NFL Betting: Tebow, Leinart Take AFC Spotlight in Wide Open Playoff Race

One of the most intriguing parts about the NFL season is how quickly the overall outlook can change in any given situation. The Houston Texans have never made the postseason in their brief franchise history, but seemed destined to finally reach that goal after the Indianapolis Colts lost Peyton Manning for the entire year. But in a cruel twist of fate, the Texans now face the tough task of finishing the year without their own franchise quarterback, as they look to hold on to first in the AFC South with an injured Matt Schaub watching from the sportsbook reviews sidelines.

Houston Texans (-3) @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Sunday, 1:00 PM ET

Texans’ fans are hoping that Matt Leinart can be successful down the stretch in his second chance to start for an NFL team, and he should be successful with a ton of help from his teammates. Houston’s rushing attack ranks third in the NFL betting with the running back tandem of Arian Foster and Ben Tate leading the way, and they should run the ball a ton this week against the Jaguars’ defense. Jacksonville has managed to keep games close with despite a passing attack that ranks 32nd in the NFL with rookie Blaine Gabbert under center, and unless they can slow down the Texans’ running attack they could be destined for their seventh loss of the season.

BSN Sports Free Pick: Houston Texans - 3

Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers (-6.5)

Sunday, 4:15 PM ET

Even the most knowledgeable of pay head experts can’t seem to figure out how the Denver Broncos have been able to turn their season around with a quarterback that many have argued isn’t good enough to be a starter at this level, but while the constant analysis has continued, Tim Tebow simply continues to win. A fourth-quarter game-winning drive against the New York Jets this past Thursday was the exclamation mark in what has been an incredible season for the sophomore Tebow, who has guided Denver to a 4-1 record as the starter, including two wins against division opponents. The Chargers on the other hand have drastically underachieved with five straight losses since their bye week, and regardless of whether or not they are able to get back on track this weekend this game should be close.

NFL Betting Pick: Denver Broncos + 6.5

Pittsburgh Steelers (-10.5) @ Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday, 8:30 PM ET

After a somewhat sluggish start by their standards, the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers have rebounded strong to climb back to the top of the AFC North division, and will look to continue their run against the struggling Chiefs. Things went from bad to worse last week for a Kansas City team that has lost three straight, with the news that Matt Cassel could be done for he remainder of the regular season. The sports betting spread for this game reflects what the oddsmakers think about Tyler Palko’s chances against the Steelers’ defense, as Pittsburgh continues to jockey for position with the Baltimore Ravens at the top of their division.

NFL Betting Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers – 10.5

NFL Betting: Bengals, Browns Stage another Battle Of Ohio

Why the NFL schedule kicks off on Thursday, there are plenty of options in your sportsbook on the weekend and on Sunday, a pair of state and division rivals will go head-to-head in Cincinnati.

Browns Bengals Odds – Sunday, 1:00 PM ET

Cleveland (4-6) came out on top in a 14-10 win at home over Jacksonville, and BetOnline.com reviews would probably say that this game went exactly as planned: a low-scoring, scrappy affair in which points were at a premium. Colt McCoy was 17-of-24 for 199 yards, a touchdown and a pick, while Chris Ogbonnaya added 115 yards and a score for the Browns, who managed to hold the Jacksonville run game in check, and that was the difference. It was a testy game as both teams committed nine penalties, and each team received four first downs, and the offenses needed all of the breaks they could get. Cleveland is now two games behind Cincinnati in the standings and with the ever-changing landscape of the NFL, it’s possible that they could pull even with the Bengals, which would be a huge accomplishment given the start that Cleveland had to the season.

Cincinnati (6-4) may have been bitten by a bad call in their 31-24 loss in Baltimore as Jermaine Gresham had a late score controversially overturned, but price per head players may point to three interceptions by Andy Dalton, who was 24-of-45 for 373 yards and a touchdown as well. The defense almost overturned a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter, and they gave it a good effort to show that the Bengals are going to be a threat in the AFC North, but they’re not there yet. Dalton was also without fellow rookie A.J. Green at receiver, and the playmaker is one of those players who can mean the difference between a win and a loss.

Per head odds have the Bengals as a 7.5-point favorite at home, where they are 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five trips, and the last four games have fallen under the posted total. Watch the injury report to see if Green will be available for the Bengals, but they should still have enough weapons to come away with the win, only because Cleveland’s offense is awful. The Browns’ defense can be run on, even though they did well against Jacksonville, but they had the luxury of going up against a team with no passing game. Cincinnati can keep them off-balance with their passing game and that will open up the field for Cedric Benson, who found the end zone twice against Baltimore, but he’d like to improve on his 41 yards. Go with Cincinnati to cover this sports betting spread.