Bobby Brooks

Russell Wilson? RG3?  That Seahawks defense?  Home field advantage?  Let's take a closer look and break down this Sunday playoff match-up.

Markets

So the Seahawks opened up at -1.5 favorites on Sunday and by the time the clock struck midnight, it had already been bet up to -2.5.  It took a few days, but -3's starting appearing on the board around mid-week. The good news for those of us that like the Seahawks (and have multiple books to shop at) is there are still -2.5's available for a bit extra juice. Most sharp books have the line around -2.75 with juice attached to favorable lines on each side (odds from SBRforum).

Media Hype?

All the media talk for this game is focusing on the Wilson/RG3 match-up, which is fine, but that's not what I'm going to spend much time talking about here. Both have been phenomenal and it will be fun to watch, but I don't see either as having a huge edge over the other.

Ray Lewis is retiring, but what difference will that make?  Can Andrew Luck sour to new heights? Let's take a closer look at the first Sunday playoff game.

Markets

When it comes to playoff point spreads, nothing is much of a surprise. The books usually do a great job at finding a sharp line that spreads public (and sharp) opinion. However, what we have here is one of the most intriguing lines of the weekend. They opened up with the Ravens as -6.5 point favorites and it's taken almost the full week before we've seen any hints of movement. Right now, books are creeping towards -7, but you'll have to lay a little extra juice depending on what side you like.What strikes me is that the line didn't move to -7 when the lines were posted last Sunday. This is a clear indication that nobody with a clue respects the Ravens that much.  In fact, I'm surprised that they opened up this high.  I'll gladly pay a little extra and buy an affordable +7 to take a chance on Andrew Luck and company (odds from SBRforum).

The Bengals are souring. The Texans are tanking.  Is that all there is too it?  Let's dive in and take a closer look at the first playoff game of the weekend.

Markets

It was only logical for the Texans to settle in as -4.5 point favorites for this game.  The line opened up at the "dead" number of -5, but early action came in on the underdog.  There was a point where the line fell all the way to -4 at one point, but it didn't last long given that it's a key number (odds from SBRforum).Where is money going to go in the final couple days?  If anything, I'd expect more money coming in on the Bengals given the way both teams have played down the stretch. This line could close at -4, but I'd be surprised if we saw a ton of movement either way.

Like Us On Facebook

Bengals Are a No-Brainer?

Last week the Vikings pulled off an impressive upset win at home to clinch a playoff spot. Their reward?  Go to Lambeau field and try to do it again.  That could be wishful thinking if you're a Minnesota fan, and especially if your name is Christian Ponder.

Markets 

This is an interesting point spread to say the least. The Packers opened as -8 point favorites and it hasn't move anywhere since (odds from SBRforum). If sharp money loved the dog we would have most certainly seen a move closer to the key number of "7".  That said, the Packers are a very public team. Perhaps sharps are waiting for the best line they can get.  Either way the game sits in the teaser window at the moment.  If you wanted to pair the Packers at -2 with either the Ravens or Redskins, the option is there.  Personally, I don't like either of those choices.

Deja Vu?

The big showdown of the day resides in the NFC East.  Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys take on Robert Griffin III for the division crown, and all eyes will be watching.  Let's take a closer look at the betting angles.

Markets

Last week, Vegas didn't have a look-ahead line for this game thanks to the unknown status of Robert Griffin III.  In fact, we didn't see a point spread for this game until late this week either.  Not many quarterbacks have meant as much to their team as RG3, so his health is going to single-handedly swing a lot of money by kickoff.  The interesting aspect of the opening line is that the sportsbook made it clear which team they thought had the edge when they made the Redskisn -3.5 point favorites. Since then money has come in on the Cowboys and right now the number sits between -3.5 and -3 (odds from SBRforum).  You can grab the favorable number for each side by paying a little extra juice.