Posts Tagged ‘pro football props’

NFL Football Picks: Championship Weekend Props 1/23/11

January 23rd, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on NFL Football Picks: Championship Weekend Props 1/23/11
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There are only three games left in the entire NFL betting campaign, but before we get ready to make our Super Bowl XLV picks, we have some unfinished business to tend to in the AFC and NFC Championship Games. Check out our NFL prop picks for two of the biggest games of the entire season!

Will There Be a Score in the First 6.5 Minutes of the Game Bears/Packers Game?
We know that the Chicago offense got off to a great start last week against the Seattle Seahawks, but we also have to remember that these two teams have played some absolutely sparkling defense along the way as well. If the Bears get the ball first, there is a decent chance that a scoring drive might take over 6.5 minutes even if it does happen on the opening sequence, believe it or not. We’re believers that points could be at a premium on Sunday, and though that might not necessarily translate into a lower scoring game, we’ll take our chances that the first score doesn’t occur early on. Bank on there being No Score in the First 6.5 Minutes (-110 at Hollywood Sportsbook) between the Bears and the Packers.

Will There Be a Safety in Both Championship Games?
This season, including the playoffs, there have only been 13 safeties. That’s right. Over the course of all of those games in the NFL betting schedule, 264 of them, there have only been 13 safeties. That’s one safety in every 4.9% of games played in the league this year. In 2009, there were only 14 safeties, including the playoffs. Let’s do some simple math here, shall we? Over the last 531 games in the NFL, there have been 27 safeties, or one safety in approximately 20 games (5.08%). If we can hit this prop at -1000 in 94.92% of our games, we’re going to be worth a ton of money. Over 1,000 games, at this price, if we were to bet $1,000 to win $100, we would have a profit of $4,412. Not a bad haul, eh? No Safety in the NFC Championship Game, and No Safety in the AFC Championship Game (-1000 Each Bet at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Aaron Rodgers Over/Under 3.5 Rushing Attempts
Rodgers certainly hasn’t been afraid to tuck it and run when he has to this season, as he was one of the best running options for a team that really didn’t have all that much to work with in that department in 2010. The former Cal Golden Bear took off 64 times this year and accounted for 356 yards in the regular season, but what impressed us the most is the fact that he had seven carries in the 10-3 win over these Bears in Week 17. Rodgers hasn’t gotten to this point yet in the playoffs, as he only has five carries in two games, but we tend to believe that this will be an exception, as the Chicago defense is a lot more prone to sending a lot of men after the quarterback, which could cause Rodgers to have to escape more often than he really wants to. He’ll go Over 3.5 Rushing Attempts (-120 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Colts.

Matt Forte Over/Under 16.5 Yards on Longest Carry
It’s only one stroke of luck and one stroke of genius that will get Forte to this type of a number. We’ve seen that the Bears have stayed committed to Forte this season when they have had the chance to, and over the course of the last four games, he has at least 15 carries in all four outings and has averaged 19 carries per game. Forte isn’t really the most explosive runner in the world, but he has had a ton of opportunities, especially when he gets the ball in open space, to be able to take advantage and pick up some huge gainers. Over the course of the second half of the season, Chicago’s top running back has had a long carry of at least 17 yards six times, and we tend to believe that that will continue on Sunday. Forte’s longest carry will be Over 16.5 Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Total Sacks in the AFC Championship Game
We’re a tad surprised to see Hollywood hang a ‘5’ in this game instead of a ‘5.5’ due to the fact that last week, there were 11 sacks in the duel between the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. We know that there are a ton of problems right now for the Steelers up front, and the Jets have really yet to show their best pass rush in these playoffs to date. After getting after QB Tom Brady all week last week, we have no doubt that New York can get to QB Ben Roethlisberger in this one, and when it does, it is going to make those opportunities pay off. There is no way, with these two ferocious defenses, that there aren’t Over 5 Sacks (-130 at Hollywood Sportsbook) significantly more often than not.

LaDainian Tomlinson Over/Under 18.5 Receiving Yards
You know that LT is going to get his touches in this game, and you know that the Pittsburgh defense is going to do what it can to make sure that he doesn’t have the same 49 yards on 11 carries that he had when these two squads met last month. We know that Tomlinson hasn’t been used all that much as a receiver of late, but there is a point that QB Mark Sanchez is going to have to realize that he doesn’t have the time to work the ball up the field against this Pittsburgh defense. Last week, it was TE Todd Heap for the Ravens that made all of those catches over the middle of the field, and it is clear that Tomlinson is going to be asked to fill that role as a check down option at times when Sanchez is in trouble. LT will go Over 18.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Pittsburgh defense.

Heath Miller Over/Under 3.5 Receptions
We’ve already talked just a tad about inside routes with Heap and the Steelers defense, but what about the New York ‘D’? This unit really doesn’t give up much of anything to anyone, but if there is a bit of a weakness, it is against teams that really utilize either tight ends or other receiving options to sit down in the middle of the field. Last week, Brady was really forced to do nothing but try to throw balls underneath to WR Deion Branch and TE Rob Gronkowski, while the week before, the Colts did the exact same thing with TE Jacob Tamme. Now, enter Heath Miller, who has had at least four catches in three straight games and is proving to be a great safety net for Roethlisberger when he gets himself out of some trouble in the pocket. Big Ben loves using his big time tight end, as Miller often gets at least a half dozen looks per game. He’s a big play threat up the seams and could be in for a lot of looks on Sunday, especially knowing that WR Mike Wallace and his friends are going to be worked a ton up the sides of the field. This is the man in the middle that should have a great day. Miller will go Over 3.5 Receptions (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the New York ‘D’.

NFL Football Picks: Wild Card Weekend Props 1/8/11

January 8th, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on NFL Football Picks: Wild Card Weekend Props 1/8/11
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Saturday marks the first day of 2011 NFL playoff betting action, as four teams begin their quest to win the Lombardi Trophy. Check out some of the best props on the board for today’s NFL betting action!

Reggie Bush Rushing + Receiving Yards Over/Under 77.5
We’re taking a bit of a gamble here on Bush, as we know that he could be in a position where he just doesn’t touch the ball all that much. However, we do have a few things on our side in this one. First off, we tend to believe that the Saints are going to be winning this game the whole way, which really should prompt a tremendous amount of carries for someone in this backfield. The second thing on our side is that we know that there aren’t really any healthy rushing options for Head Coach Sean Peyton to turn to, as all of his top backs are on the shelf in this one. Will it be RB Julius Jones, or Bush getting the rock more often than not? We tend to believe that the answer is Bush, and if that’s the case, he should easily get to this number. Especially when you consider the fact that you know the former USC Trojan is good for at least three or four catches on the day as well, we have to go with Bush Over 77.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) in Wild Card Weekend.

New Orleans Saints Margin of Victory
This is the type of prop that we only like to play in certain situations. However, knowing that the Saints are already laying 11 points in this game, it seems like a good conclusion that they are going to be winning this one by at least double that more than one out of seven times. The Seahawks have already been railroaded by lesser teams by this many points at home this year, and there is a decent chance that the wheels could just fall off of the train at some point for the hosts. No, we’re not saying that New Orleans is a lock to win this game, or that we necessarily think that they are beating the NFL odds in this one more often than not, but we do think that we are getting a fantastic price here on them to win this game by at least 22 points. New Orleans Saints Margin of Victory 22 Points or More (+700 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Mark Sanchez Longest Completion Over/Under 31.5 Yards
This is perhaps the strongest prop on the board, as it is the weakest number that the oddsmakers have put up there. Sanchez has a number of weapons at his disposal that can stretch the field, namely WR Santonio Holmes and WR Braylon Edwards. He takes his fair share of shots down the field over the course of the game, and here, we are just asking him to pull the trigger for one shot of at least 32 yards. That’s something that Sanchez has already done ten times this year in just 15 starts. Yes, we know that we are factoring into the equation getting hurt and all of that, but without any unforeseen circumstances, especially in a game in which we know that Head Coach Rex Ryan is pulling out all of the stops, there is no reason to think that Sanchez’s longest completion won’t be Over 31.5 Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Colts.

Peyton Manning First Pass Complete Or Incomplete
C’mon Hollywood… Give us a break. Manning completed right around 2/3 of his passes this year, completing 66.2 percent of all attempts, and that doesn’t even include all of the times that he spiked the football. Sure, the Jets have a fantastic defense, but this is a gimme. We know that this is cashing at least two out of three times, and if that’s the case, we’re going to make quite a good bit of money on this NFL prop bet. Manning’s first pass will be Complete (-190 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Adam Vinetiari Over/Under 7.5 Points
You don’t see us try our hand at the various kicker props all that often, but this is a great situation to be in right now. We really probably only need Vinetiari to kick two field goals in this game for him to get past the 7.5 point mark, and we tend to think, especially in the playoffs, that this is going to happen at least 60 percent of the time. Sure, we know that Vinetiari only reached this point eight times on the season, and we know that he doesn’t have a leg that can boot the ball 50+ yards anymore, but we also know that this is playoff time, and there isn’t a kicker that has nailed more clutch kicks in his career than this man has. Especially kicking in absolutely perfect conditions in the dome, there’s no reason to believe that Vinetiari can’t go Over 7.5 Points (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) at least six out of ten times.

NFL Football Picks: Carolina Panthers @ Pittsburgh Steelers Props

December 23rd, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in General Handicapping   Comments Off on NFL Football Picks: Carolina Panthers @ Pittsburgh Steelers Props
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The Carolina Panthers come into this Thursday Night Football duel with very little hope of actually beating the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, there are still some tremendous props on the board for this game that we can profit with, so be sure to check out our Carolina/Pittsburgh prop picks for Thursday!

Jonathan Stewart Over/Under 78.5 Rushing Yards
Let’s just be reasonable here, shall we? You’re asking Stewart to get to 79 yards against a defense which allows less than 65 yards per game on the ground, when Stewart splits his carries with RB Mike Goodson, and when his team is clearly going to be trailing the entire game? C’mon now. Let’s get real here, ladies and gents. Let’s get real. There’s absolutely no way that Stewart is getting to this number unless he busts a tremendous one early in the game. This is Pittsburgh, where the best running backs in the league essentially come to die. Bank on Stewart going Under 78.5 Rushing Yards (-150 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Thursday Night Football.

Rashard Mendenhall Over/Under 99.5 Rushing Yards
Carolina definitely doesn’t have a strong rush defense, ranking No. 23 in the league at 126.2 yards per game, but asking Mendenhall to get to 100 yards tonight is a tall task for a man that has just four games at the century mark on the ground this year. Though we know that the former member of the Illinois Fighting Illini has carried the ball a ton over the course of the season, we’re not so certain that, especially if this game gets out of hand, that Head Coach Mike Tomlin won’t want to give him a breather and use men like RB Isaac Redman to tote the rock some more. We’ll take our chances that Mendenhall stays Under 99.5 Rushing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Ben Roethlisberger Over/Under 1.5 TD Passes
This is perhaps the most interesting prop on the board on Thursday Night Football, as one would figure that there is no way that Big Ben doesn’t throw at least two TD passes against one of the worst teams in football. However, with potentially iffy conditions, we know that there are going to be some longer drives in this game. The Steelers aren’t one of these teams that needs to win games by three or four TDs just to prove a point. Wins are wins. Heck, against the Cincinnati Bengals in a very similar situation, Big Ben didn’t throw a single TD pass and the offense only had one TD. Though Roethlisberger does have three TDs in three games this year and one other game with at least two picks, we’re not so certain that that is going to happen again on this night. Don’t be shocked if the Panthers find a way to keep him Under 1.5 TD Passes (+110 at Hollywood Sportsbook) and gives us a huge cash.

NFL Picks: San Francisco 49ers @ San Diego Chargers Props 12/16

December 15th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on NFL Picks: San Francisco 49ers @ San Diego Chargers Props 12/16

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Both the San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers were able to save their respective seasons last week, but they are both still clearly on life support and need some major help to be able to get through to the playoffs. Losing this one is not an option for either team, as one will have one foot in the grave and the other on the banana peel when this one is over with. Ready for your NFL picks for props in this one? Check out the best San Francisco 49ers vs. San Diego Chargers picks we have for Thursday Night Football!

Longest Field Goal Over/Under 44.5 Yards
Since coming over from the Pittsburgh Steelers, K Jeff Reed has done a nice job with the Niners, going 7-for-7 on field goals attempts. Though he has yet to boot one over 44 yards , he does have a pair of 50+ yarders to his credit as well, and you know if you can kick it 50+ yards in Heinz Field, you can kick it 60+ anywhere else. K Nate Kaeding is back as well for the Chargers, and that’s good news for those of us that are big time fans of booting the ball a long, long way. Since coming back, Kaeding has only missed twice on ten attempts, and one of those was from 56 yards out. Kaeding is the more likely of these two kickers to nail a long field goal, and especially in a game in which defense could be the theme, especially down tight, we tend to believe that there will be a field goal made Over 44.5 Yards (-110 at Hollywood Sportsbook) long on Thursday Night Football.

Alex Smith Over/Under 220.5 Passing Yards
We just knew that the oddsmakers were going to come out and put a bad number like this one on the board in this spot. Smith really looked like a totally different quarterback when he came back to the fold on Sunday, as he threw for 255 yards and three TDs. What we have to remember is that that came in a big time win as well. The rushing game just isn’t good enough to be able to carry the load without RB Frank Gore in the fold, and the end result is going to require Smith to throw more passes to get the job done. This might be one of the best secondaries statistically in football, but we’re tending to want to throw those out when analyzing this one. The weapons are there on this San Fran team to make some real noise, and if that’s the case, especially if it is playing from behind most of, or the entire way, Smith should have no problems going Over 220.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Vernon Davis Over/Under 57.5 Receiving Yards
This is the same type of logic that we are going to use with Davis as we did with Smith just a moment ago. The big time tight end had a great game last week, catching five passes for 70 yards and a TD. In the games that Smith has both started and finished, Davis has gotten to at least 70 yards through the air five times in nine tries. That’s a heck of a percentage from our standpoint, as we know that we are going to make a ton of money over the long haul at that type of percentage. Normally, we hate playing props like this one against teams with tremendous linebacking cores, but there really might not be much other choice for Smith but to work the ball to his tight end, especially if the corners take the deep game away from WR Michael Crabtree. It might not be the prettiest prop in the world, but Davis should go Over 57.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Chargers.

Philip Rivers Over/Under 1.5 Touchdown Passes
You have to be a believer in the fact that the 49ers have a secondary that is better than their stats suggest in this one. Rivers has thrown at least two TD passes in all but four of his games this year, but he would need to keep up at a rate like this all season long to be able to beat this prop this often. We’re not so sure that he can do it, especially knowing that this is a fight for San Fran’s life as well. Though we know that more often than not, especially at home, the San Diego signal caller is going to find the end zone at least twice on the day, he has only thrown three scores in total in his L/3 overall. Are things decaying? It’s quite possible. Don’t be shocked if Rivers stays Under 1.5 TD Passes (+180 at Hollywood Sportsbook) and gives us a huge cash.

NFL Football Picks: Monday Night Football Props (12/13/10)

December 12th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   1 Comment »
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The playoff push will be the main topic in the AFC on Monday Night Football this week, as the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans are going to be fighting it out with their postseason hopes on the line. The Texans probably need this one to have any chance of making it to the second season, while Baltimore at least has a little bit of leeway. Our NFL prop picks for MNF are always ready to go here at Bankroll Sports, and this Monday night is no exception!

Joe Flacco Over/Under 261.5 Passing Yards
We wouldn’t necessarily care what the name was on the front or the back of the jersey in this one. The mass majority of quarterbacks are going to be throwing for at least 262 yards against this Houston secondary no matter how much of a blowout the game really turns out to be. Save a three INT game for Glover Quin against arguably the worst starting quarterback the NFL has seen in years, QB Rusty Smith, the Texans have had absolutely no luck stopping anyone. Head Coach John Harbaugh has made a more concerted effort at throwing the ball this year to take some of the pressure off of RB Ray Rice and the running game. The offensive line is going to be able to let Flacco just stand in the pocket and pick apart this horrendous secondary, and there should be absolutely no doubt that he goes Over 261.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Monday Night Football.

Anquan Boldin Over/Under 66.5 Receiving Yards
You know where we’re going with this one. All of the receiving options are particularly strong in this game for the Ravens, and this is probably the best of the bunch. ‘Quan is going to be matched up with Quin the majority of the game, and he is clearly the weakest link in that Houston secondary. Truth be told, Boldin has only gone past this number five times this season, and three of those five came in the first four games of the year. However, these secondaries that he has been going against haven’t been nearly as bad as the one that he is going to be facing on Monday. We tend to believe that this could be a career day for the former Florida State Seminole. Boldin should fly Over 66.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Matt Schaub Over/Under 245.5 Passing Yards
Things really haven’t gone all that well for the Texans’ signal caller this year, as he doesn’t have the types of numbers that warrant him being a Pro Bowler this year as many suggested at the start of the season. Still, this is probably going to be a situation in which this team has to play from behind virtually the entire way, just as we saw last Thursday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. Though this Baltimore defense is only allowing 208.0 yards per game through the air, we have to remember that sack yardage does not count against us in this one. There have also been some dreadful passing games run up against these Ravens, including those of the Pittsburgh Steelers (twice), that of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and that of the Cleveland Browns. This is a great spot, especially in the second half, for Schaub to go soaring Over 245.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Ravens.

Will Arian Foster Score a Touchdown?
Last week, we backed Foster on this prop on Thursday Night Football, and we are going to be utilizing him once again. Of the 33 offensive touchdowns that the Texans have scored this year, Foster has found pay dirt 15 times, virtually every other touchdown. He has touched the ball 296 times already this season and is clearly the goal line back as well. The only issue that we have here is if the Ravens just find a way to really shut the Texans down all together. But, seeing how this game is at home and that Houston is prone to scoring at least 20 points or so here, there is no reason to believe that Foster won’t get the job done and put six on the board at least once. He has scored at least one TD in eight of the team’s 12 games this year, giving us a great percentage on a very easy prop. Foster Will Score a Touchdown (-125 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

NFL Football Picks: Thursday Night Football Props (12/9/10)

December 9th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on NFL Football Picks: Thursday Night Football Props (12/9/10)
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The Indianapolis Colts might be on life support. The Tennessee Titans certainly are. These two teams are going to have to fight tooth and nail on Thursday Night Football to be able to save their seasons, as one will be able to make up some ground on the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the other is probably going to be in a boatload of trouble, if not eliminated from playoff contention.

Peyton Manning Over/Under 28.5 Completions
We know that Manning is going to have to throw the ball a whole boatload of times to be able to beat the Titans, and it does make a ton of sense for him to have to complete upwards of 30 passes against a team that doesn’t have the greatest secondary in the world. However, Head Coach Jim Caldwell has to be able to run the ball against a defensive line that loves to get after the quarterback on a regular basis, just to slow it down. It doesn’t seem all that likely that we’re going to see No. 18 complete 29 or more passes, in spite of the fact that he is averaging over 29 per game. We think that this is a case of the oddsmakers overreacting upon the number of times that Manning had to put the ball in the air last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. This week, he’ll put up tamer numbers. Manning will stay Under 28.5 Completions (-105 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Thursday Night Football.

Will the Colts Score a Rushing Touchdown Against the Titans?
They might have to. We hate betting on props like this because the oddsmakers are constantly trying to hook us in with the “yes” bet. However, we realize that Indy is probably scoring three TDs in this game at bare minimum, and there have already been ten rushing scores on the season against 24 passing TDs. That’s a bit over a 3-1 ratio, meaning for every rushing TD, there are 2.4 passing TDs by Manning. RB Javarris James has reached pay dirt five times this season on the ground, and if Indy gets close to the end zone, he’ll be called upon to get the job done and finish things off. Again, we have to remember that this is a Tennessee team that isn’t built on the inside the same way that the Dallas Cowboys and other teams that the Colts have faced are. Indy Will Score a Rushing Touchdown (-130 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Blair White Over/Under 34.5 Receiving Yards
The more we see White in the lineup, the more that we like. White is consistently another one of these guys that Manning has that just runs great routes, finds ways to get to where he needs to be, and has pretty good hands. With features like that, Manning can make you a Pro Bowler in a heartbeat. White has been called upon for at least four receptions in three straight games, and though we think that Manning is going to have to do some more running of the football to get the job done in this one, White could still get his looks, particularly if he is lined up in the slot. This could be a really nice spot against a secondary that doesn’t go particularly deep to take advantage of the situation. White should go Over 34.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Titans.

Chris Johnson Over/Under 107.5 Rushing Yards
Alright CJ, now is your time! After a pair of lousy weeks, we know that Johnson is chomping at the bit, particularly in a nationally televised game, to be able to get going once again, and he knows that the Colts are the perfect matchup for him to do so. Johnson should be able to slow down the Indianapolis offense, as the Colts allowed 100 yards on the ground to RB Tashard Choice, a man that hadn’t touched the ball but a handful of times on the season coming in. Now, Johnson is all revved up after a couple of lousy games. If he can’t figure out how to get going in this one, the Titans are going to be dead in the water, especially with QB Kerry Collins calling the shots under center. Historically, this is one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL that Johnson is going again, and for that reason alone, he busts his streak and goes Over 107.5 Rushing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

NFL Picks: New York Jets @ New England Patriots Keys to the Game

December 5th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football   Comments Off on NFL Picks: New York Jets @ New England Patriots Keys to the Game

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The New York Jets and New England Patriots have a ton riding on the line on Monday Night Football. Not only is the winning team going to give a catastrophic loss to the other, but the victors will pull a game ahead of the rest of the field in the AFC and will most likely hold the tiebreaker for the rest of the year over the loser in the AFC East race. Obviously, it’s going to give the winner a huge advantage. If that team can hold on to this advantage over the last quarter of the season, that team will only have to play two home games to reach the Super Bowl. The loser will most likely have to win three games on the road. In order to prepare you to make your NFL picks for the game, we have the three keys to the game to determine which team is going to beat the NFL betting lines on the day.

Key #1: Mark Sanchez Cannot Make Mistakes
QB Mark Sanchez has really done a nice job in recent games of getting the ball up the field. He has proven that the Jets are no longer just a team that runs the football to win games, as New York is averaging 212.4 yards per game through the air. That’s still only good enough for a modest No. 20 ranking in the NFL, but at least he has shown that he can make big passes. We know that his receiving corps is good enough to get the job done as well, especially with WR Jerricho Cotchery coming back into the lineup this week after dealing with his groin injury for the past two games. With names like Cotchery, WR Braylon Edwards, WR Santonio Holmes, and TE Dustin Keller to deal with, Sanchez has no excuse not to be able to move the football against a defense that ranks dead last in the NFL against the pass at 288.5 yards per game. The key isn’t so much going to be yards, though. It’s going to be turnovers. Sanchez’s eight INTs this year is way down from a season last year in which he challenged for the most blunders in the league, but all eight of those picks have come in his L/6 games. He has thrown at least one INT in all six. Against the Pats in Week 2, Sanchez completed 70.0 percent of his passes for 220 yards with three scores, but again, the key was no turnovers. The Pats need to force him into some mistakes, while New York is just hoping that its signal caller can look more like the man that beat this team in Week 2 and less like the one that has been careless with the pigskin of late.

Key #2: Rex Ryan’s Defense Must Have No Fear
In the first half of the clash in Week 2 against the Pats, the Jets really didn’t come after QB Tom Brady. He did the mass majority of his damage in that game in the second quarter, as that is when he threw both of his touchdown passes. After that though, the dogs were let loose, and New York started to cause all sorts of ruckus in the New England backfield. Brady couldn’t figure out what was going on, and he could not get the Patriots on the scoreboard in the entire half, something that is absolutely a rarity for him. DE Jason Taylor did have the only sack in the game for the men in green, but he was one of the many that was all over the backfield and all in Brady’s face in that second half. The Jets cannot sit back and let Brady pick them apart in this one for any period of time. Their defensive backs are certainly good enough to contend with what New England has to offer in man coverage 100% of the time. Sometimes, you’ll get burned. Sometimes, you’ll cause some big turnovers as well. Those picks are going to be key, and the Jets got two of them last time around. They have to come after Brady right from the start, especially on the road on Monday Night Football.

Key #3: New England Has To Get A Ground Game Going
Truth be told, this has been what has hurt Brady the most this year. RB Kevin Faulk is out for the season with an ACL tear, and RB Fred Taylor has been out of the fold for the last seven games with a toe injury. In Week 2, New England picked up New York castoff RB Danny Woodhead, and in just eight games, he has picked up 344 yards on the ground and 230 through the air. Though the majority of the carries are still going to RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Woodhead is going to get his chances. This offensive line badly needs to step up and embrace the idea of attacking the Jets in the trenches, something that is usually going the other direction when the New York ‘D’ is on the field. If Ellis and Woodhead cannot get anything going in the rushing game or even in the screen and short pass department, Brady is going to just be a dead man walking in this pocket. You know that, especially with a long week to prepare after playing on Thanksgiving night, that Rex Ryan and company have been drawing up some new schemes to prepare for the Brady aerial assault. The running game needs to be the great equalizer for New England to win on Monday Night Football.