NFL Game Preview for January 8, 2011: New Orleans Saints (-10.5) vs. Seattle Seahawks

Sports Bet Overview:

In fairy tales you often hear of the underdog who suddenly finds super-human strength and overcomes the bigger opponent. In NFL betting, there is no such thing as fairy tales. The online football betting experts are not surprised to see the Seattle Seahawks win the NFC West considering how weak the rest of the division is. But the problem for Seattle is that they won a division that was taken by the team that lost the least rather than a team that won the most. The pay per head sportsbook experts are not giving the Seahawks much of a chance in this game, and that is because fairy tales are not reality.

The New Orleans Saints were riding an incredible wave of momentum until they lost in week 17 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There were a few things that cost the defending Super Bowl champs that game, but the biggest was their attempts to establish a running game that has been non-existent all season long. With players like Chris Ivory, Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas carrying the ball, it is hard to imagine that the Saints still rely almost solely on quarterback Drew Brees for their offense.

Offense:

As was mentioned, the Saints have no running game. When you look closely at the stats, you may start to realize why the Saints have no running game. Drew Brees was sacked 25 times in 2010. That is not excessive, but it is the second-highest season total in Brees’ career. When a quarterback as elusive as Brees is getting sacked more than an average of once per game, that means the offensive line is having some problems. There are no holes for the running backs to run through, and the line needs to fix that if they want to win in the playoffs.

The Seahawks let Charlie Whitehurst start in the week 17 game against the St. Louis Rams that decided the NFC West winner. Starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was able to play, but head coach Pete Carroll decided that Hasselbeck was too banged up to be effective. Neither of the Seattle quarterbacks has been very impressive this season, but if Carroll passes over Hasselbeck for the playoff game then that would pretty much sound the end to Hasselbeck’s career in Seattle. Seattle also has no running game, but they do not have the potent air attack that the Saints have to offset their lack of running yardage.

Defense:

The Saints defense showed an aggressive pass rush against the Bucs, but they left the middle of the field open for the pass. The New Orleans linebackers and secondary have been inconsistent all season long. If they were ever going to bring the defense together to play as a unit, now would be the time.

The Seahawks have the 27th ranked pass defense in the league, and that is what will cost them this game. They have no pass rush to intimidate or upset Brees, and their secondary is unable to stay with the Saints receivers. The line up front may be able to contain the Saints running game, but the secondary will not be able to keep Brees off the scoreboard.

The Bottom Line:

The Seahawks backed their way into the playoffs like no other team in history. They are the first team with a losing record to win a division and make the playoffs. The only thing they have going for them is their fans and the noise at Qwest Field. But the Saints play twice a year in the Atlanta Georgia Dome and are more than used to fan noise.

Pick: New Orleans Saints

NCAA Football Betting – BCS National Championship Game Could Set Records For Offense

Given the offensive talents on both teams, it would be no surprise to see the No. 1 Auburn Tigers and No. 2 Oregon Ducks set the record for most points in a national title game in this year’s Tostitos’ BCS National Championship game. These teams combined to average 90 points per game during the regular season, and with a handful of superstars on both sides of the ball, it should make for an exciting contest.

Tostitos’ BCS National Championship Game

Oregon Ducks vs. Auburn Tigers

Monday January 10, 2011 – 8:30 PM ET

Online Sports Betting Odds: Auburn - 3

While the Tigers boast Heisman trophy-winner and quarterback Cam Newton and running back Michael Dyer, the Ducks will answer with an impressive tandem of their own in Heisman trophy runner-up and running back LaMichael James and quarterback Darron Thomas. While the Tigers’ offense is predicated on strength and toughness, the Ducks is on speed and finesse, setting the stage for a highly anticipated showdown.

NCAA Football Betting Preview: Oregon

Thomas and James will get plenty of opportunities to show their value against a Tigers’ defense that has looked tentative several times this season. James rushed for 1,682 yards and 28 touchdowns during the college football betting year, while Thomas provided the perfect compliment as a signal-caller that can make big plays with both his arm and legs. Thomas threw for 28 touchdowns, while rushing for five more, and will need to use his speed and ability to make plays outside of the pocket to exploit a much slower Tigers’ defense. The Ducks showed improvement defensively as the season wore on, but three games in which they allowed 500 yards have left them looking vulnerable.

NCAA Football Betting Preview: Auburn

The same can be said about an Auburn defense that allowed 28 points per betting services game over the final eight weeks, and finished in the bottom-half of the SEC in total defense. Newton more than made up for the team’s deficiencies on the other side of the ball with an outstanding season, throwing for 2,589 yards while rushing for another 1,409 and combining for 48 touchdowns. Dyer provided the perfect compliment to Newton’s playmaking abilities with excellent straight-line speed and toughness, and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. Those two will be relied on heavily to keep up with the Oregon offense, particularly due to the inconsistencies that the team has experienced defensively.

The Match Up: Oregon vs. Auburn

The Tigers and Ducks will exchange several blows and big plays throughout the course of what should be an exciting football betting game, and it may come down to which offense can put up more points in the end. Oregon flexed their muscle against the PAC-10, but will be battling a different type of beast in Auburn. How both sides adapt defensively to taking on offenses they are not used to will go a long way in determining which team comes out on top, and it’s hard to bet against the biggest superstar in the game in what should be an explosive battle.

BSN Sports Pick: Auburn - 3

NFL Odds Preview for January 2, 2010: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens (-10)

Online Sports Bet Preview:

NFL betting in the AFC North is getting interesting. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers sit on top of the division each with an 11-4 record. They are finishing the season against the bottom two teams in the division, but neither game is a gimme by any stretch of the imagination.

The Ravens have the Cincinnati Bengals coming to town for the final game of the season, and the Bengals just knocked the San Diego Chargers out of the playoffs with a week 16 win. The sportsbook promo experts were not expecting the Chargers to lose that game considering the fact that their entire playoff hopes were riding on a win. But Cincinnati beat one of the best offensive and defensive teams in the league 34-20, and that should concern the Baltimore Ravens.

Offense:

The Ravens put together a potent offense in the off-season with the acquisition of wide receivers Donte Stallworth and Anquan Boldin. But the offense experienced a slow start due to some problems with quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco came into the first few games of this season indecisive and, when he did make a decision, it was not a good one. But, as the season wore on, Flacco has developed confidence in his abilities and has teamed up with running back Ray Rice to create a very potent offense.

The Bengals were losing to the Chargers until a 21-point fourth quarter explosion sealed the game. The explosion came from the Cincinnati passing game. Quarterback Carson Palmer threw four touchdown passes in the game, with two of them going to receiver Jerome Simpson. The Bengals were playing without their top receiver Terrell Owens, but they still managed to put up an offensive display to win the game.

Defense:

The confidence of the Cincinnati offense could be a problem for the Baltimore defense. The front seven of Baltimore is capable of keeping Carson Palmer in check, but the young and inconsistent secondary is prone to giving up points especially towards the end of a game. Ray Lewis and the linebackers will shut down the Bengals running game, but it could be Carson Palmer and the passing game that gives the Bengals problems.

The Bengals completely shut down the Chargers extremely potent running attack, and the Chargers feature two first-string running backs in Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles. The Ravens have Ray Rice and occasionally turn to Willis McGahee, but the lack of dimension to the Ravens running game may give the Bengals a chance to focus on Flacco and the passing game.

The Bottom Line:

The Cincinnati Bengals saw what it was like to have Terrell Owens on offense this season, and now they have seen what it is like to not have him. Owens will probably be looking for a new team again this off-season. and the Bengals will roll into this game with some confidence. But they will need more than confidence to beat a Ravens team that is fighting for the second best record in the AFC.

BSN Sports free pick: Baltimore Ravens