ATTENTION NFL FANS: These are PREVIOUS picks — Click right HERE to view this week’s CURRENT GTL™ NFL Picks…
Last Year (Head-To-Head): 170-98
Last Week: 12-4
Year To Date: 169-88
All Time (2006 Through 2012 Combined Record To Date): 643-368
AGAINST THE SPREAD (ATS) Last Week (ALL scheduled games played): 10-5-1 (.667)
ATS (Calculated By My Line + Or – Vs Vegas Odds At Time Of Publication Listed Below, Or Locks Updated Prior To Kickoff) Year-To-Date, All Scheduled Games Starting Week 4: 110-81-4 (.576)
ATS & O/U Locks Last Week: 4-2 (.667)
ATS & O/U Locks YTD: 37-34 (.521)
LOCKS (IF APPLICABLE) ARE IN RED, BOTTOM OF THIS COLUMN SO SCROLL DOWN…
Here we go… WILDCARD WEEKEND TIME! Sorry if your team was left out of the postseason but this marks the first time in recent memory I can remember both my Number 1 team (Niners) and Number 2 team (Saints) are both battling it out for survival. Of course, my Niners ARE first; no question.
Who’s hot and who’s not? Doesn’t matter one bit in the NFL’s postseason matchups when it comes to an outright, head-to-head win or loss but it does when it comes to handicapping against the spread to some degree. If you’re not a bettin’ person, the latter matters not to you.
Should you happen to be a bettin’ man (or woman), don’t get hung up on the favorites… the faves are barely above 50% both ATS and head-to-head (straight up) over the last decade +. There WILL be upsets — at least one, and I’m hoping I’ve sorted them out for you so you can give your bookies nightmares. If not, oh well, I’ve tried. Main thing is — just have fun. This will be a GREAT weekend of NFL football — bank on it!
… With no further adieu, onto my 2011 AFC -slash- NFC opening -slash- Wildcard Weekend picks…
2011 Wild Card Round
Saturday Afternoon Game (Jan 7th @ 3:30 PM, CST- NBC) Game (AFC Matchup):
Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) @ Houston Texans (10-6) – GTL’s LINE: HOU -0.5, 44 (VEGAS LINE – Vegas Insider; Wed, Jan 4th @ 5:31 PM: HOU -3, 38.5 Total) – BENGALS COVER +3
Saturday Evening (Jan 7th @ 7:00 PM, CST – NBC) Game (NFC Matchup):
Detroit Lions (10-6) @ New Orleans Saints (13-3) – GTL’s LINE: DET -0.5, 50.5 – (VI: NO -10.5, 59) – LIONS COVER +10.5 & POSSIBLE UPSET
Sunday Early (January 8th @ Noon, CST – FOX) Game (NFC Matchup):
Atlanta Falcons (10-6) @ New York Giants (9-7) – GTL’s LINE: NYG -7, 45.5 (VI: NYG -3, 47) – GIANTS COVER -3
Sunday Afternoon (January 8th @ 3:30 PM, CST – CBS) Game (AFC Matchup):
Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) @ Denver Broncos (8-8) – GTL’s LINE: PIT -11, 39.5 (VI: VI: PIT -9, 34.5) – STEELERS COVER -9
Enjoying A Bye Week: New England Patriots (13-3), Baltimore Ravens (12-4), San Francisco 49ers (13-3) & Green Bay Packers (15-1)…
WILD CARD WEEKEND 18 LOCKS:
CINCINNATI @ HOUSTON – BENGALS +3
DETROIT @ NEW ORLEANS – LIONS +10.5
DETROIT @ NEW ORLEANS – UNDER 59
CINCINNATI @ HOUSTON – OVER 38.5
PITTSBURGH @ DENVER – OVER 34.5
***
Agree? Disagree? Have your own NFL Wild Card Round Week 18 predictions? Post them into the comments section below…
Other political bloggers and their commenters take a break from poly-tix for a few minutes to weigh in on NFL Week 18, 2011: Elizabeth Weaver Engel (Liberal) of both The Huffington Post and Snarkin’ the NFL; And Eric (Conservative) of THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS…