DIVISON CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND
SEATTLE +7.5-lost:cursin:
PATRIOTS -13.5-lost:cursin:
INDY COLTS -9.5
NY GIANTS +7.5 Looks that Kill Play!
Sd/Indy OVER46.5
Giants/Boys over 47
MOTLEY:SIB
SAN DIEGO (12-5) at INDIANAPOLIS (13-3)
Sunday, Jan. 13
Line: Colts favored by 8?
Strongest Trends: San Diego has won the last two meetings, including one at Indianapolis when the Colts went in 13-0, and is 3-0 ATS in the last three clashes.
Last Meeting: San Diego held on for a 23-21 home win earlier this season.
Chargers Status Report: The Chargers rallied from a 6-0 halftime deficit to dominate the second half of its wild-card game against visiting Tennessee Sunday. San Diego won, 17-6, for its seventh straight victory since standing at 5-5.
Colts Status Report: Indianapolis was off last week. The Colts are the No. 2 seeds.
Recent Playoff History: San Diego has won three of the last four AFC West titles, but hasn?t won a playoff game since reaching the Super Bowl after the 1994 campaign, when the Chargers lost to San Francisco. Last year, the Chargers lost at home to New England, 24-21, in the AFC Divisional playoffs. Indianapolis is the defending Super Bowl champion. The Colts bested Chicago, 29-17, in Super Bowl XLI and are making their sixth consecutive playoff appearance.
Game Summary: In a lot of ways, the Chargers just don?t impress me enough to give them a serious shot in this one. When assessing playoff teams, I look at QB play and run defense and turnover ratio ? those categories more than any others. San Diego excels only on the latter, and the Colts are right up there with them in terms of forcing mistakes. The matchup of Philip Rivers and Peyton Manning is, of course, a mismatch for the Colts, especially at Indy. And the Chargers run defense has real issues as well, while their own running game ? featuring the game?s best back ? hasn?t been all that impressive. Also there?s the leg injury to Chargers TE Antonio Gates. He will probably suit up and give it a go, but if he sits or is otherwise a non-factor, San Diego will be toast. Rested and with the experience of last year?s title trek fresh in their minds, the Colts are the clear choice. San Diego?s recent success in this series isn?t relevant in my opinion because this is the playoffs.
Prediction: COLTS, 31-17
NEW YORK GIANTS (11-6) at DALLAS (13-3)
Sunday, Jan. 13,
Line: Cowboys favored by 7?
Strongest Trends: The Cowboys have won the last three meetings including a season sweep this year. New York is 8-1 SU on the road this season, while two of Dallas? three defeats came at home.
Last Meeting: The Cowboys won at The Meadowlands, 31-20, in November.
Giants Status Report: New York overcame an early 7-0 deficit at Tampa Bay Sunday, scoring 24 unanswered points en route to a 24-14 victory. The Giants are the fifth seeds.
Cowboys Status Report: Dallas enjoyed a bye last week and is the NFC?s No. 1 seed.
Recent Playoff History: The Giants are making their third straight playoff appearance, bowing out with a loss at Philadelphia last season. They last played in a Super Bowl in 2000 (Feb. 2001), losing to Baltimore. Dallas has dropped its last five playoff games including last season?s bitter 21-20 defeat at Seattle when QB Tony Romo bobbled the snap on a virtual gimme field goal attempt, and was tackled just a yard shy of the goal line in the waning seconds. The Cowboys are tied with Pittsburgh and San Francisco with five Super Bowl wins all-time, but haven?t gone as far as the NFC Championship game in a dozen years.
Game Summary: Although the Cowboys are the top seeds and playing at home, there is enough working against them to believe an upset is a legitimate possibility ? and staying with my belief that at least one favorite will bite the dust this weekend, we have arrived at my Upset Special. The questionable status of WR Terrell Owens is huge ? without him, the Giants can stack the box more because wideouts Patrick Crayton and Terry Glenn, while talented, are game-breakers in the same class as T.O. As of now, it?s my guess that Owens will play, but it?s unlikely that he will be close to 100 percent. There are also intangibles, such as the difficult task of beating the same team three times in a season. Another is the anomaly that two No. 1 seeds rarely make it to the Super Bowl. And Big Mo ? momentum. The Giants have it, Dallas doesn?t. If Giants RB Brandon Jacobs gets 20-plus carries and can match his season average of five yards per carry, New York rambles to the upset win ? which would be huge for Green Bay fans who dread another trip to Big D with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
Prediction: GIANTS, 28-24
SEATTLE +7.5-lost:cursin:
PATRIOTS -13.5-lost:cursin:
INDY COLTS -9.5
NY GIANTS +7.5 Looks that Kill Play!
Sd/Indy OVER46.5
Giants/Boys over 47
MOTLEY:SIB
SAN DIEGO (12-5) at INDIANAPOLIS (13-3)
Sunday, Jan. 13
Line: Colts favored by 8?
Strongest Trends: San Diego has won the last two meetings, including one at Indianapolis when the Colts went in 13-0, and is 3-0 ATS in the last three clashes.
Last Meeting: San Diego held on for a 23-21 home win earlier this season.
Chargers Status Report: The Chargers rallied from a 6-0 halftime deficit to dominate the second half of its wild-card game against visiting Tennessee Sunday. San Diego won, 17-6, for its seventh straight victory since standing at 5-5.
Colts Status Report: Indianapolis was off last week. The Colts are the No. 2 seeds.
Recent Playoff History: San Diego has won three of the last four AFC West titles, but hasn?t won a playoff game since reaching the Super Bowl after the 1994 campaign, when the Chargers lost to San Francisco. Last year, the Chargers lost at home to New England, 24-21, in the AFC Divisional playoffs. Indianapolis is the defending Super Bowl champion. The Colts bested Chicago, 29-17, in Super Bowl XLI and are making their sixth consecutive playoff appearance.
Game Summary: In a lot of ways, the Chargers just don?t impress me enough to give them a serious shot in this one. When assessing playoff teams, I look at QB play and run defense and turnover ratio ? those categories more than any others. San Diego excels only on the latter, and the Colts are right up there with them in terms of forcing mistakes. The matchup of Philip Rivers and Peyton Manning is, of course, a mismatch for the Colts, especially at Indy. And the Chargers run defense has real issues as well, while their own running game ? featuring the game?s best back ? hasn?t been all that impressive. Also there?s the leg injury to Chargers TE Antonio Gates. He will probably suit up and give it a go, but if he sits or is otherwise a non-factor, San Diego will be toast. Rested and with the experience of last year?s title trek fresh in their minds, the Colts are the clear choice. San Diego?s recent success in this series isn?t relevant in my opinion because this is the playoffs.
Prediction: COLTS, 31-17
NEW YORK GIANTS (11-6) at DALLAS (13-3)
Sunday, Jan. 13,
Line: Cowboys favored by 7?
Strongest Trends: The Cowboys have won the last three meetings including a season sweep this year. New York is 8-1 SU on the road this season, while two of Dallas? three defeats came at home.
Last Meeting: The Cowboys won at The Meadowlands, 31-20, in November.
Giants Status Report: New York overcame an early 7-0 deficit at Tampa Bay Sunday, scoring 24 unanswered points en route to a 24-14 victory. The Giants are the fifth seeds.
Cowboys Status Report: Dallas enjoyed a bye last week and is the NFC?s No. 1 seed.
Recent Playoff History: The Giants are making their third straight playoff appearance, bowing out with a loss at Philadelphia last season. They last played in a Super Bowl in 2000 (Feb. 2001), losing to Baltimore. Dallas has dropped its last five playoff games including last season?s bitter 21-20 defeat at Seattle when QB Tony Romo bobbled the snap on a virtual gimme field goal attempt, and was tackled just a yard shy of the goal line in the waning seconds. The Cowboys are tied with Pittsburgh and San Francisco with five Super Bowl wins all-time, but haven?t gone as far as the NFC Championship game in a dozen years.
Game Summary: Although the Cowboys are the top seeds and playing at home, there is enough working against them to believe an upset is a legitimate possibility ? and staying with my belief that at least one favorite will bite the dust this weekend, we have arrived at my Upset Special. The questionable status of WR Terrell Owens is huge ? without him, the Giants can stack the box more because wideouts Patrick Crayton and Terry Glenn, while talented, are game-breakers in the same class as T.O. As of now, it?s my guess that Owens will play, but it?s unlikely that he will be close to 100 percent. There are also intangibles, such as the difficult task of beating the same team three times in a season. Another is the anomaly that two No. 1 seeds rarely make it to the Super Bowl. And Big Mo ? momentum. The Giants have it, Dallas doesn?t. If Giants RB Brandon Jacobs gets 20-plus carries and can match his season average of five yards per carry, New York rambles to the upset win ? which would be huge for Green Bay fans who dread another trip to Big D with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
Prediction: GIANTS, 28-24
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