subject: NFL Playoffs – NFC divisional Round [print this page] NFL Playoffs NFC divisional Round The Arizona Cardinals are going to be facing the New Orleans Saints this Saturdays afternoon. Kurt Warners aerial performance was quite spectacular in their wild card victory over Green Bay. And the team still managed to make 156 rushing yards for that game. More then half of those carries were completed by freshman Beanie Wells. He is fast, agile and strong and could make a difference this Saturday. The Saints defense now has to find a way to stop Warner from throwing like he did last week. Because the Saints are certainly going to have to get their awesome back if they plan to control Arizonas QB, who threw 29/33 for 379-yards with no interceptions and 5 touchdowns on his last game. The Saints also need to cover Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston, a duo that meant so much trouble for Green Bay. Although the Saints were coming super-strong from the beginning of the season, with a franchise record 12-game win steak, their recent performance has surprised many. In their last couple performances the Saints have been more righteous then perfect, and they brought down their tempo. There is one big issue here when it comes to choosing sides. New Orleans is playing at home, and its men are well rested. Drew Brees has proved to be solid in the air attacks, and the Saints offensive line counts with at least 5 players with more then 45 catches per head. As of press time, Instant Action Sports is offering the following odds for the Saints: -7-110 / ML-300 with a ML+250 comeback for the Cardinals. The Cowboys and the Vikings are fighting for the other spot in the NFC Conference Finals. This should be a good one. The Minnesota Vikings are well rested. And Brett Favre still seems to pull off plays like he did 10 years ago. But the Cowboys are quite motivated and their young, powerful defense might just come in to upset the Vikings. The Cowboys are in a roll. Tony Romo has had the best numbers of any of the playoffs quarterbacks in his last 6 games (1,794 passing yards, 11 TD passes and 0 interceptions). And the team is motivated. The Dallas Cowboys had not won a game in the Playoffs since 1996, and if we look back, Romo had not been able to perform well when it mattered most. But they managed to leave behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the way (34-14). And they might just do the same when they face the Vikings on the road. A little note for the sports wagering enthusiast that you will not find in ESPN: The Cowboys have covered their opening-line spreads in their last three games. And this week, as of press time, Instant Action Sports handicappers have made them the underdog by 2 points. And it might be just another week for the upset. If we look at the numbers from last weeks Wild Card Round, three out of four underdogs won (that is, without needing the spread points). And there were some major lines changes. The Arizona Cards went from being the favorite by 2 points to being the dog by 2 points minutes before the game went off. Now we would have to see what happens in this match. Minnesota is known for its freezing January temperatures. But luckily enough for the Cowboys, this weekend the meteorologist are expecting temperatures with highs in the 30s. Many sports-writers are expecting the Cowboys to win the game. Just browse around some of the big-names-in-sports-news blogs and you will see the trend. The sportsbook industry is not quite so sure the Cowboys are going to pull it off, though. In general terms, handicappers are expecting Brett Favre and the well-rested home team to take advantage and move on the conference championship. As of press time, the Minnesota Vikings are the favorite by 2 points in online-wagering industry leader Instant Action Sports. Its going to be an intense game. Perhaps a close-score match. Thats all we can tell you. 1/12/2010
