Colts are smart play in Miami

You`re probably thinking about the Super Bowl spread, which has Indianapolis as a sizable favorite for their showdown with New Orleans in just under two weeks time. Who will come out on top in Super Bowl XLIV odds

Saints vs Colts odds – Sunday, February 7, 6:20 PM ET

The Saints were a bit fortunate to come away with a 31-28 win over Minnesota at home in overtime of the NFC championship, as the Vikings gained 475 yards, while holding the Saints’ high-powered unit to 257 yards. However, the Saints forced five turnovers, including a crucial pick of Brett Favre late in the fourth quarter while the Vikings were aiming for field-goal range. Drew Brees was only 17-of-31 for 197 yards, but he threw three touchdowns and more importantly, no picks, which is a good thing to know before heading to your gambling software.

The Colts did exactly what they needed to do for the second straight week in a 30-17 win over the upstart New York Jets. They shut down the Jets’ running game to the tune of 86 yards, and even though they gave up some big plays against Mark Sanchez and company, they made plays when they had to. Peyton Manning struggled early, but the Colts made adjustments and the four-time MVP caught fire, finishing with 377 yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-39 passing. The poor Indy ground game even got in on the action, rushing for 101 yards. But the most important part of the day was the play of Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, who combined for 274 yards and a pair of scores on 18 catches as Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne were taken out of the game.

US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews) have the Colts as a 5.5-point favorite in this contest, and they have to have the edge due to their experience of winning the Super Bowl four years ago, also in Miami, while this is the first-ever appearance in the big game for the Saints. Manning will be going up against the team his father Archie played with for 11 seasons, and if the Colts are going to win, they need to slow down the New Orleans pass rush that harassed Favre all over the field last week. Defensively, the Colts have the discipline to keep up with Brees and his arsenal.

Super Bowl odds pick: Indy -5.5

Colts, Saints still leading the way

2010 Super Bowl odds are all the rage right now, as the NFL heads into the conference championships. Here’s a look at the remaining four teams and their Super Bowl odds.

Indianapolis (+120): the Colts are the favorites as they prepare to meet the Jets at home, and they’ll be out for revenge after losing to New York in Week 16. The Colts will aim to shut down the run and make Mark Sanchez beat them with his arm. On offense, Dallas Clark has to break out and make some catches for Peyton Manning for Indy to pull out the sportsbook win.

New Orleans (+230): the Saints need to slow down Minnesota’s front four and give Drew Brees some time to find his receivers, because the Vikings terrorized Tony Romo last week. On defense, their key player is safety Darren Sharper, who tied for the regular-season lead in picks with nine, and recovered a fumble in last week’s win over the Cardinals. Sharper played with Brett Favre for eight seasons in Green Bay, and then played against him as a Vikings.

Minnesota (+350): Favre may make the Vikings the sentimental favorite, and like last week, he’ll need to find Sidney Rice, who will garner a lot of attention. This could free up Percy Harvin, the Offensive Rookie of the Year, and he has the ability to kill the Saints with his big plays.  On defense, it’s just like we said above: Jared Allen and Ray Edwards have to get pressure on Brees to disrupt his timing. If you let Brees have time, you can kiss your bookmaker odds (bookmaker reviews) goodbye.

New York Jets (+600): the Jets have pulled off two upsets at Cincinnati and San Diego because of the things that got them here: defense and a strong running game. However, the defense could be in some trouble as Shaun Ellis and Bart Scott are both banged up. At some point, Sanchez will have to throw the ball down the field, because the Colts will likely put eight or nine in the box and hope to put all the pressure on the rookie Sanchez. This could turn out to be one of the biggest Super Bowl odds picks in recent memory.

Colts, Saints on collision course

The Super Bowl line for the big game isn’t out yet as we still have to play the conference championships this weekend. It looks like the stage is set for Indianapolis and New Orleans to meet in Miami on February 7^th, and even though they won’t be easy games, they’ll advance.

Jets vs Colts odds – Sunday, 3:00 PM ET

The Colts are 7.5-point favorites this week, but it’s the Jets that are taking all the attention as coach Rex Ryan said he’d be shocked if the Jets didn’t win. Surely, New York should have some confidence as they’ve won road games against two very good teams, Cincinnati and San Diego. They also won 29-15 in Indy during Week 16, but everyone knows that the Colts took their starters out in the third quarter with a 15-10 lead. Indy, led by four-time MVP Peyton Manning, is too smart to get sucked into the trash talk, but you know they’ve been listening. Look for them to do what they did to Baltimore: stop the run, and force a young quarterback (Mark Sanchez) to beat you. Also, Jets defenders Shaun Ellis and Bart Scott were hobbling at practice, or not practicing at all, which isn’t good for their sportsbook odds.

Vikings vs Saints odds – Sunday, 6:40 PM ET

The Saints are 3.5-point favorites according to US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews), and they showed why they were the top team in the NFC all season by thrashing Arizona. The Vikings did their own dirty work by pasting Dallas, but now they’re heading into one of the few stadiums that can rival their own at the Metrodome in crowd noise, and you can bet that this will be the loudest that the Superdome has been all year. The Vikings dropped their last three games of the regular season on the road at Arizona, Carolina and Chicago, all teams that they should have beaten. The Saints will try and slow down an already-struggling Minnesota ground game, and force Brett Favre into making some bad throws. On offense, the Saints have to keep the Minnesota front four honest as they dominated the Dallas offensive line and had Tony Romo running for his life all day long.

Super Bowl betting picks: Colts -7.5; Saints -3.5

Saints Will Roll Vikings

We’ve past two rounds of the NFL playoffs and one more round brings us to the Super Bowl odds. But before we reach that point, we have a set of Championship games in which some teams will need to play their best and others will need some buzz luck to get ahead.

In the NFC, we’ll see a matchup of the two best teams from the regular season.

The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings were clearly head and shoulders above everyone and now we’ll see them clash in what should be a classic. The Saints started the season 13-0 while the Vikings started the year 10-1. Both teams stumbled a little bit down the stretch as the Saints lost their final three regular season games while the Vikings lost three of their final five outings.

Nonetheless, both teams were recharged after a bye week and both teams blew out their opponents in the divisional round. That sets up what should be a high-octane contest in New Orleans this weekend.

Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints

Bodog Odds (Bodog Reviews): Saints -3.5

The Minnesota Vikings are in an interesting spot this week. Down the stretch of the season, the Saints lost their final three games and really opened the door for the Vikings to steal away home field advantage. In the end, the Vikings also lost three of five down the stretch and couldn’t take the top seed away.

That’s an issue because the Vikings now have to travel on the road for this contest instead of playing in their own backyard. That’s a big deal because at home this year, the Vikings were a perfect 9-0. On the road, they are just 4-4.

This is a tough spot for the Vikings, who haven’t seen much production from running back Adrian Peterson recently. Peterson will be the x-factor on Sunday but keep in mind that he hasn’t recorded a 100-yard rushing effort in any of his last eight games.

If the Vikings don’t have the balance between the run and the pass, they aren’t going to win this game.

New Orleans is one of the best teams in football and they have pummeled a number of good teams. They will be licking their chops at the thought of picking apart that feeble Vikings secondary and as long as they contain Peterson, they’ll win by double-digits.

NFL Picks: Saints 34, Vikings 17

Mock Super Bowl Battles

Championship Sunday is upon us! Let’s look at all the possibilities for the Super Bowl odds and the potential matchups:

Indianapolis Colts vs New Orleans Saints

This looked like it was to be the matchup all season, with both teams undefeated until the last month. MVP Peyton Manning will go down as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game and is still in his prime. No one has shown they can stop him yet. Peyton Manning is invincible until proven otherwise. The Saints boast Drew Brees, a fiery undersized QB that out thinks and out works his competitors and is the true definition of a leader.  These teams are very similar with fast defenses and great QB’s. This will be a high-scoring, high-flying matchup with turnovers being extremely important. Like I said before, Peyton Manning is Invincible until proven otherwise.

NFL Betting Verdict: Colts 33-24.

Indianapolis Colts vs Minnesota Vikings

Brett Favre back in the Super Bowl vs. the man who one day will break all his records. Years later we will look back at this game to say who the better quarterback was historically. The Vikings defensive line can give Manning fits if they pressure him like they did Romo, but Peyton’s line is more than serviceable and Peyton gets the ball away with his timing patterns in the nick of time almost every time. Adrian Peterson will have more success running inside than outside but his speed will be neutralized by the Colts D.

Expect the Vikings to have to play catch up and get away from Peterson.

NFL Picks Verdict:  Colts 38-24

New York Jets vs New Orleans Saints

The Jets have gotten real lucky; they got to play the Colts with Curtis Painter and a Bengals team, who rested everyone and was a shell of itself anyway, and then that same sliding Bengals team to get to the Division round. Last week’s victory over the Chargers however, was anything but luck. The tempo, the physicality and the scheming all favored the Jets and they came away with the victory. They will have their hands full with Drew Brees and his many top flight receiving options: Colston (top 10 receiver in the NFL), Shockey (reemerging great all around tight end), Devery Henderson (emerging former LSU star), Lance Moore (solid receiver), and Reggie Bush (showed flashes of greatness for 4 quarters last week). The Saints have too many weapons for a Jets team that doesn’t score a whole lot.

US Sportsbook Review Verdict: Saints 30-Jets 13

New York Jets vs Minnesota Vikings

Ohhhh Baby! Favre goes against his former team for the title. Expect Favre and Rice to be completely taken away by Revis. Revis played practice vs. Favre last year everyday and surely knows more about this QB than any other in the league. Plus Revis is an exponentially better player this year than last. The Jets have never made up for losing Kris Jenkins at NT this season and that spells disaster against the great Adrian Peterson. The Jets O-line vs. the Vikings D-Line is a battle of the best in the game on both sides. Expect a high powered, heavy-hitting, low scoring matchup. This can easily turn into a ball control battle and great low scoring game.

Verdict: Vikings 16- Jets 13

Cowboys-Vikings should decide NFC representative

Super Bowl odds in the AFC are tight right now, but all eyes should be on the Metrodome this weekend, where Dallas and Minnesota will face off. These are the two most balanced teams in the NFC, and the winner here should go on to Miami for the big game.

The Cowboys are a 2.5-point underdog right now, but they’ve won four in a row and are coming off two consecutive beatings of a good Philadelphia team. Tony Romo has been playing the best football of his career, and the running game and defense has followed suit. The Cowboys should be more relaxed now as they won their first playoff game since 1996, and they’ll need to be relaxed because the Metrodome may be the loudest stadium in the league.

The Metrodome is so loud because the Vikings keep winning there: they’re 8-0 at home this year. Brett Favre had arguably the best regular season of his career after having shoulder surgery on his 40-year-old right shoulder, and as shown by his connections with young receiver Sidney Rice, Favre hasn’t lost any zip on his throws. Adrian Peterson didn’t exactly light the league up this year, but he still finished fifth in rushing. If he can fix his fumbling problems, the Vikings’ sportsbook odds will improve. The defense is tough against the run, and Antonio Winfield needed the week off to rest a foot injury. Winfield is the Vikings’ best cover player, and he’ll have to be close to top form to chase Dallas’ Miles Austin.

So who should you go with as you’re going through your bookmaker odds (bookmaker reviews)? Minnesota is the smart play here, due to Favre’s experience and the Vikings’ ability to stop the run. If they can do that, then that puts a pile of pressure on Romo, and even though the younger version of Favre has made big leaps this year, he’s not ready for primetime just yet. Romo will make some bad throws as it gets louder in the Metrodome, and the Vikings will also increase the pressure on Romo, led by defensive end Jared Allen. With all due respect to New Orleans and Arizona, who will meet in the other NFC divisional playoff, go with Minnesota this week and ride them all the way to the Super Bowl.

NFL Picks: Minnesota -2.5 for the game, +275 to win the NFC

NCAA Football – Top Five Non-BCS Bowl Games

Sports betting players have been anxiously waiting for bowl betting season to begin, and obviously, the five BCS bowls will get a lot of attention. But there are a few non-BCS bowls that are worth your betting money, and here they are:

Cotton Bowl (January 2, 2:00 PM ET) – Oklahoma State vs Ole Miss

Both of these teams were ranked in the preseason top 10, but the Rebels are the bigger disappointment after finishing 4-4 in the SEC. Oklahoma State’s aerial attack suffered without receiver Dez Bryant, who was suspended by the NCAA, while Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead may have to come back to help his draft status. Ole Miss is a 3-point sports betting favorite, and they beat the Cowboys 31-28 in this game in 2003.

Capital One Bowl (January 1, 1:00 PM ET) – Penn State vs LSU

The Tigers should be in a BCS bowl, if not for some shoddy clock management in a loss at Ole Miss. The Nittany Lions lost at home to Iowa and Ohio State, and a win over the Hawkeyes probably would have them in the Orange Bowl instead of Iowa. Penn State is a 3-point sports betting favorite in the first meeting for these two programs, and both rank in the top 12 in scoring defense. The difference in this NCAA football betting matchup could be LSU’s Trindon Holliday, who is second in the nation in punt returns, and Penn State has struggled with punt coverage this year.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl (December 31, 7:30 PM ET) – Virginia Tech vs Tennessee

The Vols were surprisingly good in Lane Kiffin’s first year as coach, and they almost beat Florida and Alabama on the road. The Hokies failed to win the ACC Coastal for the first time in three seasons, but back-to-back losses against Georgia Tech and North Carolina killed their chances. Virginia Tech is a 4-point favorite in your sportsbook, and these two have never met before. It should be a physical affair as both are in the top 16 in total defense.

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl (December 30, 8:00 PM ET) – Arizona vs Nebraska

The Wildcats recovered from a stunning double-overtime loss against Oregon to beat Arizona State and USC on the road, while the Cornhuskers came within a second of upsetting Texas in the Big 12 title game. If for no other reason, you need to watch this game for Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who will definitely be one of the top NFL picks in the draft after his dominating performance against the Longhorns. The Wildcats are a 1.5-point sports betting favorite here, and the Cornhuskers will be out to avenge a 23-20 loss to Arizona in the 1998 Holiday Bowl.

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl (December 22, 8:00 PM ET) – Oregon State vs BYU

Both rank in the top 22 in terms of scoring, so this should be a fast-paced game. The Beavers were a loss in the Civil War away from making the Rose Bowl, while the Cougars missed the BCS bowls due to big losses at home to Florida State and TCU. The Beavers come into this sports betting matchup as a 2.5-point favorite in their first meeting with BYU, and this should down to the quarterback play of BYU’s Max Hall and Oregon State’s Sean Canfield. This could be one of the toughest NCAA football predictions to make this bowl season.

Five Reasons NOT to Grant Plaxico Burress Early Release from Prison

Most <A HREF=”http://www.betonline.com/sportsbook” TITLE=”sportsbook”>sportsbook</A> bettors probably predicted this. Plaxico Burress, in all his lanky glory, is already struggling to cut it in prison. After just two months in the slammer, he applied for a work furlough, which would let him do some of his time at home.

Really, Plaxico? You think the State of New York will just let you go home because you no likey prison? Sorry, pal. Here are five reasons why Plaxico needs to stay behind bars for a whole lot longer.

<B>5. He’d scare the neighbors.</B>

If you live near a guy who accidentally shoots himself, can you trust him near your children or in the next house over? You’d have to wear a Kevlar vest in case his .40-caliber hand cannon blasts through the window. Plaxico would likely scare everyone away, making his lonely neighborhood like solitary confinement anyway.

<B>4. TNA Wrestling can’t stoop any lower. </B>

TNA already slummed by signing Pacman Jones and having him moonlight as a tag-team wrestler. Methinks bringing in Burress, which the company would surely try to do, would be a nail in the organization’s coffin. Besides, who needs Plaxico when you just landed the Hulkster, brother?

<B>3. Shhh! Don’t tell Plaxico, but the New York Giants receiving corps is fine without him.</B>

Steve Smith already has 979 yards and five scores. That puts him on pace for 1,466 yards on the year  – roughly 100 yards more than Plaxico has ever amassed in a full season. Smith’s 78 grabs through 12 games have also tied Plaxico’s career-best mark, which he set 16 games. Oops – guess Burress wasn’t a huge loss for New York after all. The <A HREF=”http://www.betonline.com/sportsbook#s=football_NFL&t=&sp=False&p” TITLE=”NFL odds”>NFL odds</A> of the Giants bringing him back after his sentence are next to none.

<B>2. Two months is not enough to mend your ways.</B>

Sorry, big guy, but it’s hard to believe two months in prison have left you a changed man already. Two months is a slap on the wrist. Two months simply teaches you to do a better job hiding your gun. Two years, however, should make you think good and hard about the life you led. Just ask Michael Vick, who made the Eagles hot <A HREF=”http://www.nflbet.org/” TITLE=”NFL picks”>NFL picks</A> last week.

<B>1. We can’t risk him stealing Tiger’s thunder.</B>

The Tiger Woods fiasco is exploding so huge that it makes the Vick story look like something out of a high-school paper. Drugs, car crashes, mistresses – Tiger is entertaining the hell out of us. We don’t need Plaxico stealing any headlines with a furlough. This is Tiger’s time.

If you’re a <A HREF=”http://www.betonline.com/” TITLE=”sports betting”>sports betting</A> fan, don’t wager on Plaxico’s odds of getting sprung. Less than five per cent of work release applications in New York’s Department of Correctional Services were granted last year.

Top Four NFL Wildcard Candidates

Sports betting sharps have just four weeks’ worth of NFL football to bet on before the playoffs start. It’s thus not too early to consider who the Wildcard berths could be. Here are the best bets to earn those spots based on strength of schedule and how the rest of their own division shapes up. The Arizona Cardinals, for example, could have a worse record than some of the wildcard teams, but they won’t qualify for a wildcard berth as they’ll lock up their division title shortly.

4. BALTIMORE RAVENS (vs Detroit, vs Chicago, @ Pittsburgh, @ Oakland)

The Ravens’ NFL odds have stiff competition from fellow 6-6 teams Pittsburgh, Miami and the New York Jets but Baltimore arguably has the most favorable remaining schedule. It should blow out lowly Detroit at home this weekend and the punchless Bears at home aren’t a tough opponent either. Ray Rice should carve up Oakland’s brutal run defense in Week 17. The only real hurdle to climb is a Week-16 matchup at Pittsburgh, which could very well decide who gets the last Wildcard berth.

3. DALLAS COWBOYS (vs San Diego, @ New Orleans, @ Washington, vs Philadelphia)

It may seem strange to pick a current division leader as a Wildcard team but, based on the Cowboys’ upcoming schedule, I don’t think they can hold the lead. That would bump them down to Wildcard territory. Trips to raucous New Orleans and chilly Washington don’t bode well for Tony Romo and Dallas’ remaining home games are no slam-dunks; San Diego and Philly are a combined 17-7 this season.

2. DENVER BRONCOS (@ Indianapolis, vs Oakland, @ Philadelphia, vs Kansas City)

Because most of the other Wildcard candidates in the AFC are 6-6 or 7-5, Denver already has a leg up on the competition at 8-4. Teams like Miami and New York probably have to run the table to make the playoffs whereas Denver can go 2-2 and likely get there. With tough road games at Indy and Philly but easy home matchups versus Oakland and Kansas City, the Broncos are good football picks to do exactly that.

1. GREEN BAY PACKERS (@ Chicago, @ Pittsburgh, vs Seattle, @ Arizona)

Like Denver, the Pack have excellent Wildcard chances since they already have eight wins. The reeling, mentally broken Bears don’t scare anyone right now. Travelling to Pittsburgh is a major challenge but the Steelers are 2-5 without Troy Polamalu and allow the big passing plays Green Bay loves to try. The Pack should also pummel Seattle. Arizona is a tough challenge in Week 17 but, overall, I think Green Bay can reach 10 wins. I’d bet on it at my sportsbook if I were you.

Top Five College Football Bowl Games to Watch

If you follow Florida Alabama lines or any other college football action, you probably see a title like “Top bowl games” and scoff. Who doesn’t know the big games? Well, actually, not everyone follows the BCS system. Some football fans are too wrapped up in the NFL to keep track of the college kids. But everyone still loves a good game. To be sure you watch the best of the best, follow this list of football picks throughout the holidays.

5. FedEx Orange Bowl – January 5, 2010

The ACC champ gets the automatic bid for the Orange Bowl; this year, it will be the winner of Clemson and Georgia Tech. Both are flawed teams coming off losses. Depending on whom the ACC winner draws, that could yield an exciting game or a total dud.

4. Allstate Sugar Bowl – January 1, 2010

The Sugar Bowl pits the SEC champ against an at-large foe and, last year, produced a thrilling upset. Undefeated Utah toppled big favorite Alabama 31-17. With No. 2 Alabama currently set to face Florida for the SEC title, it may lose that battle for a BCS title game berth and wind up back in the Sugar Bowl. Could history repeat itself?

3. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl – January 4, 2010

If you were betting an online sportsbook on which bowl would produce the best game, the Fiesta Bowl would probably be your boom/bust pick. Since the Big-12 winner gets the automatic bid, we could see Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. As Texas joins Florida and Alabama in the “big three,” it’s logical to think the Longhorns would romp any opponent they draw in the Fiesta Bowl. However, since it’s very possible that Texas reaches the BCS title game, this would leave two more evenly matched opponents in the Fiesta Bowl, producing a closer contest.

2. Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi – January 1, 2010

The prospect of Oregon or Oregon State representing the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl is exciting. If you’re an NFL betting fan, it’s like knowing for sure that, say, one of Houston or Tennessee is playing in a big playoff game. We’re guaranteed to see fireworks since both of these teams run pretty exciting offenses.

1. Citi 2010 BCS National Championship Game – January 7, 2010

The BCS title game needs no introduction, does it? We’ll see two outstanding teams vying for national supremacy. Florida and Texas, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy – that’s the game most fans want to see and it’s a realistic possibility.