It all boils down to this as the #1 rated Louisiana State University Tigers take on the #2 rated Crimson Tide in the BCS National Tournament Game at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA on January 9th. After winning the national tournament in 2009 and additionally winning it with LSU as a head coach in 2003, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is no stranger to this match. LSU head coach Les Miles is additionally no stranger at this time as he has won the national tournament in 2007. 2 great squads and head coaches meeting on a collision course in what will certainly be an awesome game. The odds makers now have this at Alabama (-1) with the over-under established at 40 points.

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The Tigers come into play unbeaten at 13-0 with an 8-0 record in the SEC. They have additionally gone a staggering 8-0 vs rated squads with victories over #3 Oregon, #25 Mississippi State, #16 West Virginia, #17 Florida, #20 Auburn, #2 Alabama, #3 Arkansas, and #14 Georgia. This game is a rematch of the classic November fifth game at Alabama with the Tigers winning in overtime over the Tide 9-6. With 38.5 ppg scored, the Tigers have an awesome offense rated 12th in the nation. LSU’s true weapon is their defense which is rated second in the nation with just 10.5 ppg given up. Senior Qb Jarrett Lee with 1,306 passing yards and a 152.0 rating mans the Tigers passing attack. With each racking up over 700 yards on the ground, the tandem of sophomores Michael Ford and Spencer Ware pace the LSU running attack. CB Tyrann Mathieu concluded fifth in the Heisman contest while nabbing 6 picks and attaining 173 yards off of those picks which rank first in the nation.

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The Crimson Tide come into this match trying to avenge their loss to LSU back in November. With a 7-1 record in the SEC, the Tide has gone 11-1 total. They have gone 4-1 vs the Top 25 this year with victories over #23 Penn State, #14 Arkansas, #12 Florida, and #24 Auburn. Their just loss was the aforementioned game vs LSU in November. The Tide has averaged 36.0 ppg on offense with an outstanding running game. As great as LSU is on defense, the Tide are even better at it ranking first in the nation just allowing a mindboggling 8.8 ppg. The CrimsonTide place the offense in sophomore Qb AJ McCarron’s hands, McCarron has 2,400 passing yards and a 149.8 passer rating. Junior Running back Trent Richardson concluded second in the Heisman whilst attaining 1,583 rushing yards and 20 td’s on the ground.

The Steelers are matched up versus the Broncos in the nfl Playoffs. The Steelers ended as a wild card with an outstanding record of 12-4 in the AFC North division, whilst the Broncos ended up with an 8-8 record narrowly claiming winners of the AFC West. The Steelers will be going to Denver to compete versus them at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

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Denver has relished some success this year and a lot of press hype encircling qb Tim Tebow after he took over the starting position with the loss of Kyle Orton. They were able to grab some exciting comeback wins as his play as well as their reliable defense has held them in contention in many matches this year.

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Tebow should have confidence and keep calm under strain to advance in the playoffs and possibly cement himself as the team qb for the Denver Broncos. Former Denver Broncos qb and current VP of operations John Elway has supplied Tim Tebow some words of encouragement for the forthcoming game. If the Denver Broncos find themselves slipping behind early in this playoff match up, then it will likely be pretty challenging to turn it around versus the reliable defense of the Steelers. Both squads will depend on their defense to keep themselves in the game and offer their offense a chance to step up and perform. Steelers qb Ben Roethlisberger has proven himself this year and looks to continue that success in the 1st round of the playoffs. Furthermore watch for running back Isaac Redman to step up as Rashard Mendenhall is tending to a knee injury.

The Broncos aren’t going to have an simple time versus the juggernaut Steelers, which is why the Steelers are slated as 8 point faves to advance in the playoffs. The over/under on in total points in this match is 35.5.

The Falcons pray that slipping into the playoffs undetected in 2012 will allow them better results, following finishing with the top record in the league a year ago, and getting terminated in the 1st round by the Green Bay Packers. Atlanta finished 10-6 this season, earning them a 1st round wild-card game with the NFC East winning Giants (9-7).

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For the Jan 8 – Atlanta Falcons versus New York Giants game, nevertheless, New York appears to have the momentum going into the playoffs. Odds makers have acknowledged this, and made New York a 3-point favorite. This is maybe a shocking position for a squad that lost four matches back to back in November-December. The New York Giants had to count on colossal errors by their division foe Dallas Cowboys to allow them an possibility to reach the playoffs. A win over Dallas in week 17 guaranteed them the division title.

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New York players might state that their losing streak this season came when starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw was wounded. And this is a valid argument, as three of four losses in that streak came while Bradshaw was on the bench. Now that he is back the New York Giants have appeared as if a changed squad, winning 2 must-win matches back to back over challenging tournament (New York Jets and Dallas).

Atlanta won three of their last four matches coming into the playoffs, but Atlanta has struggled all season versus winning squads. Atlanta is just 2-4 versus squads that finished over .500. Just 2 weeks ago, they were eliminated by the New orleans saints, 45-16.

Both squads are headed by quality quarterbacks, the New York Giants by Eli Manning and the Atlanta Falcons by Matt Ryan. The change in this match, nevertheless, could be in quarterback pressure. The New York Giants defensive line can get to the quarterback, and documented 48 sacks this year, excellent for 3rd in the league. The game will be dependant on how well Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons offensive line can resist the pressure of the Giants’ defensive front.

When it comes to scheduling, maybe the Lions just are unlucky. First, they conclude their regular season vs their division rival Green Bay Packers, who furthermore possess the league’s best record. They then follow that up by drawing the Saints in the 1st round of the playoffs.

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The Jan 7 – Detroit Lions versus Saints game will be the 2nd meeting of the two squads this year. New Orleans won the 1st game in New Orleans 31-17. This is maybe part of the reason New Orleans is a 10.5 point fave to defeat Detroit this week.

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Another is that the Saints are on a roll. They have won eight contests back to back coming into this week’s match with Detroit, defeating three other playoff squads throughout that stretch. Detroit managed to pull things together following defensive star Ndamukong Suh was suspended for two contests following kicking an enemy player with his cleats. Just losing a tight game to 15-1 Green Bay, they won 3 out of their last 4 contests of the year. When they last confronted New Orleans, they were lacking Suh, and Detroit is hoping the return of his existence to the defensive line is the change they need to stop Drew Brees and the potent New Orleans offense.

Sadly for Detroit, that New Orleans offense has been on fire for the 2nd half of the year. They have gone over 40 in four of their last six and scored over 40 points in their last three contests. Earlier this year in New Orleans they fallen 62 points on Indianapolis, plus they are 8-0 in their home stadium this year.

Detroit has had trouble this year vs higher caliber competition, going 1-5 vs playoff squads (just defeating Denver). Their offense has the possibility to be high-flying, and therefore it will be up to their defense to ensure they are in this game. If Suh will almost certainly make amends for his two-game suspension, it is now time.

The Bengals will be facing off versus the Houston Texans in the nfl playoffs. The Bengals will travel to Reliant Stadium in Houston for the match up. Cincinnati finished their year with a record of 9-7 and achieved the playoffs this year as a wild card in the AFC North division. Houston finished with a record of 10-6 and came out ahead as the leading squad in the AFC South this year.

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With the Houston Texans having serious injuries to qbs Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart and the Bengals losing every single game versus playoff quality squads, both squads have still had their fair share of challenges this year. Both qbs were lost for the year with their injuries and rookie T.J. Yates has taken control. Houston has furthermore viewed key injuries to linebacker Mario Williams as well as wide receiver Andre Johnson. The two squads have already faced each other in the course of the regular season and the Houston Texans made a last effort return try with a game winning td pass caught by wide receiver Kevin Walters with just a few seconds left on the clock.

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The Bengals outstanding run game with running backs Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott has been what’s worked for them this year, so they will need to try and stick with that. If they can achieve this they might have the advantage and ultimately wipe out a playoff squad and advance past the 1st round for the 1st time in just over 20 years.

This may boil down to the wire yet again as it’s destined to be a close one. In spite of several injuries to plenty of crucial superstar players, the Houston Texans are slight favorites. The over/under for total total points for this particular game is 38. The line is set with the Texans as three point favorites at their home turf to the longshot Bengals.

This game between the Steelers and the Cleveland Browns will showcase two squads who have diverse goals for the last two competitions of the season. The Steelers are now in the playoff race and are basically just getting all set for the playoffs. The Browns on the other hand have had a very poor season and are just trying to salvage their season with a couple of more wins. Both squads nevertheless will be competing hard in spite of the difference in their records. It’ll be a very near game if both squads play hard.

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The Steelers are now 11-4 and have just come off a huge win vs the St. Louis Rams. The Steelers beat the Rams 27-0 and displayed incredible defense while the Browns have lost 5 consecutive competitions. The Browns last game vs the Ravens demonstrated just how tough it is for the Browns to score and they are surely going to have a difficult time with the Steelers defense. However, a great chunk of the game will rest on the team’s stars and how they will play under stress. Look to see both squads finish with a flurry since the regular season is nearly done.

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The Browns will pray that Hardesty will control the ground game while the Steelers are focusing on Big Ben to drive the team for huge passes that will lead to multiple tds. The Browns nevertheless will must come together as a unit to have the ability to wipe out the Steelers as the expertise is surely on Pittsburgh’s side. Both squads will look to play hard and keep it a low scoring game but look to see a dominating performance by Big Ben and the Steelers. The Browns will only have an opportunity if the Steelers totally break down offensively but this is highly uncertain.

The Seahawks (7-8) are going to be going to challenge the Cardinals (7-8) in an NFC West divisional competition. There is a little bit of motivation that a victory will give either team a winning record although each respective team has dropped just shy of playoff competition this year as they were looking for a wild card berth. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has yet to lose a game against the Cardinals in his tenure, but Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb may return and start for his team following recovering from a concussion.

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Arizona will have to stop the strong run game from the Seahawks with top rusher Marshawn Lynch looking to continue to add to his extraordinary career high of 1,118 yards. Lynch has furthermore obtained a td in a team record 11 competitions.

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Both teams would adore to finish strong with a winning record and are preparing as if this were every other game. Both of them have possible bright futures ahead with several players being added to the Pro Bowl lineup including Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and defensive players Adrian Wilson and Patrick Peterson. Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was furthermore chosen for the Pro Bowl team and all these leading players should be participating in this final struggle with the exclusion of Peterson who is sketchy with an injury to his left Achilles’ tendon. Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch most likely feels he should have been picked for the Pro Bowl honors as well and after being omitted probably will want to show why he genuinely does belong there.

This competition will be an interesting one to see who is able to end on a great note and assert a winning record for the 2011 year. The Cardinals are a favorite over the longshot Seahawks with a spread of -3. The over/under for total points in this game is 40.5.

The Philadelphia Eagles (7-8) will be visiting the Redskins (5-10) in an NFC East divisional match-up in their final game. Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention this season and are at the bottom of the division standings. Philadelphia had a ton of media buzz prior to the start of the season being described the dream team with their impact in the free agent market.


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Nonetheless, they have not quite lived up to the exceptionally high anticipations and have had their fair share of struggles this season with accidents to key players such as quarterback Michael Vick. They still have something to play for as Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid is potentially on the hot seat for remaining the team’s coach next season.


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Redskins running back Roy Helu is questionable to play one time again with an injury to his toe. Their lack of depth at the running game combined with their vulnerable offensive line will be hard to triumph over with key Philadelphia Eagles defensive players doing well such as defensive ends Jason Babin and Trent Cole. It will be up to Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman to have an awesome passing game for them to have any type of chance. The Philadelphia Eagles are averaging about 400 yards on offense per game and it is possible to expect them to do just as well with the team of a healthy Michael Vick at quarterback and running back LeSean McCoy. Philadelphia cornerback Asante Samuel is not likely to play with a hamstring injury.

They still would like to end on a good note and come out on top for the final game of the year, even with both teams not earning a playoff berth for the 2011 season. The Philadelphia Eagles are favorites in this specific game to the long shot Redskins with a line of -9. The over/under for points is at 46.5.

Week 17 of pro football Season is always full of trap matches. The match between the Detroit Lions and Packers in Green Bay is one of this sort of game.

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The Detroit Lions have had a renaissance season. They’ve already qualified for the postseason with a victory over the Chargers this past week, on top of already having a winning record. Having stated all that, nonetheless, the Detroit Lions pale in contrast to the Packers who are 14-1 and already defeat the Detroit Lions 27-15 in Detroit earlier in the season. It all says this should be a Packers win, but one has to wonder why oddsmakers are making the Detroit Lions a 3 point favorite in the game. The answer is…

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The Packers come into this match with the seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Packers have nothing to play for since win or lose, they’re going to be the seed. With all this, all signals are the squad will rest key competitors on its offense and defense. For instance, stud qb Aaron Rodgers might play just the first quarter. This is particularly true as the squad tries to get rest for its battered offensive line. All in all, the Packers appear to be ready to sleepwalk through this match.

The Detroit Lions are taking a different approach. Even though the squad has qualified for among the two wild cards in the division, it’s now seeking to get the greatest seed [5th] feasible. The edge of this higher seed will mean the Detroit Lions would play a weaker choice of division winners depending on the outcome of the other matches in week 17. That may be the distinction between being one and done in the playoffs or making a deep run. The Detroit Lions will be hugely motivated for this match all in all.

The Jan 01 – Panthers at Saints competition is a fascinating one for Nfl supporters and bettors. The Saints come into week 17 at 12-3. They’ve already finished up the third seed in the NFC, and the only way they can strengthen that seeding is if San Francisco loses to 2-13 St. Louis, which doesn’t seem likely. There is the possibility qb Drew Brees will sit for most, if not all, of the game considering New Orleans might not play their starters for the complete game.

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Obviously whether Drew Brees and various New Orleans starters sit will have a major impact on the match. New Orleans is favored in the game by 8. These two teams last met on October ninth this year. Brees headed the Saints to a game-winning touchdown with 50 seconds left and the Saints pulled out a 30-27 victory, even though it seemed as though the Panthers would eke out a victory.

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They’ve got a lot to be fired up about for next year even though the Panthers (6-9) don’t have an opportunity at the playoffs this year. Their rookie qb, Cam Newton, has established a rookie record for passing yards as well as an Nfl record for rushing touchdowns by a qb. The Panthers have won four of their last five.

This is an essential game for the Panthers, although the Saints may rest some competitors. They’d love to finish their year one game below .500, and with a victory over their division rival Saints, in New Orleans. As they came within a touchdown (and one minute) from beating New Orleans a while back this year, it would seem that 8 points is a manageable spread for the Panthers to cover. The Saints have been hot lately, however, and are unbeaten at home this year. Thus, it will all come down to who winds up on the field for the Saints on Sunday, and who spends time resting for the playoffs.