Evan Altemus
3 Units New Orelans -3.5
New Orleans has been dominant at home this season, putting up much better statistics. Minnesota is banged up and their best play maker, Percy Harvin, is dealing with severe migraine headaches. The Vikings defense will be vulnerable this week against a Saints offense that can exploit them through the air because Drew Brees will have time to throw due to their great offensive line. Last season when these two teams met, New Orleans would have won if not for several turnovers. Minnesota has not played well on the road, and the Saints defense is able to create turnovers, especially at home. Look for the Saints to get the home win and cover.
Lenny Del Genio
Minnesota/New Orleans Over 53
Neither of these teams should have any difficulty scoring as they ranked 1-2 in the league in touchdowns scored with the Saints putting the ball in the end zone 64 times thus far. Last week, New Orleans scored 45 points for the fifth time this season. They have scored 24 or more in every win and topped the 30-point plateau ten times. They should have little difficulty scoring on a Vikings defense that has surrendered a ghastly 145 points in its last five road contests. On the flip side, Minnesota has scored 30 or more in each of its last three games and six of its last eight. They actually scored 30 or more 11 different times during the year, ranking ahead of the Saints. New Orleans defense is nothing special, allowing an average of nearly three touchdowns per game. Clearly, the winner of this game is going to be the team that outscores the other. Minnesota averages 29.6 PPG and the Saints are at 32.6. We're already talking numbers that are at least a field goal higher than what we are seeing for the posted total. Throw in the fact that eight of the last ten meetings between the team, including a 30-27 Vikings win last year without Favre, have gone Over and we really like what we see. We cashed the Vikings as three-point underdogs in that game, but were quite fortunate to as the Saints had two special teams TD's and could have had a third. Do not discount the Reggie Bush factor. Also, New Orleans led the NFL in defensive scores. Let's not forget that Favre cost the Packers two playoff games at the end of his stint due to bad decisions. The trends is this game overwhemlingly favor the Over. The Vikings are a perfect 6-0 Over when as a road dog of three points or less. New Orleans is 11-2 Over when favored by or taking three or less, 11-3 Over off a home win and 17-6 Over off a spread win. Against teams averaging 27 PPG or more, the Saints score 40 points per game. They are 15-5 Over vs. teams with a winning record under Sean Payton. Should be an exciting shootout. Over Minnesota/New Orleans is our NFL "VEGAS ICON."
Bob Balfe
New Orleans -3.5
Both teams have explosive offense. The Saints are hard to beat at home and this is truly a game that home field advantage means a lot. The Vikings have a great defense, but on the road they were just 4-4 this season. New Orleans has so many weapons that I believe Sean Payton's play calling will have the Vikings scratching their heads all day. Adrian Peterson has fumbling problems and the Saints Defense has a ton of play makers that can force turnovers. The Saints Defense is nothing more than average, but they make big plays and turnovers mean everything in this league. Look for Brett Favre to have a decent day, but its going to take a whole lot to stop this Saints Offense. Take New Orleans.
Nick "BookieKiller" Parsons
Indianapolis -7
The last time the teams met, in Week 15 of the regular season, Indianapolis had a perfect record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason already locked up. Leading 15-10 in the third quarter, Colts coach Jim Caldwell made a controversial decision to rest his starters and wound up getting beat 29-15; it's not going to happen again.
More than ever, the NFL is becoming a passer’s league. In the last five years, rules have been tightened up to protect quarterbacks from injuries and keep defenders from pounding receivers a few yards beyond the line of scrimmage.
Ultimately, I believe this will be the Jets undoing as Mark Sanchez is prone to the turnover and will finally be forced to "make a couple of plays" in this one if they have any shot at winning this game; he'll be in tough against a re-juvinated Colt's defense though.
On the other side of the field: Jim Caldwell’s decision to rest his starters the final two games of the regular season drew a lot of heat. But it looks like a smart decision in hindsight; not just because the Colts’ offense returned to form fairly quickly, but because their defense flew to the ball all night against the Ravens.
In his first game since winning an unprecedented fourth NFL MVP award, Peyton Manning threw for two TD's last Saturday night in the Indianapolis Colts’ 20-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The decisive win came after a playoff bye, something that had been a plague, not a respite, for Manning and his teammates.
Directing a patient offense, Manning finished 30 of 44 for 246 yards. He showed the Ravens there’s a price to pay for keeping the ball out of his hands: Once he gets it, he doesn’t give it back
Keep in mind as well that Indianapolis has excelled in this position all season long; 10-5 ATS when playing the roll of favorite.
Bottom line: The Jets Cinderella run ends; look for INDIANAPOLIS to improve to 9-5 ATS vs. conference opponents and for New York to fall to 1-2 ATS this season as a road dog of 7 1/2 to 10 points!
6* COLTS
Sal Devito
4* Minnesots Vikings
2* New York Jets
Clayton Rice
3* New York Jets
EXECUTIVE
300% NO Saints
300% Seton Hall -3
300% Indiana -5'
Sportsbetsnow
3 Units Jets +9
1 Unit NO/MINN OVER 53.5
1 Unit Seton Hall -2.5
1 Unit Penn St. +12.5
LEE KOSTROSKI
COLTS
COLTS UNDER
Alex Smart
Colts
Saints Over
LARRY NESS
COLTS
NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS UNDER
Scott Rickenbach
Jets
Jets Over
Saints Under
Ben Burns
10* Saints
7* Colts
Colts Over
Blazer
3* Vikings
Carolina Sports
4* Jets