воскресенье, 30 декабря 2012 г.

NFL Picks: Buccaneers vs. Falcons

The Falcons have the kind of problem most teams would kill for. Since they're the No.1 seed in the NFC playoffs, do play their starters even a little against the Buccaneers? Bettors, of course, want to know.

The Buccaneers can win because… 
Matt RyanThe Falcons are likely to rest their starters - at some point. Although the Falcons say that they aren’t going to rest their starters, common sense suggests they will. After all, they have already clinched the top seed in the NFC and have nothing to play for. How stupid would Mike Smith look seeing one of his stars get carted off the field in a meaningless game? If someone like Matt Ryan, Julio Jones or Roddy White were injured against the Bucs, their Super Bowl chances would be affected significantly. 
What’s more likely to happen is that the Falcons treat this like a preseason game. They’ll leave the starters in for a half or so but will not risk injury in the latter stages of the game. If that’s the case, look for the Bucs first stringers to take advantage of the Falcons backups, and get the win. 
The Falcons can win because… 
The Bucs have been absolutely abysmal in recent weeks. It’s one thing to lose a few games, but it’s another to start getting rolled and look like you’ve quit on the season. 
Yes, the Bucs have lost five straight, but what’s more alarming is how they’ve lost their last two games. The New Orleans Saints shut them out 41-0 two weeks ago and then the St. Louis Rams went to Tampa Bay and left with a 28-14 win. The 28 points the Rams scored was their second-highest total of the season. That means that even if the Falcons leave their starters in for just a half, they are likely to rack up the points. Tampa Bay hasn’t allowed fewer than 24 points in the last five games while allowing an average of 29.4. The Falcons should have no problems moving the ball, building a lead and breaking the feeble will of the Bucs. 
Worse yet, Josh Freeman has been a disaster. He’s thrown a whopping eight interceptions the last two weeks and he’s completely lost his confidence. If the Falcons keep their starters in for this game, they are likely to have opportunities for takeaways. 
Outlook & NFL Football Betting Prediction 
The Bucs have had a very unpredictable season. They started 1-3, then won four of five but have since lost five straight. If Atlanta is trying, this is an easy win for them and they will wrap up the Bucs season with a loss and head to the playoffs on a high with another win. 
However, if Atlanta is clearly going to rest their starters and put up the white flag, common sense suggests to take the Bucs. Watch the wires and see what the Falcons plan is for this Sunday
NFL Football Picks: Falcons ---

среда, 26 декабря 2012 г.

NFL Picks: Week 17 Value Picks


Where do we think that the best value sits on the Week 17 betting odds boards for your NFL Picks? Find out which games we are adding to our sports betting tickets and why.
We’re back in the good books with a 2-1 week last week. While the New England Patriots failed to cover, the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons covered for me.
It’s on to Week 17 of the NFL season with our value plays. Here’s a look at what’s in store this week and where we are looking to go with our NFL picks
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans
Blaine GabbertThe Tennessee Titans are a four-point home favorite on Sunday but I’m not sure they should be favored against any team in the NFL in any situation. The Titans have lost four of their last five and their only win was a fluky 14-10 squeaker over the New York Jets. Their shoddy defense, which had improved in the second half of the season, gave up 55 points to the Green Bay Packers last week. This is the sign of a team that has quit.
Even if they haven’t quit, their offense has become so pathetic that they can’t be backed. Jake Locker was 13-for-30 last weekfor 140 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He’s horrible and the offensive line in front of him is horrible as they gave up seven sacks last week. 
The Titans have covered a four-point spread just once this season and that was in a 37-3 win over Miami. This is a division game and I see both teams as being about equal, so I’ll take the points. 
NBA Pick: Jaguars +4 at Bodog ---
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins
Although I’m not enthused betting the Dallas Cowboys, it’s hard not to like the NFL betting valuewith them in this spot. This is a divisional game where all the chips will be on the line: the winner goes to the playoffs while the loser goes home (Redskins can still make it as a wild card with lots of help). The difference is that the Cowboys have been in this position before (last season against the New York Giants) and they have the edge in experience. 
The Redskins are a quality team as they’ve proven during their six-game winning streak. However, they also have a banged up quarterback in Robert Griffin III. Normally, his mobility makes all of the difference but if he’s forced to stay in the pocket, it takes away an important dimension from this Redskins team. 
This isn’t my favorite play of the day but with the extra half-point, I can’t pass up the Cowboys. They have won five of seven, they play well on the road and they have more experience. 
NBA Pick: Cowboys +3.5 at Pinnacle ---
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants
A lot of people are hopping on the Philadelphia Eagles bandwagon thinking that Michael Vick gives their team a boost now that he’s been re-inserted as the starter. I’m not of that opinion. Vick failed this season because the team suffered so many injuries around him and because the players quit. Neither of those things have changed and some might question just how hard Vick will be playing considering he might not be back in Philadelphia next season. 
The New York Giants have been awful the last two weeks but they are far more competent than the Eagles, who have lost 10 of 11. On top of that, their average margin of defeat in their last eight games is 13.6 points per game. I’ll wait until kickoff and lay the points with the Giants. 
NBA Pick: Giants -7 at Bovada +++