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Who ever would have imagined the Cardinals on Pro Football’s biggest stage, the _uper _owl. It’s hard to even include these Redbirds in the same sentence as ‘The Big Game’ but whether we like it or not, it’s time to break out the Conrad Dobler jersey, wake up Dan Dierdorf and Jim Hart, throw on Roger Wehrli’s (the Jason Seahorn of his day) old school two bar face masked helmet. The Cardinals are, in fact, playing for professional football’s World Championship, and it’s almost game time.
The Steelers, back again. Pittsburgh looks to separate itself from the San Francisco 49ers by winning their sixth _uper _owl championship ring. While the 49ers are a perfect 5-0 in the Big Bowl, a Steelers sixth ring would give their organization a legitimate claim to being the NFL’s marquis (not to be confused with Marquis Grissom or Gill Grissom) franchise. If they lose however, to the Arizona Cardinals, it will be a permanent stain on the franchise. In addition, it would further secure the San Francisco 49ers dynasty as the model franchise, the undefeated jewel in the NFL Championship crown. Meanwhile Pittsburgh’s legacy and mystique takes a BIG hit in that area.
Speaking of permanent stains, listening recently to WEEI Boston’s ‘Big Show’, new on-air windbag Ketchup Sock Curt Schilling disclosed his lifelong allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It now makes total and perfect sense why the naming of the field (as previously disclosed on this site) in Pittsburgh is ‘The Ketchup Sock Curt Schilling Turf’ at Heinz Field. Aside from a lifelong passion for the Steelers, condiments, and fried foods, sources close to Ketchup Sock stress that he’s looking forward to marketing opportunities with Heinz to capitalize on his ketchup stained World Series ‘performance’. In exchange he’s hoping to receive 8,000,000 Ketchup packets per year for 3 years as well as the current contact information for his Steeler idol, Kordell Stewart. Again, these are from sources close to the negotiations and Ketchup Sock, who wish to remain anonymous until the deal is actually finalized.
While KS Curt has been a lifelong Steeler fan, he’s recently jumped on the Lord’s bandwagon. This is truly going to present an almighty conflict in this Sunday’s _uper _owl. Can Ketchup Sox recent faith adjustment counter Kurt Warner’s slightly longer devotion? Can either of them draw on the faith driven energy of Tim Teebow to force a kick to go wide right in the waning moments? How will this unfold?
All of the pressure here is on the Steelers and they may very well rise to the challenge and win. The Cards, however, have absolutely nothing to lose because even they know how much they suck. The reality is that they were two 49ers miscues away from not even winning the NFC Worst. With absolutely nothing to lose, a coaching staff that is highly motivated to beat the team that passed them over in favor of Mike Tomlin, an energetic Larry Fitzgerald, and of course with the Lord on Kurt Warner’s side, how does one not take a serious look at Arizona. Sources close to Kurt Warner suggest that he’s been told that our Lord and Savior is very happy getting the 7 points, but apparently the Almighty one really likes the OVER at 46 1/2. While J.C. is known to be a big Troy Polamalu fan and a Steel Curtain devotee since the days of Mean Joe Green, yellow hi-topped LC Greenwood and Dwight White, his hopes for his team’s 6th ring may not come as easily as things usually do. So what else is new, a child not agreeing with his old man. It should make for some great drama though.
All drama aside, this could be a very entertaining _uper _owl. Your team at Picks4Players feels very strongly about our choices for Super Sunday, beer and wings, but we also really like the picks that we are recommending for our devoted teammates. While Pittsburgh’s defense is outstanding and we feel that their blitz packages will get to Kurt Warner some of the time, it is the other times that Kurt Warner should be able to pick apart the Steelers secondary with quick read and react throws. Look for Anquan Bolidin to have a big first half and take some of the pressure off of Larry Fitzgerald. The Cards will be throwing all day long. Even if they are out in front, look for them to try to bury the Steelers because soon these Cardinals will wake up and realize that they are, well, the Cardinals and they could implode at any moment. Pittsburgh, as always will be ugly but effective on offense and they too will put up their share of points. While we like the Steelers to win their sixth ring, your team at Picks4Players recommends: Arizona +7 and OVER 46 1/2
Good luck to all of the players out there. Thanks for joining us all season long. Keep up with us for our Hockey and Basketball insider selections and Spring Training is just around the corner. Take good care from your personal gaming consultants at www.picks4players.com.
After last night’s heartbreaking loss, we are ready to jump back on the ice tonight for another “FREE” pick. Tonight the Philadelphia Flyers travel to Tampa Bay to face the Lightning. This will be the second time in two nights that the Lightning will be part of our selection but the value is just to good to pass up. As mentioned yesterday, Tampa had been averaging 4 goals a night at home this month and tonight they face a Flyers team that averages over 3 goals a game. This will be the 3rd game in 4 nights for Tampa but coming off the All-Star break we don’t see fatigue being much of a factor.
The NHL is back in full swing and your gaming consultants at picks4players.com are ready to shoot and score with tonight’s “FREE” hockey selection.
The “red hot” Tampa Bay Lightning travel to Carolina to face the Hurricanes. The Lightning have been impressive since returning home from a west coast road trip winning 4 of their last 5 games and putting themselves in a position to be thinking playoffs. Rick Tocchet’s Lightning have averaged 4 goals a game during the recent homestand. One of the teams in front of them are the Carolina Hurricanes who have been less than impressive in the month of January going 2-7 in their last 9 games averaging just 2 goals a game over that span.
We see some great line value with Tampa. OUR PICK: TAMPA BAY +130 and no, Janet Gretzky is not on our consulting team…
In this dead week of football leading up to the “BIG GAME”, your sports wagering consultants at Pick4Players.com are releasing a “3-STAR” play on tonight’s hockey action. This is the final day of games in the NHL leading into the All-Star break and we have found some value on the line tonight.
The Boston Bruins travel to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs. Boston’s offense has slowed a little since losing Phil Kessel to mono, scoring 3 goals or less in 3 of their last 4 games. While Toronto has not scored in their last 2 home games, being shutout by Nashville and Carolina. It seems that playing in front of the home crowd is a little too much for the Maple Leafs recently and Boston is playing a tighter style since losing Kessel.
After today, let the football withdrawal begin. Yes we have Super Bowl Sunday, but that’s more of an event than a hardcore day of real entertainment. Conference championship Sunday is where everyone is laying it on the line just to be a part of the Super Bowl festivities, an honor that no one can take away from these guys. Just ask Dan Marino, you better enjoy the experience while you’re there. With the exception of the NFL’s model organization, the 49ers (5 wins and zero losses in the Super Bowl), most teams that make it have ended up on the short end of the Super Bowl stick. You never know if you will ever return. The Patriots for example have had a great 8 year run, but the dynasty talk is nothing short of hilarious. Let’s see, the first Super Bowl win is a farce because of ‘the Tuck rule’. It continues to be a sham with their documented cheating prior to that game. Fast forward to last year’s ‘perfect season’. It’s perfect for the rest of us because now we never have to hear your organizational wide Mercury Morris act for the rest of our lives. Instead, the 2007-2008 Pats are firmly planted as the 3rd best 18-1 team of all time behind the 1984 49ers and the 1985 Bears, two teams that could close the deal. Enough of the dialogue, let’s get on with some selections.
Your team at picks4players likes the following selections in today’s Championship games:
Game 1, 3 pm EST: The Philadelphia Eagles are a 3 1`/2 point favorite over the home team Arizona Cardinals. Kurt Warner has been praying extra hard this week and that along with the 3 1/2 points makes us like the Cardinals. We do think that the Eagles will most likely win the game, but that extra 1/2 point, or ‘hook’, strongly sways us to the home team. The Cards played great last week and we don’t expect Kurt Warner to be phased by any Eagle blitz packages. For Warner this will be back to the Arena league where he mastered the quick read and was dominant as an Iowa Barnstormer. The real pick here is the OVER the total of 47. Our Selections: Arizona + 3 1/2, OVER 47
In the nightcap at 6:30 pm EST, the Baltimore Ravens visit the Pittsburgh Steelers as a 6 point underdog. What more can be said about this game? Yes these two teams hate each other. Yes it will be exteremely physical and hard hitting. Baltimore has had an unreal season and they will go down fighting today, but the Steelers have a healthy Willie Parker running well for the first time all year which will only complement Big Ben’s play action opportunities. While this will be a great defensive battle, 34 is too low a number. The Steelers will get out in front and the Ravens will have no choice but to take the reigns off of Joe Flacco. He will put up some points, but it could be a Flacco mistake late in the game that seals their fate. In the AFC Conference Championship, your consultants at www.picks4players.com recommend: Pittsburgh - 6, OVER 34
Enjoy the festivities and look for our postings throughout the lead up to Super Bowl Sunday and look for our upcoming postings on Pro and College Basketball along with the National Hockey League. Your team at www.picks4players.com has you covered. Have a great day Players!!!
After an exciting Wild Card weekend the NFL heads into the Divisional Playoffs this weekend beginning with two games on Saturday and two more on Sunday. Saturday’s match-ups are both rematches from games played earlier in the season and both of these games today should be very entertaining.
Game one Saturday has The Baltimore Ravens visiting Jeff Fisher’s Tennessee Titans at 4:30 pm EST. The Titans are a 3 point favorite over Ray Lewis and Co., and the OVER/UNDER number total is 34 1/2. This will be an old fashioned, hard hitting, grind it out brawl. The Ravens seem to be playing their best football right now and with the recent disclosure that the Titans will be without center Kevin Mawae, we see this as a big advantage for the Ravens. In fact, your consulting team here at www.Picks4Players.com sees the following: Our selections: Baltimore +3, and UNDER 34 1/2. For those feeling like rolling the dice a little, we actually like The Ravens to win this game outright and advance, so think about taking The Ravens on the Money line at +130.
In the night cap, tonight’s second game is easily the worst of the 4 Divisional Playoff games. The Carolina Panthers are hosting the NFC Worst Champion Arizona Cardinals. Arizona peaked last weekend with their opening round playoff win and their season can certainly be considered one of their most successful in franchise history. Unfortunately for them though, it will all come to a disappointing end tonight in Carolina. The Cardinals do not travel well and traveling East has haunted them all year long. When they travel East, they STINK!!!! Carolina on the other hand begins their quest to reach the Super Bowl after an outstanding season. John Fox set the tone early in training camp by suspending his best player, WR Steve Smith, for conduct detrimental to the team when he kicked the daylights out of teammate Ray Lucas. Fox’s move was the absolute right thing to do, but it could have derailed the Panther’s season completely, but instead they rallied together, got stronger, mended relationships, and won games. They were a missed field goal away from having home field advantage throughout the playoffs, but in that loss to the Giants, the Panthers proved to themselves that they can play big games on the road. They will be a force to be reckoned with. Our selections: Carolina - 9 1/2 and UNDER 48
That’s all for today. Please check back with us tomorrow for Round 2 of this weekend’s divisional playoffs. play wise, play smart, but play on players!!!!! Best of luck from your team here at www.Picks4Players.com.
As expected yesterday, Arizona held serve at home against the upstart Falcons. Atlanta Head Coach Mike Smith, QB Matt Ryan, great rookie seasons. You demonstrated for anyone watching that it is possible to rebound from the most severe organizational obstacles and immediately respond successfully in an incredibly unforgiving environment. Well done and good luck next year because as quick as success can come, it can go in an instant.
In the night cap, unexpectedly, the 8-8 Chargers upset the visiting Indianapolis Colts 23-17 in overtime. 3 critical 3rd down conversions via the yellow flag escorted the Chargers down the field in OT before Darren Sproles broke through the dejected Colts D and into the end zone with the game winner. Unfortunately it was the otherwise Super Human Sproles that earlier fumbled the ball into the end zone for a Colts touchback that doomed our selection of OVER the total of 49 1/2. This game had the feel all night that it would go to OT at 24-24 and the FG to win it either way would take the total over, but Sproles fumble changed everything.
With Day 1’s recap out of the way, let’s get on with Day 2 which seems to have more of a ‘Main Event’ feel to it than yesterday.
In game 1 today at 1 pm EST, the Baltimore Ravens make their second trip in to Miami this season. The first time through was highly successful as they stuffed the Wildcat formation and beat a tough physical Dolphins squad. This game should be a hard hitting grinder. This has the potential to be an instant NFL classic and if you think Ray Lewis is usually fired up, focused, and ready to roll, then imagine how his motor will be going today as he returns to Miami, where he spent several formative years at ‘The U’.
The Line: Baltimore Ravens - 3 1/2 and the total is 38 points
How we see it: The Crew here at www.Picks4Players.com believe the Ravens will win the game, but several of us are justifiably concerned with the extra 1/2 point. The 1/2 point ‘hook’ may end up being insignificant, but if you have an opportunity to buy the 1/2 point down to a spread of 3, then your afternoon may be a little more relaxing. Our selection: Baltimore -3 1/2 and UNDER 38
In Game 2, at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, this afternoon at 4:30 pm EST The Philadelphia Eagles are a 3 point favorite over the NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings and the greatest running back in the history of the sport, Adrian Peterson.
What to watch for; The Eagles will roll in this one and cover the 3 point spread easily. Peterson will get his share of yards and if he’s wearing his customary ‘AP skull cap’ that is see thru and remarkably resembles a condom complete with a reservoir tip, then look for him to explode (no pun intended) over the 100 yard mark in a losing effort. McNabb will be solid and perhaps exceptional today. Michael Westbrook will have a big day and look for WR DeSean Jackson to score 2 or 3 touchdowns today for the Eagles. Minnesota, thanks for coming to the dance.
Our Selection: Philadelphia -3 and OVER 41
Check back with us throughout the week as we get set for Round 2 next weekend. Take care and thank you for all of the support,
What a great NFL season it has been. The best form of entertainment going. Our modern day Gladiators, performing weekly on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and now Saturdays, providing NFL viewers and followers the truest form of Reality TV. After a grueling and predictably unpredictable regular season, the real fun begins today with the opening round of the Super Bowl tourney. Four games kick off this weekend, two Saturday and two Sunday and for the first time in NFL history, all four road teams are favored to win. It will be a fantastic weekend of NFL action.
As the entire country watches these games, New England, the region, acts as if the NFL has closed down for the season. Patriot Nation rapidly switched interest to the Celtics, the lack of off-season moves by the Red Sawx, and the suddenly over crowded Bruins bandwagon. Predictably predictable. Front Runner Nation is New England Fan Nation.
It does remind me though just how fleeting success is in team sports. Little did Patriot Nation realize that as David Tyree came down with the most amazing catch in Super Bowl history, with Rodney ‘Human Growth Harrison’ draped all over him, that their ride atop the NFL is OVER. No perfect season, just the current 3rd best 18-1 team of all time. No playoffs this season. The Pats will make future playoff appearances, but their delusional dynasty talk has run its course and the Super Bowl titles are a thing of the past. It was a pretty good 8 year run even when one takes into account that the Pats first Super Bowl appearance and win are stained forever by the ‘Tuck Rule’ (just ask Tom Brady) and the documented instances of cheating, drug use, and drug user turned snitch that continues to play on the roster. Also, I do think that Belichik is an outstanding coach, but if he were such a ‘genius’ how did the Wildcat work 6 times for 4 scores with no adjustments. He’s good, but puh-leez, he’s not that good.
Enough of the babbling, let’s get on with our picks for today:
Game 1
Atlanta -1 @ Arizona : Atlanta has been the feel good story of the NFL season. To rebound the way they did from the Michael Vick situation among other catastrophic organizational roadblocks has been nothing short of remarkable. Arizona on the other hand has been reeling down the stretch but it hasn’t mattered in the NFC Worst. The reality is, the 49ers were two plays away from beating Arizona and being in the playoffs. That being said, look for Arizona and Kurt Warner’s experience to win out at home this weekend in a high scoring, entertaining game. Our Selections: Arizona + 1 and OVER 50 1/2
Game 2:
Indianapolis -1 @ San Diego:
Indianapolis will win this shootout because Norv Turner is the Head Coach of The Chargers. Look for Peyton and the boys to methodically beat down the Bolts defense and score all night. The Chargers will answer, but at the end of another shootout today. the Colts will outclass the Bolts.
Our selections: Indianapolis -1 and OVER 49 1/2
Check back with us tomorrow morning for day two of the NFL opening playoff weekend and our selections for The Eagles at The Vikings, as well as The Ravens at The Dolphins. Good luck players!!!
After going 8-3 over the last 2 days, Picks4players is again going to release 2 top plays for today’s bowl action.
Ole Miss v. Texas Tech, 2pm est
Current Line: Texas Tech -4
Everybody remembers how Ole Miss upset Florida. That was no fluke, this is a very good Ole Miss team and they have the speed to keep up with Graham Harrell and the Texas Tech offense.
Our Pick: Mississippi +4
Utah v. Alabama, 8:15pm est
Current Line: Alabama -10
With this game being indoors and on the fast carpet of the Superdome, we prefer to stay away from the line and go with the points.
Our Pick: OVER 45 1/2
Good luck today, players! Check back tomorrow at 3pm eastern for Saturday’s NFL selections.
Happy New Year to all! We at picks4players hope to start your new year with a profitable bang! Yesterday in the Pro Football Weekly Handicappers College Bowl Contest we went an outstanding 4-1. Correctly picking Oregon St., Vanderbilt (first bowl win since 1955), Minnesota/Kansas over and Houston. Our only defeat was Georgia Tech’s failure to show up against LSU. So today we are going to strike while the iron is hot and offer up our 3 favorite plays for the 1st day of the new year. Check back every day for our selections for the major bowl games and NFL Playoffs.
Michigan St. v. Georgia, 1pm est Current Line: Georgia -7 1/2
Let’s see Georgia coming from the SEC and Michigan St. coming from the Big 10. Let’s take a lesson from yesterday when a weak LSU team pounded Georgia Tech. The strength of the SEC should be taken seriously. Moreno and Stafford will have huge days for Georgia.
OUR PICK: Georgia -7 1/2
Clemson v. Nebraska, 1pm est Current Line: O/U 56
We think the best value in the matchup is on the Over/Under. The Clemson offense has scored 27 or more points in 4 of its last 5 games, while the Nebraska offense has scored 28 or more points in 11 of 12 games this year.
OUR PICK: Over 56
Penn State v. USC, 5pm est Current Line: USC -9
Again, we have a matchup that is not favorable for the Big 10. USC has the best defense in the nation, playing a home game, with only 4 weeks off compared to Penn State having not played in 6 weeks. Penn State does have a good defense but we think USC gets a few short fields and does enough offensively to cover the number. Keep in mind the Pac 10 has yet to lose a bowl game.
OUR PICK: USC -9
Good luck today and play smart, still a lot of football to be played. Remember to check back on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for more winners.
