It all comes down to this as the #1 rated Louisiana State University Tigers face the #2 rated Crimson Tide in the BCS National Tournament Game at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA on January ninth. Alabama head coach Nick Saban is no stranger to this match, winning the national tournament in 2009 and additionally winning it with LSU as a head coach in 2003. LSU head coach Les Miles is additionally no stranger at this instant as he’s won the national tournament in 2007. Two excellent teams and head coaches clashing on a collision course in what will certainly be an awesome game. The oddsmakers now have this at Alabama (-1) with the over-under established at 40 points.
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The Tigers come into play undefeated at 13-0 with an 8-0 record in the SEC. They’ve additionally gone a staggering 8-0 against rated teams with wins over number 3 Oregon, #25 Mississippi State, #16 West Virginia, #17 Florida, #20 Auburn, #2 Alabama, #3 Arkansas, and #14 Georgia. This match is a rematch of the classic November 5th game at Alabama with the Tigers winning in ot over the Tide 9-6. The Tigers have an awesome offense rated 12th in the country with 38.5 ppg won. LSU’s actual weapon is their defense which is rated 2nd in the country with merely 10.5 ppg allowed. Senior Quarterback Jarrett Lee with 1,306 passing yards and also a 152.0 rating mans the Tigers passing attack. The team of sophomores Michael Ford and Spencer Ware set the speed for the LSU running attack with each adding up over 700 yards on the ground. CB Tyrann Mathieu ended 5th in the Heisman race while nabbing 6 interceptions and getting 173 yards off of those picks which rate 1st in the country.
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The Alabama Crimson Tide come into this match attempting to avenge their loss to LSU back in November. The Tide has gone 11-1 in total with a 7-1 record in the SEC. They’ve gone 4-1 against the Top 25 this season with wins over #23 Penn State, #14 Arkansas, #12 Florida, and #24 Auburn. The aforementioned game against LSU in November was their merely loss. The Tide has averaged 36.0 ppg on offense with an outstanding running game. As excellent as LSU is on defense, the Tide are even better at it position 1st in the country merely giving up a mindboggling 8.8 ppg. The Tide place the offense in sophomore Quarterback AJ McCarron’s hands, McCarron has 2,400 passing yards and a 149.8 passer rating. Junior RB Trent Richardson ended second in the Heisman while getting 1,583 rushing yards and 20 td’s on the ground.
The Pittsburgh steelers are matched up against the Broncos in the nfl Playoffs. The Pittsburgh steelers ended as a wild card with an impressive record of 12-4 in the AFC North division, whereas the Broncos concluded up with an 8-8 record narrowly claiming champions of the AFC West. The Steelers will be going to Denver to compete against them at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
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Denver has relished some success this season and a ton of press hype encompassing quarterback Tim Tebow after he took over the starting position with the loss of Kyle Orton. His play in addition to their reliable defense has held them in competition in plenty of matches this year and they were able to find some interesting comeback victories.
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Tebow will need to have confidence and remain calm under strain to progress in the playoffs and maybe cement himself as the franchise quarterback for the Broncos. Former Broncos quarterback and current VP of operations John Elway has presented Tim Tebow some words of support for the forthcoming game. It will be very tricky to turn it around against the reliable defense of the Pittsburgh steelers if the Broncos find themselves tumbling behind early in this playoff match up. Both teams will count on their defense to keep themselves in the game and allow their offense an opportunity to step up and perform. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has proven himself this season and looks to continue that success in the first round of the playoffs. Also watch for running back Isaac Redman to step up as Rashard Mendenhall is looking after a knee injury.
The Broncos are not going to have an easy time against the powerhouse Pittsburgh steelers, which is why the Steelers are established as eight point favorites to progress in the playoffs. The over/under on total points in this game is 35.5.
Following finishing with the top record in the league a year ago, and getting terminated in the first round by the Packers, the Falcons hope that slipping into the playoffs undetected in 2012 will allow them better results. Atlanta finished 10-6 this season, earning them a first round wild-card competition with the NFC East winning Giants (9-7).
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For the Jan 8 – Falcons vs Giants game, nonetheless, New York appears to have the traction going into the playoffs. Odds makers have recognized this, and made New York a 3-point fave. This is maybe a shocking position for a squad that lost four contests in a row in November-December. In order to allow them an possibility to attain the playoffs, the Giants had to depend on huge errors by their division foe Cowboys. A victory over Dallas in week 17 guaranteed them the division title.
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New York competitors could assert that their losing streak this season came when starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw was wounded. And this is a valid argument, as three of four losses in that streak came when Bradshaw was on the bench. Now that he’s back the Giants have looked like a changed squad, winning two must-win contests in a row over tough tournament (New York Jets and Dallas).
Atlanta won three of their last four contests coming into the playoffs, but Atlanta has had trouble all season versus winning teams. Against teams that finished over .500, Atlanta is just 2-4. Just two weeks ago, they were blown out by the New orleans saints, 45-16.
Both teams are directed by quality qbs, the Giants by Eli Manning and the Falcons by Matt Ryan. The change in this game, nonetheless, may be in qb strain. The Giants defensive line can get to the qb, and recorded 48 sacks this year, good for third in the nfl. The game will be dependant on how well Matt Ryan and the Falcons offensive line can resist the strain of the Giants’ defensive front.
When it comes to scheduling, maybe the Detroit Lions just are unlucky. 1st, they conclude their regular season vs their division rival Green Bay Packers, who also boast the league’s top record. Then they follow that up by drawing the New orleans saints in the 1st round of the playoffs.
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The Jan 7 – Lions against New orleans saints game will be the second meeting of the two squads this season. New Orleans won the 1st match in New Orleans 31-17. New Orleans is a 10.5 point favorite to beat Detroit this week, and this is maybe part of the reason.
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The other is that the Saints are on a roll. They’ve won 8 competitions back to back coming into this week’s game with Detroit, beating three other playoff squads throughout that stretch. After kicking an enemy competitor with his cleats, defensive star Ndamukong Suh was suspended for two competitions, but Detroit managed to pull things together. Simply losing a tight game to 15-1 Green Bay, they won 3 out of their last 4 competitions of the season. When they last confronted New Orleans, they were devoid of Suh, and Detroit is praying the return of his existence to the defensive line is going to be the difference they have to stop Drew Brees and the powerful New Orleans offense.
Regrettably for Detroit, that New Orleans offense has been amazing for the second half of the season. They’ve gone over 40 in four of their last six and scored more than 40 points in their last three competitions. They are 8-0 in their home stadium this season and a while back this year in New Orleans they slipped 62 points on Indianapolis.
Detroit has struggled this year vs higher caliber competition, going 1-5 vs playoff squads (merely beating Denver). Their offense has the possibility to be high-flying, and therefore it will likely be up to their defense to keep them in this game. If Suh is going to make up for his two-game suspension, the time has come.
The Cincinnati Bengals will be competing against the Houston Texans in pro football playoffs. The Bengals will travel to Reliant Stadium in Houston for the match up. Cincinnati finished their year with a record of 9-7 and attained the playoffs this year as a wild card in the AFC North division. Houston finished with a record of 10-6 and came out ahead as the leading team in the AFC South this year.
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Both teams have still had their fair share of challenges this year with the Cincinnati Bengals losing each and every game against playoff caliber teams and the Houston Texans having serious injuries to qbs Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart. Both qbs were lost for the year with their injuries and rookie T.J. Yates has taken control. Houston has additionally seen big injuries to linebacker Mario Williams and also wide receiver Andre Johnson. The two teams have already faced each other throughout the regular season and the Houston Texans made a last effort comeback try with a match winning touchdown pass caught by wide receiver Kevin Walters with just a few seconds left on the clock.
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The Bengals outstanding run game with running backs Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott has been what’s worked for them this year, so they will have to try and stay with that. If they can accomplish this they could have the advantage and finally eliminate a playoff team and progress past the first round for the first time in only over twenty years.
This might boil down to the wire yet again as it is going to be a near one. Despite a number of injuries to many essential celebrity players, the Houston Texans are slight faves. The over/under for total total points for this specific game is 38. The line is established with the Texans as three point faves at their home field to the longshot Bengals.
The Seattle Seahawks (7-8) are going to be going to challenge the Arizona Cardinals (7-8) in an NFC West divisional contest. There’s a little bit of motivation that a win will allow either team a winning record although each individual team has dropped just shy of playoff contention this season as they were looking for a wild card spot. Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has yet to lose a match versus the Arizona Cardinals in his tenure, but Arizona qb Kevin Kolb could return and start for his team following recovering from a concussion.
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Arizona will have to stop the formidable run game from the Seattle Seahawks with top rusher Marshawn Lynch looking to continue to add to his extraordinary career high of 1,118 yards. Lynch has also won a td in a team record 11 competitions.
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Both teams would love to finish strong with a winning record and are getting ready as if this were any other game. Both of them have potential bright odds ahead with several players being added to the Pro Bowl roster including Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and defensive players Adrian Wilson and Patrick Peterson. Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was also picked for the Pro Bowl team and all these leading players ought to be playing this final struggle with the exemption of Peterson who is doubtful with an injury to his left Achilles’ tendon. Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch almost certainly feels he ought to have been chosen for the Pro Bowl honors also and after being overlooked more than likely will want to show why he really does belong there.
This contest will be an appealing one to see who is able to end on a great note and assert a winning record for the 2011 season. The Arizona Cardinals are a favorite over the underdog Seattle Seahawks with a spread of -3. The over/under for total points in this game is 40.5.
This match between the Pittsburgh steelers and the Cleveland Browns will showcase 2 teams who have diverse goals for the last 2 competitions of the season. The Pittsburgh steelers are now in the playoff competition and are basically only getting prepared for the playoffs. The Cleveland browns on the flip side have had a pretty bad season and are only trying to salvage their season with a couple of more wins. Both teams nonetheless will be competing hard even with the difference in their records. It will be a pretty near game if both teams play hard.
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The Pittsburgh steelers are now 11-4 and have only come off a major win versus the St. Louis Rams. The Cleveland browns have lost 5 consecutive competitions whereas the Pittsburgh steelers beat the Rams 27-0 and exhibited awesome defense. The Cleveland browns last game versus the Ravens demonstrated just how tough it is for the Cleveland browns to score and they’re certainly going to have a hard time with the Pittsburgh steelers defense. However, a solid portion of the game will rest on the team’s stars and how they will play under pressure. Watch for both teams finish with a flurry since the regular season is nearly done.
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The Pittsburgh steelers are focusing on Big Ben to drive the squad for major passes that will lead to several tds whereas the Cleveland browns will pray that Hardesty will control the ground game. The Cleveland browns nonetheless will have to come together as a unit to have the ability to beat the Pittsburgh steelers as the expertise is certainly on Pittsburgh’s side. Both teams will look to play hard and keep it a low scoring game but watch for a dominating performance by Big Ben and the Pittsburgh steelers. The Cleveland browns will just have a chance if the Pittsburgh steelers completely break down offensively but this is really unlikely.
The Philadelphia Eagles (7-8) are going to visit the Redskins (5-10) in an NFC East divisional competition in their final game. Both teams are at the bottom of the division standings and have been removed from playoff contention this season. Philadelphia had a lot of press hype prior to the start of the season being tagged the dream team with their splash in the free agent market.
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Nevertheless, they haven’t quite lived up to the exceptionally high anticipations and have had their fair share of struggles this season with accidents to crucial players such as quarterback Michael Vick. Because Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid is perhaps on the hot seat for remaining the squad’s coach next season, they still have something to play for.
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Redskins running back Roy Helu is questionable to play one time again with an injury to his toe. With crucial Philadelphia Eagles defensive players doing well such as defensive ends Jason Babin and Trent Cole, their lack of depth at the running game combined with their vulnerable offensive line will be tough to overcome. It will be up to Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman to have an excellent passing game for them to have any kind of chance. The Philadelphia Eagles are averaging about 400 yards on offense per game and it is possible to expect them to do just as well with the team of a healthy Michael Vick at quarterback and running back LeSean McCoy. Philadelphia cornerback Asante Samuel is not likely to compete with a hamstring injury.
Despite both teams not earning a playoff berth for the 2011 season, they still would like to end on a good note and come out at the top for the final game of the year. The Philadelphia Eagles are faves in this particular game to the long shot Redskins with a line of -9. The over/under for points is at 46.5.
Week 17 of the nfl Year is often full of trap games. The game between the Lions and Packers in Green Bay is one such game.
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The Lions have had a renaissance year. They’ve already qualified for the postseason with a win over the Chargers this past week, on top of already having a winning record. Having stated all that, nonetheless, the Lions pale in comparison to the Green bay packers who are 14-1 and already defeat the Lions 27-15 in Detroit earlier in the year. It all says this ought to be a Green bay packers win, but one has to wonder why odds makers are making the Lions a 3 point favorite in the game. The answer is…
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The Green bay packers come into this match with the number one seed in the NFC for the playoffs. Win or lose, they are going to be the number one seed so the Green bay packers have nothing to play for. With all this, all signals are the squad will rest key competitors on its offense and defense. For instance, stud quarterback Aaron Rodgers may play simply the first quarter. As the squad tries to get rest for its battered offensive line, this is specifically correct. In general, the Green bay packers seem to be prepared to sleepwalk through this match.
The Lions take a different approach. It’s now seeking to get the highest seed [5th] feasible, although the squad has qualified for among the two wild cards in the division. The advantage of this higher seed means the Lions would play a weaker choice of division champions depending on the outcome of the other games in week 17. That may be the distinction between being one and done in the playoffs or making a deep run. All and all, the Lions will be very motivated for this match.
The Jan 01 – Panthers at Saints competition is an appealing one for Football supporters and gamblers. The Saints come into week 17 at 12-3. They’ve already finished up the 3rd seed in the NFC, and the only way they might improve that seeding is if San Francisco loses to 2-13 St. Louis, which doesn’t seem likely. There is the possibility quarterback Drew Brees will sit for most, if not all, of the game because New Orleans might not play their starters for the complete game.
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Obviously if Drew Brees along with New Orleans starters sit will have a big impact on the match. New Orleans is favored in the game by 8. These two teams last met on October ninth this year. Although it looked like the Panthers would eke out a win, Brees led the Saints to a game-winning td with 50 seconds left and the Saints pulled out a 30-27 win.
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They have a lot to be thrilled about for next year although the Panthers (6-9) do not have a possibility at the playoffs this year. Their rookie quarterback, Cam Newton, has set a rookie record for passing yards plus an Nfl record for rushing tds by a quarterback. The Panthers have won four of their last 5.
This is an critical game for the Panthers, although the Saints may rest some players. They’d like to finish their year one game below .500, and with a win over their division rival Saints, in New Orleans. As they came within a td (and one minute) from defeating New Orleans earlier this year, it would seem that 8 points is a manageable spread for the Panthers to cover. The Saints have been hot lately, nonetheless, and are unbeaten at home this year. Thus, it will all boil down to who ends up on the field for the Saints on Sunday, and who takes time relaxing for the playoffs.
