Archive for January, 2012

Bet The 2012 Super Bowl: Exotic Super Bowl Prop Picks

January 31st, 2012 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on Bet The 2012 Super Bowl: Exotic Super Bowl Prop Picks
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There are a tremendous number of ways to make money by betting on the Super Bowl, but here at Bankroll Sports, we are going to take some time to look at some of the props that you might find useful to bet on if you aren’t even a fan of football! Check out these Super Bowl halftime props and other exotic Super Bowl props that are available at SportBet Sportsbook!

How Long Will Kelly Clarkson’s National Anthem Be?
Virtually every single year, the ‘over’ is the right way to go on this one. These tremendous singers who are bona fide stars are still a bit struck by the whole situation of playing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, and as a result, there are a few more seconds tacked on to what should be a song that takes about 75-80 seconds to sing. However, after last year’s debacle with the Star Spangled Banner, there is no way that Clarkson is going to do anything out of the ordinary by her own standards. She has obviously sung the anthem before, and even though she is on a bigger stage than she was on American Idol, she won’t let this pressure get to her. In the end, she’ll turn in a relatively tame number that should stay under this 1:34 mark offered at virtually every single online sportsbook.

What Color Will Madonna’s Hair Be For The Halftime Show?
This is a tricky one because you never really can tell what Madonna is thinking. This is certainly the most “risqué” act that any of the Super Bowl halftime shows in recent years, ever since the whole “wardrobe malfunction” incident. The Super Bowl prop here insinuates that Madonna is going to have at least more than one color in her hair. She has gone blonde (or at least some blonde) for quite some time, but for this event, we could see just about anything happening. There is no way that we would want to lay -530 that Madonna does the “normal” thing and at least has half of her hair as blonde, so we would recommend taking the +350 that she comes out with at least a few goofy colors in her locks.

Will The Word “Tebow” Be Said In The First Quarter By Al Michaels Or Chris Collinsworth?
Super Bowl props are always tricky, and SportBet gave us a bit of a curveball here in that only the two men in the announcing booth, not an interviewee or any of the sideline reporters must say the last name of the Denver Broncos’ quarterback. If either one of these signal callers were even the least bit mobile, we would say that the comparison to Tebow would come up. However, unless the New England defense is really harassing QB Eli Manning enough to the point to go back and show just how good it was against the Broncos either in the regular season or in the playoffs on tape, we just don’t see how this is happening. There is far too much going on for the NBC booth boys to be discussing the almighty Tebow, especially in the first quarter of the game.

Robert Kraft Times Shown On NBC vs. Peyton Manning Times Shown On NBC
Again, we have to read between the lines here. The rules specifically state that only kickoff through final whistle count for this prop and that halftime does not apply. This could be crucial, as halftime really seems like the only logical time to discuss the whole Peyton Manning situation. Sure, we think that we will see big brother Peyton a time or two cheering on his little brother (or sulking that his arch rival is winning a Super Bowl on his field), but in the end, the stories for Robert Kraft are just so much greater than those of Manning. Kraft is directly involved in the game as the owner of the Pats, and the story with his wife passing this year and all of the players wearing the patches on their uniforms commemorating her passing is too good not to talk about at least once or twice. The New England owner just has to get more face time on TV than Peyton, or there is something seriously wrong with the coverage of the Super Bowl.

What Will Barack Obama’s Super Bowl Pick Be?
For the time being, President Obama seems to be taking the neutral corner about who is winning the Super Bowl. However, he has made picks for Super Bowls in the past, taking the New Orleans Saints in 2010 and these Patriots in 2008 in their game against these same Giants. Our dear president seems to have some problems with the Manning boys, huh?!?! That being said, if he took the Pats the first time around and they were beaten in the big game, we just can’t see Obama making the same mistake twice. Go with him to take the Giants in a prediction that will probably be ultimately made at some point between now and Sunday’s kickoff.

Superbowl 46 Props: New York Giants Super Bowl Props 2012

January 31st, 2012 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on Superbowl 46 Props: New York Giants Super Bowl Props 2012
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Bovada Sportsbook is one of our favorite sportsbooks, as it has some of the best football props that you will find on the internet. Check out our Super Bowl prop sheet for the New York Giants, as they get ready to try to get the job done in Super Bowl 46.

Eli Manning Pass Attempts Over/Under 39.5 Pass Attempts: The problem that the Giants have had this year is running the football. Neither RBs Ahmad Bradshaw nor Brandon Jacobs has really done all that much, and the end result has seen Eli have to put a heck of a lot more on his shoulders. Manning threw the ball at least 40 times in four straight games this season towards the end of the year, and he had at least 40 throws eight times including in playoffs. It’s not a great sample set to use in the end, but we just can’t ignore the possibilities that Head Coach Tom Coughlin are going use to try to take advantage of this questionable New England secondary, one which has given up oodles of yards this year at times. We have to think that Eli is going to wing it at least 40 times in this one.

Brandon Jacobs Over/Under 1 Reception: We just love it when we see Super Bowl props like this one. Seeing that “1” on the board looks too easy. It only takes one catch… just one play that could happen at any time to at least ensure a push in this one. However, when you really look back at it, Jacobs isn’t the better back between he and Bradshaw in passing situations, and he isn’t the better back when you think about goal line and short yardage carries either. Over the course of the last six games (including the postseason), Bradshaw has been on the field for almost double the plays that Jacobs has, and the bigger of the two backs only has five receptions in those six games. Jacobs went seven games this year without a single catch against having five games (three of which Bradshaw wasn’t in the lineup) with two or more receptions. Don’t get suckered into this one. The ‘under’ is the right play to make.

Osi Umenyiora Tackles + Assists Over/Under 2.5: We really aren’t all that sure why this prop is this low. Umenyiora isn’t really used all that much against the run because he isn’t all that effective with it, but he does do a great job rushing the passer, which means that he is going be on the field quite a bit harassing QB Tom Brady. Umenyiora has had a great postseason, picking up 5.5 sacks in three games, though those have basically been his only tackles. We aren’t so sure that just based upon sacks, Umenyiora might not reach this point. However, for as much as we are anticipating him being on the field in this game, we do think that more often than not, he will end up with at least three tackles in some form or another.

Lawrence Tynes Over/Under 1.5 Field Goals: Four years ago, Tynes had to be wondering whether he was going to be keeping his job or not. He had missed a slew of field goals on the season for the G-Men, including missing at Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship Game twice before redeeming himself and kicking the game winning three pointer in OT. He did well in the Super Bowl two weeks later and won his job in the offseason that year again and never looked back. Tynes really hasn’t done all that well this year too, especially down the stretch. He hasn’t kicked a field goal of longer than 40 yards in a game since December 18th, but he is still getting his chances. The Giants aren’t a good red zone team, which might leave for a bunch of opportunities to get the job done. He has attempted at least two field goals in nine straight games, including in all three postseason efforts. Of course, making those kicks and getting the chances are two totally different things, but we think that in the big one in the Super Bowl, Tynes will get his chance to be a hero and make at least two kicks at least half the time.

Superbowl 46 Props: New England Patriots Super Bowl Prop Picks

January 30th, 2012 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on Superbowl 46 Props: New England Patriots Super Bowl Prop Picks
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Bovada Sportsbook is one of our favorite sportsbooks, as it has some of the best football props that you will find on the internet. Check out our Super Bowl prop sheet for the New England Patriots, as they get ready to try to exact some revenge in Super Bowl 46.

Tom Brady Passing Yards Over/Under 320.5: Brady is going to be under the gun in this one, knowing that he has a fantastic pass rush coming his way. He hasn’t historically played all that well in the playoffs of late, though he obviously has the pedigree of playing well enough to win in these big time games. Brady also has a set of receivers that has been banged up. TE Rob Gronkowski is the most notable injury concern, as he has an ankle injury that has kept him out of practice. If Gronk can’t give it a go or is limited for whatever reason, the man that Brady uses as his support over the middle won’t be as effective as always. That could really hurt him even though the secondary for the G-Men is somewhat weak. Play on the ‘under’ in this one for sure.

Danny Woodhead Over/Under 1.5 Receptions: You never really know what Head Coach Bill Belichick is thinking with his running backs. Woodhead was used quite a bit in the first meeting between these teams though, as he had seven carries and six looks as a receiver, totaling 60 yards. Woodhead did only have 18 receptions this year, but he had 34 a year ago in just 14 games, proving that he can get the job done as a receiver as well. If Gronkowski is limited, TE Aaron Hernandez will probably spend less time in the backfield than he has in the rest of these playoffs. That probably means more looks for Woodhead as well, especially with New England needing to find some way to slow down the New York pass rush. He seems to be a solid play to get at least two receptions on Super Sunday.

Rob Gronkowski Over/Under 6 Receptions: Again, we have to mention this injury that Gronkowski is dealing with. It really concerns us any time that we talk about ankle injuries, especially in games played on turf instead of grass. The former Arizona Wildcat has had some huge games, and he has all of the potential in the world, especially near the red zone. This seems like an easy ‘over’ play, knowing that he had eight grabs against the Giants in the first meeting in Foxboro. However, we just aren’t all that sure that Gronk is going to be the top tight end target in this one, as Hernandez could suddenly become the tight end du jour for Brady. Asking anyone to come up with at least seven receptions to beat us is a heck of a lot for the Super Bowl.

Rob Ninkovich Over/Under 5 Tackles + Assists: Every now and again, especially when you’re talking about the hundreds and hundreds of Super Bowl props that are available on an annual basis, the oddsmakers just get a line badly wrong. Ninkovich averaged 4.6 tackles + assists this year, which is why this number is probably relatively logical at five. However, in the playoffs, the Purdue production only has a grand total of six tackles + assists in two games. He hasn’t had more than four tackles + assists in a game since Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and that came in a game in which the Chiefs ran the heck out of the football. The Giants are clearly going to throw it more than run in, and in the passing game, if Ninkovich isn’t getting sacks, he probably isn’t getting tackles. The ‘under’ is the better play for sure.

2012 AFC Championship Odds & NFC Championship Lines Breakdown

January 22nd, 2012 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on 2012 AFC Championship Odds & NFC Championship Lines Breakdown
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Odds To Win the AFC Championship & Odds To Win the NFC Championship Below

And then there were four… There are only two games on the NFL schedule that are left before the Super Bowl, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’re taking a close look by doing our NFC Championship Preview and odds breakdown, and our AFC Championship Game preview and odds breakdown.

The first game on Sunday is the AFC Championship Game, pitting the Baltimore Ravens up against the New England Patriots. These two teams were the top two seeds in the conference, and save for a few weeks when the Houston Texans were in the fray, these were the top two teams in the AFC all season long.

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Baltimore has taken the very, very tough road to reach this point, as it has had to play a number of tough games both at home and on the road this year. The Ravens are a perfect 7-0 in games against playoff teams this year, and they have to hope that they can keep that up when they go into Foxboro on Sunday.

The Patriots certainly have the talent to do some real damage though, and with the amount of just raw skill that they have out there on the field, they are deserving favorites. Sure, the schedule has been weak this year, and sure they don’t have a single win against a team that finished above .500 since last December, but the Pats can score on anyone. QB Tom Brady just torched the Denver Broncos for six TDs, and he is clearly the most talented and most playoff-experienced quarterback left in the bunch.

QB Joe Flacco has a history of winning playoff games on the road in big time spots, but it seems when push comes to shove, he just can’t get his team over the hump in the games like this one. The oddsmakers don’t have a lot of confidence that he can get the job done in this one, though. Baltimore is a 7.5 point underdog, while the ‘total’ is set at a rather lofty 50.5 in the AFC Championship Game.

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On the NFC Championship Game odds, we have two teams that hardly anyone saw coming. The New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers were always considered good teams this year that were probably going to be in the playoffs, but in the end, no one really, truly thought that either was going to really have the goods to play in the Super Bowl.

The 49ers must admit that they caught a break when the Giants beat the Green Bay Packers. Not only do they probably end up getting the easier game, but they also avoid the trip into Lambeau Field and force the G-Men to travel across the country for their second trip to the Bay Area this season.

You aren’t going to find a hotter quarterback right now than QB Eli Manning, who has tossed six TDs in his two playoff games thus far in the postseason. The defense has gotten the job done for the Giants as well, as the pass rush has been all over the place against both the Falcons and the Packers. QBs Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers have to be thrilled that they aren’t going to be dealing with these pass rushers like DE Jason Pierre-Paul again this season.

That being said, the Niners are the hot commodity right now. No one believed that they could get the job done against QB Drew Brees and the mighty New Orleans Saints offense, and though they did allow 32 points and almost 500 yards of offense, they forced five turnovers and were largely the more aggressive of the two teams on both sides of the ball. They feel like they deserve to be here, and for the first time in his career, QB Alex Smith is getting the respect that he deserves after being a No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft all those years ago.

Smith has a chance to fulfill his destiny if he can just hold serve at home in this game. The Giants are up against it, as San Fran has now gone 8-1 SU and 8-0-1 ATS this year when playing by the Bay. The 49ers are favored by a field goal, while the ‘total’, which was set at the same 47 that this game landed on the first time these two teams met, has since dropped to 45.

2012 NFL Divisional Odds @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 1/16/12):
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AFC Championship Game Odds (1/22/12)
301 Baltimore Ravens +7
302 New England Patriots -7
Over/Under 50

NFC Championship Game Lines (1/22/12)
303 New York Giants +1
304 San Francisco 49ers -1
Over/Under 41.5

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AFC Championship Keys to the Game – Ravens @ Patriots 1/22/12

January 22nd, 2012 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on AFC Championship Keys to the Game – Ravens @ Patriots 1/22/12
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The AFC Championship Game odds are out, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are set to take a look at what should be a fantastic duel in Foxboro between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots. Check out our New England vs. Baltimore keys to the game for the AFC Championship Game.

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots
Ravens vs. Patriots Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
Ravens vs. Patriots Date/Time: Sunday, January 22nd, 3:00 p.m.
Ravens vs. Patriots Television Coverage: CBS

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Key #1: The Patriots have to prove that they are tough
It’s hard to challenge a team’s toughness, but we have to wonder just how good these Patriots are. They played against two teams that finished above .500 this year, and they were beaten by both the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’ve got their hands full now with a Baltimore team that is as tough as nails. What we have seen from the Patriots is the ability to throw the ball, and there is no doubt that they can do that as well as anyone ever has been able to in the history of the league. However, running the ball is a severely different story. The team ranks No. 20 in the NFL with 110.2 rushing yards per game, and a heck of a lot of those yards have come on finesse runs to the outside. The Ravens are going to challenge New England the entire game by slamming it right up the gut both on offense and on defense, and if this game gets ugly, QB Tom Brady and the gang are going to be tested against a team that absolutely relishes playing in these types of games.

Ravens @ Patriots Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Baltimore Ravens +7
New England Patriots -7
Over/Under 50
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Key #2: Brady is going to have to find some receivers aside from the tight ends
The combination of TEs Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski is as good as it gets in the NFL, and these two had right around 250 yards from scrimmage against the Denver Broncos last week, but we just don’t know whether the Ravens are going to be allowing that type of production with all of the speed that it has in the middle of the field. Remember that last week, Baltimore played against one of the few teams that utilize the tight end as much as New England does, and the three Houston tight ends combined for just two receptions and 26 yards. The Ravens also didn’t allow a pass that went for more than 19 yards in the whole game, and it is a wonder how Brady is going to find holes in this defense if he can’t work the ball up the field and can’t get it inside to his tight ends. WR Wes Welker could be in for a big time day, as could WR Deion Branch, who is more or less the forgotten man in this offense in spite of the fact that he had a fantastic season as the No. 2 wide out.

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Key #3: Joe Flacco has to make some plays to win
There really wasn’t all that much that Flacco did last week against the Texans. He took advantage of three turnovers to score 17 first quarter points, but he only had a field goal for the rest of the game. Quite often, Flacco has found himself rushed against some of the best front sevens in the game, but with the Patriots missing DE Andre Carter and possibly playing without their top sack man, DE Mark Anderson as well, the pocket might not be a problem for the former Delaware Blue Hen. Flacco went 14-of-27 against Houston’s stout defense, but a lot of the passes that he completed were products of great plays by the wide receivers and tight ends, several of which were one-handed snares on balls that weren’t necessarily thrown the greatest. Flacco has found ways to win playoff games for his whole career, but right around this juncture, he needs to make the big time play to get his team to the Super Bowl, and he just hasn’t been able to do it. There is a point that there have to be some questions asked of Flacco, and eventually, he is going to have to win a game like this to validate that he indeed can take this team to the Super Bowl.

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New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers Predictions & Analysis 1/22/12

January 17th, 2012 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers Predictions & Analysis 1/22/12
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For the second time this year, the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers are going to square off against one another, and the action should be intense. Here are the keys to the game for the NFC Championship Game, complete with our Giants vs. 49ers predictions and odds analysis.

NFC Championship Matchup: New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers
Giants vs. 49ers Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
Giants vs. 49ers Date/Time: Sunday, January 22nd, 6:30 p.m.
Giants vs. 49ers Television Coverage: FOX

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012 NFL Playoff Bracket And Other NFL Playoff Previews

Key #1: The Giants have to take care of the football
It really seems as though the Giants keep good care of the pigskin when they are at their best. QB Eli Manning was picked off 16 times this season, including twice in the first go around between these two teams. That being said, the day that Manning had against the Green Bay Packers last week was remarkable. Sure, he threw that one INT on the day, but he also threw for three TDs and did a great job spreading the football all over the field. Green Bay might have had the worst ranked pass defense in the league, but it also led the league in forcing turnovers. San Fran played a game a lot like that against the New Orleans Saints last week. The Saints had almost 500 yards of total offense, but they turned the ball over five times in the teeth of a San Francisco defense that didn’t play nearly as badly as it seemed on the scoreboard. The 49ers have a nasty, nasty defense, and they picked off Manning twice in the first meeting of these two teams. That’s why the Giants were beaten by a TD the last time around.

Giants @ 49ers Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
New York Giants +1
San Francisco 49ers -1
Over/Under 41.5
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Key #2: The 49ers need to keep their attitude and their swagger
The 49ers have had a certain aura around them all season long. No one has really believed in them, and you can see that on the NFL betting lines as well. They were 1.5 point dogs against the Cincinnati Bengals, 9.5 point pups against the Philadelphia Eagles on the road, were just 2.5 point favorites at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers… and the list goes on a on. Even last week against the Saints, they were catching 3.5 from the oddsmakers. That’s why San Francisco isn’t just a great SU team, but is a team that has 13 covers on the season including the playoffs as well. Head Coach Jim Harbaugh came to the Bay Area and was determined to make his team nastier on both sides of the ball. It was about working harder and believing that they deserved to beat the team on the other side of the field because of it. We tend to think that that attitude would have looked a heck of a lot better at Lambeau Field than at home against the Giants, as San Francisco is favored in this game and is largely expected to win. As long as that swagger that the Niners deserve to be here, they should be fine, but if they lose that swagger, they could be in some trouble against a New York team that is thriving off of the fact that few figure that it has the capability to win the Super Bowl for the second time under Head Coach Tom Coughlin.

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Key #3: Alex Smith doesn’t have to be better than Manning, but he has to not be significantly worse
This has been the “Year of the Quarterback” in the NFL. Names like Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, and Ben Roethlisberger are all out of the playoffs, while Smith is still here in the NFL’s version of the “Final Four.” He didn’t always run a pretty pass offense, as the 49ers only ranked No. 29 in the league in passing at 183.1 yards per game through the air. However, what Smith did this year was believe in himself, believe in his receivers, and take care of the football. What we saw last week is that he has the ability to win games if he needs to, as he stood toe to toe with Brees and the best offense, maybe in the history of the league. That being said, we don’t think that he has to do that again this week against the G-Men, but he can’t be significantly worse than Manning if the team is going to win this one.

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Keys to the Game – Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens 1/15/12

January 15th, 2012 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on Keys to the Game – Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens 1/15/12
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In what appears to be one of the greatest mismatches in the entire playoffs, the Houston Texans will take on the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the NFL postseason. Check out our Texans vs. Ravens keys to the game for Sunday’s slugfest.

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens
Texans vs. Ravens Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
Texans vs. Ravens Date/Time: Sunday, January 15th, 1:00 p.m.
Texans vs. Ravens Television Coverage: CBS

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012 NFL Playoff Bracket And Other NFL Playoff Previews

Key #1: The Houston defense has to get pressure on the edges
This is the why the Cincinnati Bengals really struggled against the Houston defense on Saturday. The Texans have the ability to bring an immense amount of pressure off of the edges with their 3-4 look. Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips isn’t afraid to bring the heat on every play, and the combination of LBs Brooks Reed and Connor Barwin, along with DEs JJ Watt and Antonio Smith can really make a big difference. QB Joe Flacco has been known to make some bad decisions when he is under pressure in the pocket, and that might be the case once again in this one if Houston can force him into bad situations. The Texans were built as a team with strength right up the middle with LBs Brian Cushing and DeMeco Ryans, but it is the boys on the outsides of the front seven that are going to be the big difference makers if the Texans are going to even remotely have the ability to pull off the upset.

Texans @ Ravens Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Houston Texans +9
Baltimore Ravens -9
Over/Under 38
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Key #2: Both sets of running backs have to keep the ball moving
If the Ravens can get RB Ray Rice in some space, whether it be as a rusher or a receiver, Flacco won’t be in those positions to have to face the wrath of the Houston front seven. Rice had over 2,000 total yards and 15 TDs this year, and we have to remember that RB Ricky Williams has the ability to have some big games when called upon as well. For Houston, the key is down and distance. Punting is okay, but at least staying on schedule in terms of 2nd and 7 and 3rd and 3 is key. The less than QB TJ Yates has to do, the better off that the Texans are going to be. That means that RB Arian Foster is going to have to have another big time game. He racked up over 150 yards on the ground against the Bengals on Saturday, including a number of runs in which he hit the corner and snared those few extra yards that made the difference. It’ll be tougher against the Baltimore defense with all of its speed, but Foster and RB Ben Tate will have no choice but to get the job done in this one, or the Texans will get run off of the field at M&T Bank Stadium.

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Key #3: Both teams have to get used to some new territory
This may seem silly, but the Ravens have to get used to the idea that they are supposed to win this game. They went 6-0 this year against playoff teams, but those four losses were four brutal, brutal losses this season, and they all came in games in which they were expected to win and win with ease. Remember that Flacco has never played a game at home in the playoffs in his career, and this could be a totally different situation for him since he usually has tremendously low expectations. Houston has obviously never played a road playoff game, and Yates has never seen anything the likes of what he is going to see in terms of defensive intensity on Sunday. However, the Texans clearly have nothing to lose. They came out of that win against Cincinnati in great shape, and they acted like it was just another win on a Sunday that helped them out. Sure, there was some celebrating, but there wasn’t a Gatorade bath for Head Coach Gary Kubiak, and the team didn’t go all out as if it had just won the Super Bowl. There is more work to be done for sure. That being said, no one outside of Houston really believes that this team has a shot at the upset, and that could play big time into the Texans’ hands, especially if the pressure of playing at home proves to be too much for Flacco to overcome.

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