Pro Bowl Notebook
VegasInsider.com
Aloha Stadium will host the 2013-14 Pro Bowl this Sunday from Honolulu, Hawaii. In past years, the matchup was between players from the AFC and NFC. This year, the NFL decided to do away with the non-conference affair and have a fantasy draft with all of the players from both conferences.
The teams will be called Team Rice and Team Sanders after NFL Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders. The pair drafted the team earlier this week over a two-day span.
Oddsmakers open this game as a pick ‘em but early action has made Team Rice a 1½-point favorite over
Team Sanders.
The Pro Bowl has been known as an easy ‘over’ ticket the past couple years due to a lack of effort from the defensive players.
After the 2012 installment when the AFC defeated the NFC 59-41, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell talked about ending the exhibition. The closing total on this game was 75.
The players insisted on putting up more of a fight last year and they did, but the two teams still put up a combined 97 points on the board. The closing total on this matchup was 79½ points.
This year, bookmakers were well aware of the trend from the defensive players and they opened with a total of 95. As of Saturday evening, that number has dropped nearly a touchdown and is sitting at 89½ points. Putting up triple digits is certainly possible but somebody doesn’t believe so.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET wtih NBC providing national coverage.
Listed below are the players available for each team and the outcomes of the previous Pro Bowls.
TEAM RICE
Offensive Players
Drew Brees, New Orleans QB
Philip Rivers, San Diego QB
Alex Smith, Kansas City QB
Matt Forte, Chicago RB
LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia RB
DeMarco Murray, Dallas RB
Mike Tolbert, Carolina FB
Josh Gordon, Cleveland WR
Brandon Marshall, Chicago WR
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona WR
Alshon Jeffery, Chicago WR
Jimmy Graham, New Orleans TE
Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta TE
Jordan Gross, Carolina T
Tyron Smith, Dallas T
Joe Thomas, Cleveland T
Jahri Evans, New Orleans G
Ben Grubbs, New Orleans G
Evan Mathis, Philadelphia G
Ryan Kalil, Carolina C
Nick Mangold, New York Jets C
Defensive Players
Robert Quinn, St. Louis DE
Cameron Jordan, New Orleans DE
Cameron Wake, Miami DE
Kyle Williams, Buffalo DT
Jason Hatcher, Dallas DT
Marcell Dareus, Buffalo DT
Robert Mathis, Indianapolis OLB
Justin Houston, Kansas City OLB
John Abraham, Arizona OLB
Vontaze Burfict, Cincinnati ILB
Derrick Johnson, Kansas City ILB
Alterraun Verner, Tennessee CB
Joe Haden, Cleveland CB
Brandon Flowers, Kansas City CB
Jairus Byrd, Buffalo FS
Antrel Rolle, New York Giants FS
Eric Reid, San Francisco CB
Special Teams Players
Stephen Gostkowski, New England PK
Johnny Hekker, St. Louis P
Dexter McCluster, Kansas City PR
Justin Bethel, Arizona ST
Matt Overton, Indianapolis LS
TEAM SANDERS
Offensive Players
Nick Foles, Philadelphia QB
Cam Newton, Carolina QB
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis QB
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City RB
Eddie Lacy, Green Bay RB
Alfred Morris, Washington RB
Marcel Reece, Oakland FB
A.J. Green, Cincinnati WR
Dez Bryant, Dallas WR
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh WR
DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia WR
Jason Witten, Dallas TE
Jordan Cameron, Cleveland TE
Branden Albert, Kansas City T
Duane Brown, Houston T
Trent Williams, Washington T
Marshal Yanda, Baltimore G
Logan Mankins, New England G
Kyle Long, Chicago G
Mike Pouncey, Miami C
Alex Mack, Cleveland C
Defensive Players
J.J. Watt, Houston DE
Mario Williams, Buffalo DE
Greg Hardy, Carolina DE
Ndamukong Suh, Detroit DT
Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay DT
Tamba Hali, Kansas City OLB
Terrell Suggs, Baltimore OLB
Brian Orakpo, Washington OLB
Luke Kuechly, Carolina ILB
Patrick Peterson, Arizona CB
Darrelle Revis, Tampa Bay CB
Brent Grimes, Miami CB
Tim Jennings, Chicago CB
Eric Berry, Kansas City SS
T.J. Ward, Cleveland SS
Eric Weddle, San Diego FS
Special Teams Players
Justin Tucker, Baltimore K
Brandon Fields, Miami P
Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota KR
Matthew Slater, New England ST
J.J. Jansen, Carolina LS
Betting Tale Of The Tape: 2014 NFL Pro Bowl
By Covers.com
A drastic new format has been introduced for this year's edition of the NFL Pro Bowl, and it has resulted in some intriguing pairings ahead of Sunday's annual showcase in Honolulu.
Rather than split teams into AFC and NFC rosters, the lineups were drafted by former NFL greats Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice. The result - longtime teammates facing off against each other, combined with offensive tandems never seen before - should invigorate what had become a stale event in recent years.
Here's the breakdown in our betting tale of the tape:
Team Jerry Rice vs Team Deion Sanders (+1.5, 90.5)
Offense
With the league's top quarterback, Denver Broncos star Peyton Manning, preparing for Super Bowl action, Team Rice has landed the next best thing: New Orleans great Drew Brees. He, Philip Rivers and Alex Smith will have a wealth of weapons at their disposal, including electrifying Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon, Bears dynamic duo Alshon Jeffrey and Brandon Marshall and standout tight end - and Brees teammate - Jimmy Graham. The running back stable of LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte and DeMarco Murray boasts a far greater threat for backfield catches than Team Sanders.
The quarterback threesome of Nick Foles, Cam Newton and Andrew Luck should give Team Sanders plenty of versatility in both the running and passing game. The wide receiver corps rivals that of Team Rice, with Cincinnati's A.J. Green, Philadelphia superstar DeSean Jackson and Dallas touchdown machine Dez Bryant leading the way. The rushing game will be anchored by sensational Kansas City Chiefs back Jamaal Charles; he'll be joined by Green Bay rookie Eddie Lacy and Washington workhorse Alfred Morris.
Edge: Team Rice
Defense
Quarterbacks beware: Team Rice is out to get you. In addition to boasting three members of the staunch Kansas City defense - linebackers Justin Houston and Derrick Johnson and cornerback Brandon Flowers - the roster includes St. Louis Rams sack machine Robert Quinn, fellow standout defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Cameron Wake and sensational Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict. The secondary is manned by shutdown Browns cornerback Joe Haden and New York Jets star Antonio Cromartie.
Sanders has assembled a defense that will hit hard and hit often. It's led by stalwart Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, outside linebackers Brian Orakpo of the Redskins and Tamba Hali of the Chiefs and a truly fearsome inside linebacker combination of Carolina's Luke Kuechly and Jacksonville's Paul Posluszny. Buccaneers ball hawk Darrelle Revis is the star in the Team Sanders secondary, flanked by Arizona's Patrick Peterson and Kansas City's Eric Berry among others.
Edge: Team Rice
Special Teams
The Team Rice return game is fueled by Chiefs special-teams dynamo Dexter McCluster, who led the NFL in punt return yards (686) by a whopping 101 over the next closest player. He also ran a pair of them back for touchdowns. Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski was one of the best in the game in 2013, connecting on 38-of-41 attempts, including 16-of-19 from 40 yards and beyond. St. Louis' Johnny Hekker will handle punting duties. He finished 10th in yards per attempt (46.3) and had 19 downed inside the 20.
The league's most electrifying new return talent has found a home on Team Sanders. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cordarelle Patterson served notice to the rest of the NFL that he is a force to be reckoned with in the return game, leading all players in kickoff return average (32.4) while racking up the second-most yards (1,393) and bringing two back for scores. Kicking duties fall on Baltimore's Justin Tucker, who matched Gostkowski by making 38-of-41 field-goal kicks this past season, while the punting will be handled by Miami's Brandon Fields, who had the second-highest average (48.8).
Edge: Team Sanders
NFL Pro Bowl Totals
The NFL Pro Bowl has finished 5-2 Over/Under the last seven years, with the past four Pro Bowls topping the total. An average of 92 points have been scored in that span. However, from 2007 to 2010, the AFC and NFC teams combined for an average of just over 64 points, going 2-2 O/U.