Tag: NFL

Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions set for tense finale

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Week 17 promises to be a nail-biting one for thousands of NFL fans as there are four teams vying for the final two playoff berths in the NFC. It is win or bust for the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions as their game will decide who wins the NFC North, while the Washington Redskins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also in with a chance of earning a wildcard spot in the playoffs.

New York Giants at Washington Redskins

The NFC East looks to be the best division in the league right now, with the Cowboys leading the way on 13-2 and the Giants second with a 10-5 record. Both have already qualified for the playoffs, but a third team from the division could also go through if Washington secure the final wildcard spot. That would mean three of the six teams going to the playoffs have come from the same division, and it is looking pretty likely.

The Redskins host New York knowing that the Giants have nothing to play for. They are locked in for the fifth seed spot, so they will more than likely rest key players to avoid the risk of sustaining any injuries ahead of the playoffs. The Redskins have it all to play for and come into the match fresh from a 41-21 thrashing of the Chicago Bears. They should be able to beat the Giants, but about the best price you can get is 3/10 at Paddy Power. It looks good for any accumulators you are considering, but it does not represent great value. The spread is pretty tough on the Redskins as they are -8 and they will struggle to cover that. You would expect them to win but not by a huge margin, so the 20/23 on the New York Giants +8 looks a good bet, as the Redskins are likely to win this by only three or four points.

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions

The biggest fixture in week 17 has been saved for last as the Packers travel to Detroit for the crunch game. Both teams are 9-6 and are tied at the top of NFC North and the winner takes it all. Things are not looking good for the Lions. They have led the division for most of the season, but have lost their last two games and seen the Packers catch up with them right at the death. Last week’s 42-21 drubbing at the hands of the Cowboys, who had already qualified for the playoffs and had nothing to play for, will have caused a great deal of consternation among their fans.

By contrast, the Packers are flying, having embarked on a five-game winning streak, the best in the conference. That run has included victories over excellent teams such as the Seahawks and Texans, both of whom have made the playoffs, and they should be able to topple Detroit. In that five-game winning streak, their average margin of victory has been 13 points, so they look good to cover a -3.5 spread at 19/20 with Bet365 when they travel to Detroit. Aaron Rodgers has been absolutely sensational during their winning run with 11 passing touchdowns – four of them against the Vikings last week – and zero interceptions. A creaking Detroit defence will struggle to contain him and we could see a repeat of the game earlier in the season when Green Bay beat them by seven points. If you think it will be closer than that, Bet365 has 4/6 on the Packers at -2 or 4/7 on them simply winning outright.

Patriots and Raiders battling it out for AFC top spot

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The final chapter in the regular NFL season begins on New Year’s Day and fans can look forward to an action-packed schedule full of intrigue. In the AFC the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders are locked in a fierce battle to emerge as number one seed and enjoy the home-field advantage that comes with it. If New England beat the Miami Dolphins, they will clinch that valuable status, but it will be easier said than done. The Raiders travel to the Denver Broncos, knowing they could end up as number one seed or fall to number five, so that is another crucial game.

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

The Pats are on a six-game winning streak and have the best record in the league, leading the bookmakers to install them as favourites for the Super Bowl. William Hill has the best price, 15/8, with the Cowboys back on 4/1. New England is huge favourites to win the AFC, odds-on with all bookmakers, with 8/11 about the best price you can find with the likes of Bet365, William Hill and Ladbrokes. But the path to the Super Bowl will be made a lot easier for them if they earn top seed spot. Last season they blew number one spot with back-to-back losses in their last two games, against the Jets and Dolphins. The result was a tricky playoff schedule that saw them crash out to eventual Super Bowl champions the Denver Broncos.

They will be desperate to not make the same mistake this season and they know that a win over the Dolphins in their final game will clinch it. The Dolphins laboured badly against the Buffalo Bills in their last game but won it in overtime to secure a playoff berth. They are currently sixth seeds and will face the most difficult schedule, but if they win and the Chiefs lose, they move up to fifth and will avoid the Steelers in the playoffs, securing an easier tie against the Texans. They will be well up for this game, and it should prove to be a thriller. Many expect it to be close, but Dolphins’ quarterback Matt Moore is likely to struggle against the Pats’ outstanding defence, and New England can cover a -7 spread at 8/13 with Sky Bet after easily covering a record spread against the Jets last week.

Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos

The Raiders are in the postseason for the first time since 2002 and went 12-3 with a 33-25 win over the Colts in week 16, but it came at a huge cost. Derek Carr’s broken fibula is a brutal blow for Oakland fans, who have waited so long for a return to the playoffs and rightly had Super Bowl dreams with Carr leading the charge. Now they have to make do with fourth-year pro Matt McGloin as his replacement and the odds on them winning the Super Bowl went out sharply. They are now as long as 28/1 to win it with Ladbrokes and nobody is giving them much of a chance. But a win at the already eliminated Broncos, whose Super Bowl defence went out with a whimper with a 33-10 defeat in Kansas City, would give McGloin confidence, and it is essential for the Raiders to get the win as the Chiefs are still in with a great chance of pipping them to the AFC West. William Hill has 4/5 on them covering a -3 spread and that looks a good bet as the Broncos are on a three-game losing streak and playing poorly.

New England Patriots can cover largest point spread in history

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

With just two games to go, it is still all to play for in the AFC as just two of the six playoff places are currently filled, so there is plenty to look forward to in week 16. The Steelers and the Ravens are fighting it out in the AFC North, while the Texans and the Titans are neck and neck in the AFC South. The Patriots have run away with the AFC East, but the Dolphins are in with a great shout of earning a wildcard. The Oakland Raiders have qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2002 after beating the Chargers last weekend, but they are still not guaranteed to win their division as the Chiefs are still breathing down their necks. It promises to be another spectacular weekend, full of twists and turns as these teams go for broke.

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills

Miami is 9-5 and hoping for a wildcard spot, but face a tough challenge when they travel to Buffalo, who are 7-7 and have only the slimmest chance of making the playoffs. Still, the Bills are better at rushing, point scoring and red zone performance than the Dolphins and are likely to derail their wildcard bid this weekend. They are odds-on favourites to win this but you can get evens with Sky Bet on them covering a -3.5 spread.

New York Jets at New England Patriots

The Pats are on a five-game winning streak, have the best record in the league and have been installed as 11/5 favourites to win the Super Bowl with 888 Sport. They host a Jets team that is down and out, with a 4-10 record leaving them bottom of the division. It should prove a complete mismatch, and as such, the best price you can get on the Patriots is 1/14 with Ladbrokes. Bookmakers are offering the largest point spread in history on the Pats, -16.5, and you can get 10/11 on that with Bet365, William Hill and various others. They have been outscoring the Jets by nine points on average this season, so there is a gap to make up, but their offence and defence are on fire at the moment, and the Jets are expected to roll over, so that actually looks a good bet.

Indianapolis Colts at Oakland Raiders

The Raiders are going to the playoffs, but they still need to keep winning to ensure a favourable schedule. The Colts are 7-7 and have a tiny chance of making it, but the Raiders should crush those hopes in front of their jubilant home fans. Back the Raiders to cover a -3.5 spread at 10/11 with William Hill, Bet Victor and Bet365.

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

This is a huge game for both teams. The Chiefs have a chance of beating Oakland as division winners so will be going all out while reigning Super Bowl champions the Broncos will be out of the playoff picture if they lose. The Chiefs have been the better team this season, however, and should cover a -3.5 spread at evens with Bet365.

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers can clinch the NFC North by beating Baltimore in the big Christmas Day game. The Steelers have been better at passing and rushing than the Ravens over the course of the season and come into this match on a five-game winning streak that has seen them emerge as dark horses for the conference. They should make it six in a row here, and the 10/11 Boylesports has on them covering a -4.5 spread looks good.

Superbowl XLIX Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots clash in Superbowl XLIX in Phoenix on Sunday with most pundits forecasting a very tight match.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks closed out the regular season with four straight victories but had to produce a remarkable late rally to overcome Green Bay Packers. The Seahawks’ passing game was exposed for almost an hour by the Packers and that will not have gone unnoticed by New England. Their late fight-back to stun Green Bay was sealed with Jermaine Kearse scoring a thrilling overtime touchdown strike.

Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson rescued Seattle. The Patriots will focus on stopping Wilson from making the big plays and stop the marauding runs of Lynch. No quarterback has a higher percentage under pressure than Wilson and how New England deal with him is likely to be the key to the match.

Seahawks’ Pete Carroll will become only the seventh coach in history to lead his side to back-to-back Superbowl victories if they are successful on Sunday. His rival Belichick already has three Superbowl wins as head coach and two as an assistant, his most recent being in 2004. His tactical genius is certain to come into play in such a tight match as this.

New England Patriots

New England quarterback Tom Brady will be making his sixth appearance in a Super Bowl and is seeking record-equalling fourth victory. That would put him alongside Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.

The Patriots have one of the most efficient offenses in the league with Tom Brady running the show. They are always prepared to adapt to whatever the opposition throws at them. The stats for the past three years reveal that only the 49ers have allowed fewer yards after initial contact on a per-carry basis.

The total points market was trading at 48 earlier in the week and it is very tempting to go short with two such evenly-matched teams. The touchdown market could hold some value in supporting James Develin at 12/1. He is as short as 5-1 elsewhere so that 12-1 may not last long.

New England were the last team to successfully defend the Superbowl in 2005 and are aiming to prevent the Seahawks from replicating that achievement. They could just have the experience to withstand another late surge from the Seahawks and cling on for a nail-biting victory.

Tips

Patriots to win by 1-6 @7-2 Bet365

James Develin touchdown at any time @12-1 BetVictor

Total points under 47.5 @10-11 William Hill

NFL Thanksgiving preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Thanksgiving Day football is event within itself with three salivating contests that could really shape the NFC play-off race, something that has been nothing short controversial this year! The play-off landscape is far from over with some odd races emerging around the league and as the season begins to heat up, the most important games are to come. All races will be outlined in the coming days, but seeing as the games are so close let’s focus on the holiday games just around the corner!

The games are written in chronological order.

Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears

H2H: Lions: 31/100, Bears: 13/5  Skybet

Handicap: Lions (-7): 23/25, Bears (+7): 23/25  Skybet

A key game in the divisional race of the NFC North sees Chicago head to Ford Field in Detroit to try and upset their division rivals in their annual Thanksgiving contest. Chicago have the form heading into the game with two wins on at home against very abject teams in the Minnesota Vikings and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Detroit are coming off a pretty resounding loss against the best team in the AFC (arguably) in the New England Patriots, but where their offense failed last week, it is very difficult to see Chicago putting up as much resistance as the Patriots did. Detroit’s pass rush is quality and Jay Cutler is always subject to panic when he see’s opposition shirts around him. Cutler’s history of turning the ball as well as his ability to get down on himself very quickly, should result in Detroit’s offense getting plenty of opportunity to wake their offense up, as they have not scored a touchdown in the previous two games. That being said Matt Stafford (The Lions’ QB) has had some trouble with throwing interceptions this year, so their success will depend on his accuracy.

Prediction:

Detroit need to win this game to stay in the divisional race with the red hot Green Bay Packers. If Chicago can slow down the Lion’s pass rush with Matt Forte, and Cutler gets the ball to all of his weapons, the Bears could steal this. But, Mr. Inconsistency never fills me with confidence. I see Detroit winning this game, but it being a bit closer then it probably should be.

Lions win 24-21

Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles

H2H: Cowboys: 5/9, Eagles: 29/20 Skybet

Handicap: Cowboys (-3): 39/50, Eagles (+3): 27/25 Skybet

Huge game in Arlington, Texas where the NFC East’s best teams duke it out for sole possession of first place. Back-up Eagles QB Mark Sanchez has not had much success on Thanksgiving, with the infamous “Butt Fumble” occurring two years ago when he was blown out by the Patriots as the New York Jets’ QB (it’s worth a YouTube!). He leads an Eagles team that despite having the starting QB out, are still producing well on the backs of their Running Backs LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. However, on the other side the Cowboy’s secret weapon on DeMarco Murray behind an Offensive Line that is widely considered to be the best combination in football. The Eagles will need to rely on their front defensive line in order to win this game, they are second in the league in sacks up to this point and they will need to pressure Dallas QB Tony Romo into making mistakes, and doing their best to contain Murray, not an easy feat against this O-Line. Dallas know that the Eagles have a high turnover margin, and Mark Sanchez is known for making key mistakes. That being said, the Cowboys’ secondary got a scare last week against the Giants who used their sheer speed to get past them and put points up. Look for Eagles’ speedster Jeremy Macklin to try and do the same.

Prediction:

If you’re key to winning a game is shutting down DeMarco Murray, you are in for a long night. Dallas’ front line is strong and if all the Eagles are worrying about is keeping Murray in check, Jason Whitten (Dallas Tight End) and Dez Bryant (Dallas Receiver) will keep the score ticking over for the ‘Boys. I can’t see Sanchez making this game his own and propelling his team to the next level, but on the back of his RB and probably a Special Team’s TD from Darren Sproles, they won’t get blown out.

Cowboys win 31-24

San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks

H2H: 49ers: 81/100, Seahawks: 26/25 Skybet

Handicap: 49ers (-1.5): 9/10, Seahawks (+1.5): 94/100 Skybet

The best rivalry in the NFL today heads to Levi’s Stadium in California for the match of the day! With the Cardinals trying to run away with the division, this is a huge game in the NFC West as a win for either time likely deals a steady blow to the other’s playoff chances. The 49ers have won six games in a row against the Seahawks at home, and are hoping to extend that record on the back of their pass rush lead by Aldon Smith, which is finally waking up! Pressuring Russel Wilson and stoping their ability to move the chains is key in this game, but putting the Seahawks down is a very difficult thing to do. Last year’s Superbowl champs have been underperforming as of late, but seem to hit their stride last week against the division leading Arizona Cardinals where they convincingly upset the Cards’ at home. However, the 49ers’ QB Colin Kaepernick has been noticeably missing big plays from his arsenal this year, something that the 49ers desperately need to kick-start their offense. Relying on the ground game with Frank Gore (the 49ers Running Back) may be all they have to keep the chains moving, as everyone knows that while Russel Wilson is also similarly down in his statistics from last year, his legs are the key to his success. Always keeping defensive lines in a few minds has been the key to his success and couple that with the hard-running Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks RB), you have a recipe for success.

Prediction:

By far the most difficult game of the night to pick, we have to look at San Francisco’s inability to close out games as their demise. Even though Seattle has never looked great travelling to San Francisco, they at least look like they are beginning to find their form again and should provide a lot of headaches to Kaepernick and the 49ers. If he tries to reignite his big play ability getting his receivers involved, Seattle have the secondary to steadily shut that down and get some turnovers from it. The best part about this is that no matter what happens in this great game, which it almost always is when these two meet, they get to do it again in Seattle in two weeks!

Seattle wins 23-13