Month: December 2011

Venue/Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Time/Date: 8:30 PM ET – Monday December 26, 2011
NFL Odds from Bovada
Money Line: Saints -280
Spread (ATS): Saints -7
Over/Under: 52.5

The only two teams that get to enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas without having to take the football field, the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, and both have a lot to prove when they take to the field at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Monday.

The Saints have won six straight and can clinch the division with another home win against a division opponent when they face Atlanta this week, and it will be interesting to see if they can parlay the magic of an overtime win in the first meeting between these teams.

The better team will win the NFC South division this season, and at this point that has to be the Saints. New Orleans ranks first in the NFL in passing yards with Drew Brees on the verge of snapping Dan Marino’s single-season mark as he approaches 5,000 yards, and although he may not set the record in this game, he can certainly inch closer against an Atlanta defense that has struggled at times to contain against some of the better passing teams that they have faced.  [soliloquy id=”82219″]

While the Saints continue to cruise with Brees spearheading their offense, the Falcons remain a team that is lost in transition, as they try to turn an offense that was built on a power-running game in to a pass-first unit that loves to hit the quick-strike for points. Atlanta certainly has the personnel to employ that type of system with wide receivers Roddy White and rookie Julio Jones joining tight end Tony Gonzalez, but the fact at this point is that the Falcons are a better team when they are running the ball first, and then using the rush to set up the passing game. Turner ran for just 96 yards in the first meeting of these teams, and unless he gets more touches in this game its hard to imagine the result changing.

It will be interesting to see where Brees stands at the end of these final two regular season games, and whether or not New Orleans gets that coveted first round bye may depend on Brees’ ability to break the record. While the Saints’ offense continues to get all of the credit, the defense deserves some credit too after allowing just one team to reach the 24-point mark during their six-game winning streak.

NFL Betting Pick: New Orleans Saints

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Venue/Stadium: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Time/Date: 8:25 PM ET – Sunday December 25, 2011
NFL Odds from Bovada
Money Line:
Spread (ATS): Packers -12.5
Over/Under: 44

There really is no better rivalry to be played on Christmas Day than another installment between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, even if one team has slowly faded away in what was once a promising season early on.

The Bears won seven of their first 10 games to tread behind the defending Super Bowl champion Packers early on, but after injuries to both quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte, Chicago has lost four straight and have all but mathematically been eliminated from postseason contention.

In fact, by the time the ball is kicked off at Lambeau Field on Christmas Day the Bears could already be eliminated if both the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons win their games. The tale is a sad story for a promising team oozing with playoff potential, and it won’t be a surprise if head coach Lovie Smith gets called out for the team’s collapse. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

After all, it was Smith who endorsed Caleb Hanie as the team’s starter when Cutler was injured, and despite their being some big names hanging around, Smith continues to turn back to Hanie. With just three touchdown passes compared to nine interceptions in four starts, to say that Hanie has been a major disappointment might actually be an understatement, and with Forte out and the defense giving up a ton of points to teams like the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago could be in really big trouble.

While the Packers did suffer their first loss of the season a week ago, many around the organization feel that this may be a good thing for the defending Super Bowl champs, which have now felt what it means to be vulnerable and can correct the mistakes that they made when pushed around by the Kansas City Chiefs. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will get back in a rhythm with wide receiver Greg Jennings and his offensive line returning to health, and that will play a key role in Green Bay’s performance overall. The defense was simply too soft up front trying to stop the run against the Chiefs, and there will be no excuses for another loss with thousands spending their Christmas Day at Lambeau Field.

NFL Betting Pick: Packers

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Venue/Stadium: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Time/Date: 1:00 PM ET – Saturday December 24, 2011
NFL Odds from Bovada
Money Line: Jets -150
Spread (ATS): Jets -3
Over/Under: 45.5

When it comes to deflecting the media attention off of his players and on to himself, nobody does a better job than New York Jets’ head coach Rex Ryan.

While the media continues to blow up the comments he has made about believing that the Jets’ are the best team in New York, and have been the best team in New York since his arrival, he is not only putting himself out there for ridicule, but taking some of the pressure off of his team as well. As Jets’ owner Woody Johnson commented, Ryan could very well be a genius for his ability to be a players’ coach, and now it will be interested to see how his team responds against the New York Giants in a game that will have major playoff implications.

While the Giants are technically still alive in the NFC playoff picture, the Jets’ will bump in to them at the perfect time with head coach Tom Coughlin’s side registering just one win in their last six tries. While quarterback Eli Manning has helped New York become the third-best passing offense in the NFL, he is also turning the ball over at crucial points, and doesn’t have much protection in terms of a running game. The Jets meanwhile have their own problems with Mark Sanchez under center, although the coaching staff continues to put their faith in him.

Unlike the other New York team, Ryan’s Jets are in a position where they control their own destiny in the AFC Wild Card race, and if they win out they will go through. Gang Green allowed 45 points in their latest loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and while that opponent is a much better team now than it was earlier in the season, there is something to be said about the way that the Jets’ defense has not risen to the occasion time and again. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

With so many blown assignments and missed opportunities it appears as though Ryan’s players may be performing more for their own accomplishments than to help the team, and that could really cause a divide in the long run.

Regardless of what people say about Giants’ head coach Tom Coughlin, he has a Super Bowl ring, and has found a way to keep his players in line. The Giants are still considered New York’s No. 1 team, and that won’t change this week as they clinch another win in this series.

NFL Betting Lines: Giants

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Oakland vs. KC NFL Handicapping

The Raiders will try to win their sixth straight at Kansas City and six straight AFC West road game as they take on a Chiefs team that despite starting 0-3 and enduring a four-game losing streak later in the season, are still fighting for their playoff lives.

Denver vs Buffalo Handicapping Online

The Denver Broncos need to win their last two games of the season including Saturday against the host Buffalo Bills, if they won’t win the AFC West and advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

Arizona Cardinals (7-7) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)

Arizona and Cincinnati weren’t expected to contend for a playoff berth this year, but both of them are still in the chase with two weeks of the regular season remaining.