
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                    San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots (-14.5, 49)
                    Sunday Jan. 20, 3:00 p.m. ET

                    Terrific Tom

                    It's hard to imagine that there are many more records left for Tom Brady to break, but in Saturday's 31-20 win over the Jaguars he struck another off the list. Brady completed 26 of 28 passes - an NFL postseason record with a completion percentage of 92.9.

                    After the game coach Bill Belichick smiled and made his best attempt at a joke when asked about Brady. "It was a little disappointing, the two he missed," he said.

                    In truth, Brady could have been perfect. He made his first 16 passes, before tight end Ben Watson missed a catchable one at Jacksonville's 26-yard line in the third quarter. He then converted his next nine, before Wes Welker dropped what should have been an easy catch in the fourth.

                    Brady, as usual, gave all the credit for his remarkable performance to his teammates. "It's easy," he told USA Today, "when you have receivers who are open all the time and an offensive line that never lets anyone touch you. It makes it fun to play."

                    Big guns questionable

                    The Chargers' 29-24 win over Indianapolis on Sunday could have come at a heavy price. Running back LaDanian Tomlinson and quarterback Philip Rivers both picked up injuries and sat out the end of the game.

                    L.T picked up a knock in the second quarter and was replaced by Michael Turner, who went on to rush for 71 yards. Tomlinson was seen rubbing the inside of his left knee on the sideline, but later said he felt like he could have returned to the game.

                    Rivers' injury came on a seemingly innocuous play. He fell back awkwardly after throwing a 56-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, aggravating a previous injury to his left knee. Rivers was replaced by Bill Volek, who orchestrasted the winning touchdown drive.

                    Coach Norv Turner said both players will be listed as questionable for next week's game in New England.
                    Belichick wary
                    Some would say that the Patriots have dodged a bullet. Instead of facing Peyton Manning and the Colts in a rematch of last season's AFC championship game, they will instead play San Diego.

                    But Bill Belichick, who is not renowned for being positive, believes this could be tougher matchup for his team.

                    "They're physical," Belichick told the Nashua Telegraph shortly after the Chargers upset the Colts. "Going out on the road and winning in Indianapolis, I think shows what kind of mental toughness they have.

                    "We know we're going to have to play our best game of the year, so we're on that."

                    In their only other meeting this season, the traveling Pats hammered San Diego. They recorded a 38-14 win on Sept. 16, but Belichick insists that this is a much improved Chargers outfit.

                    "Well, a lot's happened since then," he said. "We'll definitely start all over on the preparation, just almost like it's a new team, then look back at some of the things we had from back in September.

                    "But, that was such a long time ago, and I think the most important thing for us to focus on is what the Chargers have done in the last couple of months."

                    Bad blood

                    Sunday's contest is a rematch of last season's AFC playoff game, and that did not end well for the Chargers. They blew a fourth quarter lead, allowing the Pats to kick the winning field goals with four minutes left.

                    At the end of the game, a few New England players decided to celebrate by doing Shawn Merriman's 'lights out' dance on the Chargers logo at the 50-yard line.

                    San Diego took major offense to the celebration, with Tomlinson calling the Pats classless, while Philip Rivers branded cornerback Ellis Hobbs as the "the sorriest corner in the league."

                    The Chargers vowed revenge ahead of their embarrasing loss to the Pats in September, but now they get a second chance on the biggest possible stage.

                    Head to head

                    The Patriots have won and covered in two straight and six of their last eight meetings with San Diego. They easily covered a 3.5-point spread in the only meeting between the teams this season, winning by a remarkable 24-point margin on Sept. 16.

                    New England comes into this game with a perfect 17-0 straight up record, as well as a 10-7 ATS mark. The Chargers are on an eight-game unbeaten streak during which they've covered on every occasion.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Here you Packer Fans...

                      PACKER PRAYER

                      Our Favre,
                      Who art in Lambeau,
                      Hallowed be thine arm.
                      The bowl will come,
                      It will be won.
                      In Phoenix as it is in Lambeau.
                      And give us this Sunday,
                      Our weekly win.
                      And give us many touchdown passes.
                      But do not let others pass against us.
                      Lead us not into frustration,
                      But deliver us to the valley of the sun.
                      For thine is the MVP, the best of the NFC,
                      and the glory of the Cheeseheads,
                      now and forever.

                      Go get 'em!

                      AMEN!!!!!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        FROM *******

                        Here are some general facts and poinstpread trends regarding action in
                        the Championship Playoff round from recent years.

                        * The Championship Playoff round of the NFL postseason has produced
                        the highest scoring games in recent years are the last 12 conference
                        title contests have seen an average of 48.3 PPG scored. In that span, the
                        OVER is on a strong run of 9-2-1, for 81.8%.


                        * The home team is only 17-11 SU in this round since ’94, and 14-13-1
                        ATS.


                        * Since ’94, only four NFC road teams have won straight up in the
                        championship round against 10 losses, while in the AFC, the home and
                        road teams have split 14 games. Furthermore, the AFC road team owns
                        a 7-6-1 ATS edge.


                        * The #1 seed in the NFC has been the home team in EVERY conference
                        title game since ’93, compiling a record of 10-5 SU & 9-6 ATS. By
                        comparison, the #1 seed in the AFC is only 4-4 SU & ATS in that span.


                        * #2 seeds playing as hosts, of course all AFC, are just 2-4 SU & 1-4-1
                        ATS since ’93 in the title game.


                        * Favorites of more than a touchdown are 8-3 SU but just 5-6 ATS
                        (45.4%) in the Championship Round since ’93.


                        * Home underdogs in the Championship Round of the NFL Playoffs are
                        just 1-4 SU & 1-3-1 ATS since ’93.


                        * Home Favorites of <=9.5 or dogs with 2+ more regular season wins
                        than their opponent are 14-2 ATS in the championship round.


                        * There has been some success following total movements in the
                        Conference Championship Round. When the closing total finishes
                        lower than the opening total, or in other words the public is backing the
                        UNDER, the OVER is a stellar 12-5 for 70.6%!


                        * Of the 14 home pointspread covers in the championship round, the
                        OVER is 9-4-1 (69.1%). On the other hand, when the road team has won
                        ATS, the OVER is just 8-7 (53.3%).


                        * General rule of thinking…if it looks like it’s going to be a high scoring
                        game, it will be. In the last eight conference title games with totals of 45
                        or more, the OVER is 7-1.


                        Updated NFL Playoff Statistical Angles
                        Here’s another update to the records our the top NFL Playoff Statistical
                        Angles we uncovered prior to the Wildcard Round. Remember, although
                        team statistics are just one piece of a large puzzle a handicapper needs
                        to put together to enjoy success in the NFL Playoffs, they are an important
                        piece, as they can often signify tendencies and overall strength of the
                        various teams. Here is a list of the categories that we analyzed:
                        - Won-Lost Records
                        - Offensive and Defensive Points Per Game
                        - Scoring Differential
                        - Offensive and Defensive Rushing Yards Per Game
                        - Offensive and Defensive Rushing Yards Per Attempt
                        - Offensive and Defensive Passing Yards Per Game
                        - Offensive and Defensive Passing Yards Per Attempt
                        - Offensive and Defensive Yards Per Play
                        - Turnover Differential
                        Of the categories listed. Here is a summary of those that produced the
                        most definitive results, those that won at better than a 55% rate ATS. Along
                        with each angle, I’ve updated the records to include this past weekend’s
                        games and also listed the teams qualifying for that angle in this weekend’s
                        divisional playoffs.

                        Won-Lost Records:
                        - Teams with a won-lost percentage of .125 or greater (12.5%) are 27-17
                        ATS (61.3%) in the playoffs since ’93. Record for ‘08 Playoffs: 1-1
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay,
                        New England


                        - Teams with a won-lost percentage of .125 or greater (12.5%) and favored
                        in the range of 7-9.5 points are 12-5 ATS (70.5%) since ’93. Record for
                        ‘08 Playoffs: 1-0
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay


                        - Since ’00, road teams in the playoffs that have a better or equal record to
                        the home team are 13-8 ATS (61.9%). Record for ‘08 Playoffs: 1-1
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: None


                        - Over the last eight playoff seasons, home teams with a winning percentage
                        edge of .165 or more (16.5%) over their road opponent are 12-1 SU & 9-4
                        ATS (69.2%). Record for ‘08 Playoffs: 1-1
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: New England


                        Scoring Statistics
                        Offensive Points Per Game
                        • Teams with an offensive points per game edge going into a playoff game
                        are 83-68 ATS, or 55.0% since ‘93. However, since ’00, that record is just
                        44-42 ATS for 51.2%. Record for ‘08 Playoffs: 4-4
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay,
                        New England



                        Rushing Statistics
                        Defensive Rushing Yards Per Game
                        • Teams with a rushing yards per game edge on defense going into a
                        playoff game are 82-69 ATS, or 54.3% since ’93, showing that the ability to
                        stop the run outweighs offensive rushing attacks. Since ’00, that record is
                        48-39 ATS for 55.2%, showing the importance of a stout rush defense has
                        increased in recent years. Record for ‘08 Playoffs: 3-5
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay,
                        New England



                        Defensive Yards Per Rush
                        • Teams with a Yards Per Rush edge on defense going into a playoff game
                        are 78-60 ATS, or 56.5% since ’93, again showing that the ability to stop
                        the run outweighs any offensive rushing numbers. Since ’00, that record
                        is 47-37 ATS for 56.0%, showing that defensive YPR has indeed proven a
                        consistent stat to keep an eye on in recent postseasons. Record for ‘08
                        Playoffs: 3-5
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay,
                        San Diego




                        Passing Statistics
                        Offensive Passing Yards Per Game
                        • Teams with a passing yards per game edge on offense going into a playoff
                        game are 83-68 ATS, or 55.0% since ’93. Since ’00, that record improves
                        to 49-37 ATS for 57.0%, showing that passing is clearly becoming a more
                        important ingredient to playoff success. Record for ‘08 Playoffs: 3-5
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay,
                        New England




                        Offensive Yards Per Pass
                        • Teams with a yards per pass edge on offense going into a playoff game
                        are 78-65 ATS, or 54.5% since ’93. Record for ‘08 Playoffs: 3-5
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay,
                        New England



                        Yards Per Play Statistics
                        Offensive Yards Per Play
                        • Teams with a yards per play edge on offense going into a playoff game
                        are 84-66 ATS, or 56.0% since ’93, adding another fairly successful stat
                        category to our postseason handicapping arsenal. Since ’00, that record
                        drops slightly to 47-39 ATS for 54.7%, but still at a success rate that would
                        net profitability each playoff year. Record for ‘08 Playoffs: 3-5
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay,
                        New England




                        Summary
                        The fact that four of our top six categories are offensive statistics dispels
                        the notion that “defense wins championships”. Naturally, the next task is
                        to combine the top categories to see if teams enjoying edges in more than
                        one successful statistic enjoy further success. Incidentally, teams enjoying
                        an edge in ALL SIX of these categories are 18-7 ATS since ’93 in the
                        playoffs, including 14-2 ATS in the divisional round.
                        Here are five successful playoff stat combos that achieved better than 60%
                        ATS success in our study:
                        * Teams with an edge in Offensive Points Per Game AND Defensive
                        Rushing Yards Per Game are 44-30 ATS (59.4%) since ’93. Record for
                        ‘08 Playoffs: 1-2
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay,
                        New England



                        * Teams with an edge in Offensive Points Per Game AND Defensive Yards
                        Per Rush are 36-19 ATS (65.5%) since ’93. Record for ‘08 Playoffs: 0-1
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay


                        * Teams with an edge in Defensive Yards Per Rush AND Offensive
                        Passing Yards Per Game are 35-21 ATS (62.5%) since ’93. Record for
                        ‘08 Playoffs: 0-2
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay


                        * Teams with an edge in Defensive Yards Per Rush AND Offensive Pass
                        Yards Per Attempt are 32-18 ATS (64.0%) since ’93. Record for ‘08
                        Playoffs: 0-2
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay


                        * Teams with an edge in Defensive Yards Per Rush AND Offensive Yards
                        Per Play are 32-15 ATS (68.1%) since ’93. Record for ‘08 Playoffs: 0-2
                        ** Qualifying Plays for ‘07-08 Championship Weekend: Green Bay


                        Good luck this championship weekend everyone. We’ll be back in a couple
                        of weeks to deliver everything you need for Super Bowl XLII!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          AFC Conference Championship
                          San Diego Chargers @ New England Patriots


                          Overview
                          Apparently, folks forgot to tell the San Diego Chargers that the
                          dream matchup between the Colts and Patriots for the AFC
                          title was scheduled for this Sunday, as the Chargers squashed
                          those plans with a huge upset of the defending champions in
                          Indy. For San Diego, it was an eight consecutive win, both SU &
                          ATS, and has the franchise just one win from a first Super Bowl
                          appearance in 14 years. Amazingly, the Chargers won with their
                          three top offensive players sidelined with injuries. With subs
                          doing the yeoman’s work in the second half, QB Phillip Rivers
                          & RB Ladainian Tomlinson watched from the bench, while TE
                          Antonio Gates was slowed by a foot injury. All three players have
                          already been listed as questionable for Sunday, and San Diego’s
                          hopes of beating undefeated New England rest on their status.
                          The Patriots went about their business on Saturday in turning
                          back Jacksonville, 31-20. While the effort was not their best of the
                          season, and yet another ATS loss, New England still advanced to
                          17-0 on the season. HC Bill Belichick’s team is just 2-7 ATS in its
                          L9 contests overall, playing to pointspreads befitting of a perfect
                          team. At home, the Patriots are 9-0 SU & 5-4 ATS, outscoring
                          teams by 20.3 PPG. The Chargers are 5-4 SU & ATS on the road.
                          They own a 24:8 turnover ratio edge in their eight game winning
                          streak. This will be the second visit of 2007-08 to Foxboro for San
                          Diego, who was throttled by the Patriots, 38-14 in Week 2.
                          Here are some of the top trend angles on this game:
                          Favoring New England
                          * Belichick is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) vs. good teams - outscoring
                          opponents by 6+ PPG on the season as the coach of NEW
                          ENGLAND. The average score was NEW ENGLAND 23.9,
                          OPPONENT 19.8 - (Rating = 0*)
                          Favoring San Diego
                          * SAN DIEGO is 26-4 ATS (+21.6 Units) after 4 or more
                          consecutive wins against the spread since 1992. The average
                          score was SAN DIEGO 23.5, OPPONENT 15.7 - (Rating = 5*)
                          Favoring OVER the Total
                          * SAN DIEGO is 7-1 OVER (+5.9 Units) in road games this
                          season. The average score was SAN DIEGO 24.2, OPPONENT
                          22.1 - (Rating = 1*)
                          Favoring UNDER the Total
                          * Belichick is 16-2 UNDER (+13.8 Units) vs. good offensive teams
                          - scoring 24 or more points/game in the second half of the season
                          as the coach of NEW ENGLAND. The average score was NEW
                          ENGLAND 24.1, OPPONENT 19.4 - (Rating = 5*)
                          Entering the 2007 campaign, it seemed all too easy to explain
                          the San Diego offense: Hand the ball to LaDainian Tomlinson,
                          pass the ball to LaDainian Tomlinson, and block for LaDainian
                          Tomlinson.

                          Keys to the Game
                          For starters no keys to the game can be fully understood until the
                          status of the three major stars of the San Diego offense can be
                          determined. Antonio Gates would seem to be the least likely to
                          provide much, given the fact dislocated toe limits him to primarily
                          running straight ahead and coming back to catch the ball as was
                          the case in the upset of the Colts. Ladainian Tomlinson and Philip
                          Rivers will be less than 100 percent and have to do the best they
                          can.
                          Since it is speculation as this paper went to press who or won’t
                          play, we’ll deal in what we know. New England opened as a huge
                          14.5-point favorite and that will likely go upward. The Patriots
                          have an extra day of rest and will play on home field. A beat up
                          San Diego team has to travel back home, heal, prepare, practice
                          and travel cross country to likely play in frigid weather all in the
                          space of six days.
                          When these teams first met in week two on Sunday night, it was
                          the Patriots home opener and most assumed the San Diego
                          would be revved up after losing in the playoffs to New England
                          the previous season. Instead, Brady and company blew out to
                          24-0 lead as 3.5-point favorites and cruised home winners 38-14.
                          New England’s game plan undoubtedly will be very similar. They
                          took away L.T. holding him to 2.4 yards per carry on 18 attempts.
                          They blitzed Rivers from the right side to make sure he saw what
                          was coming. With likely even less mobility, he won’t be able to
                          step up very well or be forced to throw ball away quickly. Rivers
                          is fiery, but can be forced off his game, since he loves to talk.
                          Expect New England to have plenty to say to him.
                          If Chargers are to pull the miracle, they will need divine
                          intervention. This could come from two areas, special teams
                          and defense. Darren Sproles will have to have big kickoff and
                          punt returns to set up San Diego for short fields to score points.
                          The Bolts defense has been a turnover machine and they will
                          have to force three Pats miscues to hang with New England and
                          don’t think they can’t, since they have caused 26 during this eight
                          game win and cover streak. San Diego is 12-2 ATS after seven
                          or more victories. Three ways to beat New England, hold the ball
                          and score touchdowns, take away Randy Moss, and pressure
                          Brady. After you pressure Brady, do it again.
                          Key Trend ~ Teams that defeat defending Super Bowl champs
                          and next game is not the Super Bowl are 0-9 ATS.
                          The oddsmakers were whining about New England bettors
                          beating them up in the first part of the season, yet they have been
                          strangely silent as the Patriots have not covered four in a row and
                          just twice since November. Whenever the Pats defense faces
                          adversity, Rodney Harrison is the one player who makes almost
                          all the big plays. As he hovers around the line of scrimmage, he
                          usually comes in off the left defensive end, taking inside angle to
                          blow up plays. San Diego has to run slot receiver or tight end into
                          his area to get him to back off.
                          Terrific Tom unlike most quarterbacks doesn’t become inpatient.
                          As teams have tried to take away lethal deep ball, he’s content
                          to throwing the ball to Wes Welker or tight ends and handing the
                          pigskin to Laurence Maroney. This offense is virtually unstoppable
                          and only seems beatable if they would uncharacteristically beat
                          themselves. Concerning the spread is a different matter with such
                          a huge figure. The magic number has been 400 for New England.
                          If they gain 400 or more yards they are 10-3 ATS the last two
                          years.
                          ******* Forecaster: New England 30, San Diego 22


                          ** The ******* Power Ratings are determined from a formula including point margins, difficulty of schedule, team statistics as those you will find elsewhere, and thus prove to be a great

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            BETTING TRENDS
                            SAN DIEGO
                            San Diego is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
                            San Diego is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
                            San Diego is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
                            San Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
                            The total has gone OVER in 11 of San Diego's last 15 games on the road
                            San Diego is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing New England
                            San Diego is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing New England
                            The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Diego's last 8 games when playing New England
                            San Diego is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New England
                            San Diego is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New England
                            The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing on the road against New England

                            NEW ENGLAND
                            New England is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games
                            New England is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
                            New England is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
                            The total has gone OVER in 16 of New England's last 23 games
                            The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New England's last 5 games
                            New England is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
                            New England is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
                            The total has gone OVER in 8 of New England's last 12 games at home
                            The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New England's last 5 games at home
                            New England is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing San Diego
                            New England is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing San Diego
                            The total has gone OVER in 6 of New England's last 8 games when playing San Diego
                            New England is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Diego
                            New England is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Diego
                            The total has gone OVER in 5 of New England's last 5 games when playing at home against San Diego

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                            • #15
                              BETTING TRENDS
                              NEW YORK
                              NY Giants are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games
                              NY Giants are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games
                              The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Giants last 7 games
                              NY Giants are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games on the road
                              NY Giants are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games on the road
                              The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the NY Giants last 9 games on the road
                              NY Giants are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing Green Bay
                              NY Giants are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Green Bay

                              GREEN BAY
                              Green Bay is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games
                              Green Bay is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games
                              The total has gone OVER in 7 of Green Bay's last 8 games
                              Green Bay is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
                              Green Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
                              The total has gone OVER in 4 of Green Bay's last 5 games at home
                              Green Bay is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing NY Giants
                              Green Bay is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Giants

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