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Re: NFL Conference Championship Betting Info.
NFC Championship Preview
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
The Seahawks are back in the NFC Championship for the second straight year, seeking a return trip to the Super Bowl and looking to become the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since New England accomplished that feat 10 years ago. Seattle began the season taking on Green Bay on the opening Thursday night, as the Packers try to capitalize off a comeback victory in the divisional round.
Green Bay (13-4 SU, 9-7-1 ATS) erased a 21-13 deficit against Dallas last Sunday with a pair of touchdown passes by the gimpy Aaron Rodgers to eliminate the Cowboys, 26-21. The Packers failed to cover as 5½-point favorites, but Rodgers hooked up with rookie tight end Richard Rodgers (no relation) for the go-ahead score with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Of course the major storyline coming from this NFC Divisional battle was the overturned call on the Dez Bryant catch in the fourth quarter on fourth down that would have given Dallas a first and goal at the one-yard line trailing by five points.
The Packers finished the season with a perfect 9-0 record at Lambeau Field, while Rodgers managed to throw for 316 yards and three touchdowns in spite of a lingering left calf injury. Eddie Lacy rushed for 101 yards, while rookie wideout Davante Adams hauled in seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown to help out the injured Rodgers. Since winning Super Bowl XLV over Pittsburgh in January 2011, the Packers are just 2-2 at Lambeau Field in the postseason, which includes a pair of one-and-dones in 2013 against San Francisco and 2011 against the Giants.
The Seahawks (13-4 SU, 10-6-1 ATS) continued to roll following a 3-3 start to the season by picking up their seventh straight win in a 31-17 victory over Carolina in last Saturday’s divisional round. Seattle cashed as 13½-point favorites after that line jumped later in the week, as Seahawks’ backers can thank Kam Chancellor, who intercepted Cam Newton in the fourth quarter and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown to put Seattle up 31-10. The Panthers would score late, but the Seahawks beat the Panthers for the fourth time since 2012, while Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes in the victory.
How good has Pete Carroll’s team been lately? During this seven-game hot streak, the Seahawks have covered six times, while pushing in a 10-point victory over San Francisco in Week 15. The defense is returning to its “Legion of Boom” status that carried Seattle to a Super Bowl title last season, as the Seahawks have allowed 17 points or less in five straight wins at CenturyLink Field.
Rewinding back to Week 1 of the season when these two teams met up, the Seahawks and Packers were tied at 10-10 late in the second quarter until a Marshawn Lynch nine-yard touchdown run turned the game into a rout. Seattle reeled off 19 unanswered points to grab a commanding 29-10 lead and picked up a 36-16 blowout to easily cover as 4½-point favorites. Seattle’s defense limited Green Bay to 255 yards, while Lynch rushed for two scores and 110 yards. The Packers weren’t a reliable underdog this season, posting an 0-3 SU/ATS record when receiving points.
Seattle has won six of seven playoff games since Wilson took over as starting quarterback back in 2012, while winning all three contests at CenturyLink Field, including a 23-17 victory over San Francisco in last January’s NFC title game. The Seahawks have lost twice to the Packers in postseason play, with both of those defeats coming to Brett Favre in Green Bay in 2003 and 2007. Green Bay has won three of five road playoff games with Rodgers at the helm since 2009 with all three of those victories coming during their championship run of 2010.
VegasInsider.com handicapper Joe Nelson gives his spin on this matchup, “The Packers did struggle against some of the better defenses they faced this season, going 1-3 vs. top 10 yards-per-play defenses this season, but Seattle has not played a top 10 yards-per-play offense since losing to Dallas at home in mid-October. This is a rare matchup of a top offense vs. a top defense, a matchup that has historically favored the defensive team in Super Bowls with the Seahawks destroying the Broncos in last year’s Super Bowl as the most recent example.”
Green Bay’s struggles as a ‘dog is also a concern, as pointed out by Nelson, “The Packers have been on a terrible run as an underdog (1-10-1 ATS in the last 12) though some of those games were without Rodgers and the Seahawks have been truly dominant at home going 25-2 S/U and 20-7 ATS since 2012 but this could be a very interesting game with an intriguing line set at just above a touchdown for the home favorite.”
Where is the money going on Sunday? Executive director of Race & Sports at the Wynn Las Vegas Johnny Avello says it’s coming on the home team, “We opened Seattle at -6½, but the money came in on the Seahawks, as we moved the number to -7. Eventually we had to push Seattle up to -7, -120.” Avello also believes that this game can eclipse the ‘over’ of 46½, saying this Packers team will score in spite of Rodgers’ injury.
Seattle’s victory over San Francisco last January actually snapped a three-game losing streak by home teams in the NFC Championship, while the ‘under’ has hit in three of the previous four NFC title games.
Currently, Seattle is a 7½-point favorite at many books, while the total sits at a constant 46½. The NFC Championship kicks off at 3:05 PM EST at CenturyLink Field and can be seen on FOX.
NFC Championship Preview
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
The Seahawks are back in the NFC Championship for the second straight year, seeking a return trip to the Super Bowl and looking to become the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since New England accomplished that feat 10 years ago. Seattle began the season taking on Green Bay on the opening Thursday night, as the Packers try to capitalize off a comeback victory in the divisional round.
Green Bay (13-4 SU, 9-7-1 ATS) erased a 21-13 deficit against Dallas last Sunday with a pair of touchdown passes by the gimpy Aaron Rodgers to eliminate the Cowboys, 26-21. The Packers failed to cover as 5½-point favorites, but Rodgers hooked up with rookie tight end Richard Rodgers (no relation) for the go-ahead score with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Of course the major storyline coming from this NFC Divisional battle was the overturned call on the Dez Bryant catch in the fourth quarter on fourth down that would have given Dallas a first and goal at the one-yard line trailing by five points.
The Packers finished the season with a perfect 9-0 record at Lambeau Field, while Rodgers managed to throw for 316 yards and three touchdowns in spite of a lingering left calf injury. Eddie Lacy rushed for 101 yards, while rookie wideout Davante Adams hauled in seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown to help out the injured Rodgers. Since winning Super Bowl XLV over Pittsburgh in January 2011, the Packers are just 2-2 at Lambeau Field in the postseason, which includes a pair of one-and-dones in 2013 against San Francisco and 2011 against the Giants.
The Seahawks (13-4 SU, 10-6-1 ATS) continued to roll following a 3-3 start to the season by picking up their seventh straight win in a 31-17 victory over Carolina in last Saturday’s divisional round. Seattle cashed as 13½-point favorites after that line jumped later in the week, as Seahawks’ backers can thank Kam Chancellor, who intercepted Cam Newton in the fourth quarter and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown to put Seattle up 31-10. The Panthers would score late, but the Seahawks beat the Panthers for the fourth time since 2012, while Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes in the victory.
How good has Pete Carroll’s team been lately? During this seven-game hot streak, the Seahawks have covered six times, while pushing in a 10-point victory over San Francisco in Week 15. The defense is returning to its “Legion of Boom” status that carried Seattle to a Super Bowl title last season, as the Seahawks have allowed 17 points or less in five straight wins at CenturyLink Field.
Rewinding back to Week 1 of the season when these two teams met up, the Seahawks and Packers were tied at 10-10 late in the second quarter until a Marshawn Lynch nine-yard touchdown run turned the game into a rout. Seattle reeled off 19 unanswered points to grab a commanding 29-10 lead and picked up a 36-16 blowout to easily cover as 4½-point favorites. Seattle’s defense limited Green Bay to 255 yards, while Lynch rushed for two scores and 110 yards. The Packers weren’t a reliable underdog this season, posting an 0-3 SU/ATS record when receiving points.
Seattle has won six of seven playoff games since Wilson took over as starting quarterback back in 2012, while winning all three contests at CenturyLink Field, including a 23-17 victory over San Francisco in last January’s NFC title game. The Seahawks have lost twice to the Packers in postseason play, with both of those defeats coming to Brett Favre in Green Bay in 2003 and 2007. Green Bay has won three of five road playoff games with Rodgers at the helm since 2009 with all three of those victories coming during their championship run of 2010.
VegasInsider.com handicapper Joe Nelson gives his spin on this matchup, “The Packers did struggle against some of the better defenses they faced this season, going 1-3 vs. top 10 yards-per-play defenses this season, but Seattle has not played a top 10 yards-per-play offense since losing to Dallas at home in mid-October. This is a rare matchup of a top offense vs. a top defense, a matchup that has historically favored the defensive team in Super Bowls with the Seahawks destroying the Broncos in last year’s Super Bowl as the most recent example.”
Green Bay’s struggles as a ‘dog is also a concern, as pointed out by Nelson, “The Packers have been on a terrible run as an underdog (1-10-1 ATS in the last 12) though some of those games were without Rodgers and the Seahawks have been truly dominant at home going 25-2 S/U and 20-7 ATS since 2012 but this could be a very interesting game with an intriguing line set at just above a touchdown for the home favorite.”
Where is the money going on Sunday? Executive director of Race & Sports at the Wynn Las Vegas Johnny Avello says it’s coming on the home team, “We opened Seattle at -6½, but the money came in on the Seahawks, as we moved the number to -7. Eventually we had to push Seattle up to -7, -120.” Avello also believes that this game can eclipse the ‘over’ of 46½, saying this Packers team will score in spite of Rodgers’ injury.
Seattle’s victory over San Francisco last January actually snapped a three-game losing streak by home teams in the NFC Championship, while the ‘under’ has hit in three of the previous four NFC title games.
Currently, Seattle is a 7½-point favorite at many books, while the total sits at a constant 46½. The NFC Championship kicks off at 3:05 PM EST at CenturyLink Field and can be seen on FOX.
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