NFL Betting Odds – Cardinals try to slow explosive Vikings

The NFL betting odds for Sunday’s matchup between Minnesota and Arizona are backing the Vikings, as the Cardinals may be without their No.1 quarterback once again.

Vikings vs Cardinals betting – Sunday, December 6, 8:20 PM ET

The Vikings (10-1) had their way with Chicago in a 36-10 thumping, racking up 537 yards of offense while holding the Bears to 169 yards. Brett Favre strengthened his case for the MVP award by going 32-of-48 for 392 yards and three touchdowns, making up for a subpar outing by Adrian Peterson, who had 85 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, but he also fumbled twice, losing one. The Vikings managed four sacks and even more pressure on Jay Cutler, picking the Chicago pivot off twice.

The Cardinals (7-4) suffered one of the biggest gut punches of the season, falling 20-17 at Tennessee thanks to a 99-yard touchdown drive by the Titans’ Vince Young. Matt Leinart, who was 21-of-31 for 220 yards, had seen the heroics of Young before: before they were top NFL picks, Young led Texas to a thrilling win over Leinart’s USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl, which is regarded as a modern-day classic. Leinart was starting in place of Kurt Warner, who is still battling post-concussion symptoms, but he said that he feels better than he has lately. Still, with a 7-4 record, the Cardinals would do well not to rush Warner back. Their NFL betting odds for the Super Bowl won’t suffer with Leinart under center for one more week.

NFL betting odds in your online sportsbook have the Vikings as a 3-point favorite in Arizona, and they’ve won three out of four against the Cardinals since 2000, including a 35-14 romp in the desert last year. The way that the Vikings are playing right now, it’s tough to bet against them, especially if Leinart is in the lineup. The Vikings lead the league in sacks, and Leinart was sacked three times by the Titans. Led by Jared Allen, Minnesota could double that this week. The Arizona secondary was lit up by Young, which must have Favre salivating.

Football picks: Minnesota -3

NCAA Football Betting – Florida/Alabama Pick

NFL odds will take a backseat for a change this weekend as Florida and Alabama clash for the SEC title in what many people feel is the biggest football game so far this season. Time to choose a winner; hopefully our previous football picks prepared us for this one.

(1) Florida Gators vs (2) Alabama Crimson Tide

Saturday, December 5, 4:00 p.m. ET

Florida Alabama line: Florida -5-5

Is the pressure on Alabama this Saturday? Arguably, no; the Crimson Tide are clear underdogs. Then again, they’re trying to reach the BCS title game and avenge last year’s heartbreaking 31-20 loss to these same Florida Gators.

For Alabama to have a chance, it has to run the football effectively. In theory, it has the horse to do that in Heisman Trophy hopeful Mark Ingram. He’s been a beast this season, amassing 1,429 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. If the Ingram that showed up last week against Auburn returns, however, The Crimson Tide are in trouble; Ingram ran 16 times for just 30 yards. The Florida Gators hope to bottle up Ingram and force the ball into quarterback Greg McIlroy’s hands. McIlroy isn’t bad but he’s not an elite field general either. Against the Gators’ top-ranked defense, he could struggle. With linebacker Brandon Spikes leading the way, the Gators will probably stack the box to stop Ingram and make McIlroy beat them.

Even if Alabama manages to score on a defense that didn’t allow more than 20 points in a game this season, Florida’s offense represents a tough test too. Tim Tebow is a dominant dual threat; he threw 17 touchdown passes versus four interceptions and ran for 796 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Alabama has an excellent defense too – cracking the top five against the pass and the run – but Tebow challenges every defense because he makes plays in so many different ways.

The Crimson Tide obviously won’t go quietly but the Gators are so tough on “D” and have more solid offensive contributors – guys like Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez. Expect history to repeat itself this Saturday.

Online sportsbook pick: Florida -5.5

NFL Odds – Underdog Bills Could Take Down banged-up Jets

Warm up for Saturday’s Florida vs Alabama picks with some NFL action on Thursday night, as Buffalo “hosts” the New York Jets in Toronto. The Bills come into this game as the underdog, but they could take advantage of an ailing Jets quarterback who had a nightmare the last time he faced Buffalo.

Jets vs Bills odds – Thursday, December 3, 8:20 PM ET

The Jets (4-7) fell 16-13 in overtime at home in Week 6 to the Bills, and Sanchez was a major culprit, going 10-of-29 for 119 yards and five picks in the worst game of his career to date. This overshadowed a career day for running back Thomas Jones, who had 210 yards and a score on 22 carries as the Jets ran for 318 yards. The Jets also committed 14 penalties on the day, and they’re not good enough to overcome that many mistakes, even after a 17-6 win over Carolina last week.

In that win over the Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick took over for the injured Trent Edwards, going 10-of-25 for 116 yards and a touchdown, along with a pick. Now, Fitzpatrick is entrenched as the starter and he’s built a good connection with Terrell Owens, who has averaged 126 yards over the last three games. The Bills are coming off of a 31-14 pasting of Miami in which they exploded for 24 points in the final quarter, and as NFL odds has made them an underdog, they could even more motivation.

NFL odds in your online sportsbook have the Jets as a 3-point favorite, but they’ve dropped six of their last 10 against the Bills overall. Even though their defense was on fire against the Panthers, it’s tough to put the Jets in your NFL picks until Sanchez gets his head back the game, throwing seven picks in his last three games with only a pair of touchdowns. Also, he left the Carolina game with a knee injury and even though he says he’ll be fine, you may want to check out the news wire after Wednesday’s practice. If he’s at less than 100%, even the New York defense can’t save them on Thursday.

NFL picks: Buffalo +3