The NFL betting lines don’t always reflect the real possibilities that a team will or will not win in the playoffs. But it is always interesting to see what kind of odds have been assigned the playoff teams and how those odds apply to the team’s actual chances. Let’s take a look at the current odds for each NFC playoff team to win the Super Bowl and discuss the team’s chances.

Atlanta Falcons (40 to 1)

The price per head sports experts have the Falcons at 40 to 1 and that is understandable. The Falcons were supposed to be the heir apparent to the New Orleans Saints, but the Saints are not done winning yet. Quarterback Matt Ryan had another clutch season but the Falcons are just not capable of winning big games right now.

Detroit Lions (50 to 1)

The Lions are young and still learning. This playoff run will be a great learning experience for a team that has the potential to dominate the NFC for many years to come. At 50 to 1, the bookie software does not give the Lions much of a chance to get very far in these playoffs. Detroit needs to mature a little more before it can appreciate the pressure of playing in the playoffs. But this team has incredible potential for the future.

Green Bay Packers (8 to 5)

Last year, the Packers barely made it into the playoffs and had no running game or defense to speak of outside of Clay Mathews. This year, the Packers ate up the NFL schedule as the top NFC seed and still have no running game or defense. When the Packers need it, the play will be there from every player on the field. The Packers and the Saints will make for an entertaining NFC championship game. But it will be the Packers that come away with the NFC title and a chance to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

New Orleans Saints (5 to 1)

A sportsbook review of the Saints’ season shows that New Orleans comes into this playoff run on quite a roll. The Saints swept the second half of the season winning its last eight games and claiming the NFC South title. Quarterback Drew Brees broke the single season record for passing yards and threw for 46 touchdowns. The Saints have a great offense and a good defense. But a team like the Packers is well-equipped to exploit the deficiencies that the Saints have in the defensive secondary. The Packers’ defensive backfield is more than able to take away Drew Brees’ targets and force the Saints to rely on the run more than it wants to. It will be a great NFC championship game, but the Saints will come up just short.

New York Giants (20 to 1)

The Giants are just happy to be in the playoffs, but New York has a very legitimate shot at beating the Falcons in the wild card round. It is really difficult to get a fix on this Giants team and that makes it dangerous in these playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers (12 to 1)

The 49ers, Lions, Packers and Saints are the reasons why the NFC will dominate the league for a while. What a turnaround that new head coach Jim Harbaugh engineered in San Francisco. But the 49ers are still susceptible to that one big loss and that is what will get the team in these playoffs.

Online Betting Overview

Yes, you are reading that right. The Carolina Panthers are favored to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in week three of the NFL season. When the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans 16-14 in week one, something just did not look right. The Titans did not play very well at all, but neither did the Jaguars. It was one of those games where the team that made the least mistakes would win. The Titans went on in week two to show that the week one loss was a fluke by beating the Baltimore Ravens. The Jaguars showed that their week one win was a fluke by getting thrashed by the New York Jets 32-3. The problem for Jacksonville is that they have no consistency on either side of the ball, and it shows throughout an entire game.

The Carolina Panthers made the football betting online fans in Carolina nervous when the team started rookie quarterback Cam Newton. But two games and nearly 900 passing yards later, Newton is making the Panthers look like a bunch of football geniuses for starting him. The problem is that the Panthers have absolutely no defense to speak of. The Panthers are giving up almost as many yards per game on defense as the Carolina offense is racking up. Cam Newton and the Carolina offense had a real shot at beating the Green Bay Packers, but the defense could not hold. That will not be as much of a problem for Carolina in this game.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars have averaged 125 yards per game in total offense through the first two games of the season. The only team worse at moving the ball is the Minnesota Vikings. NFL fans in Jacksonville can pretty much sense that the end of the Jack Del Rio era is coming to a close as the head coach cannot get any production out of his offense. Starting quarterback David Garrard was injured in preseason, so the team looked to Luke McCown and not highly-touted rookie Blaine Gabbert to take over at quarterback. So far, nothing has worked. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew is the Jacksonville offense. Once you remove Jones-Drew, you have an offense that cannot score touchdowns and that makes it really easy to defend.

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina defense is ranked 26^th in the league. It is not the worse defense out there, but it is not giving the high-flying Carolina offense a chance to win. This is one of the easier NFL picks of the week because the Carolina defense can beat this Jacksonville offense. The Jacksonville defense is so bad that Cam Newton could very well eclipse his season-high of 422 passing yards in a single game. There is no doubt that Newton will be over 1,000 yards passing only three games into his rookie year. Carolina has its offense, now it just needs to work on defense.

The Bottom Line

By the time this one is over, Maurice Jones-Drew will wish he was bass fishing instead of playing in this game. The Panthers’ defense will crowd the line and stop the Jacksonville offense and the Carolina offense will have another huge day.

Pick: Carolina Panthers

Betting Online Overview

As the NCAA basketball lines start to show the way to March Madness, the NHL scores show that the Vancouver Canucks are at it again. The reason that the Canucks are rarely part of the NHL trade rumors each year is because their regular season team always looks invincible. If history has taught the Canucks anything, they would trade away goaltender Roberto Luongo at the trade deadline for a goalie with positive playoff experience and make a real run to the Stanley Cup. But, that will not happen so long as Luongo is one of the key reasons why the Canucks always seem to be at the top of the NHL standings every year.

The Anaheim Ducks are only a few years removed from winning the Stanley Cup, but this is hardly the same team that won the coveted hardware. These Ducks are younger and faster but lack real experience. They are finding their way together as they continue to climb the Western Conference standings, but only time will tell if this team has enough playoff experience to be dangerous in the post-season.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks lead the league with 79 points. Vancouver has a six-game winning streak going right now, and they are 19-3-5 at home. They have the highest goal differential in the league at +56, and they are second only to the Boston Bruins in goals against with 127. In short, the Canucks are awesome. The team hits hard, can score goals from anywhere on the ice and has one of the best regular season goaltenders in the history of the game. The Sedin twins are a force. Daniel Sedin is fourth in the league in goal scoring with 28 goals, and his brother Henrik leads the league with 54 assists. Daniel Sedin has 41 assists of his own. Forward Ryan Kesler has 31 goals, and he is the guy that plays on the line with the Sedin twins. Needless to say, Vancouver has one of the most dangerous lines in hockey.

Anaheim Ducks

Right now the Ducks are in seventh place in the Western Division, and they are tied with sixth place San Jose at 62 points. The Ducks are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, and they are picking up serious momentum as they head into Vancouver. The only problem for the Ducks is that they have a 12-13-3 road record. Even in their recent span of winning streaks, the Ducks have had problems winning on the road. Any team knows that they need to be able to win on the road to win in the playoffs, and the Ducks are working on it. But playing the Vancouver Canucks in GM Place is not the best way to try and start a road winning streak.

The Bottom Line

The Western Conference will just have to hang in there until the playoffs start. The Canucks will probably win the West again this season, and they may even win the President’s Trophy. Most hockey fans know what a kiss of death the President’s Trophy is in the playoffs. In this game, the Canucks are healthy and have way too much for the Ducks to handle.

Pick: Vancouver Canucks

As the sports betting world starts to focus on the divisional playoff games coming up this weekend in the NFL, NFL betting online enthusiasts need to take a look at the players that could make a big difference in each of the games before making their NFL predictions. Before you start your football betting activities for the weekend, check out the difference makers for each of the upcoming divisional playoff games.

Saturday, January 15 – Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)

This should be a great defensive battle as both teams possess a hard-hitting and aggressive defense. The difference maker in this game for the Steelers will be safety Troy Polamalu. Polamalu does not have planned patterns he runs or set defensive schemes he plays in. He is a rogue set out there to destroy the opposition’s passing game, and he is extremely good at it. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco has developed a greater sense of accuracy in the second half of the season, but he will never see Polamalu coming and that will be a huge problem.

The difference maker for the Ravens will be running back Ray Rice. With Flacco pinned down by Polamalu, it will be up to Rice to gain positive yards for the Ravens and get the offense into scoring position. He will have to do it against one of the best running defenses in the history of football, and that makes Rice’s job that much more difficult.

Saturday, January 15 – Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons (-2)

The high-flying Falcons host a playoff game against the Packers. While the Packers are on a roll, the Falcons are still the number one seed in the NFC. The difference maker for the Falcons in this game will be quarterback Matt Ryan. He gets his first real taste of playoff action, and the Falcons will depend on his ice-cold demeanor to help them move the ball and keep Aaron Rodgers off the field.

The difference maker for the Packers will be running back James Starks. The last time the Packers played the Falcons, Green Bay had no running game and only lost the game by a field goal. If Starks can continue to run well in the playoffs, he could be the difference for the Packers.

Sunday, January 16 – Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears (-10)

Much is made of Marshawn Lynch’s 67-yard touchdown run in the Seahawks win over the New Orelans Saints, and rightfully so. But the reason that the Seahawks won that game was the play of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck threw four touchdown passes and had 272 passing yards against the Saints. He managed the game well and will need to do the same this week if the Seahawks want to beat the Bears.

For the Bears, the difference maker is defensive lineman Julius Peppers. Peppers has been terrorizing opposing quarterbacks all season long, and if he can bring the heat to Hasselbeck then the Seahawks will be forced to run the ball. Marshawn Lynch might find it a little tougher sledding against the Bears defense than he did the Saints.

Sunday, January 16 – New York Jets @ New England Patriots (-8.5)

The Patriots will not allow the Jets running game to blow by their defensive line like the Colts did. That means that the difference maker for the Jets will have to be quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sanchez will have to find his groove and get the ball into that weak Pats secondary if the Jets are to have any chance of winning this game.

For the Patriots the difference maker is the same on it is every week – Tom Brady. No quarterback in the league is better at utilizing his offensive weapons than Brady. If there is any quarterback that can take this Jets secondary down, it is the Patriots’ Tom Brady.

Betting Overview:

Sometimes the NFL betting experts can be elusive with their logic. When betting on a game between the best team in the NFC (the Atlanta Falcons) and the worst team in the NFL (the Carolina Panthers), one would expect the NFL predictions to be strongly in favor of the best team. But the NFL scores that are being predicted for this game make this a bet that everyone should consider. The Falcons are only giving up 7.5 points to a team that is 1-11 and showing no signs of improvement. The Panthers have no real quarterback, they have no running game and their defense has been unable to stop anyone this season.

The Falcons, on the other hand, are rolling along at 10-2, and they are hitting on all cylinders. Their passing game is anchored by one of the more consistent and reliable quarterbacks in the league in Matt Ryan, and their defense is developing an attack style that is making it extremely potent. Everything that the Falcons have been working on for the past three years is coming together, and that is a very bad sign for the rest of the NFC.

Offense:

“Matty Ice” is what they are calling Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, and that is because he is developing a habit of marching his team down the field and scoring the winning points of a game in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter. Ryan’s statistics are good but not awe-inspiring. He has thrown for 2,920 yards and 21 touchdowns so far this season. It is how he is playing in the clutch that is making him a hero in Atlanta. Ryan is also surrounded by talent such as tight end Tony Gonzalez and wide receiver Roddy White. Add in running back Michael Turner who has 1,062 rushing yards this season, and you get why the Falcons have a potent offense.

The Carolina Panthers have nothing on offense. Head coach John Fox decided to try and win now and save his job rather than really save his job and develop rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen. Starting quarterback Matt Moore is out for the season, and Clausen is in no condition to take over the Panthers offense. The Panthers have no running game, no offensive line and Clausen lacks the vision downfield that proper development this season would have given him.

Defense:

If the Atlanta Falcons have one weakness it is their pass defense. Against the pass the Falcons are ranked 26^th in the league, allowing an average of 246 passing yards per game. Atlanta will have a chance to work on their pass rush and quarterback containment in this game as the Panthers offensive line will offer little resistance.

The Carolina Panthers actually have a very good defense. The Panthers defense is ranked 17^th overall but, more importantly, it is ranked eighth against the pass. Carolina will get pressure on Matt Ryan, and they may even force him to make some bad throws. But the Panthers run defense will have a hard time containing Michael Turner and, after a while, the Falcons offense will just wear the Panthers defense down.

The Bottom Line:

The Carolina Panthers should be looking for a new coach next season. But, for now, wide receiver Steve Smith will get to taste the bitter herb of defeat for a 12^th time this season.

Pick: Atlanta Falcons

Betting Overview:

The NFL betting experts did not give the Oakland Raiders much of a chance for success this season. But as we round up the NFL scores from week 10 and head into week 11, the Raiders are in first place in the AFC West, tied at 5-4 with the Kansas City Chiefs. It is certainly not the start everyone was expecting, but it is one that the Raiders and head coach Tom Cable will take.

The NFL predictions for the Pittsburgh Steelers were mixed in the preseason. When it became known that the Steelers would have to be without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the first four games of the season, most people were expecting the Steelers to be 0-4 when Big Ben came back. But with some good coaching by Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin, and steady play by three backup quarterbacks, the Steelers handed a 3-1 team to Big Ben when he returned. The Steelers are 6-3 and are one of the top teams in the AFC.

Offense:

The thing that makes the Steelers a great offense is also the thing that makes them an unpredictable offense. That thing would be Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers quarterback is a nightmare for his offensive linemen as Ben will hold that football forever until he either finds a receiver or gets sacked. Roethlisberger is not the kind of quarterback that will start running if he sees daylight. The New England Patriots gave everyone a preview of how to limit the Steelers offense when they beat Pittsburgh in week 10. The Pats got out in front of the Steelers early, forcing the team to limit the carries for running back Rashard Mendenhall. Once the ball was in Ben’s hands, all the Patriots had to do was get to the quarterback to limit the Pittsburgh offense. While the strategy had limited success, Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense still found ways to put points on the board.

Quarterback Jason Campbell is finally delivering like the Raiders had hoped he would. In the Raiders week nine win over the Chiefs that put Oakland into first place in the AFC West, Campbell threw for 229 yards and one touchdown. But it was the way he efficiently ran the offense that got the Raiders excited about their future. Running back Darren McFadden is still racking up rushing yards and is an integral part of the Raiders offense.

Defense:

The Oakland Raiders have the sixth ranked defense in the NFL, but that number is a bit misleading. The Raiders live on their persistent pass rush that has resulted in the second ranked pass defense in the league. But the Raiders give up an average of 125 rushing yards per game which ranks them 24^th. If the Steelers can soften up the Raiders defense with Mendenhall, then Big Ben could pick them apart.

The Steelers learned a lot in their loss to the Patriots. One of the things they learned is that over-pursuing and being too aggressive on defense is a bad thing against a quarterback like Tom Brady. Jason Campbell is no Tom Brady, but look for the Steelers to play smarter defense against the Raiders.

The Bottom Line:

As game as the Raiders have been this season they are still 1-3 on the road. The Steelers need to win this game, and they will pull out every stop they have to send the Raiders home empty handed.

Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers

This weekend marks one of the biggest two-day spans in NCAA college basketball. With each league closing in on the playoffs and March Madness rapidly approaching, People who bet on sports odds know that March Madness is the upcoming focus of the basketball world. On Saturday, the number 2 ranked Kentucky Wildcats battle the number 12 ranked Tennessee Volunteers in what promises to be one of the premier games of the year.

Tennessee Volunteers @ Kentucky Wildcats

Saturday, February 13, 9PM (ET)

College Basketball Betting Odds: NO LINE YET

Saturday marks a meeting between two of college basketball’s biggest rivals, the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky, currently ranked #2 in the nation is sitting first overall in the SEC with an 8-1 conference record and a 23-1 record overall. Tennessee who is sitting two games back of the Wildcats in the SEC are 6-3 in conference play and 18-5 overall. This game does have upset potential for the 12^th ranked Tennessee Volunteers, although the Kentucky Wildcats look poised to be March Madness contenders in the NCAA tourney.

What the Tennessee Volunteers need to do to win

Shut down John Wall and Demarcus Cousins

Both Demarcus Cousins and John Wall are slated as potential top 10 drafts picks in the upcoming NBA draft, with Wall the likely first overall selection. If Tennessee even has a hope of beating the Kentucky Wildcats, they must effectively minimize the impact of these players. Cousins and Wall offer an unparalleled 1-2 punch in the NCAA this season. Cousins has been pulling down more than 10 rebounds per game and over 16 points per game. Wall similarly has been hitting nearly 17 points per game from guard and is also one of the nations best passers. What makes these stats even more impressive is that both players are only freshman. Tennessee must play solid defence, steal rebounds from Cousins and keep pressure on Wall if they hope to have success. If the Volunteers can accomplish these goals, this game could be one of the season’s biggest upsets.

Stay focused on the road: There is no home crowd in college basketball that is more intimidating to play in front of than the crowd in Kentucky. The Wildcats are a perfect 16-0 at home this season and seem to be fuelled by their home crowd. Tennessee must remain calm and stick to head coach Bruce Pearl’s game plan even if the Wildcats come out with an early lead.

What the Kentucky Wildcats need to do to win

Simply put, the Kentucky Wildcats are favoured to win this game. Demarcus Cousins and John Wall have been dominating games this season. Tennessee however, also features a two-pack of talented players that the Wildcats can’t ignore. Wayne Chism and Scotty Hopson are both averaging over 13 points per game and play solid defensive games.

Kentucky will likely rely on their firepower to control this game, but the Tennessee Volunteers present a balanced attack that can’t be ignored.

For those interested in College Basketball Betting , this weekends match up between Tennessee and Kentucky is a can’t miss game. With two of the top teams in the nation clashing, this game could either be a one sided route, or an upset for the ages.

If you’re following US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews) in college basketball, Syracuse would be a solid bet for the Final Four as the Orangemen have won 10 in a row and may be the most complete team in the nation. The Orangemen will host a slumping Connecticut squad on Wednesday.

UConn vs Syracuse odds – Wednesday, February 10, 7:00 PM ET

The Huskies (14-9, 4-6) snapped a three-game skid with a 64-57 win over DePaul at home, and UConn is now 3-3 without coach Jim Calhoun, who has been out with a medical condition. Jerome Dyson led the way with 20 points, but the Huskies weren’t very convincing, shooting 41.3% from the field, including 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. The Huskies won this game at the foul line, as they were 25-of-35 from the charity stripe, while DePaul was only 1-of-6.

The No.2 Orangemen (23-1, 10-1) rolled to a 71-54 win at Cincinnati, but this game was close until Syracuse went on a three-point flurry in the second half. Andy Rautins paced the team with 20 points, and the Syracuse bench outplayed their Cincinnati counterparts, outscoring them 28-11. The Orangemen shot 51.1% from the field, including 8-of-16 from three-point land, but they had problems at the foul line, making 15 of their 26 attempts. Syracuse had to play with leading scorer Wesley Johnson not at his best. Johnson fell and hurt his back against Providence and although he played 26 minutes, he had just five points and three boards.

Syracuse should be favored in your sportsbook at home, as they are 14-1 at the Carrier Dome this season. This will be UConn’s first trip to the Carrier Dome since 2008, when they beat the Orangemen 63-61. UConn hasn’t been the same without Calhoun on the sidelines, and while George Blaney has done a decent job, he’s not the motivator that Calhoun is. The Orangemen now have a big edge in the coaching department as Jim Boeheim has the Orangemen playing as well as anyone in the country. The Orangemen could use Johnson back in the lineup, as this would be a great game for the Huskies’ Stanley Robinson to get his act together. The Huskies could miss the NCAA Tournament, but they’re not playing with the urgency that a big-time program like them should have at this point in the season, similar to North Carolina. Also, the Huskies are a miserable 0-5 away from home, and Syracuse has been a monster at home. Even if Johnson doesn’t play, the Orangemen can confuse the Huskies with their 2-3 zone.

Bet college basketball: Syracuse