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10* Green Bay (ML) -140
5* "7 PT." Teaser = Green Bay (+4.5) - "OVER" (37.5) -130
I keep hearing a couple of things about this game that drive me crazy. Pittsburgh has a great defense and will dominate & Green Bay has no running game. I think every single Pittsburgh backer has said those 2 things if they have spoken about the game ... and i mean everybody!
The Packers may not have had a running game in the regular season but that has changed dramatically in the Playoffs and hey, that is what matters most right now. Rookie RB Starks didn't even play until week 13 and he ended the regular season with only 29 carries total. In 3 Postseason games he has had 23, 25 & 22 carries and he is the only RB in the postseason with 200 or more rushing yards (263). Yes, they played 3 games and some teams didn't but he is also #1 in rushing yards per game in the postseason (87.7). As a team, the Packers started out the postseason by outrushing Vick, McCoy, and the Eagles by 57 yards. After that they outrushed Turner and the Falcons by 51 yards and they outrushed Forte and the Bears by 37 yards. All on the road. Green Bay found a gem in Starks at the right time and he is very fresh and he is running hard right now. I just do not want to hear anymore about the Packers having no running game ... please! They don't have to run well against Pittsburgh and they probably won't. All they have to do is mix it up a little and keep that Steelers defense 2 dimensional, and they definately have the ability to do that right now.
As far as the defense goes, yes, Pittsburgh has a great defense. My problem with that is the same people who say that, just dismiss the Packers defense all together. The Steelers were #1 in ppg against at 14.5 but Green Bay was right there and 2nd (15.0). The Steelers led the league in Sacks with 48. The Packers were 2nd with 47. The Packers have 10 sacks, 6 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 TD's in just 3 Playoff games. That is amazing. I hear about the playmakers for Pittsburgh but guess what, Green Bay has them too. You talk about LB Harrison for Pittsburgh and the Packers can counter with Clay Matthews. You talk about the space eater at D-Tackle with Casey Hampton for the Steelers and Green Bay has their own in B.J. Raji. You look at the secondary and you have Ike Taylor and Polamalu for Pittsburgh and again the Packers can counter with playmakers like Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson. My point is this, these defenses are a wash to me and i really see no advantage here for the Steelers. I just don't and in the postseason, the Packers defense has clearly been the dominant one in every category. It's not even close. And again, how you are playing right now is what matters most.
As far as the QB's go, Ben has done nothing but Win his whole career and i give him a ton of props for that. With that said, i'll take Aaron Rodgers 8 days a week if i was starting a team tomorrow and had to choose one or the other. Rodgers was the 3rd highest rated passer in the regular season and he is 1st in the postseason. He can elude the rush better than everybody except maybe Mike Vick and he finished the season 2nd in rushing for QB's behind Vick. The Steelers love to blitz and Rodgers handles that well too and he is the #1 rated passer this season against the Blitz. Big Ben gets the wins but there have been plenty of times when he and his numbers have not looked good doing it. He has 1 TD pass and 3 interceptions in 2 Super Bowls. The 1 TD was that spectacular catch by the now departed Santonio Holmes. Big Ben needed a miracle just to get that 1 TD pass and Holmes gave it to him. The Steelers have won for Ben and they have done it with defense 1st. They owned Seattle and Arizona in their previous 2 Super Bowls on defense and neither could punch back when they needed to or make a big play on defense themselves. This time it is a little different and the Packers defense will punch back.
The Steelers going to a backup center will only improve their (GB) chances as well. Ben had a crucial fumble and a safety with that center vs the Jets and i don't think 2 weeks of practice is enough to make up for losing your all pro, pro bowl, center that anchors the middle of that line. Ben has struggled in Super Bowls against average defenses, so i'm not sold on him having a great game against a very, very, good one with a backup snapper handing to him.
There are some great QB's in this league and i think they are getting their turn on top and it is time for Rodgers to have his. Teams that have that top notch passer like Brees and Brady can really find holes in that Steelers secondary and Pittsburgh lost to both this season by double digits. Rodgers has shown all year that he is just as good.
As far as the total goes, the Super Bowl has a rich history of producing points and 37.5 is not a big number. There has been 38 or more points scored in 29 of the last 35 Super Bowls and 3 of the 6 that didn't reach that total, ended on 37. If you are going to tease the total or play it straight, it is the over or nothing for me.
I expect a very good game and i think it is close all the way through. These teams appear to be a mirror image of each other in so many ways that i just can't imagine a runaway happening by either side. I'm playing the ML for those reasons. It could come down to a last minute TD or FG to win by 1 or 2. In the end i feel like the intangibles and the hot team right now are one in the same, Green Bay. Of course others, may see it a totally different way!
Packers 27 Steelers 20
GOOD LUCK!
10* Green Bay (ML) -140
5* "7 PT." Teaser = Green Bay (+4.5) - "OVER" (37.5) -130
I keep hearing a couple of things about this game that drive me crazy. Pittsburgh has a great defense and will dominate & Green Bay has no running game. I think every single Pittsburgh backer has said those 2 things if they have spoken about the game ... and i mean everybody!
The Packers may not have had a running game in the regular season but that has changed dramatically in the Playoffs and hey, that is what matters most right now. Rookie RB Starks didn't even play until week 13 and he ended the regular season with only 29 carries total. In 3 Postseason games he has had 23, 25 & 22 carries and he is the only RB in the postseason with 200 or more rushing yards (263). Yes, they played 3 games and some teams didn't but he is also #1 in rushing yards per game in the postseason (87.7). As a team, the Packers started out the postseason by outrushing Vick, McCoy, and the Eagles by 57 yards. After that they outrushed Turner and the Falcons by 51 yards and they outrushed Forte and the Bears by 37 yards. All on the road. Green Bay found a gem in Starks at the right time and he is very fresh and he is running hard right now. I just do not want to hear anymore about the Packers having no running game ... please! They don't have to run well against Pittsburgh and they probably won't. All they have to do is mix it up a little and keep that Steelers defense 2 dimensional, and they definately have the ability to do that right now.
As far as the defense goes, yes, Pittsburgh has a great defense. My problem with that is the same people who say that, just dismiss the Packers defense all together. The Steelers were #1 in ppg against at 14.5 but Green Bay was right there and 2nd (15.0). The Steelers led the league in Sacks with 48. The Packers were 2nd with 47. The Packers have 10 sacks, 6 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 TD's in just 3 Playoff games. That is amazing. I hear about the playmakers for Pittsburgh but guess what, Green Bay has them too. You talk about LB Harrison for Pittsburgh and the Packers can counter with Clay Matthews. You talk about the space eater at D-Tackle with Casey Hampton for the Steelers and Green Bay has their own in B.J. Raji. You look at the secondary and you have Ike Taylor and Polamalu for Pittsburgh and again the Packers can counter with playmakers like Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson. My point is this, these defenses are a wash to me and i really see no advantage here for the Steelers. I just don't and in the postseason, the Packers defense has clearly been the dominant one in every category. It's not even close. And again, how you are playing right now is what matters most.
As far as the QB's go, Ben has done nothing but Win his whole career and i give him a ton of props for that. With that said, i'll take Aaron Rodgers 8 days a week if i was starting a team tomorrow and had to choose one or the other. Rodgers was the 3rd highest rated passer in the regular season and he is 1st in the postseason. He can elude the rush better than everybody except maybe Mike Vick and he finished the season 2nd in rushing for QB's behind Vick. The Steelers love to blitz and Rodgers handles that well too and he is the #1 rated passer this season against the Blitz. Big Ben gets the wins but there have been plenty of times when he and his numbers have not looked good doing it. He has 1 TD pass and 3 interceptions in 2 Super Bowls. The 1 TD was that spectacular catch by the now departed Santonio Holmes. Big Ben needed a miracle just to get that 1 TD pass and Holmes gave it to him. The Steelers have won for Ben and they have done it with defense 1st. They owned Seattle and Arizona in their previous 2 Super Bowls on defense and neither could punch back when they needed to or make a big play on defense themselves. This time it is a little different and the Packers defense will punch back.
The Steelers going to a backup center will only improve their (GB) chances as well. Ben had a crucial fumble and a safety with that center vs the Jets and i don't think 2 weeks of practice is enough to make up for losing your all pro, pro bowl, center that anchors the middle of that line. Ben has struggled in Super Bowls against average defenses, so i'm not sold on him having a great game against a very, very, good one with a backup snapper handing to him.
There are some great QB's in this league and i think they are getting their turn on top and it is time for Rodgers to have his. Teams that have that top notch passer like Brees and Brady can really find holes in that Steelers secondary and Pittsburgh lost to both this season by double digits. Rodgers has shown all year that he is just as good.
As far as the total goes, the Super Bowl has a rich history of producing points and 37.5 is not a big number. There has been 38 or more points scored in 29 of the last 35 Super Bowls and 3 of the 6 that didn't reach that total, ended on 37. If you are going to tease the total or play it straight, it is the over or nothing for me.
I expect a very good game and i think it is close all the way through. These teams appear to be a mirror image of each other in so many ways that i just can't imagine a runaway happening by either side. I'm playing the ML for those reasons. It could come down to a last minute TD or FG to win by 1 or 2. In the end i feel like the intangibles and the hot team right now are one in the same, Green Bay. Of course others, may see it a totally different way!
Packers 27 Steelers 20
GOOD LUCK!
NBA is a joke
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