It all comes down to this as the #1 ranked Tigers take on the #2 ranked Crimson Tide in the BCS National Tournament Game at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA on January 9th. After winning the national tournament in 2009 and furthermore winning it with LSU as a head coach in 2003, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is no stranger to this match. LSU head coach Les Miles is furthermore no stranger at this instant as he has won the national tournament in 2007. 2 excellent teams and head coaches clashing on a collision course in what will certainly be a great game. The odds makers presently have this at Alabama (-1) with the over-under established at 40 points.
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The LSU Tigers come into play unbeaten at 13-0 with an 8-0 record in the SEC. They have furthermore gone a staggering 8-0 versus ranked teams with victories over #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 LSU Tigers winning in ot over the Tide 9-6. With 38.5 points per game won, the LSU Tigers have a great offense ranked 12th in the nation. LSU’s true weapon is their defense which is ranked second in the nation with simply 10.5 points per game allowed. Senior Quarterback Jarrett Lee with 1,306 passing yards and also a 152.0 rating mans the LSU Tigers passing attack. With each racking up over 700 yards on the ground, the tandem of sophomores Michael Ford and Spencer Ware pace the LSU running attack. CB Tyrann Mathieu ended fifth in the Heisman race whilst nabbing 6 picks and getting 173 yards off of those picks which rate 1st in the nation.
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The Alabama Crimson Tide come into this match trying to get revenge for their loss to LSU back in November. With a 7-1 record in the SEC, the Tide has gone 11-1 in total. They have gone 4-1 versus the Top 25 this season with victories over #23 Penn State, #14 Arkansas, #12 Florida, and #24 Auburn. The aforementioned game versus LSU in November was their simply loss. The Tide has averaged 36.0 points per game 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 nation simply allowing a mindboggling 8.8 points per game. The CrimsonTide place the offense in sophomore Quarterback AJ McCarron’s hands, McCarron has 2,400 passing yards and a 149.8 passer rating. Junior Running back Trent Richardson ended 2nd in the Heisman whereas getting 1,583 rushing yards and 20 td’s on the ground.
The Steelers are matched up versus the Broncos in the nfl Playoffs. The Steelers concluded as a wild card with an extraordinary record of 12-4 in the AFC North division, while the Broncos ended up with an 8-8 record narrowly claiming champions of the AFC West. The Steelers will be traveling to Denver to compete versus them at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
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Denver has enjoyed some success this season and a lot of media hype around qb Tim Tebow after he took over the starting position with the departure of Kyle Orton. His play together with their strong defense has held them in competition in plenty of contests this year and they were able to pull out some exciting comeback victories.
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Tebow will need to have confidence and keep calm under strain to progress in the playoffs and perhaps cement himself as the team qb for the Broncos. Former Broncos qb and current VP of operations John Elway has provided Tim Tebow some words of encouragement for the approaching game. If the Broncos find themselves falling behind early in this playoff match up, then it will be quite hard to turn it around versus the strong defense of the Steelers. Both squads will count on their defense to keep themselves in the game and allow their offense an opportunity to step up and perform. Steelers qb Ben Roethlisberger has proven himself this season and looks to carry on that success in the 1st round of the playoffs. Furthermore look for running back Isaac Redman to step up as Rashard Mendenhall is looking after a knee injury.
Tthe Steelers are scheduled as 8 point favorites to progress in the playoffs, probably considering he Broncos aren’t going to have an easy time versus the powerhouse Steelers. The over/under on total points in this game is 35.5.
After finishing with the greatest record in the league last year, and getting sacked in the 1st round by the Packers, the Atlanta Falcons pray that slipping into the playoffs undetected in 2012 will give them better results. Atlanta ended 10-6 this year, earning them a 1st round wild-card match-up with the NFC East winning Giants (9-7).
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For the Jan 8 – Atlanta Falcons versus New York Giants game, nonetheless, New York appears to have the traction proceeding into the playoffs. Oddsmakers have identified this, and made New York a 3-point favorite. This is maybe a surprising position for a team that lost four competitions consecutively in November-December. In order to give them an chance to arrive at the playoffs, the New York Giants had to count on huge errors by their division foe Dallas Cowboys. A win over Dallas in week 17 assured them the division championship.
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New York players could argue that their losing streak this year came when starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw was hurt. Which is a legitimate argument, as three of four losses in that streak came when Bradshaw was on the bench. Now that he’s back the New York Giants have appeared as if a changed team, winning two must-win competitions consecutively over challenging contest (Jets and Dallas).
Atlanta has struggled all year versus winning teams, though Atlanta won three of their last four competitions coming into the playoffs. Atlanta is only 2-4 versus teams that ended over .500. Only two weeks ago, they were eliminated by the Saints, 45-16.
Both teams are led by quality quarterbacks, the New York Giants by Eli Manning and the Atlanta Falcons by Matt Ryan. The difference in this match, nonetheless, may be in qb pressure. The New York Giants defensive line can get to the qb, and recorded 48 sacks this year, great for third in the league. The game will be based on how well Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons offensive line can withstand the pressure of the Giants’ defensive front.
Maybe the Detroit Lions just are unlucky with regards to scheduling. First, they conclude their regular season vs their division foe Packers, who also possess the league’s greatest record. They then follow that up by drawing the Saints in the first round of the playoffs.
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The Jan 7 – Lions versus Saints game will be the second meeting of the 2 squads this year. New Orleans won the first matchup in New Orleans 31-17. This is perhaps part of the reason New Orleans is a 10.5 point favorite to beat Detroit this week.
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Another is that the Saints are on a roll. They have won 8 competitions consecutively coming into this week’s competition with Detroit, beating 3 other playoff squads throughout that stretch. Following kicking an rival player with his cleats, defensive celebrity Ndamukong Suh was suspended for 2 competitions, but Detroit were able to pull things together. Merely losing a tight game to 15-1 Green Bay, they won 3 out of their last 4 competitions of the year. When they last confronted New Orleans, they were devoid of Suh, and Detroit is hoping the return of his existence to the defensive line is the change they must stop Drew Brees and the powerful New Orleans offense.
Sadly for Detroit, that New Orleans offense has been amazing for the second half of the year. They have landed over 40 points in their last 3 competitions, and gone over 40 in four of their last 6. They’re 8-0 in their home stadium this year and earlier this year in New Orleans they tumbled 62 points on Indianapolis.
Detroit has had trouble this year vs higher quality competition, going 1-5 vs playoff squads (just beating Denver). Their offense has the possibility to be high-flying, and thus it will likely be up to their defense to keep them in this match. If Suh will almost certainly make amends for his two-game suspension, it is now time.
The Bengals will be competing versus the Texans in pro football playoffs. The Bengals will travel to Reliant Stadium in Houston for the competition. Cincinnati finished their season with a record of 9-7 and attained the playoffs this season as a wild card in the AFC North division. After coming out ahead as the leading squad in the AFC South this season, Houston finished with a record of 10-6.
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With the Texans having significant injuries to qbs Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart and the Bengals losing every single game versus playoff quality squads, both squads have still had their fair share of struggles this season. Both qbs were lost for the season with their injuries and rookie T.J. Yates has gotten control. Houston has also seen key injuries to linebacker Mario Williams and wide receiver Andre Johnson. The 2 squads have already confronted each other throughout the regular season and the Texans made a last effort comeback attempt with a match winning td pass caught by wide receiver Kevin Walters with just a few seconds left on the clock.
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The Bengals will need to try and stick to what has worked for them this year which has been their extraordinary run game with running backs Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott. If they can achieve this they could have the edge and at last defeat a playoff squad and progress past the first round for the first time in only over 20 years.
This may boil down to the wire yet again as it’s going to be a close one. Even with a number of injuries to several key star players, the Texans are slight favorites. The over/under for total total points for this particular game is 38. The line is established with the Houston Texans as 3 point favorites at their home field to the longshot Bengals.
This game between the Steelers and the Browns will offer two squads who have diverse goals for the last two games of the season. The Pittsburgh steelers are presently in the playoff competition and are simply only getting ready for the playoffs. On the flip side, the Browns are only trying to salvage their season with a few more wins after having had a quite bad season. Both squads nonetheless will be playing hard even with the difference in their records. If both squads play hard, it will be a quite near game.
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The Pittsburgh steelers are presently 11-4 and have only come off a big win vs the St. Louis Rams. The Browns have lost 5 straight games while the Pittsburgh steelers defeat the Rams 27-0 and exhibited awesome defense. The Browns last game vs the Ravens demonstrated just how hard it is for the Browns to score plus they are certainly going to have a difficult time with the Pittsburgh steelers defense. Nonetheless, a good portion of the game will rest on the squad’s celebrities and how they’ll play under strain. Since the regular season is nearly done, look to see both squads finish with a flurry.
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The Pittsburgh steelers are focusing on Big Ben to drive the squad for huge passes that will lead to numerous touchdowns while the Browns will trust that Hardesty will control the ground game. The Browns nonetheless will must interact as a unit to be able to eliminate the Pittsburgh steelers as the talent is certainly on Pittsburgh’s side. Both squads will look to play hard and keep it a minimal scoring game but look to see a dominating performance by Big Ben and the Pittsburgh steelers. The Browns will only have a possibility if the Pittsburgh steelers entirely break down offensively but this is hugely dubious.
The Seattle Seahawks (7-8) will be traveling to challenge the Cardinals (7-8) in an NFC West divisional game. Each particular squad has fallen just shy of playoff competition this season as they were looking for a wild card berth, but there is a little bit of motivation that a victory will offer either squad a winning record. Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has yet to lose a match against the Cardinals in his stint, but Arizona qb Kevin Kolb could come back and start for his squad following recuperating from a concussion.
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Arizona will need to stop the formidable run game from the Seattle Seahawks with top rusher Marshawn Lynch trying to continue to add to his extraordinary career high of 1,118 yards. Lynch has also scored a td in a squad record eleven games.
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Both teams would love to finish strong with a winning record and are planning as if this were every other game. They both have prospective bright futures ahead with several competitors being added to the Pro Bowl roster including Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and defensive competitors Adrian Wilson and Patrick Peterson. Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was also picked for the Pro Bowl squad and all these top competitors ought to be participating in this final fight with the exception of Peterson who’s questionable with an injury to his left Achilles’ tendon. Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch almost certainly feels he should have been selected for the Pro Bowl honors also and after being omitted most likely will want to prove why he genuinely does belong there.
This game will be a fascinating one to see who can end on a great note and assert a winning record for the 2011 season. The Cardinals are a favorite over the longshot Seattle Seahawks with a spread of -3. The over/under for in total points in this match is 40.5.
The Eagles (7-8) will be visiting the Washington Redskins (5-10) in an NFC East divisional contest in their final game. Both teams are at the bottom of the division rankings and have been removed from playoff contention this year. Philadelphia had a lot of press buzz before the start of the year being tagged the dream team with their impact in the free agent market.
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Nevertheless, they have not quite lived up to the extremely high anticipations and have had their fair share of battles this year with injuries to key players such as qb Michael Vick. They still have something to play for as Eagles head coach Andy Reid is possibly on the hot seat for remaining the squad’s coach next year.
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Washington Redskins running back Roy Helu is questionable to play once again with an injury to his toe. Their deficiency of depth at the running game combined with their vulnerable offensive line will be tough to get over with key Eagles defensive players doing well such as defensive ends Jason Babin and Trent Cole. It’ll be up to Washington Redskins qb Rex Grossman to have an amazing passing game for them to have any type of chance. The Eagles are averaging about 400 yards on offense per game and you can anticipate them to do just as well with the pair of a well Michael Vick at qb and running back LeSean McCoy. Philadelphia cornerback Asante Samuel isn’t likely to play with a hamstring injury.
In spite of both teams not earning a playoff spot for the 2011 year, they still would like to end on a good note and come out ahead for the final game of the year. The Eagles are faves in this specific game to the long shot Washington Redskins with a line of -9. The over/under for points is at 46.5.
The Jan 01 – Carolina Panthers at New orleans saints game is an interesting one for Football fans and bettors. The New orleans saints come into week 17 at 12-3. They’ve already wrapped up the third seed in the NFC, and the only way they might improve that seeding is if San Francisco loses to 2-13 St. Louis, which does not seem probable. Therefore, New Orleans may not play their starters for the entire game and there is the probability quarterback Drew Brees will sit for most, if not all, of the game.
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Of course if Drew Brees along with New Orleans starters sit will have a huge effect on the game. New Orleans is favored in the game by 8. These two teams last met on October ninth this season. Brees headed the New orleans saints to a game-winning td with 50 seconds left and the New orleans saints pulled out a 30-27 win, despite the fact that it appeared as if the Carolina Panthers would eke out a win.
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Despite the fact that the Carolina Panthers (6-9) don’t have a possibility at the playoffs this season, they have a great deal to be thrilled about for next season. Their rookie quarterback, Cam Newton, has set a rookie record for passing yards as well as an Nfl record for rushing tds by a quarterback. The Carolina Panthers have won 4 of their last five.
This is an crucial game for the Carolina Panthers, although the New orleans saints could rest some competitors. They’d appreciate to finish their season one game below .500, and with a win over their division rival New orleans saints, in New Orleans. As they came within a td (and one minute) from defeating New Orleans a while back this year, it would seem that 8 points is a manageable spread for the Carolina Panthers to cover. The New orleans saints have been hot recently, nevertheless, and are unbeaten at home this season. Thus, it will all come down to who winds up on the field for the New orleans saints on Sunday, and who takes time regenerating for the playoffs.
Week 17 of football Season is always full of trap games. The match between the Lions and Green Bay Packers in Green Bay is one such game.
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The Lions have had a renaissance season. They have already qualified for the postseason with a victory over the San diego chargers this last week, on top of already having a winning record. Having claimed all that, nonetheless, the Detroit Lions pale in comparison to the Packers who are 14-1 and already beat the Detroit Lions 27-15 in Detroit earlier in the season. Everything says this should be a Packers win, but one has to wonder why sportsbooks are making the Detroit Lions a 3 point fave in the game. The reason is…
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The Packers come into this match with the number 1 seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Packers have nothing to play for since win or lose, they are going to be the number 1 seed. With all this, all signs are the squad will rest key players on its offense and defense. For example, stud qb Aaron Rodgers could play just the 1st quarter. This is specifically correct as the squad tries to get rest for its battered offensive line. In general, the Packers seem to be prepared to sleepwalk through this match.
The Detroit Lions are taking a different approach. Despite the fact that the squad has qualified for among the 2 wild cards in the division, it’s now seeking to get the top seed [5th] feasible. The edge of this higher seed would mean the Detroit Lions would play a less strong choice of division champions depending on the results of the other games in week 17. That could be the distinction between being one and done in the playoffs or having a deep run. The Detroit Lions will be highly motivated for this match overall.
