The New Orleans Saints are headed to their first Super Bowl in franchise history after winning a thrilling overtime game 31-28 against the Minnesota Vikings. Garrett Hartley confidently nailed a 40-yard goal that ignited a celebration in the Super Dome and throughout New Orleans of epic proportion. Things could have ended very differently had Brett Favre not thrown an interception deep in Saints territory very late in the fourth quarter of the game. Time to burn those paper bag masks and drop the nickname the Aints because even though the Saints were outgained by 218 yards, tallied 16 fewer first downs and possessed the ball almost 10 minutes less than the Vikings they still found a way to win the NFC Championship. New Orleans will have their hands full in Miami in a couple of weeks when they face Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, but they deserve a lot of credit for making the biggest game on Earth. Who Dat!
NFL Bets of the Day – January 24th, 2010
Things didn’t go so well for us in the Divisional Playoff games, but we plan to turn it around for the Conference Championship games. Good luck to everyone and enjoy the games.
Colts -7.5
Vikings +3.5
Overall Record:
NFL 33-20 (2009-10) 136-92-5 (overall)
College Basketball 15-8-1 (2009-10) 212-157-7 (overall)
NBA 44-36
NHL 1-2
MLB 90-69-5
College Football 37-24 (2009-10) 142-115-1 (overall)
The Pro Bowl Has Lost It’s Luster
Are you getting amped up in anticipation for the Pro Bowl next Sunday in Miami? I didn’t think so and really why should you? Let’s face it when Vince Young is named to the AFC roster you know it has become a complete joke. I’m not saying Young isn’t a good quarterback because he did help turn around the Titans season, but he shouldn’t be at the Pro Bowl. Vince had 10 touchdown passes on the season to go along with 7 interceptions and Jason Campbell had a higher QB rating than him. Uggh!
No Philip Rivers, no Tom Brady and no Ben Roethlisberger plus Larry Fitzgerlad has pulled out to only be replaced by New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith, who basically disappeared the second half of the season. As a fan, I like the idea of all-star games, but I’m starting to understand that the NFL’s version is just generic. It’s being played now at the wrong time of the year and this year is won’t be in Hawaii so the paradise destination is no longer attached to it. By moving the game up a couple of weeks, the NFL is robbing me the luxury of watching any of the Super Bowl players because not one of them will participate. I understand players will pull out due to injuries and I get it that players like Brett Favre, if he is available after this Sunday, will turn down the invite yet it used to be fun. Yes, the game is lax, the rules are made for points to be put up and the players themselves do everything they can to not get injured, but it was fun. It’s nice to watch the league’s best players play one more game before we lose football totally until late August. Not this year. We will instead watch a lot of second tier guys take the field in Miami without the colorful sideline gear we are used to seeing in Hawaii. Roger, I’m begging you to wise up and move this game back to Hawaii the week after the Super Bowl or
Why the Colts Will Win
This is the game where the underdog now is the team that is playing at home and with the MVP of the NFL. That’s right, the Colts are a wagering favorite, but are being treated as an underdog.
Forget the fact that the Jets beat the Colts in week 16. The Colts were winning when they took out the starters in the 3rd quarter after they had already garnered 17 first downs through a little more than half the game. Forget the fact that the Jets went into Cincy and San Diego and beat the home teams with their excellent defense. Cincy was just a bad team who limped into the playoffs and San Diego just shot themselves in the foot. (literally due to missing 3 FGs and stupid penalties)
Now let’s go back to Jan 4th, 2003. The New York Jets beat the Colts 41-0 in the first round of the playoffs so if you don’t think that with what happened to Indy in week 16 and what happened 7 years ago isn’t in the back of Peyton Manning’s head then you are crazy. The Colts were anticipating this game, although they were thinking they would be playing SD, but their prayers have been answered. Yes, the Jets are the Lady GaGa of the playoffs, but they will not get into the end zone.
Mark Sanchez has not been asked to make the plays yet and last time I checked the Indy defense is healthy and very good. Dwight Freeney, Rahim Brock, and Gary Brackett are still there and are ready to take away the run and make Sanchez beat them.
On the offensive side. The Jets could not stop Antonio Gates or Vincent Jackson and SD had 17 1st downs to the Jets 12 and this is with 10 penalties. SD who throughout the game continually were 3rd and long due (4-13 on 3rd down) to stupid penalties (4 penalties in first 4 possessions). They left themselves in a position that they could not run the offense which allowed them to score more than 20 pts in every game since the middle of November 2008. Of course missing 2 chip shots would have given them 20 pts and a victory, but you can’t say what if. Considering what Gates and Jackson did what do you think Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne will do?
The Jets will not beat the Colts on 93 yards passing for a game and Peyton will shred the NY defense with a clock running, precise game plan. I see this as a blowout. The spread is 7 1/2 and Vegas is begging you to take the Jets.
I am betting the Colts -7 1/2 to cover
Dusty Dvoracek is a Douche
Dusty Dvoracek is currently an ineffective defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears and a former stud for the Oklahoma Sooners. Dvoracek ran into some trouble down in Norman, Oklahoma when he was arrested at a bar called Seven47. Witnesses reported that once Dusty was asked to hit the road he did what all liquored up meatheads do when they are told to leave a club. He decided to “allegedly” hit a representative of the security team for the bar instead of doing as he was told. Luckily he was arrested for assault and battery, public intoxication, interfering with an official process and most importantly for simply being a douche. Dvoracek might have a bit of a chip on his shoulder these days since he has basically done nothing for the Bears since arriving as a third round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. To date he has played in only 13 games over a four year career and the lack of playing time is due to ending each of his four seasons on injured reserve.
Will Americas Team Win Today?
I have been spot on during the playoffs except for the Green Bay game which was a wagering loss, but it gave me hope the playoffs were not going to be as bad as the initial three Wild Card games we had to endure.
This weeks spotlight game is Dallas at Minnesota. The Vikes and their 40 year old QB with all kinds of playoff experience meet the hottest team other than San Diego (which means whales vagina) in Dallas. Tony Romo has essentially been playing playoff football for a month and he and his teammates have come away with an A grade.
Since the Cowboys’ loss at home Dec 13 against the Chargers 20-17 they have reeled off 4 straight wins against the likes of @ New Orleans, twice against PhilLY (who at the time many thought were the NFC favorites) and lowly Washington. Its not that they won, but how they won. They have outscored their opponents 89-31 over this span including back to back shutouts which is the first time they have done so in franchise history. They won for the first time since Nov 1st by scoring more than 26 points so although on paper they have have looked solid their offense is still a little suspect. That being said who needs offense when you have a defense only giving up an average of a little more than 15 points per game.
The Vikings defense was getting riddled late in the year by the likes of Chicago, ‘Zona and Carolina, but still have similar overall D stats to the ‘Boys. What we have here is a game where the defenses will be the talk of the game and whoever doesn’t turn the ball over will be the victors. I know novel concept, but here is the difference. Dallas has issues on the road and Minnesota is 8-0 at home. The most points Dallas scored on the road was 31 game 1 at Tampa and their next highest was 26 in mid-October in OT against KC. Not exactly a juggernaut.
Farve is playing what quite possibly could be his last game and if so he and Kurt Warner will be giving us speeches 5 years from now in Canton. Brett needs to get rid of the ball quickly and hope his O-line gives him the 3 step drop time needed to carve out some yards so AP can then provide a solid runnig game and force Dallas to respect the rush. Remember this, Dallas has not played a team with a serious running game since New Orleans and Brees threw 45 times so the rush was not in play and only 2 teams in the NFL who are in the top 10 in rushing (Carolina and Saints). Yes they beat them but we still haven’t seen the defense go up against a team like the Vikings on the road and win.
I am betting the Vikings to cover -2 1/2
NFL Bets of the Day – January 16th, 2010
Today starts the Divisional playoff games and I couldn’t be more excited. While I think tomorrow is the best slate of games today isn’t shabby at all. Good luck!
Arizona +7
Baltimore +6
Overall Record:
NFL 33-18 (2009-10) 136-90-5 (overall)
College Basketball 15-8-1 (2009-10) 212-157-7 (overall)
NBA 44-36
NHL 1-2
MLB 90-69-5
College Football 37-24 (2009-10) 142-115-1 (overall)
Why will Baltimore win today?
New England has not lost at home in a long time.. November 2006 to be exact. They still have Brady and Moss and Belichick is still at the helm. So why is New England going to lose today?
Baltimore comes in with a 9-7 record and really with the old Defense that has made them the most feared team in the NFL. But what they have is the #3 Total defense in the NFL, #5 against the rush and #8 against the pass. They will load the box against the likes of Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor and Lawrence Maroney. Maroney is just what Baltimore loves.. a guy who cant hold on to the ball, Taylor hasn’t played but in 5 games and Morris has been banged up. A nice Combo when healthy, but they will not be as effective because of a missing WR.
Losing Wes Welker, as much as NE wants to spin it as just a minor setback, will clamp down on Moss and while NE used to have the effective weopons at the 3-4 WR spot those days are over. Jabar Gaffney is gone.. he’s brutal, but he fit the system, Terry Glenn was let go mid season, and rookie, an ex-QB 7th round pick out of Kent St. , will be the slot man in a Playoff game. Dont forget that Sam Aikin is a 4th round pick in 2003 who couldn’t make it in Buffalo and Mathew Slater.. yes HOF Jackie Slater’s son, who was an 8th rounder in 2008 as a DB is also there.
Let’s not forget Tom Brady is still rehabbing the knee cus everyone knows that it is a year to get healthy to play and 2 years to get back to normal. Not to mention his broken ribs, and digits, and lately if you have had any old HS injuries and you live in the south where its been cold as hell.. you are hurting because of the cold. It will be in the high teens with a 15-20 mph wind..
I like the Offensive line and Ray Rice as well as the demeanor of Flacco. Harbaugh is a good coach and the last 2 times Baltimore played NE they had them by the cajones and as Denny Greene once said, “…we let ’em off the hook”. The Ravens will run the ball with their NFL ranked #5 rush O and the overall #13 Offense.. Think of it this way.. Arizona is ranked behind them in Rushing and Overall O.
I am betting Baltimore to cover +4
Happy New Year Plax
Plaxico Burress former wide receiver of the New York Giants rang in 2010, but unfortunately his festivities didn’t include any champagne, noisemakers or even a nice little gun tucked into his jogging pants. Plaxico spent his New Year’s Eve at the Oneida Correctional Facility (just like every other day) and we found a nice list of what was served for dinner to ring in 2010.
Breaded chicken patty
Seasoned chicken gravy
Whipped potatoes
Steamed collard greens
White bread/ margarine
Orange gelatin
Ice tea
Sounds delish!
D2B NFL Pix Week 17
We are now into the last weekend of the regular season of the NFL. Where did the year go?
Fantasy championships are over and all we have left is the most difficult week of wagering of the year. Why? Because we don’t know who is playing, how much they are going to play, or whose backups are better than the other team. This is like week four of the preseason.
So with the best analysis I can muster here are my final regular season NFL pix for the year.
Colts @ Buffalo -7 O/U 32.5
We saw what the Colts are intending to do as we watched them pull the starters last week up 5 and with an undefeated season on the line. It is 10 degrees windy and snowing in Buffalo and the Colts backup QB is their third stringer. Sure he had the reps this week, but we don’t see Wayne, Clark or any other solid player getting any time in this one. Look for TO to end his career with the Bills on a high note as he auditions for another team to play for next year.
I am betting the Under 32.5
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New England @ Houston -7
This is a dome game and a one where although New England can become the 3rd seed and get a home playoff game I just don’t see Brady and others playing much if at all. Houston remains in playoff contention entering the last regular-season game for the first time in franchise history. The Texans are competing primarily with Denver, Baltimore and the New York Jets for one of the two AFC wild-card spots. To get in the Texans need a victory and two of those teams to lose Sunday. This is also Kubiak’s Alamo. Stranger things have happened on the final day.
I am betting Houston -7 to cover
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Steelers @ Miami +3.5
There is a possibility that Ricky Williams is not playing in this one. He will at least give it a go with a shot of cortisone and some maybe a spliff, but one for medicinal purposes only of course. If not look for Henne to pass for 400 yards and hope for some defensive stops to get a win and keep the Steelers out of the playoffs.
I am betting Miami +3.5 to cover
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NY Giants @ Minnesota -8
The Giants have totally given up. Brandon Jacobs and most of the defensive core are out and Bradshaw is running on 2 fractured feet. This is a statement game for the Vikes as they need some sort of momentum going into the playoffs not to mention they need a win to potentially get the #2 seed and a bye next week. Easy pickens here in the dome where Favre is always at home.
I am betting Vikings -8 to cover