Tag: Patriots

Patriots and Broncos to resume rivalry in crunch game

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The last two Super Bowl champions face each other on Sunday in a crunch game that both teams will be desperate to win. The Denver Broncos, who won the Super Bowl last season after beating the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, are in danger of failing to make the playoffs this season. They are third in their division but neck and neck with Miami for the final wildcard spot, so it is imperative they win this. But a win for the Patriots would clinch their division for a record eighth straight season and see them secure home advantage for the playoffs, so this really is the biggest and most exciting game of week 15.

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos

The Pats went into last season’s AFC Championship Game as reigning NFL champions, having won the Deflategate Super Bowl the previous year, but were stunned by the Broncos, who went on to win the Super Bowl themselves. The Broncos are a real bogey team for the Patriots. They are the only team star Pats quarterback Tom Brady has a losing record against as he is 6-9 against them in his career, and they have regularly been a thorn in the all-conquering Patriots’ side.

However, New England comes into this game on a four-game winning streak and the best record in the league, vying with the Cowboys for top spot in the NFL power rankings. Brady is in sensational form, as usual, and made a mockery of the Ravens’s status as the NFL’s best defence by leading his team to a 30-23 victory over them last weekend. The Pats will be keen to avenge last season’s defeat here with a win that will leave the Broncos’ chances of reaching the playoffs hanging by a thread. The Broncos lost last time out to the Titans, and their chances of securing a wildcard spot are really in jeopardy. The Broncos’ defence is also very strong, but Brady is on a roll right now and can lead the Pats to victory here, with Sky Bet offering 8/13 on this.

Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins

The Panthers, defeated by the Broncos in last season’s Super Bowl, are struggling badly this season and already out of contention. Teams usually suffer a Super Bowl hangover, as shown by Denver, but the Panthers have taken this to new heights as they are bottom of their division at 5-8. None of the five victories has come against a winning team, and they face an in-form Washington team that is still battling for the playoffs.

The Redskins are still in the hunt for a wildcard spot as only the Giants and the Buccaneers currently have a better record than them out of all the second placed teams in the NFC. They got the better of the Eagles in their last game and can continue the winning run against another team with nothing left to play for. They are just half a game behind the Buccaneers and need a win here to boost their chances, and Kirk Cousins will be leading the charge as he has enjoyed a fantastic season so far. The 10/11 Betfred has on the Redskins to cover a -5 spread looks a great bet.

Detroit Lions at New York Giants

Another massive game as the Lions are top of their division, on a five-game winning streak and can qualify for the playoffs with a win here, while the Giants are trying to keep pressure on the Pats and cling onto their wildcard spot. It should be a tight game and the 20/21 on offer at Paddy Power on the Lions +4 against the spread looks interesting.

Cowboys and Patriots on Course for Super Bowl Battle

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The two favourites for the Super Bowl are in action in the days ahead as the Dallas Cowboys travel to New York while the New England Patriots host fierce rivals the Baltimore Ravens. A couple of weeks ago New England was odds-on in the NFL betting markets to win the Super Bowl, but everything has changed thanks to the superb form of the Cowboys, who now have the best record in the league at 11-1 and have already made it through to the playoffs in style. Injuries to key players like Rob Gronkowski have rocked the Patriots and their odds have gone out to 11/4, while the Cowboys are right behind them at 4/1 now.

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

The Pats beat the Rams last weekend to go 10-2, giving them the joint best record in the AFC. The Raiders are also on 10-2 but have a more difficult fixture list in the last four games of the season, so the Patriots are looking good to secure home advantage throughout the playoffs if they extend their three-game winning streak against the Ravens. You would fancy them to beat the Ravens as they should have a psychological advantage, having beaten them in a thrilling 35-31 encounter in last season’s playoffs. The odds are low on this, however: just 3/10 at Coral and 5/16 at Ladbrokes, so you might consider betting on the spread and it will be tough for the Patriots to cover it. You can get evens on the Ravens +7 and that looks a good bet considering Baltimore are on a two-game winning streak and ran New England very close in their last meeting.

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants

The Cowboys are the form team in the league right now. After losing the season opener, they have won a remarkable 11 games in a row and have already qualified for the playoffs. They may take a foot off the pedal a bit now, but they still want to keep the confidence surging through the team with more wins, and be assured of home advantage in the playoffs, so they are likely to make life very difficult for the Giants. The Cowboys have a great young roster, full of talented stars like Dez Bryant and Tyron Smith. The Giants, led by veteran quarterback Eli Manning and exciting wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr, are no slouches, but the Cowboys are on a roll right now and should have too much offensive power for them. The Cowboys are 3/5 to win this with 888 Sport and that looks tempting given their incredible form, but you could push it a bit further and back them to cover a -3 spread at 20/23 with Coral.

Futures betting

The Cowboys have such fantastic momentum that it is hard to look past them for the NFC right now. The Seahawks look to be their toughest opponent in the conference, but the Cowboys have proved they can win in style and win ugly and look a good shout at 13/8 with Bet365 to win the NFC Conference and go to the Super Bowl, where their most likely opponent will be New England. The Pats are 21/20 with William Hill to win the AFC, but face ferocious competition from the three teams in the exceptionally strong AFC West – the Raiders, the Chiefs and the Broncos – so that might be best avoided for now, and the 4/1 on the Cowboys winning the Super Bowl looks a good option as their odds keep dwindling.