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.

With Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers nearly upon us, now is a good time to look at some of our favorite prop bets for the Super Bowl.

Prop bets are propositions such as “team to win the coin toss” or “team to score first”, and they have gained popularity over the last 10 years or so. It used to be that props were only available on big games such as the Super Bowl, but they have become so popular that they are now available on just about all NFL games.

Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be played on Sunday, February 6, and if you have no strong opinion on the side or total, there are plenty of player props available to keep your interest.

Prop bets have become more popular over the past decade, especially in the Super Bowl, which has more props available for both teams and players than in any other game of the year. Betting player props is an untapped niche in regards to making big money, and those of us that enjoy playing Fantasy Football should already be adept at projecting player stats.

The Green Bay Packers have been installed as 2½ point favorites for Super Bowl XLV with the betting total set at 44½, but if you do not like those full-game numbers, another viable option could be to bet individual quarters.

Now some bettors may scoff at the thought with the belief that betting on quarters is totally random, and while that may sometimes be true, many other times, teams have discernable patterns regarding what quarters they are stronger or weaker in. After all, if this was not the case, how would the sportsbooks set the quarter lines?

The latest line on Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers is Green Bay -2½, with the total set at 44½.

Now many bettors may find those numbers too tight to wager on, but another viable option might be teasing the side and total. Remember that generally, 6-point teasers are priced at -110, 6½-point teasers are -120 and 7-point teasers are -130.

When handicapping each individual leg of the teaser, it is important to know that at those prices, the break-even point for one leg of a 6-point teaser is 72.3 percent, for a 6½-point teaser, it is 73.8 percent and for a 7-point teaser, it is 75.1 percent.

The NFL latest line has the Super Bowl XLV total set at 44.5, which may seem high when you consider that this year’s participants, the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers possess the two best defenses in football this season in terms of points allowed.

The Pittwburgh Steelers allowed the fewest points in the NFL this season at just 14.5 points per game, but the Packers were not far behind, finishing second in the NFL and first in the NFC allowing only 15.0 points per contest.

It is not often that you will see a sixth seed favored over a second seed, yet the sixth seeded Green Bay Packers found themselves as road favorites over the NFC second seeded Bears in the NFC Championship Game, and the Packers are now favored over the AFC second seed, the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV odds.

The NFL opening Super Bowl line is Green Bay -2.5, with the betting total set at 44½.

Believe it or not, there is some precedence here, as the Packers are the second sixth seed to make the Super Bowl, and the first one, the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, was also favored over a second seed at -4½ points over the Seattle Seahawks.

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.