Super Bowl Betting line opened with the Patriots as a -3.5 favorite and should fluctuate between -4 to -2.5, with most sports books trying to avoid the key betting number of 3. The total can found anywhere from 54 to 55.5, which is a nice spread if you know can decide early what your play will be.

Obviously both teams are playing well and riding win streaks, but the Patriots have won 10 straight, going 6-4 ATS. While the Giants waited until the last second to put things together, basically winning 5 consecutive “playoff” games.

New England did not play in a dome this year. New York was 2-1 straight up and ATS in its dome games this year with all 3 going over the total.

More Super Bowl Betting Notes

• “Under” has cashed in three straight Super Bowls when the total has been 50 or more.
• The NFC is 4-0 ATS and 3-1 SU in the last 4 Super Bowls.
• The NY Giants are 3-1 in their Super Bowl appearances, winning twice as the underdog.
• New England is 3-1 under Belichick in Super Bowls.
• The Patriots have never covered the spread when listed as the favorite (0-3 ATS).
• Belichick Super Bowls have gone “under” 3 out of 4.
• The Giants defeated the Patriots 17-14 the last time they met in the Super Bowl, 4 years ago. The total was 55.

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A bit of controversy involving the Baltimore Ravens entering Sunday’s AFC Championship Game in New England as quarterback Joe Flacco was forced to respond to some criticism from teammate and future Hall of Famer Ed Reed. Baltimore is a 7-point NFL football bets favorite on NFL football bets.

In a Sirius radio interview, Reed, the team’s star safety, said of Flacco: “They [the Houston Texans] had a lot of guys in the box on him and they were giving [the pass] to him. I think a couple of times he needed to get rid of the ball. It just didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense. I don’t know how much of [that was] the play calling … but it just didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense, you know, of times past … It was just kind of like they [were] telling him [what] to do — throw the ball or get it here, you know, get it to certain guys.”

Flacco admitted he “was a little caught off guard” at first but that he has discussed the matter with Reed. Flacco said he first saw Reed’s comments on television while eating dinner. This distraction is the last thing the Ravens need on NFL football bets.

“When I first saw it, I was like: ‘What’s going on?,’ ” Flacco said. “Like I said, we talked about it. We’re a team around here. It’s not that big of an issue. I really don’t take things that bad. It’s Ed. It is what it is.”

Flacco was sacked five times and hurried by Texans defenders in an ugly 20-13 victory over Houston. The Ravens went three-and-out eight times Sunday, averaged 2.8 yards per rush and scored only three points over the final 46 minutes. Baltimore’s lack of offense allowed the Texans — led by rookie third-string quarterback T.J. Yates — to stay close until the game’s final possession. Baltimore didn’t cover the spread on WagerWeb.com’s NFL football bets.

Linebacker Ray Lewis, another future Hall of Famer, defended his quarterback and tried to squelch any lingering issues.

“I think I’m more shocked just how people can speak about somebody who is just a flat-out winner,” Lewis said. “There’s no one side to anything. There’s no one player that makes one team great. It takes a team effort. … A lot of things that people always try to put on the quarterback, I understand it. But it ain’t about our quarterback. It’s about the Baltimore Ravens and we’re a complete team. We win as a team, and we lose as a team.

“The only issue we have as a team is going up and trying to get a big win in Foxborough because anything else that everybody wants to bring up at this point is irrelevant. And everybody in the locker room is thinking the same way.”

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One of the streakiest teams in the NFL is on one heck of a run heading into the NFC Conference Championship game Sunday in San Francisco. The New York Giants are coming off two convincing playoff wins, first over the Atlanta Falcons then over the defending champion Green Bay Packers, at Lambeau Field to boot. And just for good measure, the G-men won their last two regular-season games over the Jets and Cowboys in dominant fashion.

All told, the New York Giants have outscored their last four opponents by a combined 121-50. Yet at Bovada we’ve still got them as 3-point underdogs Sunday on the road against the 49ers.

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Of course, if you want to take the Giants and the points you’ll have to be willing to risk $135 to win $100, a moneyline that suggests how the betting’s been going so far.

There’s also something to be said about a San Francisco 49ers team that hasn’t proven itself in the eyes of many bettors. Not saying those bettors are correct – bad teams don’t go 13-3 and beat the Saints in the playoffs – but they still have the stink of the NFC West on them.

And perhaps more importantly, their quarterback, Alex Smith, has been so mediocre for so long that it seems almost unbelievable that he’s one victory away from playing in the Super Bowl. Sure, he led an amazing drive to beat New Orleans, but it’s just…Alex Smith in a conference championship game? That seems wrong.

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Could that be a source of motivation for Smith? Absolutely. He admitted this week that he’d like his performance to tell all the doubters, I told you so.

“I think if we win this game and go to the Super Bowl it will say it in itself,” he said. “I’m not thinking about that right now. I really feel like winning games as a quarterback this time of year speaks for itself. That’s how you do your talking. So, just focused on this game, preparing myself all week.”

Smith added: “I guess I kind of feel like this whole team maybe is playing [with a chip on our shoulder], if you want to call it that. I don’t know how many wins we were picked to have at the beginning of the season, it wasn’t many. Certainly, I don’t know where we were picked to come in the division, all of that. Not a lot of people were in our corner.”

Meanwhile, over in the AFC, we’ve got the New England Patriots by a big 9 points over the Baltimore Ravens, who didn’t exactly look fantastic in their divisional win over the Texans. That said, giving the Ravens that many points has convinced more than enough bettors to believe they’ll be better this week.

Hard Hitting Trends

The Packers, 49ers, Saints, and Giants remain in the chase to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl next month, while over in the AFC it’s the Patriots, Ravens, Texans, and Broncos as NFL betting action takes center stage again this weekend. Here’s a closer look at all the super stats and trends to consider for all four matchups (all times Eastern):

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New Orleans (-3.5) at San Francisco (Saturday, 4:30 pm FOX)

The Saints are 8-0 ATS in their past eight games as a favorite, but just 3-6 ATS in their past nine games as favorites on the road. However, against the 49ers, the Saints are 5-1 ATS in their past six matchups at San Francisco. The 49ers are 9-0-1 ATS in their past ten games at home. The UNDER is 4-0 in San Francisco’s past four playoff games as an underdog. The OVER is 7-1-1 in New Orleans’ past nine playoff games. The OVER is 7-0 in the past seven matchups between these two teams at San Francisco. The Saints are 10-3 ATS in their past 13 games against the 49ers. The favorite is 5-2 ATS in their past seven matchups between the Saints and 49ers.

Most recent matchup: New Orleans 25 at San Francisco 22, September 20, 2010.

Key Play: Saints K Garrett Hartley nailed a 37-yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter to provide the winning margin in a tight game. San Fran covered as 4.5-point home dogs, while the result played OVER the total of 43.5.

Denver (+14) at New England (Saturday, 8:00 pm CBS)

The Broncos are 9-4 ATS in their past 13 playoff games. The Broncos are 6-1 ATS in their past seven games as an underdog. The OVER is 7-3 in Denver’s past ten games as an underdog. The OVER is 4-1 in Denver’s past five playoff games. The Patriots are 0-6 ATS in their past six playoff games, and 0-5 ATS in their past five playoff games at home. The Pats are 0-5 ATS in their past five playoff games as a favorite. The Broncos are 5-1 ATS in their past six games against the Patriots at New England. The UNDER is 4-1-1 in the past six matchups between the Broncos and Patriots at New England.

Most recent matchup: New England 41 at Denver 23, December 18, 2011.

Key Play: Patriots RB Danny Woodhead scored on a 10-yard run with 39 seconds remaining in the third quarter to put New England ahead 34-16 and obliterate what was an early 16-7 advantage for Denver. The Pats covered easily as 7-point road chalk, while the result played way OVER the total of 47.5.

Houston (+9) at Baltimore (Sunday, 1:00 pm CBS)

The Texans have never beaten the Ravens, going 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS against Baltimore since joining the NFL in 2002. The Texans are 4-0 ATS in their past four games as an underdog. The OVER is 9-2 in Houston’s past 11 games as an underdog. The Ravens are 4-1 ATS in their past five playoff games as a favorite. The Ravens are 9-1 ATS in their past ten games following an extra week of rest. The UNDER is 4-1 in Baltimore’s past five playoff games as a favorite.

Most recent matchup: Houston 14 at Baltimore 29, October 16, 2011.

Key Play: Baltimore RB Ray Rice ripped off a 27-yard rush to the Houston four-yard line and Ricky Williams followed up with a short touchdown run to make it 26-14 for the Ravens with 4:01 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Ravens covered easily as 7-point home chalk, while the result played just a shade UNDER the total of 43.5.

NY Giants (+9) at Green Bay (Sunday, 4:30 pm FOX)

The Giants are 6-0 ATS in their past six playoff games on the road, and 6-0 ATS in their past six playoff games as an underdog. The Giants are 6-1 ATS in their past seven playoff games overall. The Giants are 4-0 ATS in their past four games as an underdog of eight points or more. The UNDER is 4-0 in the Giants’ past four games, and 7-1 in their past eight playoff games. The Packers are 12-2 ATS in their past 14 games at home. The Packers are 4-0 in their past four playoff games. The OVER is 8-2 in Green Bay’s past ten games, and 7-2 in their past nine games as a favorite. The OVER is 6-1 in the past seven matchups between the Giants and Packers. The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the past five matchups between these two teams.

Most recent matchup: Green Bay 38 at New York Giants 35, December 4, 2011.

Key Play: After Giants QB Eli Manning completed a two-yard touchdown pass to WR Hakeem Nicks with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter to knot the score 35-35 (including a two-point conversion), Packers QB Aaron Rodgers hit receivers Jermichael Finley and Jordy Nelson with 24- and 27-yard completions respectively to set up the game-winning 30-yard field goal by Mason Crosby as time expired. The Giants covered as 7-point home dogs, while the total went sailing way OVER the total of 53.5.

***

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Patrick Willis leads the Niners against the Saints

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While most sports betting players know that New Orleans’ offense can put up points with anyone in the NFL, this week’s trip to San Francisco in the divisional round will hinge on their defense, which is going to tee off on the 49ers’ quarterback.

• What: NFL Betting
• When: Saturday, January 14th, 4:30 PM ET
• Where: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
• Pick: New Orleans Saints -3.5
• NFL PIcks Pro Divisional Playoff Picks 

Why Bet On New Orleans Saints (14-3 SU, 13-4 ATS)

The Saints have won eight in a row outright after a 45-28 win over Detroit, and it took their offense a while to get going, but once it did, the Lions couldn’t keep up. Drew Brees ended up with 466 yards and three touchdowns on 33-of-43 passing, but the Saints also kept the Lions off-balance with 167 yards on the ground as they racked up 626 yards of offense, and this also allowed the Saints to hold onto the ball for over 37 minutes. The defense held their own against the vaunted Detroit offense, holding them to 412 yards and forcing a pair of turnovers. Outside of receiver Calvin Johnson having over 200 yards (and that isn’t a slight on New Orleans as Johnson is the best wideout in the league), no one else on the Detroit offense really broke free.

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The defense did enough to keep the Saints in the game until Brees and the offense found their rhythm and despite their two turnovers, New Orleans’ offense eventually broke the Lions down.

New Orleans should be healthy heading into this contest as receiver Lance Moore (hamstring) is their main injury concern, and the Saints didn’t miss him against the Lions. They have so many weapons and arguably the best quarterback in the NFL in Brees, who will have his hands full against a tough San Francisco defense. He may be asked to carry the load again as the 49ers are first in the league against the run, but the Saints can also trot out an assortment of backs to take on San Francisco.

Why Bet On San Francisco 49ers (13-3 SU, 11-4-1 ATS)

A few NFL betting players probably gave San Francisco a small chance to win the NFC West in Jim Harbaugh’s first season as head coach, but to go from 6-10 to a 13-3 juggernaut to get to the postseason for the first time since 2002 may be the biggest surprise of the season. Alex Smith has been the biggest beneficiary of Harbaugh’s tutelage as he finished ninth in the league in passer rating, but he has also been aided by a healthy Frank Gore, who played 16 games for the first time since 2006 and only the second time in his career, and he finished sixth in rushing yards. Tight end Vernon Davis and receiver Michael Crabtree are Smith’s favorite targets and Crabtree is slowly improving, showing the skills that made him a beast at Texas Tech. The San Francisco defense finished fourth in the NFL and as was mentioned before, they’re first against the run; good luck trying to run against a linebacking duo of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. Rookie end Aldon Smith racked up 14.0 sacks and may end up as the Defensive Rookie of the Year. The defense is also tied with Green Bay with 38 takeaways and they lead the NFC in turnover margin.

Receivers Ted Ginn (ankle) and Kyle Williams (concussion) will have to get through practice this week, but tight end Delanie Walker (jaw) is definitely out this week. Some say that the 49ers play a soft schedule and they were in a terrible division, but they still managed to roll over Pittsburgh, and they earned good wins over Detroit and the New York Giants. Harbaugh has changed the culture in San Francisco and now they think they can win any game they play, but this game could come down to Smith under center.

How It Will Play Out

The NFL betting line for this game as New Orleans as a 3.5-point favorite on the road in San Francisco, and they’ve won six straight games against the 49ers, going 4-2 ATS in that stretch. The 49ers were spread-covering beasts at Candlestick this season, going 7-0-1 ATS at home, while the Saints were 4-4 ATS away from the Superdome. All three of their outright losses have come on the road and now the Saints have to take their high-powered show on the road against a top defense.

There are a lot of Saints who remember last year’s loss in Seattle and that left a bitter taste in their mouths, and they’re going to erase it with a win in San Francisco. The offense will have a solid day, but nothing record-breaking. The key will be a defense that forces Smith to make some mistakes and if the Saints get a lead and are able to blitz when they want (which they’ll do under coordinator Gregg Williams anyway), it could get ugly for the 49ers, who are one year and a receiver or two away from contending. Go with New Orleans to cover the online betting spread this weekend.

Saints 49ers Betting Pick: New Orleans Saints

• HOUSTON (-4) vs. CINCINNATI W
• NEW ORLEANS (-10.5) vs. DETROIT W
• NEW YORK GIANTS (-3) vs. ATLANTA W
• DENVER (+9) vs. PITTSBURGH W

Wow! A great start to the playoffs. Last year we were 9-1 in the post-season and took home CapperWatchDogs top prize in January, hopefully we’ll repeat this year. But… that’s a long ways off and past performance means nothing starting today. I love handicapping the post season for several reasons, but most of all it’s the time of year when really knowing the game pays off & I’d rather study defensive schemes, individual match ups, injuries, etc… than NBA games.

We covered all the games easily, but I do feel fortunate about the Houston/Cincy game… There were 2 huge plays that could have easily switched the game around and both went our way. Here’s a couple things we need to figure out this week…

1. The weather in New England. Don’t simply assume New England crushes Denver. Sure it may happen, but take a look at New England ATS record over the last 5 playoff years.
2. Is Baltimore better than Cincy in the D-Line? I got a feeling the Houston coaches already know, wish I knew their opinion.

Divisional Week Picks will be available on Friday afternoon/evening.  You can purchase early for $10 today and have them emailed when ready.  Please comment & let me know  your thoughts.  Feel free to ask prop questions.

Is Jimmy Graham as good as Megatron?

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Two of the NFL’s top offenses meet in the Superdome on Saturday night, so expect a shootout when NFC South champion New Orleans faces a Detroit team in the postseason for the first time since 1999. The WagerWeb.com total of 59 in this game is the highest in playoff history.

This season, New Orleans matched its 2009 Super Bowl-winning club’s franchise record of 13 wins and did so while Brees helped break a bevy of NFL offensive records. New Orleans (13-3) gained 7,474 yards, 399 more than the 2002 St. Louis Rams, and Brees blew away Dan Marino’s 27-yard-old single-season record with 5,476 passing yards. He also completed a record 468 passes — 46 for touchdowns — and finished with more than 300 yards in each of his last seven games, topping a mark he already held.

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One of those games was a 31-17 win over Detroit at the Superdome on Dec. 4 in which he threw for 342 yards and three TDs. Two of those scoring passes came in the second quarter as New Orleans built a 24-7 lead by halftime. Detroit was without star DT Ndamukong Suh in that game due to suspension, but he’s back.

New Orleans might be the most difficult place to play in the NFL right now. The Saints were undefeated in their 2011 home games, averaging an amazing 42.4 points per game. They have also won eight games in a row. The Lions finished 5-3 on the road after their wild loss in Green Bay to finish the regular season.

Last week, the Lions were torched for 480 yards and six touchdowns by a backup quarterback (Matt Flynn of Green Bay). Now they have to face Brees and his talented group of receivers. The Lions could not cover Green Bay’s tight end, Jermichael Finley, so look for Brees to work the middle of the field with Jimmy Graham. The Lions sacked Brees twice in their regular season meeting and they will have to do better if they hope to pull off the upset.

Stafford has a favorable matchup with his tight end, Brandon Pettigrew, working against the Saints strong safety Roman Harper. His No. 1 target, of course, is Calvin Johnson, who led the league with 1,681 receiving yards. The Saints did a good job on Johnson in Week 13, limiting him to six catches for 69 yards. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams likes to gamble with blitzes which could be dangerous against this quick-strike offense.

• WAGERWEB Betting Lines — Saints -10.5 (59)
• RECORD VS. SPREAD — Detroit 7-7-2; New Orleans 12-4
• SERIES RECORD — Saints lead 11-9-1
• LAST MEETING — Saints beat Lions 31-17, Dec. 4
• LAST WEEK — Saints beat Panthers 45-17; Lions lost to Packers 45-41
• LIONS OFFENSE — OVERALL (5), RUSH (29), PASS (4)
• LIONS DEFENSE — OVERALL (23), RUSH (23), PASS (22)
• SAINTS OFFENSE — OVERALL (1), RUSH (6), PASS (1)
• SAINTS DEFENSE — OVERALL (27), RUSH (12), PASS (30)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES —Lions set NFL single-season mark by coming back to win three games after trailing by 17 or more points. … For first time since 1952, Detroit scored 45 or more points in three games. … Lions scored club record 474 points in 2011; also set club record with 6,337 offensive yards. … Lions QB Matthew Stafford set team passing records with 5,038 yards and 41 TDs, becoming fourth NFL QB with 5,000 yards passing in season, joining Hall of Famer Dan Marino, Saints’ Drew Brees and New England’s Tom Brady. … Lions WR Calvin Johnson led NFL with 1,681 yards receiving and led NFC with 16 TDs receiving, which also broke former club record of 15 set by Cloyce Box in 1952. … Johnson only Lion with 1,500-plus yards receiving and 15-plus TDs receiving in a season. … DE Cliff Avril led Lions with 11 sacks and led NFC with six forced fumbles. … Ndamukong Suh has 14 sacks over two seasons, second most by DT in NFL during that span. … New Orleans has won eight in row and tied club record with 13 wins, equaling win total set by 2009 Super Bowl champion Saints. … New Orleans had 8-0 home record for first time in club’s 45-year history. … New Orleans set NFL record with 7,474 offensive yards and 5,347 yards passing. … Saints have qualified for postseason in four of six seasons under coach Sean Payton. … New Orleans 4-2 in playoffs under Payton. … Brees set NFL single-season record with 5,476 yards passing. Brees had 13 300-yard passing games, most in a season, including seven straight, longest streak in NFL history. … Brees set single-season records for completions (468) and completion percentage (71.2). … Brees completed 26 of 36 passes (72.2 percent) for 342 yards, three TDs in last meeting. … RB-PR-KR Darren Sproles set NFL record with 2,696 all-purpose yards. … He is first NFL player with 1,300-plus yards from scrimmage (1,313) and 1,300-plus yards on kickoff and punt returns (1,383). … Jimmy Graham led NFL TEs with 99 receptions and was second with 1,310 yards receiving, also second most all-time by a TE behind New England’s Rob Gronkowski. … Graham is first NFL TE with at least 95 catches, 1,200 yards and 10 TDs in a season. … Graham (99 receptions) and Sproles (86) are first TE-RB duo in NFL history with 80-plus catches each. … WR Marques Colston, in sixth season, had 1,143 yards receiving in 2011, his team-record fifth 1,000-yard season. … S Roman Harper led Saints with 7 1/2 sacks, second most all-time by DB in a season.

Pointspread & Total: Pittsburgh -8.5 & 33.5
Opening Line & Total: Steelers -7.5 & 35
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Can Von Miller lead the Broncos to a huge upset?

The Broncos try to stop a three-game slide, but it won’t be easy when a red-hot Steelers team, 10-2 in its past dozen games, visits Denver on Sunday.

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The NFL has caught up to Tim Tebow. Against the Bills and Chiefs the past two weeks, Tebow completed 37.3% of his passes for 245 yards, rushed for 50, and turned it over six times while leading the Broncos to just 17 points. Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau figures to have no problem limiting Denver’s offense. But the Steelers have a rash of injuries that will limit them. QB Ben Roethlisberger (ankle) is less than 100%, and the Pittsburgh offense has managed just 30 points in his three starts since he got hurt. And now RB Rashard Mendenhall (knee) and FS Ryan Clark (high altitude condition) are both out. Denver’s defense is usually tough at home, limiting three of its past four visitors to 13, 10 and 7 points, and the Steelers are just 2-6 ATS on the road this year.

The Steelers have been a great bet in the playoffs, going 10-3 (9-4 ATS) in 13 postseason games with Roethlisberger. His ankle has gotten better, but it has clearly affected his play over the past two weeks. Granted, Roethlisberger faced two great pass defenses with San Francisco and Cleveland, but he completed just 48-of-84 passes (57%) for 551 yards (6.56 YPA), 0 TD and 3 INT in these two contests. That drops his passer rating to a subpar 77.5 on the road this year (7 TD, 10 INT). However, the thin air has always suited Roethlisberger well. In three career games in Denver, which includes a 34-17 playoff win in 2006, he has completed 66-of-93 passes (71%) for 798 yards (8.58 YPA), 9 TD and 3 INT.

Mendenhall, who rushed for 155 yards (7.0 YPC) in his last trip to Denver in 2009, will certainly be missed in the running game. Second-year man Isaac Redman will start in Mendenhall’s place and try to build on a strong 92-yard performance at Cleveland last week. For the season, Redman has 479 rushing yards on a healthy 4.4 YPC, and Denver’s defense allows 126 rushing YPG, including 147 YPG in the past six contests.

Denver is making its first playoff appearance since losing at home to Pittsburgh nearly six years ago. The Broncos have really hurt themselves with turnovers, posting a minus-8 TO margin during the three-game skid. But they still have the league’s top rushing offense at 165 YPG, and have gained 601 yards on 5.3 YPC in the past three contests. RB Willis McGahee showed that he is fully healed from his hamstring injury, rushing 28 times for 145 yards versus the Chiefs last week. However, McGahee has faced Pittsburgh’s defense eight times in his career, and hasn’t fared too well, rushing for 270 yards on 3.5 YPC and 5 TD. The Steelers rank eighth in the NFL in rushing defense (100 YPG), and have held nine of their past 10 opponents under 110 yards. The loss of Clark and the potential absence of LB LaMarr Woodley (hamstring) will benefit Denver, but Tebow doesn’t figure to attempt many passes against the Steelers who lead the NFL with 172 passing YPG allowed.

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NFL Bettors will be treated to a pair of teams that aren’t used to postseason success when Houston hosts Cincinnati in the wild-card round, and in fact, the Texans haven’t even been here before. However, they come into the playoffs slumping, along with some injuries, and that gives the Bengals an edge.

When: Saturday, January 7th, 4:30 PM ET
Where: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Pick: Cincinnati Bengals +3

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Why Bet On Cincinnati Bengals (9-7 SU, 8-6-2 ATS)

The Bengals struggled over the second half of the season, but they got a couple of breaks and are in the playoffs for only the third time since 1990, although all three of those times have been since 2005. After the Carson Palmer saga grew, the Bengals had no choice but to throw rookie Andy Dalton under center, and while he was only 20th in passer rating, Dalton did a decent job with turnovers (13 picks) and showed some of the clutch play he was known for at TCU. Another rookie, receiver A.J. Green, was second among first-year players in yards and looks to be the next great wideout in the NFL. Cedric Benson had some legal issues this season, but he managed over 1,000 yards and anchored a ground game that helped limit turnovers. The biggest difference in Cincinnati’s NFL betting hopes has been a defense that has been consistent this season, as they finished sixth in the league and they realized that if they’re in the AFC North with Pittsburgh and Baltimore, they have to match those two defensively.

Cincinnati comes into this game with a clean bill of health, and they have been for most of the season; that is going to serve them well against a team that has been banged up with major injuries to important players. The Bengals are basically playing with house money because they weren’t supposed to be here anyway, so they can play relaxed. Revenge will also play a factor as the Bengals lost 20-19 to Houston at home in Week 14, and they’ll be out to avenge that.

Why Bet On Houston Texans (10-6 SU, 11-5 ATS)

The Texans reached the playoff for the first time in their 10-year history by winning the AFC South, and we’re sure that Indianapolis losing Peyton Manning had something to do with it, but they also improved their defense, which ranked second in the league thanks to coordinator Wade Phillips. The defense had to stay consistent as the offense went through a number of changes due to injuries, and they’re fortunate that third-string quarterback T.J. Yates can go this week after suffering a shoulder injury. Yates drew the job after Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart were lost for the season, and while he has performed admirably, Yates isn’t a quarterback of Schaub’s caliber and he has also been without receiver Andre Johnson, who has been limping as well. The Texans sat running back Arian Foster for the finale, but they have a two-headed monster in the backfield with Foster and Ben Tate. Houston fans probably don’t care much about the circumstances surrounding their team’s trip to the playoffs, but the team has a lot of problems heading into this game.

Yates (shoulder) and Johnson (hamstring) will practice fully this week, so they should be ready to go, and it appears as though guard Mike Brisiel (fibula) will see at least some time, which is good news for the Houston offense, but they’ll have to lean heavily on the duo of Foster and Tate, along with their defense because they’ve lost their explosion. The Texans are also coming into the postseason on a low note as they’ve lost three in a row, and that has to make some NFL betting players skeptical of their chances. A month ago, this game wouldn’t have been questioned, especially after the Texans went to Cincinnati and won. Now, it’s definitely up in the air.

How It Will Play Out

NFL betting odds have the Texans favored in your sportsbook by three points, and they’re 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings with the Bengals, with three games going under the posted total. The Texans are 6-2 ATS in Houston, while the Bengals are 5-1-2 ATS on the road this season.

Houston’s injuries and poor form heading into the playoffs makes it really tough to lean their way, and the upset is looking like the smart pick as the Bengals have nothing to lose, they’re playing relaxed football, they have motivation and they may be a tougher team on the road; at home, they may be under pressure. Take a risk and pick the Cincinnati Bengals in your sports betting picks.

Bengals Texans Betting Pick: Cincinnati Bengals

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