By Marc Lawrence Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis kicks off February 5 when New England meets the New York with the Patriots looking to avenge losses to the Giants in Super Bowl XVII, and also a 24-20 defeat at Foxboro this season in a game which snapped a 20-game regular season home win streak by New England. Aside from betting the game itself, a myriad of betting propositions abound in every Super Bowl as... Read more

By Marc Lawrence After expanding its playoff format to 12 teams in 1990, the NFL left the door wide open to the possibilities of a Wild Card team running the table and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. And while a Wild Card team has done so only seven times in Super Bowl history, five such winners have been crowned since 1997. Last year witnessed the Packers hauling home the hardware. In 2007 it was the NY Giants, in... Read more

By Marc Lawrence Handicapping the NFL Playoffs can be a bit tricky. The knee-jerk reaction is to back home teams. After all, they have been a solid-moneymaker, going 161-131-6 (55.1%) dating back to 1980. Today, however, that would be a mistake as the success of home teams in the playoffs has dissolved faster than an Alka Seltzer in a cold glass of water. A closer look finds home teams just 108-98-5 ATS... Read more

Long considered the 'beast' of all NFL divisions, the NFC East features no less than three Pro Bowl quarterbacks. The division is also the top-heavy favorite with an average 8.875 'win total' for the season per team. Does this mean all four teams are playoff bound in 2011? That's doubtful, but we just might find three's company by season's end. No team appeared in more playoff games since 2000 than Philadelphia. The Eagles... Read more

If you've ever wondered why it is Pittsburgh is pretty much a rival to every team in the AFC North, the answer is simple. Three of the teams have connecting histories. Cincinnati and Cleveland were founded by Paul Brown, while the Baltimore Ravens and the city of Cleveland have their own unique relationship. Only the Steelers, who are older than the original Browns, have no direct history involving Paul Brown. The AFC... Read more

With NFL 'EAST' division teams leading the charge with a combined total of 14 games played in Conference title tilts this new millennium, including a league high five championship game appearances games by squads located in the AFC EAST, it speaks to the strength of this group. So does the division's 148-95-5 ATS mark away from home in games versus sub .667 opposition since 2000, including a sterling 17-5 ATS record in... Read more

By Marc Lawrence It seems like only yesterday when NFL playoff teams took the field with a week of rest against advancing Wild Card Round winners and proceeded directly to winners circle. But such is not the case today. As Bob Dylan so sagely put it, "The times are a-changin'." Don't know if you've noticed but what was once a moneymaking proposition backing rested teams in the NFL postseason has turned into a stone... Read more

By Marc Lawrence Handicapping the NFL Playoffs can be a bit tricky. The knee-jerk reaction is to back home teams. After all, they have been a solid-moneymaker, going 157-125-6 ATS (55.6%), dating back to 1980. Today, however, that would be a mistake as the success of home teams in the playoffs has dissolved like an Alka Seltzer in a cold glass of water. A closer look finds home teams just 109-94-5 ATS since... Read more

By Marc Lawrence Sometimes the price you're asked to pay for success is truly a bargain. And in today's economy, we'll take any and all bargains we can find. Take the case of NFL teams that have just enjoyed winning back-to-back home games during the pre-season. One might think these teams are primed for a letdown. However, as one of our favorite football analysts, Lee Corso, would say, "Not so fast my friend!"... Read more

By Marc Lawrence The days of the wild, wild West are long gone and in the rear view mirror. Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Steve Young and Jerry Rice have been replaced by the likes of Matt Hasselbeck, Matt Leinhart and Larry Fitzgerald in today's NFC West. To illustrate exactly how much of a drop off this division has suffered, consider this: In the 1980's the NFC West was recognized as a road monster, with teams... Read more