Tag: playoffs

NFL Wild Card Round Preview

imagesToday marks the beginning of the NFL Playoffs which means it’s time for me to tell you how you can make some money. I have to be honest though, this year might be one of the toughest years to pick the winners. Every game it seems like could go either way and to me it’s one of the most balanced out fields in a long time. Except the Broncos. They’re good. But I hate them. Anyway, here are you’re expert picks for the two games today and tomorrow.

Chiefs @ Colts (+1)– Here’s one of the most intriguing games of the first round. You have the Chiefs who may be the biggest fraud team in the NFL and the Colts who are the best Jeckyl and Hyde team of the season. To me the Colts are a better team on paper. Losing Reggie Wayne was a big blow offensively but they’re young wide receivers have picked it up and their defense has been playing pretty good. The Chiefs seem to have lost their purpose in life after losing to the Broncos and their defense has just disappeared. They’ve lost 5 of their last 7 games including a demoralizing home loss to the Colts in week 16 which makes me think the Colts will roll today. Andy Reid has a history of not getting it done in the playoffs and the Chiefs just simply put are playing their worst football at the worst time of the year.

Tbow’s Pick– 30-14 Colts +1

Saints @ Eagles (-3)– Everyone knows I am an Eagles fan so this pick may be biased, but let’s be real when I have ever done something like that? I have high hopes for the Eagles in the playoffs this season. The stars have aligned and they can very well have a smooth road to the NFC Championship game. Saints are 3-5 on the road this season and have always struggled in poor weather conditions. The Eagles have also won 7 of their last 8 games and that is the recipe for deep playoff success in recent years. It’s not always the better team on paper who wins this time of year, it’s the teams that are playing the best and the Eagles are doing that. They played a playoff game last week against Dallas and I believe they are ready to get their first playoff game in forever today. I expect the Eagles to get to Drew Brees on defense and make his life hell tonight. So let’s go Birds!

Tbow’s Pick– 27-17 Eagles -3

Chargers @ Bengals (-7)– Very interesting game here. Biggest spread of the first round and in the playoffs I almost always take the points. Both teams have had some impressive wins as of late but it is just sticking in my brain that San Diego should have lost to the Cheifs last week who sat all of their starters. Andy Dalton hasn’t been able to get out of the first round but he’s built some experience now and there’s no question the Bengals are a much better team. I also say every year how hard it is in the NFL to beat a team twice, and the Bengals beat the Chargers in week 13, 17-10 so you know what, I think I will take the underdog in this one. I really like Keenan Allen and I think this game will come down to a last second field goal but could go either way.

Tbow’s Pick– 21-20 Chargers +7

49ers @ Packers (+3)– Was very surprised to see Green Bay getting 3 points at home in a playoff game. Don’t see that very often. It is gonna be a bit nippy out in Green Bay but I don’t see that as an advantage or disadvantage for either team. Both have big running backs who can pound the ball all day. The difference will be if Green Bay’s defense can limit the big plays. This is one of those games that really can go either way, but the Packers offense is much better than the 49ers offense now that Rodgers is back so that is why I will give them the slight edge.

Tbow’s Pick– 24-20 Packers +3

So there ya have it. Put you’re money where my mouth is because I don’t have any, so take my advice, win some money and then throw some my way. Thanks.

NFL Divisional Round Preview

diviosnlLast weeks games were the biggest let downs of all time. One of the worst weekends of football ever. Every game sucked and then we were all forced to watch RGIII basically forced into ripping his knee apart. I was a little angry with myself that I wasn’t aware Christian Ponder wasn’t going to be playing seeing as that game was my only loss of the week putting me at 3-1 for the playoffs but realistically 4-0. Whatever. So this weekends games seem like they will all be pretty good. Saturday we got the Ravens and Broncos and the Packers and 49ers. Then Sunday Pats and Texans and Seahawks and Falcons. So here are some top of the line picks that you should definitely bet on if you want to make some money this weekend:

Ravens @ Broncos (-10)– Really Vegas? This is the playoffs. Maybe they didn’t get the memo but the Broncos quarterback is notorious for playoff one-and-dones and this Ravens defense is coming off an emotional win where they literally gave the Bengals zero ground. From a betting stand-point this game is a lay-up. You take the Ravens with the points all day everyday. Now with that being said, I really am unsure of who is going to win this game. My gut is saying that the Broncos pull it out but my head is telling me Peyton Manning is going to do what he usually does and that is lose in the playoffs. I think it’s definitely a low scoring game and the Ravens win on a late field goal to send the two horses packing.

Tbow’s Pick- Ravens +10

Packers @ 49ers (-3)- By far the game of the weekend right here. Well, at least that’s what most people think but I see this as a one-sided affair. I picked the Pack to lose last week but they caught a huge break with Christian Ponder not playing. On the surface you might think he wouldn’t have made much of a difference but if you saw Joe Webb throw a football you would know that the Vikings had no chance with him behind center. The Packers are a mediocre defense at best and their offense hasn’t impressed me of late. I think the extra week of preparation will work to the Niners advantage and their big play capability will be what puts them over the edge against the Packers defense.

Tbow’s Pick- 49ers -3

Seahawks @ Falcons (-3)- This is the matchup that I am most looking forward to. I said last week I liked the Hawks to win but wasn’t sure if they had what it takes to play on the road. Honestly, last week didn’t tell me much. Was their defense really playing that good or was it all because RGIII had one knee? The offense turned it up in the 2nd half but that’s only because the Skins defense couldn’t get off the field because of the offensive 3 and outs. I will tell you one thing. If the Seahawks start the game on Sunday like they did last week there is no chance they win the game. I’m really surprised at how low the spread is for this game. Falcons at home where they dominate and they basically dominated the conference all year. This is Matty Ice’s last chance to show that he’s not completely useless in the playoffs and this franchise cannot afford to lose another playoff game at home. Hawks made a good run but they are young and will be back next year, they need to learn to play on the road too.

Tbow’s Pick- Falcons -3

Texans @ Patriots (-10)- This is a very interesting game to say the least. You see it all the time in the NFL how hard it is for teams to win 2 games against the same opponent in a short time span. Patriots laid a beating on the Texans in week 14, and it had a pretty obvious effect on the entire team the rest of the season. The Texans were honestly saved by having to play last week because if they had a bye and were coming into the divisional round against anyone following all those losses you can guarantee them to lay another goose egg. They got to play however and get a little bit of confidence back in their game and that should make for a better showing on Sunday. I do like them to keep it close but I don’t know if they have enough to beat the Pats. I think it is possible but I like the Pats by a touchdown or field goal in this one. Don’t expect a blow out.

Tbow’s Pick- Texans +10

NFL Playoff Preview

nflplayoffI tried out picking every game every week and after a few weeks it was just too much. So I figured I would save the most important picks for the playoffs. I don’t think I need to remind you how dominant I was last year, but I will any way. 9-2 overall picking with the spreads, including my exact score prediction nearly coming true if the Giants could have mustered that 2 point conversion. I have no idea right now what team has an edge on winning the Super Bowl, that’s how close I think most of the teams are. Well, let me retract that statement. That’s how close I think all the NFC teams are, and I think the NFC will win the Super Bowl again. So get your money on Bovada and bet all these games and then you can generously split the winnings with me:

Bengals @ Texans (-5)- Easiest money of the week right here. Yeah, most people already jumped ship on the Texans seeing as they have been playing garbage of late but let’s not forget how dominant they were over inferior opponents for the entire season. And honestly the Bengals are an inferior team. Defenses were able to contain AJ Green towards the end of the season, and I look for the Texans to come out and destroy the Bengals on the ground and also in the air the few times they will actually have to throw. Texans all the way from start to finish and will be looking to avenge their loss to the Pats in the Divisional Round.

Tbow’s Pick- Texans -5

Vikings @ Packers (-9)- I had been going back in forth in my head on this one a lot. In the NFL, it’s not easy to beat a team twice in a season, never mind twice in two weeks. Green Bay will have the advantage being at home and by just the sheer fact that they didn’t win last week. It will be cold in Lambeau and I think the cold will be the main factor in the game. As we saw last week, Rodgers tore apart the Vikings defense in the 2nd half, but that was in the 70 degree dome. I think Peterson continues his MVP season and the Vikings come out and stun the Packers on the road in this first week of the playoffs. Ever since their loss early to the Seahawks which should have been a win, the Packers have piled up the wins but have just not seemed completely right. With Jennings being hurt all season and Nelson playing here and there, the inconsistency I think hurt the offense and will be the demise of the Packers this season. There is hope for everyone, even Christian Ponder can win an NFL playoff game.

Tbow’s Pick- Vikings +9

Colts @ Ravens (-7)- It’s real hard not to root for the Colts this year with all that coach Chuck Pagano has gone through and what the team has done to rally around him. There are a few things we can’t forget about this team though. Andrew Luck is a rookie quarterback. Andrew Luck has not played well on the road this year. Baltimore has almost as big of a home field advantage as Seattle and lastly this could be Ray Lewis’s last game. I think all of that is too much for the Colts to over come. Luck will be a great QB in the league in years to come but I just don’t think the Colts as a team are there yet. They will definitely learn a lot from this game to take with them into next season, but I see Flacco playing well and Ray Rice controlling the game on the ground.

Tbow’s Pick- Ravens -7

Seahawks @ Redskins (+3)- This is the game I’m most looking forward to. Russel Wilson vs. RGIII. It’s really hard to bet against the Seahawks after the tear they have been on, but it’s also hard to bet against what the Skins have done in the same period. I do think that Seattle is a more complete team, mostly because their defense is on a much higher level than the Redskins. The only question is, what can the Seahawks do on the road? They were a mediocre road team all season, and the last road game they played wasn’t even a road game it was on neutral ground in Canada. I do think however that the Hawks defense can bottle up RGIII and the butler Alfred Morris and I think Lynch can keep going beast-mode and Wilson will do what he’s done all year which is manage the game well and limit mistakes.

Tbow’s Pick- Seahawks -3

 

 

Tim Tebow…Did You Ever Doubt Him?

John 3:16- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” This is Tim’s favorite passage from the Bible, and at Florida displayed this on his eye-black often. Tebow threw for 316 yards today in an overtime win for the Broncos. Coincidence? “Believe” is a very overused but effective word. It is something that Tim does in his team, his faith, and his ability to win football games. It is also something Tebow fans and Bronco fans have in their team and quarterback. Many don’t like to hear the word when dealing with sports, but it is something very simple that makes a big difference. The 2004 Red Sox believed when their backs were against the wall, down 3 games to none in the ALCS against the greatest MLB Franchise. The New England Patriots believed when their star quarterback Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury and unknown backup, at the time, Tom Brady came in and led them to a Super Bowl. Maybe it’s just a word. Maybe saying you believe has no effect on the outcome in anything, but if you watch the Broncos this season you might have a whole new outlook on the word.

The Broncos piled up a whopping 8 yards of total offense in the 1st quarter, and found themselves in a 6-0 hole. For the first time in weeks, John Fox allowed his quarterback to play. Tebow was flawless in the 2nd quarter. Hitting on a 51 yard perfect pass to Demaryius Thomas, and then a beautiful 30 yard touchdown pass to Eddie Royal on the first drive of the quarter. Next possession, Tebow hit Thomas on another beautiful deep pass which led to a Tebow touchdown run. The Broncos receivers torched Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu. The offense cooled down in the second half, and opened the door for Big Ben to give his team a chance. Late scores by the Steelers tied the game up, but did any of you think the Broncos would lose? Ben Roethlisberger had a 10-3 record in the playoffs, as well as two Super Bowl rings. The Steelers also had the best defense this year, and Tebow ended the Steelers hope with an 80 yard touchdown pass to Thomas to seal the game on the first play of overtime. All week, we all heard how the Broncos wouldn’t score any points, and how they had zero chance in this game. If you were one of the people who gave them no chance, what do you say after a performance like that? They said Tebow couldn’t throw, yet he threw for the most yards the Steelers had given up all year. They said this was going to be Tebow’s last start as an NFL quarterback, yet he will be starting Saturday in Foxboro. If O.J. can get away with murder, Tim Tebow can win on Saturday.