NFL Play-Offs: Divisional Games

The Wild Card weekend produced victories for all four home teams, who advance to the divisional round, in effect the sport's quarter-finals, this weekend. Both AFC games produced comfortable victories for Indianapolis and New England but both NFC games came down to last minute field goal attempts. In Philadelphia the Eagles succeeded whilst in Seattle the Dallas Cowboys botched their game winning try with a failed snap in inexplicable circumstances to allow the Seahawks to proceed very fortunately.

Onto this weekend's four games. In the NFC the two games are as follows

Chicago Bears versus Seattle Seahawks.

Seattle travel to the team with the best record in the conference who have rested for a week and for a game likely to be played in harsh weather. On paper this should be a comfortable victory for the Bears with a formidable defense and their occasionally spluttering offense going against a Seattle secondary containing street free agents due to a spate of injuries. The real test for the Bears will likely come in the Conference game next weekend.

Selection: Chicago Bears at 2/5 (Expekt.com)

New Orleans Saints versus Philadelphia Eagles

This should be a closer affair. In theory the Eagles should be able to cause the Saints problems in the running game, which is New Orleans' defensive weakness. The Saints though have multiple offensive weapons that should allow them to win a potentially high scoring battle. It remains extremely difficult for teams to travel after the wild card weekend to a team that has had a bye week to prpare and rest. This should tip the balance in the home team's favour.

Selection: New Orleans Saints to win at 5/11 (Expekt.com)

In the AFC the two games are:

Baltimore Colts versus Indianapolis Colts

The powerful Indy offense led by Peyton Manning visits the best defense in the conference at the Ravens. On the other side of the ball the Colts much maligned defense, which was spectacularly improved last week in stopping the Chiefs' running game, comes up against Jamal Lewis and the saviour of the Ravens perennially disappointing offense, Steve McNair, an all-pro quarterback brought in this year from the Titans. I expect the Ravens to be stronger, fresher and to outlast the Colts.

Selection: Baltimore Ravens to win at 6/11 (Expekt.com)

San Diego Chargers versus New England Patriots

This should be a corker. The Chargers are Superbowl favourites and I think justly so with an all-time great in LaDainian Tomlinson and a fearsome defense. However they come up against the Patriots, a big match team behind the talents of Tom Brady and with the tactical innovations of multiple Superbowl winning coach Bill Belichek. Two things should swing this towards the Chargers. Firstly the Patroits have to travel across the country and across time zones with limited practice time. Secondly the Patriots offense has injury problems at running back, which is crucial because that is where the major threat lies in the absence of game-breaking wide receivers. Consequently the Chargers should be able to limit the Patriots scoring enough to win out

Selection: San Diego Chargers to win at 11/13 (Expekt.com)

In practice this is one of the worst weekend's betting opportunities of the season for the NFL, with four strongly fancied and rested home teams coming up against four teams who had to battle through games last week.

Ed note: Great odds are available on the NFL and all other sports at Pinnacle Sports

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