Blog Archives

Chicago Bears – B
The Bears had just five draft picks this year, but used them well. The glaring need was on the offensive line and they got great value in tackle Gabe Carimi late in round one. Defensive tackle Stephen Paea was a great second round pick, especially since the release of Tommie Harris. They drafted quarterback Nathan Enderle in the fifth round and while he could be a future backup to Jay Cutler, the team may have been better served getting more help for the O line.

27) Atlanta Falcons – Adrian Clayborn, Defensive End, Iowa

A first team All-Big Ten selection, Clayborn is a powerful defensive end that can add a boost to the Falcons pass rush. He didn’t produce in his senior year like he did when he was a junior and had 11 sacks, but he is good value at this point in the draft.

28) New England Patriots – Gabe Carimi, Offensive Tackle, Wisconsin

The rich get richer as the Patriots grab another player with a ton of talent that can start right away. Matt Light may not return and the Pats would need a replacement for him. A mountain of a man at 6’7, he was the Outland award winner for best offensive lineman.

Chicago Bears: The Bears surprised everyone by reaching the NFC championship game, but they still have some work to do to improve. The offensive line was horrendous at times, and could be worse if veteran center Olin Kruetz is not re-signed. The team will likely use a high pick to address that need. All of the starting linebackers are over the age of 30, so durability at that position is also a concern.

The Green Bay Packers went into Atlanta and destroyed the Falcons 48-21 last week, as Aaron Rodgers was nearly flawless and the big Packers lead prevented Atlanta from running the ball. The Chicago Bears were also impressive in a 35-24 win over the Seahawks, rushing for 176 yards while limiting the Seahawks to 34 rushing yards.

This sets up the third meeting for all the marbles this year between these division rivals with the Packers as 3.5-point favorites in NFC Championship game odds and a total of 43.

The Green Bay Packers romped past the top seeded Falcons last week 48-21 while looking like the best team in football. As for the Chicago Bears, they rolled past the Seahawks 35-24 in a game that was not nearly as close as the final score indicates, as Seattle scored two garbage touchdowns with the Bears up 35-10.

This sets up the third meeting of the year this season for these old time hated division rivals.

The NFL playoff line for this contest is Green Bay -3½ at betting odds of -120 on the road, with the betting total set at 43½.

Though plenty of action will get thrown down on both sides of the Championship weekend games, there’s still coin to be made when looking at the totals. Here is our look at both of our ‘total’ calls in this week’s NFL Championship Games.

Sunday, January 23rd

Green Bay Packers (12-6) at Chicago Bears (12-5) 3:00 ET FOX

The NFL latest line on this contest is Green Bay -3½ at betting odds of -115, with the NFC Championship total set at 43½.

We went just 1-2 in out NFL Side calls in the Divisional Round, correctly calling the Packers upset of Atlanta while losing in unlucky fashion with the Ravens +3½ and coming up woefully short with the Patriots.

Sunday, January 23rd

Green Bay Packers (12-6) at Chicago Bears (12-5) 3:00 ET FOX

The NFL playoff odds for this contest is Green Bay -3½ at betting odds of -115, with the total set at 43½.

The Seattle Seahawks may be the first NFL team in history to make the playoffs with a losing record, but they shocked the world by beating the Saints in the Wild Card Round and are now visiting the Chicago Bears at a site where the Seahawks posted one of their two road wins during the regular season.

The NFL divisional round lines for this contest list Chicago (-10) with betting odds of -105 at home, with the betting total set at 41.

We did the splits in the NFL Wild Card Round going 2-2, correctly calling the upsets by the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers, but failing badly with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Saints vs. Seahawks ‘under’. We now look to improve on that record with our Divisional Round plays.

Saturday, January 15th

Baltimore Ravens (13-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) 4:30 ET CBS

Now that the NFL Playoffs are here, it is time to dissect the Super Bowl Future odds to see where the value lies.

The key to playing futures is to find a team that is undervalued at double-digit odds, as that always leaves open the possibility of hedging your wager down the line if you so desire, provided you are correct and your team exceeds expectations.

Well, we did not have to look far to find such a team, so here is our one and only Super Bowl future selection for 2010.