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
Friday, December 29, 2017
Capital One Orange Bowl Preview & Free Betting Pick
Saturday's college bowl schedule is highlighted by a Big Ten/ACC matchup that should have been named the "Woulda Coulda Shoulda Bowl" between the 12-1 Wisconsin Badgers and the 10-2 Miami Hurricanes. These two national powers will actually play one another in this season's Capital One Orange Bowl in the Hurricanes' back yard at Hard Rock Stadium. Game time on ESPN is set for 8 p.m.
The knock on Wisconsin all season long was its strength of schedule, but when you win all of your regular season games as a major program you should be considered a College Football Playoff team. The problem with this impressive 12-0 run is that the Badgers could not seal the deal with one more win against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship which would have them playing on New Year's Day in one of two CFP semifinal matchups.
Miami was another major program out of the ACC that steamrolled its way to a perfect 10-0 start while not playing the toughest of schedules. The Hurricanes biggest victory in this run was against Notre Dame in a big way as 3.5-point home underdogs with BetAnySports. The stage was set for a showdown against Clemson in the conference title game, before Miami looked past Pittsburgh in its regular season finale. Even with that bad loss. the Hurricanes could have still earned a CFP berth with a victory against the top-ranked Tigers, but they came up well short in a 38-3 loss in the ACC Championship.
Turning to this Saturday's matchup, I believe that one of these teams has the clear edge over the other to the point where this would be one of my higher unit plays of the day. In a full game preview for ScoresandStats.com at the link below, I have released my official pick for the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl.
LINK: 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl Free Betting Pick- No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No.10 Miami Hurricanes
The knock on Wisconsin all season long was its strength of schedule, but when you win all of your regular season games as a major program you should be considered a College Football Playoff team. The problem with this impressive 12-0 run is that the Badgers could not seal the deal with one more win against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship which would have them playing on New Year's Day in one of two CFP semifinal matchups.
Miami was another major program out of the ACC that steamrolled its way to a perfect 10-0 start while not playing the toughest of schedules. The Hurricanes biggest victory in this run was against Notre Dame in a big way as 3.5-point home underdogs with BetAnySports. The stage was set for a showdown against Clemson in the conference title game, before Miami looked past Pittsburgh in its regular season finale. Even with that bad loss. the Hurricanes could have still earned a CFP berth with a victory against the top-ranked Tigers, but they came up well short in a 38-3 loss in the ACC Championship.
Turning to this Saturday's matchup, I believe that one of these teams has the clear edge over the other to the point where this would be one of my higher unit plays of the day. In a full game preview for ScoresandStats.com at the link below, I have released my official pick for the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl.
LINK: 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl Free Betting Pick- No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No.10 Miami Hurricanes
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Seahawks and Cowboys Clash in Playoff Elimination Showdown
A pair of NFC 8-6 teams fighting for their playoff life highlight Sunday's NFL late-afternoon betting schedule when the Seattle Seahawks clash with the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Big D. BetAnySports has listed the Cowboys as 4.5-point home favorites with the total set at 47 for Sunday's 4:25 p.m. kickoff on FOX.
The Seahawks have dropped their last two games with losses to Jacksonville on the road and to the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams at home to put their backs firmly against the wall when it comes to extending their consecutive streak of playoff appearances past five seasons.
The Cowboys are looking to extend their current winning streak to four games after getting past Washington at home and the New York Giants and the Oakland Raiders on the road in their last three outings. They need to win their last two games and get some help to make their third trip to the postseason in their last four seasons. As an added bonus, Dallas will have running back Ezekiel Elliott back in the starting lineup after sitting out his last six games due to a league suspension.
As part of my weekly NFL coverage for SportsBettingStats.com the following link is to my full game preview and 'best bet' betting pick for this crucial NFC tilt.
LINK: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT DALLAS COWBOYS NFL PICKS - ODDS AND PREDICTIONS
The Seahawks have dropped their last two games with losses to Jacksonville on the road and to the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams at home to put their backs firmly against the wall when it comes to extending their consecutive streak of playoff appearances past five seasons.
The Cowboys are looking to extend their current winning streak to four games after getting past Washington at home and the New York Giants and the Oakland Raiders on the road in their last three outings. They need to win their last two games and get some help to make their third trip to the postseason in their last four seasons. As an added bonus, Dallas will have running back Ezekiel Elliott back in the starting lineup after sitting out his last six games due to a league suspension.
As part of my weekly NFL coverage for SportsBettingStats.com the following link is to my full game preview and 'best bet' betting pick for this crucial NFC tilt.
LINK: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT DALLAS COWBOYS NFL PICKS - ODDS AND PREDICTIONS
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Rodgers and Foles NFL Prop Bet Picks
Future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns to Green Bay's starting lineup this Sunday against Carolina after missing the team's last seven games with a broken collarbone. The 7-6 Packers are listed as three-point underdogs on the road by BetAnySports.com in what is basically an elimination game as far as earning a spot in this season's NFC playoffs.
The 11-2 Philadelphia Eagles have already clinched the NFC East Division title and they will be playing for a first-round bye this Sunday as 7.5-point road favorites against the rival New York Giants. They will also be playing without their franchise quarterback Carson Wentz after he tore his ACL in last Sunday's win against the Los Angeles Rams. In his place will be six-year veteran Nick Foles, who got his start in Philly as a third-round pick out of Arizona in the 2012 draft. After leaving the Eagles for brief stints with the Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs with is old head coach Andy Reid, he returned to Philadelphia this season to be reunited with is old quarterback coach and current Eagles' head coach Doug Pederson.
Given all the drama surrounding both of these player personnel moves, BetAnySports.com has also released some special player props for both of these signal callers in conjunction with this Sunday afternoon's game. In one of my betting news articles this week for ScoresandStats.com, I came up with my free 'best bet' picks for a pair of these props based on the value in the betting odds. Please check out the link to my picks below.
LINK: NFL Week 15 Special Quarterback Betting Props
The 11-2 Philadelphia Eagles have already clinched the NFC East Division title and they will be playing for a first-round bye this Sunday as 7.5-point road favorites against the rival New York Giants. They will also be playing without their franchise quarterback Carson Wentz after he tore his ACL in last Sunday's win against the Los Angeles Rams. In his place will be six-year veteran Nick Foles, who got his start in Philly as a third-round pick out of Arizona in the 2012 draft. After leaving the Eagles for brief stints with the Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs with is old head coach Andy Reid, he returned to Philadelphia this season to be reunited with is old quarterback coach and current Eagles' head coach Doug Pederson.
Given all the drama surrounding both of these player personnel moves, BetAnySports.com has also released some special player props for both of these signal callers in conjunction with this Sunday afternoon's game. In one of my betting news articles this week for ScoresandStats.com, I came up with my free 'best bet' picks for a pair of these props based on the value in the betting odds. Please check out the link to my picks below.
LINK: NFL Week 15 Special Quarterback Betting Props
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Eagles vs. Rams Betting Preview & Pick
One of the top matchups on this Sunday's NFL slate is an NFC showdown between the 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles and the 9-3 Los Angeles Rams with major implications for this season's playoffs. Both teams lead their respective divisions and the winner of this game will be in the driver seat for a first-round bye as one of the top two seeds in the conference.
The betting line for this game had an early lean towards the Rams with the general betting consensus. They opened as slight one-point home favorites and the early money going their way has pushed the spread to 2.5 points at BetAnySports. The number has come back down to 1.5 points in favor of Los Angeles with some weekend money on the Eagles. The total line for this game opened at 51 points, but it has been bet down to 48 points as of Saturday.
The big subplot in this game is the first head-to-head meeting between the top two picks of the 2016 NFL Draft. Eagles' quarterback Carson Wentz remains one of the top betting favorites to win this year's league MVP award, while Jared Goff has already led the Rams to their first winning season since 2003. The winner in this game will also have the early leg up in what could be one of the best quarterback rivalries in the NFL in the coming years.
The link below to OSGA.com is my official betting preview and pick for Sunday's game, which is slated to get underway at 4:25 p.m. on FOX from Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.
LINK: NFL Week 14 Preview and Free Pick - Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams
The betting line for this game had an early lean towards the Rams with the general betting consensus. They opened as slight one-point home favorites and the early money going their way has pushed the spread to 2.5 points at BetAnySports. The number has come back down to 1.5 points in favor of Los Angeles with some weekend money on the Eagles. The total line for this game opened at 51 points, but it has been bet down to 48 points as of Saturday.
The big subplot in this game is the first head-to-head meeting between the top two picks of the 2016 NFL Draft. Eagles' quarterback Carson Wentz remains one of the top betting favorites to win this year's league MVP award, while Jared Goff has already led the Rams to their first winning season since 2003. The winner in this game will also have the early leg up in what could be one of the best quarterback rivalries in the NFL in the coming years.
The link below to OSGA.com is my official betting preview and pick for Sunday's game, which is slated to get underway at 4:25 p.m. on FOX from Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.
LINK: NFL Week 14 Preview and Free Pick - Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams
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