NFL Championship Odds and Previews
Fans of the defending Super Bowl champs and the betting favorite to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy again this year, the Green Bay Packers, will still be reeling after the New York Giants crushed their team and Super Bowl hopes by 37-20 last night.
Despite their 15-1 record this season and appearance of a team super-focused on a second consecutive Super Bowl victory, the Packers turned out to be no match for the New York Giants, who played strong and hard, and took no prisoners.
But that's football. And while the Packers will be missed, there are still four teams left in the race for Super Bowl XLVI glory who will battle it out on Sunday. In the NFC Championship game, the New York Giants will take on the San Francisco 49ers, and in the AFC Championship game, the Baltimore Ravens will take on the New England Patriots.
All of the NFL Championship Playoffs odds listed below can be found at Bodog, one of the most Canadian-friendly online sports and gambling sites in operation today.
NFC Championship Odds and Previews
New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers (-2.5)
Strangely enough, the fact that the New York Giants will start as the underdogs against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday probably won't phase the team or their fans, as the Giants have a habit of starting out as the betting underdogs and coming out the winners. Consider how as the sizable underdogs yesterday, they managed to destroy the Green Bay Packers, proving one again that they are an NFL franchise that should not be underestimated.
When the Giants faced the 49ers earlier this season, the 49ers racked up a 27-20 win. But that was then and this is now, and although the 49ers will be psyched that they beat the favored New Orleans Saints yesterday by a narrow 36-32, they'll have to contend with the team that will undoubtedly be brimming with even more confidence after knocking out this year's biggest Super Bowl favorites and supposed threats. The 49ers will have home advantage on Sunday, which could have a big effect on the game.
Prediction: For our NFL betting buck, this game could go either way, but we have a sneaking suspicion that this is the year of the Giants, hence we predict the Giants will win.
AFC Championship Odds and Predictions
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (-7.5)
Unlike their NFC counterparts, both the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots won their games yesterday as the betting favorites, the former by 20-13 over the Houston Texans, and the latter by a whopping 45-10 against the Denver Broncos and the mighty Tim Tebow. (After all the "Tebowmania" of recent weeks, the quarterback and co were ultimately no match for the Patriots' more experienced quarterback Tom Brady and co).
On Sunday the Baltimore Ravens will travel to face the New England Patriots who have been laid as the big betting favorites. This is not surprising for a number of reasons. One, it won;t be lost on NFL oddsmakers that New England have won eight of their nine home games this season (including yesterday's crushing defeat over the Broncos), two, they chalked up a huge 35 point difference against the Broncos yesterday to show off their strength and stamina, and three, they are simply a better team than the Ravens. Period.
Prediction: For our NFL betting buck, this game will be dominated from the outset by the Patriots, who will go on to win by a fairly large margin.
NFL Championship Odds at Bodog
|
|
Spread |
Money Line |
Total |
| Sunday 22/01/12 | |||
| A Baltimore Ravens | +7½ -115 | +275 | o50½ -110 |
| H New England Patriots | -7½ -105 | -345 | u50½ -110 |
| A New York Giants | +2½ -105 | +125 | o43 -110 |
| H San Francisco 49ers | -2½ -115 | 150 | u43 -110 |
