This conference title game features one team riding a miracle victory in what it hopes to be a Super Bowl run against a team that was cast aside by the Oddsmakers even though it was the top seed coming into the NFL postseason. Only one team can win and right now the Minnesota Vikings come into Lincoln Financial Field for Sunday's NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles as three-point road favorites. The consensus betting on this game slightly favors the Vikings at 52 percent in a matchup that has become too close to call from a betting standpoint.
Minnesota opened as a 3.5-point favorite coming off its improbable 29-24 victory against New Orleans on a 61-yard passing touchdown with no time left on the clock. That initial number was bet down to three points as the week progressed and with most of the online books taking action on this game you actually have to pay some extra juice for a play on Philadelphia. BetAnySports' current betting line is set at three points with no juice on the Vikings at +100 moving to -110 for the Eagles.
The betting action on the total line at BetAnySports has taken this number from 38 points to 39 points with a lean towards the OVER at 53 percent with the current betting consensus. Both of these teams boast stingy defenses and a pair of quarterbacks that have never started an NFL game on this big of a stage. While the line at 39 points is still rather low by NFL betting standards, points could be hard to come by all game long.
The link below is to ScoresandStats.com and my complete game preview and 'best bet' pick for this game.
LINK: 2018 NFC Championship Free Betting Pick
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Is Jacksonville Primed for Another Big Road Win in Pittsburgh?
The last time the Jacksonville Jaguars were in the playoffs was back in 2007 and ever since that 11-5 run to the Division Round they have not won more than eight games a year until posting a 10-6 record this season to claim the AFC South Division title. One of their more convincing victories in the regular season was in Week 5 against Pittsburgh on the road in a 30-9 romp. The Jaguars closed as 7.5-point underdogs in that game and they head into this Sunday's rematch at Heinz Field underdogs with that exact same spread at BetAnySports.
Pittsburgh has been a perennial playoff team under head coach Mike Tomlin with eight postseason appearances in 11 seasons since he took over the reins from Bill Cowher back in 2007. The Steelers went 13-3 this year to lay claim to their third AFC North title in the last four seasons and the No. 2 seed in the conference. While all of their focus is atoning for last year's 36-17 loss to New England in the AFC title game as six-point road underdogs, they still have some unfinished business this Sunday afternoon to avenge that earlier loss to Jacksonville.
Veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tossed five interceptions in that first meeting with two of those picks getting returned by the Jaguars for touchdowns. Jacksonville signal caller Blake Bortles only completed eight of 14 passes for 95 yards against Pittsburgh's defense, but rookie running back Leonard Fournette went off for 181 yards and two scores on the ground while running the ball 28 times. Look for Jacksonville to try and recreate that winning formula again on Sunday while relying heavily on its defense to keep the Steelers in check on the scoreboard.
This should be a hard-nosed battle between a pair of teams that boast two of the best defenses in the league. For my complete game preview and official 'best bet" pick, please check out the link below at ScoresandStats.com.
LINK: NFL Divisional Playoffs Free Betting Pick | Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh has been a perennial playoff team under head coach Mike Tomlin with eight postseason appearances in 11 seasons since he took over the reins from Bill Cowher back in 2007. The Steelers went 13-3 this year to lay claim to their third AFC North title in the last four seasons and the No. 2 seed in the conference. While all of their focus is atoning for last year's 36-17 loss to New England in the AFC title game as six-point road underdogs, they still have some unfinished business this Sunday afternoon to avenge that earlier loss to Jacksonville.
Veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tossed five interceptions in that first meeting with two of those picks getting returned by the Jaguars for touchdowns. Jacksonville signal caller Blake Bortles only completed eight of 14 passes for 95 yards against Pittsburgh's defense, but rookie running back Leonard Fournette went off for 181 yards and two scores on the ground while running the ball 28 times. Look for Jacksonville to try and recreate that winning formula again on Sunday while relying heavily on its defense to keep the Steelers in check on the scoreboard.
This should be a hard-nosed battle between a pair of teams that boast two of the best defenses in the league. For my complete game preview and official 'best bet" pick, please check out the link below at ScoresandStats.com.
LINK: NFL Divisional Playoffs Free Betting Pick | Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Finding Value in the Early Super Bowl LII Futures Odds
This weekend's Wild Card Round marks the start of the NFL playoffs and the ultimate quest of winning Super Bowl LII on Sunday, Feb. 4. Six teams from the AFC and six from the NFC have earned a spot in this tournament and BetAnySports has released its NFL futures odds for each one's chances to win one of the most coveted titles in the world of sports.
New England is the No. 1 seed in the AFC and the defending Super Bowl Champion and the Patriots have the best odds in the field to successfully go all the way again this year. Pittsburgh is a crowd favorite coming out of the same conference as the No. 2 seed and Minnesota has the best odds of any team in the NFC to win its first Super Bowl title in franchise history the same season that the NFL's championship game will actually be played in the Vikings' home stadium.
Looking at the posted Super Bowl futures odds for the other nine teams in the field, the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams have been popular picks at longer +1000 odds. Kansas City has the next best odds of the remaining four teams in the AFC at +1800 and Tennessee has the longest odds on the board at +10000.
The one caveat in this year's field is Philadelphia as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Eagles would have probably been second-favorites to the Patriots if Carson Wentz was still the team's starting quarterback, but a torn ACL turned the keys over to Nick Foles which in turn has sent Philly's betting stock right down the tube. With Foles in place, the Eagles' Super Bowl odds opened at +1000 and just a few days later they now stand at +1200. Home field advantage throughout the playoffs still counts for something and so does a team that can run the ball better than most on offense complementing a defense that is ranked inside the top five in both yards and points allowed.
After breaking down the entire playoff field in terms of each team's opening betting odds, the link below to my recent article for ScoresandStats.com spells out top-valued Super Bowl picks heading into the opening round of the playoffs.
LINK: NFL Super Bowl LII | Futures Odds
New England is the No. 1 seed in the AFC and the defending Super Bowl Champion and the Patriots have the best odds in the field to successfully go all the way again this year. Pittsburgh is a crowd favorite coming out of the same conference as the No. 2 seed and Minnesota has the best odds of any team in the NFC to win its first Super Bowl title in franchise history the same season that the NFL's championship game will actually be played in the Vikings' home stadium.
Looking at the posted Super Bowl futures odds for the other nine teams in the field, the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams have been popular picks at longer +1000 odds. Kansas City has the next best odds of the remaining four teams in the AFC at +1800 and Tennessee has the longest odds on the board at +10000.
The one caveat in this year's field is Philadelphia as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Eagles would have probably been second-favorites to the Patriots if Carson Wentz was still the team's starting quarterback, but a torn ACL turned the keys over to Nick Foles which in turn has sent Philly's betting stock right down the tube. With Foles in place, the Eagles' Super Bowl odds opened at +1000 and just a few days later they now stand at +1200. Home field advantage throughout the playoffs still counts for something and so does a team that can run the ball better than most on offense complementing a defense that is ranked inside the top five in both yards and points allowed.
After breaking down the entire playoff field in terms of each team's opening betting odds, the link below to my recent article for ScoresandStats.com spells out top-valued Super Bowl picks heading into the opening round of the playoffs.
LINK: NFL Super Bowl LII | Futures Odds
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)