Cardinals begin defense of NFC crown at home
The Packers enjoyed their win on the road over the Cardinals last week so much they have decided to stay over for the week and try again again this Sunday. Well, not really as Green Bay and Arizona simply ended up as opponents in the wild-card round of the playoffs and set for Sunday's late matchup on FOX. The Cards will begin defense of their NFC title as slight favorites and with a gimpy Anquan Boldin.
The fallout from the end of the 2009 NFL regular season has already begun. The Washington Redskins fired coach Jim Zorn, the New York Giants axed defensive co-ordinator Bill Sheridan, and the Buffalo Bills have laid off their entire coaching staff. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.
Meanwhile, there are 12 teams still alive in the quest for the Super Bowl. Two of those 12 teams will be sent packing on Sunday. But which ones?
Baltimore at New England (-3½, 43)
Sunday, Jan 10 - 1:00 p.m. (ET) CBS
These are two of the most talented teams in the league, but it’s been a hard road at times for both the Ravens (9-7 SU, 8-7-1 ATS) and the Patriots (10-6 SU, 7-7-2 ATS).
Baltimore is 5-0 ATS when favored by 10 ½ points or more; otherwise, it’s been a struggle to pull out those close games. Four of Baltimore’s seven losses were by three points or fewer. The Patriots won the AFC East, but weren’t able to secure a first-round bye. Two of their losses were by a single point, and another was by a field goal in overtime.
Home-field advantage will come into play at Gillette Stadium. New England was awful on the road this year at 2-6 SU and 2-4-2 ATS, but a perfect 8-0 (5-3 ATS) in Foxborough. That includes a 27-21 victory over the Ravens (+1) in Week 4.
It was a very close matchup; the Ravens outgained the Pats on the ground and through the air, but had two turnovers to New England’s one and more than twice as many penalty yards (85 to 41). Baltimore finished the season 3-5 SU and 3-4-1 ATS in away games.
The big story for the Patriots coming into this contest is the season-ending injury to wide receiver Wes Welker, who blew out his knee in the first quarter of Sunday’s 34-27 loss to the Houston Texans (-7).
Welker was QB Tom Brady’s favorite target this year with a remarkable 123 catches, second only to Marvin Harrison (143) in the NFL record books. And this was after Welker missed the first two games of the season. Without him in the lineup, the Ravens will be able to focus more on Randy Moss (83 catches, 13 TDs), who didn’t score a touchdown in either of those first two games.
Green Bay at Arizona (-2½, 47½)
Sunday, Jan 10 - 4:40 p.m. (ET) FOX
The Packers turned out to be the most profitable team in the league this year at 11-5 SU and 11-4-1 ATS, but they had to settle for a Wild Card because the Minnesota Vikings won the NFC North at 12-4.
The Cardinals (10-6 SU, 9-7 ATS), meanwhile, claimed the very poor NFC West and home-field advantage in this matchup. Oddly enough, Arizona was a much better team on the road this year, going just 4-4 SU and 3-4-1 ATS at the U. of Phoenix Stadium. The Packers were excellent on the road at 5-3 SU and 5-2-1 ATS.
This is the third Week 17 rematch of the four Wild Card games, including both of Saturday’s contests. The Packers (+3) went into Glendale on Sunday and came away with a 33-7 victory, but that result shouldn’t be read at face value. The Cardinals rested most of their defensive starters after just one series and pulled starting QB Kurt Warner after one quarter.
But Arizona didn’t escape the game unscathed. Both wideout Anquan Boldin (84 catches) and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (six INTs) were limping afterward and are uncertain for the Wild Card matchup.
The Packers are relatively healthy and looking very good indeed at 7-1 SU and 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight games. Football Outsiders has them ranked No. 2 in overall efficiency (behind the Ravens), while Arizona is lagging behind at No. 13 – still an improvement over their No. 21 ranking last year, when the Cards upset both Carolina (-10) and Philadelphia (-3½) on the way to the Super Bowl.
Consensus reports had Green Bay pulling in 88 percent of the action as we went to press. Watch for the betting odds to edge toward Green Bay, at least until the weekend, when the public figures to weigh in on the side of the defending NFC champions.
The Packers enjoyed their win on the road over the Cardinals last week so much they have decided to stay over for the week and try again again this Sunday. Well, not really as Green Bay and Arizona simply ended up as opponents in the wild-card round of the playoffs and set for Sunday's late matchup on FOX. The Cards will begin defense of their NFC title as slight favorites and with a gimpy Anquan Boldin.
The fallout from the end of the 2009 NFL regular season has already begun. The Washington Redskins fired coach Jim Zorn, the New York Giants axed defensive co-ordinator Bill Sheridan, and the Buffalo Bills have laid off their entire coaching staff. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.
Meanwhile, there are 12 teams still alive in the quest for the Super Bowl. Two of those 12 teams will be sent packing on Sunday. But which ones?
Baltimore at New England (-3½, 43)
Sunday, Jan 10 - 1:00 p.m. (ET) CBS
These are two of the most talented teams in the league, but it’s been a hard road at times for both the Ravens (9-7 SU, 8-7-1 ATS) and the Patriots (10-6 SU, 7-7-2 ATS).
Baltimore is 5-0 ATS when favored by 10 ½ points or more; otherwise, it’s been a struggle to pull out those close games. Four of Baltimore’s seven losses were by three points or fewer. The Patriots won the AFC East, but weren’t able to secure a first-round bye. Two of their losses were by a single point, and another was by a field goal in overtime.
Home-field advantage will come into play at Gillette Stadium. New England was awful on the road this year at 2-6 SU and 2-4-2 ATS, but a perfect 8-0 (5-3 ATS) in Foxborough. That includes a 27-21 victory over the Ravens (+1) in Week 4.
It was a very close matchup; the Ravens outgained the Pats on the ground and through the air, but had two turnovers to New England’s one and more than twice as many penalty yards (85 to 41). Baltimore finished the season 3-5 SU and 3-4-1 ATS in away games.
The big story for the Patriots coming into this contest is the season-ending injury to wide receiver Wes Welker, who blew out his knee in the first quarter of Sunday’s 34-27 loss to the Houston Texans (-7).
Welker was QB Tom Brady’s favorite target this year with a remarkable 123 catches, second only to Marvin Harrison (143) in the NFL record books. And this was after Welker missed the first two games of the season. Without him in the lineup, the Ravens will be able to focus more on Randy Moss (83 catches, 13 TDs), who didn’t score a touchdown in either of those first two games.
Green Bay at Arizona (-2½, 47½)
Sunday, Jan 10 - 4:40 p.m. (ET) FOX
The Packers turned out to be the most profitable team in the league this year at 11-5 SU and 11-4-1 ATS, but they had to settle for a Wild Card because the Minnesota Vikings won the NFC North at 12-4.
The Cardinals (10-6 SU, 9-7 ATS), meanwhile, claimed the very poor NFC West and home-field advantage in this matchup. Oddly enough, Arizona was a much better team on the road this year, going just 4-4 SU and 3-4-1 ATS at the U. of Phoenix Stadium. The Packers were excellent on the road at 5-3 SU and 5-2-1 ATS.
This is the third Week 17 rematch of the four Wild Card games, including both of Saturday’s contests. The Packers (+3) went into Glendale on Sunday and came away with a 33-7 victory, but that result shouldn’t be read at face value. The Cardinals rested most of their defensive starters after just one series and pulled starting QB Kurt Warner after one quarter.
But Arizona didn’t escape the game unscathed. Both wideout Anquan Boldin (84 catches) and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (six INTs) were limping afterward and are uncertain for the Wild Card matchup.
The Packers are relatively healthy and looking very good indeed at 7-1 SU and 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight games. Football Outsiders has them ranked No. 2 in overall efficiency (behind the Ravens), while Arizona is lagging behind at No. 13 – still an improvement over their No. 21 ranking last year, when the Cards upset both Carolina (-10) and Philadelphia (-3½) on the way to the Super Bowl.
Consensus reports had Green Bay pulling in 88 percent of the action as we went to press. Watch for the betting odds to edge toward Green Bay, at least until the weekend, when the public figures to weigh in on the side of the defending NFC champions.
