This Saturday's NFL Divisional Round offers up a couple of the most-anticipated playoff games we can remember.
The action kicks off with what should be a real gut-checker, as the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens in a game that almost means more than just moving on in the playoffs (4:30 pm Eastern, CBS). And after that the Atlanta Falcons, somewhat unsung as the top seeds in the NFC, host the current darlings of many in the football media, the Green Bay Packers (8 pm Eastern, Fox).
We at
BetJamaica.com started Pittsburgh out as a 3-point favorite over Baltimore, with the total posted at 36.5. A nice solid line for what should be a good defensive battle. And as of Friday morning the line has held steady at -3, although bettors now only have to give -120 on the Steelers instead of -130 - so some action has been coming in on the Ravens. And the total has been bumped to 37.
We also started Atlanta off at -1 over Green Bay, with a total of 45.5. But we've been getting play on the Falcons, so we're now listing them at -2.5. And as bettors study the earlier meeting this season between these two teams, many are backing the UNDER. So we've dropped the total on this game to 43.5, which is a big move on our NFL betting board.
What can be said about these two games? The Ravens and Steelers are only the bloodiest rivalry in the league at the moment, and the Falcons and Packers present what a lot of folks figure is probably the real NFC Championship Game. So fans and bettors should grab some beers and settle in on the couch for what should be some smashing good football.
For what it's worth, Pittsburgh has won five of the last seven games in the series with Baltimore. The Ravens beat the Steelers at Heinz Field earlier this season by three points, but Big Ben missed that game because of Little Ben's offseason shenanigans. And the Steelers returned the favor in early December, beating the Ravens by a field goal in Baltimore. So this rivalry has been known recently for being a real grinder, and nothing less is expected Saturday.
Meanwhile, Atlanta with Matt Ryan at QB is 2-0 vs. Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers over the last three seasons, and they're 20-2 straight-up and 15-6-1 vs. the
BetJamaica.com pointspreads at home with Ryan starting.
The Falcons beat the Packers earlier this season by running the ball for 117 yards, limiting Green Bay to 77 yards on the ground, and holding the ball for almost 32 minutes. But the Packers think they may have found some offensive balance recently with rookie RB James Starks, who ran for 123 yards in last weekend's Wild Card victory in Philadelphia.
Bettors might also want to check out the NFL futures boards at
BetJamaica.com for updated odds on who will win the conference championships and the Super Bowl.
BetJamaica.com will also be offering proposition betting on this weekend's NFL games, and individual team totals.