NFL Pro Bowl Betting News and Notes

NFL Pro Bowl: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com

NFC vs. AFC (+4, 74)

THE STORY: The NFL does have a bowl game scheduled on Sunday. No, not the one pitting the New England Patriots against the New York Giants – that one will take place next week with decidedly far more pomp and circumstance.

This Sunday, the other 30 NFL teams will showcase their stars in the Pro Bowl. Yes, this is the game that often resembles a flag football competition with countless cameos of the stars on rival teams joking with one another along the sideline. Then again, this is also the contest that often draws larger-than-expected ratings as the scoreboard operator gets a spirited workout.

Welcome to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl, which for the third straight year comes one week before that “other” Bowl.

LINE: The NFC opened as a 3.5-point favorite and was bet up to -4. The total was posted at 72.5 points and immediately took action on the over, moving the number to 74.

ABOUT THE NFC: Perhaps not surprisingly, the holders of the conference's top two seeds in the playoffs will be well-represented in Hawaii. San Francisco boasts nine players selected to the Pro Bowl while Green Bay is sending six of its finest to Aloha Stadium, headlined by 49ers stud running back Frank Gore and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and veteran cornerback Charles Woodson. (Gore pulled out due to injury – a common theme for this game.) Green Bay will also send head coach Mike McCarthy, marking the second time that he has guided the NFC in a Pro Bowl (2008). New Orleans’ record-setting QB Drew Brees will see a familiar face in tight end Jimmy Graham, who will be making his first Pro Bowl appearance. With perhaps a future contract in mind, Chicago running back Matt Forte is expected to play despite missing the last four weeks of the regular season with a sprained knee.

ABOUT THE AFC: Four of the eight Baltimore players selected for the contest ultimately pulled out after the Ravens fell to the Patriots in the AFC Championship. As a result, Denver's six Pro Bowlers lead the conference's contingent – although the highly popular Tim Tebow is not among them. Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has opted to play despite being hampered by an ailing ankle, thus keeping Tebow on his couch and preventing myriad non-football media outlets from descending on the nation's 50th state. Baltimore LB Ray Lewis will be making his 13th Pro Bowl appearance while Houston coach Gary Kubiak will be enjoying his first.

SUPER SUBSTITUTES: With New England brandishing eight Pro Bowlers who will no longer play in the exhibition, the AFC needed to significantly shuffle its deck. Cincinnati rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and tight end Jermaine Greshman (replacing Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski) and San Diego wideout Vincent Jackson (Wes Welker) were among the notable additions. On the NFC side, New York quarterback Eli Manning and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul were replaced by Carolina rookie Cam Newton and Chicago veteran Julius Peppers.

ALL ATWITTER: The NFL has relaxed its rules in regard to social media for this one game. Pro Bowl players will be allowed to tweet during the contest – well, sort of. The league designated specific kiosks on the sidelines for players to detail everything that is on their minds without fear of being flagged by Commissioner Roger Goodell.

LAST YEAR/SERIES HISTORY: The NFC posted a wild 55-41 victory over the AFC last year to claim a 21-20 edge in the all-time series. The NFC has won three of the last four Pro Bowls but the AFC holds a 14-12 all-time series lead. Over the past five seasons, the NFC is 4-1 ATS while the over/under is 3-2.

PREDICTION: NFC 49, AFC 35. No field goals here as the teams take turns racing up and down the field. After being named the Super Bowl MVP last season, Rodgers will need to make room in his trophy case (ahem) after being named the Pro Bowl MVP Sunday.