New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at Paul Brown Stadium in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Oddsmakers currently have the Bengals listed as 3-point favorites versus the Jets, while the game's total is sitting at 34.
The Jets defeated Cincinnati 37-0 as a 10-point favorite in Week 17. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (34).
Thomas Jones rushed for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns for New York and Brad Smith rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown on four carries in the win.
Carson Palmer completed only one pass for zero yards with an interception in limited action for Cincinnati, while Larry Johnson rushed for 38 yards on nine carries.
Team records:
New York: 9-7 SU, 9-7 ATS
Cincinnati: 10-6 SU, 7-9 ATS
New York most recently:
When playing in January are 5-5
When playing on turf are 4-6
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing outside the division are 7-3
Cincinnati most recently:
When playing in January are 3-7
When playing on turf are 7-3
After being outgained are 4-6
When playing outside the division are 4-6
A few trends to consider:
NY Jets are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Cincinnati
NY Jets are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
NY Jets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games
NY Jets are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games at home
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Jets
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing at home against NY Jets
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys
The fans at Cowboys Stadium will be treated to a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys when they take their seats on Saturday for the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Oddsmakers currently have the Cowboys listed as 4-point favorites versus the Eagles, while the game's total is sitting at 45.
The Eagles lost to Dallas 24-0 as a 3-point underdog in Week 17. The combined score fell UNDER the posted over/under total (47.5).
Donovan McNabb passed for 223 yards with a pair of fumbles for Philadelphia and Brent Celek had seven receptions for 96 yards.
Tony Romo passed for 311 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Dallas and Felix Jones rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Team records:
Philadelphia: 11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS
Dallas: 11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS
Philadelphia most recently:
When playing in January are 5-5
When playing on turf are 6-3-1
After being outgained are 7-2-1
When playing within the division are 7-3
Dallas most recently:
When playing in January are 2-8
When playing on turf are 7-3
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing within the division are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Philadelphia is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Philadelphia is 17-8 ATS in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Dallas's last 9 games
Dallas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
NY JETS (9 - 7) at CINCINNATI (10 - 6)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
CINCINNATI is 94-124 ATS (-42.4 Units) against conference opponents since 1992.
Head-to-Head Series History
NY JETS is 2-1 against the spread versus CINCINNATI over the last 3 seasons
NY JETS is 2-1 straight up against CINCINNATI over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA (11 - 5) at DALLAS (11 - 5)
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 69-46 ATS (+18.4 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1992.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) off a division game over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 51-27 ATS (+21.3 Units) revenging a loss against opponent since 1992.
Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 3-3 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 4-2 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
NY JETS vs. CINCINNATI
NY Jets are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Jets last 5 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Cincinnati is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games
PHILADELPHIA vs. DALLAS
Philadelphia is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
NY Jets at Cincinnati
NY Jets
8-2 Under off home win
5-1 Under off shutout win
Cincinnati
0-7 ATS as a favorite
7-0 Under as home favorite
Philadelphia at Dallas
Philadelphia
18-4 ATS off loss by 21+ points
17-5 Under off division loss by double digits
Dallas
6-0 Under off a division game
7-3 Under on turf
Jets at Bengals
By Kevin Rogers
Wild Card weekend in the NFL kicks off with a rematch of the last game of the regular season when the Bengals host the Jets. The circumstances are completely different than they were on Sunday night, a game New York needed to win to clinch the final playoff berth in the AFC. The Jets pitched the 37-0 shutout over a lifeless Bengals squad who pretty much mailed it in from the start.
Gang Green was one loss away from not even qualifying for the playoffs with matchups against the Colts and Bengals the final two weeks. New York's 7-7 record indicated a team that was basically average, despite leading the league in rushing. Things broke the Jets' way when the previously unbeaten Colts decided to sit many of their starters in the third quarter of a 29-15 New York victory.
The Bengals took a cue from the Colts in Week 17 by resting many starters, including quarterback Carson Palmer after completing just one of 11 passes. Pedestrian would have been a kind term for Cincinnati's performance on Sunday, as the Bengals amassed more turnovers (3) than passing yards (0) in the ugly loss.
It's tough to take much from that game on either side with different motivating facts for both squads. Now, the Bengals are placed in a role that has been dangerous territory for Cincinnati backers. Marvin Lewis' club finished the regular season 0-7 ATS as a favorite, but Saturday's number is the lowest that the Bengals have been favored by all season.
The Jets have received plenty of criticism because of the way they backed into the playoffs, but New York still took care of business, unlike teams that flailed down the stretch like Denver and Jacksonville. Pittsburgh turned it on a bit too late, winning each of its last three games after dropping five straight.
Due to the New York perception, the Jets were an underdog just five times, going 3-2 SU/ATS, but have been a 'dog only twice since Week 5. It's been an up-and-down season for Jets' backers, starting the season 3-0 ATS. New York failed to cover six of its next seven, with the only victory coming at Oakland in a 38-0 shutout of the Raiders. The Jets found their mojo the final five weeks of the season by winning and covering four times.
The Bengals did most of their damage against division opponents, finishing a perfect 6-0 SU and 4-2 ATS inside the AFC North. Coincidentally, the two ATS losses came against the dreadful Browns, including an overtime victory at Cleveland. Cincinnati finished a strong 6-4 ATS against teams at or above .500, but that also includes the loss to the Jets. However, what happened at the beginning of the season doesn't matter much at this point with the Bengals going 1-6 ATS the last seven games.
Cincinnati has not been tested much in this seven-game stretch, as the Bengals lost to the only two meaningful opponents - the Vikings and Chargers. The Bengals failed to cover in victories over the Browns, Lions, and Chiefs, while losing SU as nine-point 'chalk' at Oakland.
Palmer completed his fourth season with at least 3,000 yards passing (3,094), but threw for over 300 yards just once this season, in the 27-21 loss at San Diego. Cedric Benson resurrected his career by posting 1,251 yards and six touchdowns, as the ex-Chicago Bear faces the league's top defense on Saturday. The always outspoken Chad Ochocinco was held without a catch in Sunday's loss to the Jets, snapping a streak of 120 consecutive games with at least one reception.
Mark Sanchez will be only the third rookie quarterback to start a playoff game since 2000, as the last two are 1-1 SU/ATS. You don't have to look very far to find those examples, with Atlanta's Matt Ryan and Baltimore's Joe Flacco making their playoff debuts last season as rookies. Ryan was on the short end of a 30-24 loss at Arizona, while Flacco led the Ravens past the Dolphins, 27-6.
Rex Ryan becomes the 11th rookie head coach to lead his team to the playoffs since 2000, along with Indianapolis' Jim Caldwell, who has a first-round bye. There isn't much of an advantage either way when backing first-year coaches in the postseason in this span, as these men are 5-5 SU and 4-6 ATS. Since 2006, these coaches are 2-4 SU and 1-5 ATS, with the lone cover coming by John Harbaugh's Ravens last season at Miami.
Lewis makes his second career playoff appearance, trying to bounce back following a loss in the 2005 Wild Card to the eventual World Champion Steelers at home. The big storyline from that 31-17 loss was the ACL tear suffered by Palmer in the first half, ultimately unraveling the game for Cincinnati.
The Jets' last postseason appearance was with another rookie coach, Eric Mangini in 2006, as New York was drubbed at New England, 37-16 as nine-point underdogs. The Jets are 2-4 SU/ATS in the playoffs since 2001, with the last victory coming on the road at San Diego in 2004.
VI capper Bruce Marshall says the scenario going into last week for the Bengals was an easy call to pull back the reins, "I think it was pretty apparent that the Bengals really dialed it down last Sunday night when events earlier in the day presented the scenario: go all out and win vs. the Jets and get rewarded with an assignment against a more dangerous Houston team with a red-hot QB that beat them at Paul Brown Stadium, or an immediate rematch against New York, potentially overconfident and with a struggling rookie at QB. It was an easy call for Cincinnati to low-key it. But the dynamics will be totally different on Saturday."
Things will obviously change for the Bengals this week playing with a purpose, as Marshall feels the Bengals defense is set to slow down the Jets. "Cincinnati, which played it very vanilla defensively on Sunday night, will blitz and stunt a lot more and do a much better job against the run. The answers for the Cincinnati attack are not as apparent, but the fact Benson sat out on Sunday night plays into my theory. Benson, with help from Larry Johnson, will give Cincinnati a better chance to run in this game, although must acknowledge that entire Bengal offensive apparatus has slowed down since mid-November, with the Chris Henry tragedy having more practical consequences as well. Ochocinco's sore knee is not a plus, and Darrelle Revis is a good cover matchup."
The Jets' offense likely will not be going up and down the field, playing an opponent instituting a substantial game-plan for the first times in weeks. "In the end, this looks to be a pretty tight defensive battle, but where there will be no resemblance this week is when the Jets have the ball. Sanchez' inadequacies prevented the Jets from expanding their offense as the season progressed, with the only different twists being the direct snaps to Brad Smith. Sanchez was basically lost from October onward and is more likely to make the mistakes to cost the Jets the game," Marshall says.
Randy Scott, the sportsbook director at BetED, says the early action is on the home team, "The public is all over Cincinnati here. This was a tough line to make; some books are using Bengals -3 with +110 as the 'vig'. Because of the popularity on the Bengals we aren't about to offer plus-money yet, so we added five cents to the -2½ point line to make it -115. But that might all change closer to game-time if we don't see any wise action come in. If it's going to be a pure public game, then that will drive the line up to 3, but we are still in wait and watch mode.
Scott needed to move to the total down thanks to bettors jumping on the 'under' from the start, "Early action was on the 'under' of 34½, but has since evened out with the move to 34. Good chance it will drop even more due to frigid weather conditions. We are also receiving loads of Bengals teaser action moving the line to +3½ or better and total points 'under' 40 or better."
The Bengals are currently listed as 2½ point home favorites with the total set at 34. The game kicks off at 4:30 PM EST and will be televised nationally on NBC.
vegasinsider.com
Can the Eagles rebound?
By Judd Hall
If there is one thing you can take out of the playoffs is that any team can make a run. Last year, the Cardinals proved that you can easily erase a weak regular season to come within minutes of winning the Super Bowl. Some teams can use just one deep playoff campaign void a decade of futility.
This Saturday’s NFC Wild Card showdown between the Eagles and Cowboys on NBCS at 8:00 p.m. EST will help someone get an 800-pound gorilla of their chest.
Philadelphia (11-5 straight up, 8-7-1 against the spread) comes into this game with hopes of getting past nightmares of what might have been.
The Eagles were heading into the last week of the regular season riding a six-game winning streak. And they knew that they controlled their own destiny for clinching the No. 2 seed in the NFC by needed to win in Week 17. All Philly had to do was go into Arlington and beat the Cowboys as a three-point road pup.
What bettors and fans got was a Philadelphia side that played like garbage in a 24-0 smackdown to the ‘Boys. The Eagles gained just 228 yards and converted on three of their 12 third downs. Plus, they had the ball for just over 19 minutes. So Philly went from getting a home game in the playoffs to the sixth seed for the second straight year.
Philly head coach Andy Reid is trying to put a positive spin on it. “At this point, you're in the playoffs. It's a single-elimination tournament. You really don't care who you play or where you play - you're in.” He continues, “In our case, since we did play them last week, it's important to figure out what we did wrong and get that corrected.”
There’s a nice sized list for Reid to peruse as to what his Eagles did wrong. Philadelphia’s offense has to be the first issue that should be addressed. We already discussed the amount of yards they gained on the attack, but we should focus more on running game. The Eagles picked up a mere 37 rushing yards last week against the Cowboys.
We shouldn’t be too shocked by that low total as Philadelphia has been desperate to find any way possible to eat up clock time on the ground. The Eagles are ranking 22nd in the league with 102.3 rushing yards per game, thanks in part to losing Brian Westbrook for much of the year. Westbrook 17 yards on five carries last week. LeSean McCoy has picked most of the slack with 637 rushing yards and four scores during his rookie campaign.
“The Eagles have run for a total of 335 yards over their last four games against the New York Giants, San Francisco, Denver and Dallas,” says VegasInsider.com’s expert handicapper Chip Chirimbes. “Philadelphia needs its running game to work in order to win.”
Philadelphia’s rushing attack will need to help open up its passing game, which has been lacking recently. Donovan McNabb has completed just 57 percent of his passes for 851 yards and four touchdowns to three picks in his last three starts.
McNabb will also be looking to figure out how exactly how to throw effectively against the Cowboys. Philly’s gunslinger has connected on 55 percent of his pass attempts for 450 yards, one score and two interceptions against Dallas in 2009. That’s goes along with seven sacks for a loss of 50 yards.
It can’t all fall on the quarterback’s shoulders; the receivers have to step up their play as well. DeSean Jackson will, of course, be the main target on offense. Jackson finished second in the NFL with 18.5 yards per catch and nine touchdowns. Yet he can’t figure out how to get free against the Cowboys, averaging 17.8 YPC with no scores in four career games. That means tight end Brent Celek may have to pick up the slack. Surprising this to say considering he was already averaging 97 yards receiving over the last three games.
Dallas (11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS) has been hearing over the last month of the season that they were cruising for another epic fail. It’s not like they could tell everyone to shut up since they posted a 7-13 SU and 4-14-2 ATS in December and January dating back to 2005. That is…until this season.
The Cowboys helped silence the critics this year with a 3-2 SU and ATS mark. They’ve made it back to the second season with the help of Tony Romo being under center. Romo has had the campaign of his career by completing 63 percent of his passes for 4,483 yards with 26 scores to nine picks. But he’s been positively stellar in his last five appearances, connecting on 69 percent of his throws for 310.0 YPG and nine touchdowns to only two interceptions.
Romo lit up the Eagles for 311 yards and a pair of scores while completing 77 percent of his passes last Sunday. He’s also had a fair amount of success against Philly over the last three seasons with 275.2 YPG passing and nine touchdowns through the air.
Dallas also has a legit receiver in its midst that doesn’t like to make reality shows that nobody watches. Miles Austin earned his spot in the Pro Bowl by finishing third in total receiving yards (1,320), 10th in first downs (59) fourth in touchdowns (11).
Joining Austin in Miami for the Pro Bowl is arguably the best tight end in the NFL, Jason Witten. The seven-year pro from Tennessee has been good for 11.0 YPC this year, while helping the Cowboys move the chains three times per game.
Austin and Witten combined for 166 yards receiving and a touchdown last weekend against Philadelphia. Plus, Patrick Crayton pulled in a score and 99 yards on four receptions in Week 17.
As great as the passing attack has been for the Cowboys, it’s the ground where this game will be won. Dallas has the fourth best running game in the league, averaging 131.4 rushing YPG in 2009.
Marion Barber and Felix Jones both had success moving the ball against Philadelphia as they compiled 91 rushing yards apiece last Sunday afternoon. Chirimbes sums it up best, “The key to Philadelphia winning is them stopping Dallas' run game. In last weeks shut out loss the Eagles allowed the Cowboys to run for 179 yards. They’re toast if that happens again.”
The sportsbooks are looking for history to repeat itself this weekend by making the Cowboys four-point home favorites with a total of 45. Bettors can take a chance on Philadelphia to win outright for a plus-170 return (risk $100 to win $170).
Sportsbook.com is showing that 80 percent of the money they’ve received is coming in on the Eagles’ money line. This play smacks directly of play against Dallas and its playoff history.
The Cowboys have been in a well documented playoff slump as they haven’t won a playoff game since beating Minnesota in the 1996 NFC Wild Card (0-6 SU, 1-5 ATS). What’s jaw dropping is the futility of Dallas’ attack in those losses, scoring combined total of 81 points in those six postseason battles. Plus, there is that sticking point that Wade Phillips has never won a playoff game as a head coach. And there is the possibility that he could still be fired if he doesn't win this weekend. Yeah, no pressure there at all.
Dallas backers will quickly point out to everyone that there have been 19 occasions in NFL history where teams have met three times in a given season with one team holding a 2-0 mark. Out of those 19 times, revenge has been had just seven times.
Philadelphia has had a good season away from home, posting a 5-3 SU and 4-3-1 ATS mark. The Cowboys are 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS in their tilts at “Jerry World.”
Something that the Eagles’ bettors should know is that they are only 9-11 SU over the last five years when labeled as road underdogs. However, they are 12-8 ATS during that stretch. Also, Andy Reid’s team is 6-4 SU and 7-3 ATS when playing as pups against teams from the NFC East in that same five-year run.
Dallas has enjoyed a great deal of success as a home “chalk” over the past five seasons by going 25-13 SU and 19-17-2 ATS. The ‘Boys aren’t great has home faves when up against their own division, as evidenced by an 8-7 SU and 4-10-1 ATS.
The Cowboys have also been extremely promising when following up as home favorites after a shutout with a 5-1 SU and 4-1-1 ATS record.
Futures bettors will be interested to know that you can take the Eagles to win the NFC at 8/1 and the Super Bowl at 16/1. Meanwhile, Dallas is listed at 11/2 to win the NFC title and 10/1 to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
vegasinsider.com
What Bettors Need To Know: Jets at Bengals
By TERRY MASSEY
After taking a 126-hour break and making a 633-mile commute, the Jets and Bengals resume their Week 17 meeting in the playoffs Saturday.
But a lot more has changed since the Jets' 37-0 cakewalk than just time, place and importance. For starters, the Bengals are playing to win.
The healthier, hungrier version of the Bengals will give the Jets their best shot in the rematch, not the half-hearted swat they made Sunday night.
The Bengals didn't wave the white flag like some teams that had already RSVP’ed for the playoffs, but they weren't exactly giving it their all. When the Jets took the early lead and continued to blitz QB Carson Palmer, the Bengals simply took the path of least resistance to the playoffs.
Some might call it packing it in, but war generals call it living to fight another day and that's exactly what Cincinnati chose to do. It's hard to make your mind erase what it saw just a few days before - the Jets clobbering the Bengals like baby seals - but the rematch is a whole new ballgame.
Injury update
Jets linebacker David Harris is probable with an ankle injury that kept him out of Tuesday's practice and cornerback Donald Strickland is questionable with a quadriceps injury, but expect anyone who is on the fence to play to do so now that every game could be a team's last.
The Bengals welcome back several walking-wounded players who sat out of last week's dress rehearsal - running back Cedric Benson, safety Chris Crocker and defensive linemen Domata Peko and Robert Geathers Jr., but the best get-well news is from wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.
Ochocinco injured his knee before Sunday's game and was shut out, but results of an MRI and pain medication say he'll be ready for revenge.
The X-factors
This matchup is more about Xs and Xs, not Xs and Os. With two defensive-minded coaches at their helms, both with roots to the Baltimore Ravens, it would come as no surprise if Jets-Bengals II turns out to be an offensive struggle.
Jets first-year coach Rex Ryan never saw a blitz he didn't like and will likely focus his efforts on putting Palmer on his back before he can put the ball in the air. The Bengals, with Benson back in the backfield, will need to establish the running game to keep Reed's troops honest.
Bengals Marvin Lewis sat on his battle plans last week and will adjust his defense to stop the Jets' ground attack and force Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez to put it in the air. Running back Thomas Jones ran wild against the Bengals last week but will see a different defense today.
Line movement
Interestingly enough, this one opened at Bengals -4 and immediately started dropping, now at -2.5 to -3 on most books and as low as -2 at a couple shops. Again, it goes back to the general betting public buying into what they've just seen even if the circumstances are different this time.
Also dropping slightly was the total, which opened at 35 and has fallen to 34.5. It makes sense since the Jets and Bengals boast two of the top defensive teams in the league and inconsistent offenses. If those generalities hold true to form, the scoring should be as cold as the weather.
Weather or not
C-c-cold. The forecast calls for a temperature around 18 degrees at kickoff with a much lower wind chill and a 30 percent chance of snow.
Neither team has really had to play in much of the way of bad weather this season before Sunday's chilly warmup, so advantage defenses.
Boys of Troy
With both QBs hailing from sunny USC, the condition could make flying the friendly skies not-so friendly, especially for playoff virgin Sanchez.
Sanchez has been both spectacular and woeful this season, as is commonplace for rookie QBs, and is prone to making mistakes. He has thrown 12 touchdowns to 20 interceptions and is completing less than 54 percent of his passes, not exactly playoff-favorable numbers.
Palmer has had more time to acclimate to the Cincy chill and has hungered for a return to the playoffs for four years, when his first pass of the game - a bomb to the late Chris Henry - resulted in a season-ending injury and loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
Defensive battles often come down to which quarterback can make the most plays to will his team to victory. If so, Palmer has the edge in experience, motivation, inspiration from the passing of Henry and a healthy Ochocinco on his side.
86-talking 85
Ochocinco spent last week Twittering to Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and anyone who would listen about the big game he was going to have in Week 17. Then No. 85 slipped during pre-game warmups, injured his knee and was held without a catch for the first time in 120 games.
"Ochocinco had his ego bruised when he fell down before the game," joked Lewis. "... Other than that, I think he's healthy, as he's Twittered all over America. That's what happens. The only way to come back from that is to put up now. Now is the time for all of us to put up.''
Ochocinco had even vowed to change his name back to Johnson if he got shut down by Revis but broke that promise. He's not making any bold statement leading up to this one ("It's not time to talk, he said. "It's time to play.''), a sign the Bengals are approaching this meeting differently.
Odds and trends
You really can throw out the regular-season records and stats when it comes to the playoffs, and neither side has much recent history to rely on.
The Bengals have won five in a row at home and are 9-0 SU against visiting underdogs. The Jets have won five of their last six SU and ATS but the last two came against teams on playoff cruise control and the other three Ws were against bottom-feeders Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Carolina.
What Bettors Need To Know: Eagles at Cowboys
By RICKY DIMON
It will be a showdown between division rivals and familiar foes when the Eagles and Cowboys are featured during primetime on Day 1 of the 2010 NFL Playoffs.
In a crowded NFC postseason picture, Dallas (11-5, 9-7 ATS) ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak to go from being on the playoff bubble to seizing home-field advantage in the opening round.
Philadelphia (11-5, 9-7 ATS), unquestionably the hottest team in the NFC throughout the month of December, was in contention for the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye until the final week of the season. Instead, it now comes in as the No. 6 seed and must win three road games in order to reach the Super Bowl.
Line movement
The Cowboys opened as 4-point favorites at most betting sites and the line has rarely wavered outside of -4 and -3.5. The total opened at 45 and has experienced almost no fluctuation from that number.
Injury report
Philadelphia has no new injuries to report, but the team will be playing its second straight game without center Jamaal Jackson, who tore his ACL in a December 28 win over Denver. Jackson had started 71 consecutive games for the Eagles prior to the injury.
DeSean Jackson, Michael Vick, and Quintin Demps are all listed as probable, although coach Andy Reid has expressed far more optimism in Jackson’s status than in that of Demps - Philly’s primary kick returner.
For the Cowboys, the news is good. Tashard Choice (concussion) and Pat Watkins (knee) returned to practice in full Thursday. Offensive tackle Marc Colombo, who last played on November 15 due to various leg injuries, appears to be set for his return.
DeMarcus Ware (back/wrist) and Marion Barber (knee) are new arrivals to the injury report, but neither problem is considered serious and both will play on Saturday.
Prior engagements
Dallas won both of the regular-season meetings between the two teams and covered each spread with room to spare.
The Cowboys went into Philadelphia November 11 and prevailed 20-16 to cap off a four-game winning streak. Tony Romo passed for 307 yards and the Eagles were limited to just 88 yards on the ground.
Last week in Dallas, the Cowboys crushed Philadelphia 24-0. Romo threw for 311 yards and two scores, Barber and Felix Jones ran for 91 yards apiece and a stingy defense allowed the Eagles a mere 37 rushing yards.
Confidence boost
With his team coming off a blowout loss that cost it the division, Reid scaled back practices this week to make more time for meetings, scheming and plotting revenge.
“I think that's important, that you give the players every opportunity, physically and mentally, that you can to be strong in the game,” Reid explained to the media. “So we've cut back in certain areas and added some time in other areas. We'll see how that works.”
“They've been upbeat,” Reid said of his players. “These are competitive guys. They don't like what took place last week and so they get back to business and try to right the wrong.”
Romo redemption
Romo is hoping to exorcise the demons of his past two playoff efforts. He fumbled an extra-point hold in the final seconds as the Cowboys’ 2006 season ended with a 21-20 loss to Seattle. A year later, Dallas was seeded first but lost its playoff opener 21-17 to the Giants.
“Those are lifetimes ago,” assistant head coach Jason Garrett told reporters. “He's certainly developed as a quarterback. This is a completely different team; the dynamics of this team are very different.”
“I'd like to think I'm better than I was in the last two, but that doesn't guarantee anything,” added Romo.
Trending topics
Philadelphia is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 trips to Dallas. The road team is 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings and the underdog is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 encounters.
The Eagles are 5-1 ATS in their last six road playoff games and 6-2 ATS in their last eight playoff games overall. They are also 5-0 ATS in their last five as a playoff underdog.
The Cowboys have not fared nearly as well in postseason play of late, as they have not won a playoff game since the wild-card round of the 1996 season. Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last five playoff games as a favorite and 1-5 ATS in its last six playoff games overall.
The under is 4-1 in the last five meetings between the Eagles and Cowboys in Dallas. The under is also 4-0 in the Cowboys last four games overall and 5-2 in the Eagles last seven against NFC opponents.
Week Wild Card Weekend
Saturday, January 9
Jets @ Bengals-- Cincinnati won its last five home games, all by 7+ points; it is unwise to use last week's game as a yardstick, since Bengals didn't exactly give it much effort. Key indicator for Jets is how they run ball; they ran ball for 127 or less yards in each of last four losses; in their last six wins, Jets ran ball for at 139 yards, 175+ in last four wins. Even if you discount last couple Jet games, where opponents didn't compete 100%, they allowed 8.8 ppg in four games before that, so they play outstanding defense, allowing four TDs on opponents' last 69 drives. In their last four wins, Jets passed for a total of 371 yards (92.8 ypg). Sanchez will have to make plays to win this game. .
Eagles @ Cowboys-- NFL playoff teams that beat their opponent twice in the regular season are 12-7 in the playoff game, but Dallas is 0-2 in that role; they shut out last two opponents (no TD, one FG try on 21 drives) and that came after beating 13-0 Saints in Superdome. Pokes allowed average of 54.8 rushing yards/game in last four games, but they haven't won playoff game since 1996, and Eagles are 7-0 under Reid in their first playoff game of that year. In games vs Philly this year, Romo averaged 7.4/8.2 yards/pass. Dallas won six of last seven games in new stadium; eight of their last nine games stayed under. Eagles scored one TD on 21 drives vs Cowboys this year, after scoring 81 points in their two games in this rivalry LY.
Wildcard Round
By SportsPic
The NFL Playoffs get underway this weekend with Jets and Bengals kicking things off Saturday at 04:30 EST. For the second straight week Marvin Lewis' troops will face cold conditions and the top defense in the league in what has the marking of a low scoring affair. Bengals (10-6, 7-9 ATS) offense struggling all season long in recording 309.1 total yards, 19.1 points per game don't figure to move the ball much on a Jets stout defense. As for New York (9-7, 9-7 ATS) and their inconsistent rookie QB Sanchez it'll be a run-first strategy which in expected frigid, slick field conditions will limit scoring opportunities. Consider a total (34) knowing this round of the playoffs has produced a 14-6 'Under' mark the past four seasons including 5-2 'Under' with totals sets below 40. Keep in mind, Bengals have their own brand of tough defense playing at at Paul Brown Stadium (13.4 PPG) and have gone 7-0 'Under' as a home favorite this season. Jets enter 3-1-1 'Under' as dogs this season, 7-3 'Under' last ten following win.
Wild Card Weekend Notes
By SportsPic
The best two teams in each conference may be sitting at home however Wild Card weekend promises plenty of excitement and the oddity of week-17 rematches in three of the four contest. Cowboys dominating Eagles 24-0 at Cowboys Stadium Sunday securing the NFC East title stay at home for a wild-card game against none other than Eagles. The other NFC wild-card game sends Green Bay back to Arizona where Packers closed out the campaign demolishing Cardinals 33-7. The Jets needing a win to keep their season going shutout Bengals 37-0 a home earning a rematch with Bengals only this time in Cincinnati. In the only non week-17 rematch Patriots who lost 34-27 at Houston and lost Wes Welker in the process host Baltimore Ravens earning it's first round clash defeating Oakland Raiders 21-13.
Cowboys (11-5, 9-7 ATS) with it's offense firing on all cylinders the past three coupled with a defense surrendering just 17 points over the span have been pegged -3.5 to -4 point favorites for the rematch with Eagles (11-5, 9-7 ATS). It is well to note Cowboys are 0-4 (1-3 ATS) in this round of playoffs with Eagles 4-0 (3-1 ATS) in Wild-Card action.
Bengals (10-6, 7-8 ATS) off it's no-effort performance in New York will be a lot more serious but still have a tough battle ahead facing a Jet (9-7, 8-7 ATS) squad sporting the leagues top-ranked defense allowing a lowly 14.8 PPG on 251.6 total yards split between 152.9 passing, 98.6 rushing yards. Over the past eleven years Jets have won just 3-of-8 second season games with a vig losing 4-4 mark at the betting window. Bengals lost it's only appearance the past 11 years getting thumped 31-17 by Steelers back in 2006. Bengals have not had a history of responding after a 20 point loss going 5-17 (6-16 ATS) the past twenty two occurrences but it is well to note Jets are 1-8 both SU & ATS following a 20 point victory. This one Sportsbooks can't seem to get a handle on the line with Bengals -1 to -4 depending on locale
We'll close with these Wild Card Weekend tid-bits
Home teams have won 29-of-44 since '98 grabbing the cash in twenty-four of the contests (24-20 ATS). Home teams winning the rushing game were a near perfect 24-1 with a cash stuffing 20-5 mark at the betting window outscoring the visitor 27.9 to 15.6. Home teams winning the air battle were 16-9 but a vig-losing 11-11 ATS outscoring the opponent 24.8 to 19.7. Home teams dominated in both passing, rushing were a perfect 8-0 cashing seven of the contests (7-1 ATS).
NY Jets at Cincinnati
Three of the four NFL Wild Card playoff matchups feature rematches from Week 17 of the Regular Season. The first takes place in Cincinnati with the Bengals hosting the resurgent New York Jets. Despite getting lambasted 37-0 in the regular season finale, Cincy is listed as a three-point favorite at BetUS Sportsbook. The total is very low, currently sitting at 34.5.
The Bengals were terrible as a favorite this season, going 0-7 against the spread. This compared to a 7-2 ATS record as an underdog where they won six of those games outright. They finished the regular season by losing three of their final four games and the Jets were the first team to shut them out since 2001. They are just 1-6 ATS in their last seven games.
Absolutely nothing went right in that 37-0 beat down on Sunday as the offense, despite playing all of its starters with the exception of RB Cedric Benson, was held to just 72 total yards. QB Carson Palmer was pulled in the third quarter after completing just one of 11 pass attempts for zero yards. In the first quarter, they ran just three plays to 24 for the Jets and were outgained 138 to 1. The Bengals had just five first downs total for the game.
Cincinnati will be glad to be playing this game at home. They were 0-11 all-time at the Meadowlands, including 0-8 vs. the Jets. This will only be the franchise’s second home playoff game since 1990. The first, which happened four years ago, was rather dubious with Palmer getting injured on the game’s first play on a debatable hit from Kimo von Oelhoffen to the quarterback’s knee. Although that play resulted in a 66-yard TD pass, the Bengals, playing the rest of the way without Palmer, would go on to lose 31-17 as three-point home pups.
Even with Palmer healthy for a full season for the first time in years, the Bengals became a run-first oriented team in 2009. Palmer did not have a single 300-yard passing day during the regular season, but was aided by the emergence of RB Cedric Benson, who ran for 1251 yards, eighth best in the NFL despite missing several games due to injury.
The Jets are in the postseason for the first time in three seasons due in large part to their defense, which ranked #1 across the board in total defense, pass defense, rush defense and scoring defense. They were one of the more unpredictable teams during the regular season, starting out 3-0, only to lose six of their next seven and then finished by winning five of their final six.
A lot of that has to do with the erratic play of rookie QB Mark Sanchez, who threw for just 2444 yards and had a TD-INT ratio of 12-20. In order to win here, Sanchez will need help from the league’s top-ranked rushing attack (172 yards/game). Three Jets players ran for 60+ yards in the season finale as the team totaled 258 yards on the ground, including 92 from backup QB Brad Smith.
Sunday night was the first shutout by a Jets defense since a 2003 win over the Steelers. It may not bode well for this game, however, as the Flyboys are 0-7 straight up since 1992 following a shutout win.
Cincinnati is no slouch on defense either, allowing just 13.4 PPG at home and they have gone Under each of the last seven times they’ve been a home favorite.
Philadelphia at Dallas
They say that one of the toughest things for any NFL team to do is beat another team three times during the same year. Obviously, “they” do not pay attention to history. Of the last 19 times a team has gone for a 3-0 sweep of an opponent during the same season, it has come out victorious on 12 of those occasions. The Dallas Cowboys look to make it 13 of 20 Saturday night when they host the Philadelphia Eagles in a NFC Wild Card battle.
This is one of three Wild Card matchups that is a rematch from Week 17 of the Regular Season. With the NFC East Division title hanging in the balance, the Cowboys spanked their division rivals 24-0 and thus earned the right to host this first round playoff matchup. It was a particularly crushing loss for the Eagles, who could have laid claim to the NFC’s #2 seed and had a first round bye with a win. Instead, they dropped all the way to the sixth seed and will once again have to being another playoff campaign on the road.
Dallas also beat Philadelphia 20-16 on the road back on November 8th, cashing outright as three-point underdogs. Thus we saw an interesting round robin of results unfold this season in the NFC East where the Cowboys swept the Eagles, the Eagles swept the Giants and the Giants swept the Cowboys. Sunday’s win was particularly refreshing for America’s team as not only did they earn the #3 seed, but it also helped to erase the painful memories of the 2008 season finale, a 44-6 loss to the Eagles that kept them out of last year’s postseason.
The Cowboys have opened up as 3.5-point favorites at BetUS Sportsbook for the rubber match. Last year, the Steelers became the 12th team to sweep a division rival during the same year when they beat the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.
December started with plenty of turmoil in Dallas as the team was just 8-5 following back to back losses to the Giants and San Diego to start the month. That dropped the Cowboys to a 3-15-1 December ATS run with QB Tony Romo losing 12 of 17 post-Thanksgiving Day starts. However, the team surprisingly rallied by winning its final three games, including back-to-back shutouts over division rivals to end the season as well as a 24-17 win in New Orleans, which was the Saints’ first loss of the season.
Romo has played exceptionally well down the stretch. He finished with the year with a team record 4,483 yards passing and in the final six games he tossed 300+ yards four times while throwing 11 touchdown passes against only two interceptions.
The defense has also been outstanding. The back to back shutouts that ended the season were a franchise first and despite facing three of the league’s highest scoring offenses over the past four weeks, held them all to their lowest scoring output of the season.
Philadelphia’s loss was an abrupt way to end a season that had seen them win their previous six games, helping them stake their claim as the NFC’s hottest team. Now, for a second straight year, they must start the playoffs on the road. Last year, they won at both Minnesota and New York before losing the NFC Championship Game at home to the Arizona Cardinals.
Several trends do favor the Eagles here, including one that has them at 18-4 vs. the number coming off a loss by 21 or more points. They are also 14-4 ATS revenging a loss where they scored 14 or less points.
We’ve got conflicting trends on the total, which currently sits at 45. The Cowboys are 6-0 Under coming off a division game, but 7-0 Over if they gained 450+ total yards in their previous game. Both regular season meetings went Under the total.
N.Y. Jets (9-7 SU and ATS) at Cincinnati (10-6, 7-8 ATS)
In the first of three rematches from last weekend’s regular-season finales, the Jets travel to Paul Brown Stadium for a meeting with the Bengals to open wild-card weekend.
New York won its first three games of the season both SU and ATS behind rookie QB Mark Sanchez, then went on a 1-6 SU and ATS slide that appeared to kill any hopes of making the playoffs. But the Jets finished the year on a 5-1 SU and ATS run, including victories in their last two games to clinch the final AFC postseason berth. In Sunday night’s regular-season finale, they hammered a disinterested Bengals squad 37-0 as a 10-point home chalk, earning a wild-card bid for the first time in three years.
Cincinnati’s effort last week stemmed primarily from having already clinched the AFC North. The Bengals went 6-0 (4-2 ATS) in division play, pulling off home and road upsets of the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers and the Ravens – the two teams that met in last year’s AFC title game. Cincy needed all those division wins, as it finished the season on a 1-3 SU and ATS slide, though all three SU losses came on the road against playoff-bound teams: Minnesota, San Diego and last week’s debacle against the Jets.
The Jets are in the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season, when they got trounced at New England 37-16 in the wild-card round as a 9½-point pup. Meanwhile, the Bengals return to the postseason for the first time since 2005, when Palmer got his knee torn up on the first possession of a 31-17 wild-card loss to Pittsburgh as a three-point home ‘dog.
These teams have met each of the last three regular seasons, with New York going 2-1 SU and ATS and the home team going 3-0 SU and ATS. In October 2007 at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati held on for a 38-31 win laying six points, and in October 2008, New York won 26-14 giving 9½ points. The Jets are 7-1 SU (4-4 ATS) in the last eight clashes, including 3-1 SU and ATS in the last four meetings.
New York rated a below-average 20th in total offense this year (321 ypg), and were slightly better at No. 17 in scoring (21.8 ppg). However, the Jets field the NFL’s most potent running attack, piling up 172.2 ypg. RB Thomas Jones leads the way, having rushed for 1,402 yards (4.2 ypc), which was third in the NFL behind only the Titans’ Chris Johnson and the Rams’ Steven Jackson. Jones also had 14 rushing touchdowns. Sanchez had 12 TDs passes offset by 20 INTs (second-most in the league), and he also fumbled 10 times, losing three.
Defensively, the Jets ranked No. 1 in points and yards allowed, at a stifling 14.8 ppg and 252.3 ypg. But due to Sanchez’s rookie penchant for INTs, New York posted only a plus-1 turnover margin (17th).
The Bengals’ offense was lackluster at best in averaging 309.1 ypg (24th) and 19.1 ppg (22nd), paced by the running of Cedric Benson, who finished eighth in the league at 1,251 yards (4.2 ypc) despite missing three games. QB Carson Palmer was effective, if not flashy, in the regular season, passing for 3,094 yards with 21 TDs and 13 INTs.
Cincinnati also fields a stout defense, allowing 301.4 ypg (fourth) and 18.2 ppg (sixth), and the Bengals give up just 98.3 rushing ypg (seventh). However, like the Jets, Cincy wasn’t productive in the turnover margin department, finishing dead-even to rate 18th, just behind New York.
New York is on a bundle of ATS rolls, including 5-1 overall, 4-1 on the highway, 5-0 catching three points or less and 8-3 as a road pup. The SU winner has also cashed in all 16 of the Jets’ games this season and the last 18 overall.
Cincy is on a 7-1 ATS tear against winning teams, but also shoulders negative pointspread streaks of 1-5 overall, 7-21-1 laying points (0-7 as a favorite this year) and 3-9-2 as a home chalk of three points or less. In addition, the underdog is 14-2 ATS in the Bengals’ 16 games this year.
New York is on “under” upticks of 4-1-1 overall, 4-1 after a SU win, 3-1-1 as a pup and 3-1-1 against winning teams. Furthermore, the under for Cincinnati is on several sprees, including 4-1 overall, 9-2 with the Bengals favored, 19-7-1 at home and 9-0 when Marvin Lewis’ troops are a home chalk. Conversely, the Jets carry “over” streaks of 4-1 in January, 4-1-1 against AFC opponents and 4-1 as a road pup of three points or less.
Finally, last week’s game – despite no help from Cincinnati – went over the posted price of 33½, and the total has gone high in three of the last four meetings in this rivalry.
ATS ADVANTAGE: N.Y. JETS
Philadelphia (11-5, 9-7 ATS) at Dallas (11-5, 9-7 ATS)
In another rematch from last week, the Eagles make a return trip to the Lone Star State to collide with the NFC East rival Cowboys in the wild-card round.
Dallas drubbed Philadelphia 24-0 Sunday as a three-point home chalk, leaping from a wild-card spot to the No. 3 seed and an opening-round home game. After winning eight of their first 11 games (6-5 ATS), the Cowboys went on their seemingly annual December swoon, losing the first two games of that month SU and ATS. But they snapped out of it by going 3-0 SU and ATS to finish the season, starting with a 24-17 road upset of previously unbeaten New Orleans as a seven-point pup, and following with shutouts of both Washington and Philly. It was the first time in the storied franchise history that Dallas posted consecutive shutouts.
Philadelphia was one of the hottest teams in the league prior to last week’s contest at the new Cowboys Stadium, having won six in a row SU (4-2 ATS). That put the Eagles in position to claim the No. 2 seed and a first-round playoff bye with a win at Dallas, but they couldn’t even muster a point and dropped all the way to the sixth seed. Philly netted a meager 228 total yards, while allowing the Pokes to go off for a whopping 474 yards, including 179 on the ground. The Eagles also got killed in time of possession (40:23-19:37).
The Cowboys reached the playoffs after a one-year hiatus, with their last appearance coming after the 2007 regular season. In that divisional-round contest, Dallas suffered a 21-17 upset home loss as a seven-point chalk against the Giants, who went on to win the Super Bowl. Dallas has lost its last six playoff games, going 1-5 ATS in that stretch, with its last postseason win coming after the 1996 season.
The Eagles are in the playoffs for the eighth time under coach Andy Reid, having reached the NFC Championship Game as a wild card last year by beating the Vikings and Giants on the road before losing at Arizona 32-25 as a 3½-point chalk. Additionally, Reid has never lost a playoff opener – be it in the wild-card or divisional round -- in his 11 years with the Eagles, going 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS, including 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS on wild-card weekend.
Dallas won and covered in both regular-season meetings with Philadelphia this year, posting a 20-16 road victory as a three-point pup in November to go along with last week’s rout. Those efforts ended Philly’s three-game ATS run (2-1 SU) in this rivalry, including a 44-6 beatdown as a 2½-point home chalk in the 2008 regular-season finale, which kept Dallas from making the playoffs and sent the Eagles into the postseason.
Despite last week’s result, the road team is 5-2 ATS in the last seven clashes between these two, Philadelphia is 10-4 ATS on its last 14 trips to Dallas, and the underdog is on an 8-3 pointspread roll.
The Eagles rank 11th in the league in total offense (357.9 ypg) and are fifth in scoring (26.8 ppg). A big key to Philadelphia’s success is its plus-15 turnover margin, the second-best total in the league behind only Green Bay’s whopping plus-24. QB Donovan McNabb passed for 3,553 yards with 22 TDs against just 10 INTs, with multi-threat WR DeSean Jackson leading the way at 1,167 receiving yards. Jackson led the Eagles with 12 TDs – nine receiving, one rushing and two on punt returns.
On defense, Philadelphia are 12th in yards allowed (321.1 ypg ) and 19th in points allowed (21.1 ppg), rating ninth against the run (104.7 ypg) despite letting the Cowboys run wild last week. CB Asante Samuel tied for the league lead with nine INTs in helping the Eagles post their lofty turnover margin.
The Cowboys have the league’s second-best total offense, racking up 399.4 ypg, behind only the high-octane Saints (403.8 ypg), but that has translated into just 22.6 ppg (14th). QB Tony Romo led a passing attack that netted 267.9 ypg (sixth), and Dallas was seventh in rushing (131.5 ypg), paced by Marion Barber (932 yards, 7 TDs, 4.4 ypc). Romo passed for 4,483 yards (third) with 26 TDs and just nine INTs.
Thanks to ending the season with consecutive shutouts, Dallas ranked second to the Jets in scoring defense (15.6 ppg) and was ninth in total defense (315.9 ypg). The Cowboys were fifth against the rush (90.5 ypg), and DeMarcus Ware piled up a team-best 11 sacks.
The Pokes are in ATS ruts of 1-4 as a playoff chalk, 3-9 in January and 5-11 against NFC East foes, but they still carry positive ATS streaks of 6-2 after a SU win, 5-2 at home (all as a chalk) and 12-5 in conference action.
Philly is on a handful of ATS tears, including 13-5 as a pup, 5-0 as a playoff ‘dog, 6-2 in the postseason, 17-8 on the highway, 5-1 in postseason roadies, 7-0 catching 3½ to 10 points and 6-2 on Saturday.
The under for Dallas is on streaks of 4-0 overall, 4-0 at home (all as a chalk), 4-0 in January, 6-1 in the NFC, 5-1 after a SU win, 4-1 in the postseason and 4-1 inside the division. Philadelphia sports “under” runs of 4-1 on wild-card weekend and 7-2-1 in the playoffs, and in this rivalry, the total has stayed low in four of the last five meetings in Dallas, with last week falling far short of the 47½-point price. The under also cashed in the first Cowboys-Eagles clash in Philadelphia in November.
That said, the Eagles are on “over” surges of 6-1 after a SU loss, 20-6 as a pup, 11-5 as a road ‘dog and 29-14-1 against winning teams.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DALLAS and UNDER
Tips and Trends
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals
Jets: New York comes into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in football, as they've won 5 of their past 6 games SU. The Jets have been playing in a playoff atmosphere for the past month. The Jets finished the season with a 9-7 record, both SU and ATS. The SU and ATS result for each Jets game this season has been exactly the same. New York is 5-3 both SU and ATS on the road this season. The Jets were 3-2 ATS as the listed underdog this year. The Jets are led by their top ranked defense, as they rank 1st in both scoring defense and total defense. New York only allowed 14.8 PPG and 252 YPG this season, and they got stronger as the season progressed. The Jets have only allowed 47 combined PTS in their past 6 games, holding each opponent to 15 PTS or less. The Jets feature the best rushing attack in the NFL at over 172 YPG. RB Thomas Jones was 4th in the NFL with more than 1,400 rushing YDS with 14 TDs.
Jets are 5-0 ATS last 5 games as a road underdog up to a field goal.
Over is 4-1 last 5 games as a road underdog up to a field goal.
RB Thomas Jones (knee) is probable.
LB David Harris (ankle) is probable.
PROJECTED SCORE: 14
Bengals (-2.5, O/U 34): Cincinnati limps into their playoff contest after a 37-0 beating by their playoff opponent New York Jets. The Bengals are the lowest scoring team in the playoffs this year, as they only averaged 19.1 PPG during the regular season. Since their bye in Week 8, the Bengals have been held under 20 PTS in 7 of their 9 games. The Bengals lost 3 of their final 4 games SU to finish the season at 10-6 SU and 7-9 ATS. The Bengals were 6-2 SU and 3-5 ATS at home this year. The Bengals were an atrocious 0-7 ATS as the listed favorite this season, and 0-5 ATS as the listed home favorite. RB Cedric Benson leads this Bengals offense with the 9th best rushing attack in the NFL at 128.5 YPG rushing. Benson ran for over 1,250 YDS and 6 TDs this season. WR Chad OchoCinco is the only legitimate receiving threat in a one dimensional passing attack. This Bengals defense has allowed at least 27 PTS in 3 of their past 4 games.
Bengals are 7-18-1 ATS last 26 games as a home favorite.
Under is 9-0 last 9 games as a home favorite.
Key Injuries - LB Rey Maualuga (leg) is out.
WR Chad OchoCinco (knee) is probable.
PROJECTED SCORE: 20 (Side of the Day)
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
Eagles: Philadelphia can only hope the 3rd time is the charm, as the Eagles have lost twice this season to Dallas. The Eagles averaged nearly 27 PPG this season, the 5th most in the NFL. However, Philadelphia only scored 1 TD and 16 combined PTS in both games against Dallas this year. The Eagles had won 6 consecutive games SU before losing last week, for a season record of 11-5 SU. The Eagles were 9-7 ATS this season, and were 5-3 ATS on the road this year. Philadelphia was 1-3 both SU and ATS as the listed underdog this season. 19 times in NFL history teams have met in the playoffs after losing both meetings in the regular season. Only 7 teams were able to avenge the double revenge angle. The Eagles will look to get WRs Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin going today, as both have been severely limited by the Cowboys defense this year. This Eagles defense is opportunistic, as they finished the season in the top 4 in both INTs and sacks.
Eagles are 5-0 ATS last 5 playoff games as an underdog.
Key Injuries - WR DeSean Jackson (groin) is probable.
QB Michael Vick (quad) is probable.
PROJECTED SCORE: 24
Cowboys (-4, O/U 45): It's been 13 years since the Cowboys have tasted victory in the playoffs. A huge reason why the Cowboys finished the season at 11-5 SU is because of their defense. Dallas only allowed 15.6 PPG, the 2nd fewest points in the NFL. This Dallas defense has shut out their opponents in each of their previous 2 games. Dallas was 9-7 ATS during the regular season, including a home record of 5-3 ATS. The Cowboys were 5-5 ATS this year as a single digit favorite. Dallas only averaged 22 PPG this season, but they were able to move the ball down the field at will. The Cowboys averaged 399 YPG, which was the 2nd most in the NFL behind only the Saints. QB Tony Romo threw for nearly 4,500 YDS with 26 TDs against 9 INTs. Dallas didn't have a 1,000 yard rusher, but they did have 2 receivers with more than 1,000 YDS receiving in WR Miles Austin and TE Jason Witten. The duo combined for 2,350 YDS receiving this season.
Cowboys are 1-5 ATS last 6 playoff games.
Under is 4-0 last 4 games as a home favorite.
Key Injuries - LB Demarcus Ware (back) is probable.
T Marc Colombo (leg) is probable.
PROJECTED SCORE: 28 (OVER - Total of the Day)