NFL Playoff Bonanza Continues

Canucks lose in a stinker of a game in New Jersey. NFL weekend again starting tomorrow, previews below. Let's roll...

Pigskin Picks

Another great weekend of football has arrived with a ticket to the Conference Championships on the line for each of the Final Eight. I went 4-0 last week, ATS no less, lets hope this weekend is just as good. Without further ado, let's break down the matchups.

Washington at Seattle (-9.5)

Coming from the Pacific Northwest, I'm a huge Seahawks fan. But the handicapping expert in me says they got the line wrong here, take Washington and the points. Seattle is the easy favorite but too many times they've squandered leads late in games (Atlanta in Week 2, SF in Week 10). Let's not forget that the Redskins did beat the Seahawks in Washington in OT in Week 4. Quest Field can be a huge advantage and disadvantage for the Seahawks. When the Hawks are ahead, it is the loudest building in the Country. When the Hawks get behind, you could hear a pin drop. As a side bet, I'd go under. I see the Hawks winning 21-14 or 17-13.

The most dangerous player on the field tomorrow will be Redskins WR Santana Moss. He has the big play ability that can break the Seahawks. Question for the Redskins will be can they get him the ball deep. The Hawks have the most efficient offense in the NFL and if they play conservative and take care of the football, they should come away with the win.
*Photo from Yahoo!Sports

New England at Denver (-3)

New England getting a lot of respect as a 3 point dog here. The game will either be a close win for the Patriots or a blowout by the Broncos. I'm going with the close win for the Patriots. In the regular season, the Broncos beat the Patriots 28-20 in Week 6. With a injury-riddle talent depleted lineup, the Patriots almost came back down 28-3 to win that game in Denver. All I know is that you should never count out Belichick, Brady, and Vinatieri. Belichick is the smartest coach in the NFL today. Nobody knows how to play the chess game better than Belichick and if there is a way to win, Belichick will find it. Patriots win this in a close one.

Broncos QB Jake Plummer is his team's best and worst player. It's all about confidence and momentum for Plummer. If things go well, he will get on a roll. If things go bad, they get worse for Plummer. We all know Patriots QB Tom Brady is the team MVP, but for the Patriots to win, the unknown starters need to make plays.
*Photo from Yahoo!Sports

Pittsburgh at Indianapolis (-9.5)

This one will be an easy blowout win, take the Colts and lay the points. The Colts absolutely spanked the Steelers in the regular season 26-7. The usually strong Steel Curtain defense has been anything but this season and the Colts will shred it from kickoff to kneel down. The most improved defense of the Colts should keep the Steelers from scoring more than 14 points in this one.

Steelers RB Jerome Bettis is their lone shot to win. They need to pound the ball and chew up clock. As for the Colts, QB Peyton Manning should have a field day picking apart the weak Steeler secondary.
*Photo from Yahoo!Sports

Carolina at Chicago (-3)

Should be a tight defensive battle for 3.5 quarters as most expect. However, I like the Panthers here on the road, take the Panthers and the points. The Bears Defense was the best in the NFL in the regular season, but that was the regular season. In the Playoffs, it's all about big plays. Carolina has the players that can make big plays. For 3.5 quarters the score should be low and tight. But all it takes is one big throw and catch. Do you really think Rex Grossman or Rookie Kyle Orton of the Bears will be making the clutch plays in the 4th quarter?? Hell no, go with the Panthers and Delhomme to make the big plays down the stretch.

Defensive Player of the year Brian Urlacher of the Bears should be in the face of Delhomme all day. A big sack by Urlacher could change the complexity of the game should Delhomme get injured. The Panthers will get at least 1 big play from WR Steve Smith, and with the score being so low and tight, it should be the difference.
*Photo from Yahoo!Sports

Sleepy in New Jersey, Canucks Blanked

Maybe they didn't get enough sleep. Maybe they didn't get their afternoon nap. Whatever the reason, the Canucks look like they were the walking dead tonight losing 3-0. The difference was a soft goal on Alex Auld in the 3rd period. The Devils played their gameplan to script. Brodeur was solid in net (can you imagine how good the Canucks would look with Brodeur in net) yet again. I can find almost no positives out of the game tonight, just an absolute stinker, a big zero.

It's a good thing they face the Islanders tomorrow. The Islanders are a horrible team. After firing their coach on Wed, the Isles responded by beating Calgary on Thu. Bad news for the Canucks is that Goalie Rick DiPietro is back, he's a good goalie that can get hot. On the road, the Canucks have had problems scoring, and with DiPietro back that could be a major problem. That's all the Isles have, so as long as DiPietro is human, Canucks win 4-2.
*Photo from Yahoo!Sports

What's on TV
NFL, Washington vs Seattle, 1:30pm PST on FOX
NFL, New England vs Denver, 5:30pm PST on CBS
College BB, Villanova vs Texas, 10:00am PST on CBS
College BB, Duke vs Clemson, 11:00am PST on the Score
College BB, Syracuse vs Cincinnati, 5:00pm PST on the Score
NHL, Colorado vs Philadelphia, 11:00am PST on NBC
NHL, Phoenix vs Toronto, 4:00pm PST on CBC
NHL, Ottawa vs Edmonton, 7:00pm PST on CBC
NBA, Cleveland vs Phoenix, 6:00pm PST on Sportsnet Pacific

Picks of the Day
Cleveland/Phoenix U204
San Jose Sharks -105 over Montreal Canadiens
Record YTD (17-19, -478)