SuperBowl Winner

Steelers are capable of blowing anyone away.

Any one of five teams could win the AFC IMHO - I don't think the Texans can win it.

So the Pats are still very much in the hunt and they are getting players back.

In the NFC it boils down to Carolina, Arizona are Seattle. I don't think a Green Bay, the Vikings or redskins have got it in them.

I backed the Pats this morning - I'm already on the Steelers at huge prices. I'm happy with my position. I can see the Pats sneaking last the Chiefs at home before facing the steelers at home in AFC championship game

Carolina have obviously been the most consistent team all year and are strong on both sides of the ball. Couldn`t have them at the price now though. Of the other main contenders, Manning is past his sell by date, Brady relies on Gronkowski to much, Steelers are totally inconsistent, so I rule them 3 out. Might be a year for a big surprise, but I like Seattle. Defense wins championships and all that and that will do for me!!

Might be a year for a big surprise, but I like Seattle. Defense wins championships and all that and that will do for me!!
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i agree it`s hard to call a favorite this year, and off course Seattle is among the big contenders, especially after their win against Arizona.

Anyone who backs Seattle at 6/1 to win the super bowl wants their heads looked at.

They will have to go to Minnesota/Carolina and probably Arizona even before the super bowl.

This team isn't as good as the past two years when they had home field advantage in the play offs.

In the NFC a championship last year - in Seattle - they got outplayed by Green Bay and needed a fake field goal, a on side kick that Green Bay completely messed up and some awful play calls from Green Bay in order to advance. And that team 12 months ago are better than this one.

Defence? Big Ben put up 500 yards on the Seahawks a few weeks ago. Their secondary has been very iffy all season long

Would you both be happy to lay the 7.8 and 8.0 I have queuing up on the outright winner market then?

Willing to stick up as much up there @ 8.0 as anyone is willing to lay.

All you gotta do is back the Seahawks each week to cover the money in an accumulator style bet.

This should appeal to you in particular Clay given your post above.

Let's have a look shall we

They gave up
27 to Green Bay
27 to Cincinnati
27 to Carolina
39 to Arizona
30 to Pittsburgh

That's not including giving up 34 and 23 to the Rams

The Seahawks have played against a back up QB for the Bears, back up for the Cowboys, back for the 49ers, back up for the Ravens, back up for the Browns........

I'm sorry but you can't twist it all you like......this defence is no where near as good as the past three years

So lay the 7.8 and 8.0 then no?  You're saying that 6/1 backers need their heads checked....probably means you make them what....4pts bigger than that at least?

As Swardean also probably correctly points out you can back them to win each week in a roll up accumulator and it will almost certainly equal more than 7.8...so laying them is almost an arb/free bet against the accumulator anyway.

What's the problem?

I just cant believe Arizona favs on here!!Especially after Sunday.And losing the leading defenseman week before....Lots of good debate though chaps.

Studious, you are right, you need your head examined

And you want to bet under a price that we have kindly explained to you can be enhanced if you back them every week until the super bowl in singles.

I'm up my my neck in super bowl bets.
But for the life of me I would not take under the odds on a bet that I could get better odds doing it a different way.

I suggest you have a look at your betting strategy.

(1.62 price vs most likely the Cards though we musn't count out Rogers even with that shocker of a receiving corp I guess)

lol Grayhawk agreed unfortunately....I bet them pre season so I've done very well with that one @ 8/1....now 28/1 and in the playoffs!!!

I think we'll see a better performance from Lacy and the O/Line this weekend to just about get them past the Skins aided with some Rogers mastery....from then onwards they look up the proverbial creek without the olde paddle!

Clay D
Surely you cannot just ignore the result entirely,if Cards werent interested in Match,therefore No 1 seed they wouldnt have started with C Palmer and a few others,granted after game was gone they eased maybe exaggerating scoreline but they turned up ready to rock,and the Seahawks gave them a right old going over...
Cant have no effect on them either,they must be questioning a few things this week they werent prior to Sunday..
Maybe im biased as on Panthers fairly big from very early this season,and i think they would be worthy Favs at this stage.Barring anymore injuries..
Cheers.

jedi sophie 05 Jan 16 21:15 Joined: 18 Jan 06 | Topic/replies: 96 | Blogger: jedi sophie's blog

' Surely you cannot just ignore the result entirely,if Cards werent interested in Match,therefore No 1 seed they wouldnt have started with C Palmer and a few others,granted after game was gone they eased maybe exaggerating scoreline but they turned up ready to rock,and the Seahawks gave them a right old going over...
Cant have no effect on them either,they must be questioning a few things this week they werent prior to Sunday.. '

Spot on - once they Hawks had outclassed them for 30mins Arians started pulling starters, saving face and then came out with the baloney after the game....oh we didn't bother with that one today. 

Absolutely no reason to dump that game given potential homefield advantage + a TWO week rest to come - if they were playing the following week absolutely can see it but they were never going to be...they just got shown up by a superior team who have been by and large holding back waiting for the only part of the season that matters while the Cardinals have red lined all year.

Oh that's right, Seahawks been holding themselves back until the later part of the season......never heard so much nonsense.....nothing to do with their dreadful offensive line that had seen Wilson scrambling for his life when up against a decent D, or their secondary that has been poor, or the fact that they lost to packers, bengals, panthers, cardinals et al, oh yeah they really didn't want home field advantage in the play off......oh no

Holding back probably not the right terminology, my bad.  My thoughts better explained below (this is from something I send around weekly to friends who  follow me in on the NFL)....shoot me down for whatever it contains but that's my thought process in detail.  Not going to write any more on it after this post - we all have our views which makes the game what it is. Good Luck to everybody in the playoffs whatever teams you're on.

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' Once they beat the Vikings by 14+ ( a game coincidentally they should be around 1.25 to win not the early installed 1.47 as it's a total mismatch) the market will move dramatically for them.  Arizona and Carson Palmer wouldn't beat them in a playoff game in a month of Sundays. 

All this about they didn't try to win last weekend - they tried for 25mins - were getting pulverised and then Arians saved his team from embarrassment by pulling starters and creating a nice little story afterwards about their intentions.  No way would he have wanted to get beat up like that with a bye week to come.

You wait and see how a 36yo QB who has won nothing in his career bar a Heisman plays comes crunch time vs a team choc full of players who have been there done that 2 seasons on the bounce...that's assuming Arizona even make the conference final.  The result won't be any different so I have no worries there.

Which leaves just the Panthers.  A very good team but fortunately for us a team with an inferior QB to Wilson, two very significant injuries in the secondary in the last two weeks +  a knock against their run game (their RB Stewart's status currently unknown) vs a team who have no fear in the playoffs and are looking likely completely healthy for the first time all year bar Jimmy Graham.

People have questioned the defence of the Seahawks this year discounting two key factors – injuries and motivation.

By the time it faces the Panthers it will contain, Sherman, Okung, Bennett, Avril, Irvin, Chancellor and Earl Thomas (if that wasn't enough they have K.J Wright and Jeremy Lane sitting there too). 

This is the best defence in the game presently when it’s all there by a stretch - it just hasn't all been there virtually once this season bar now.

The motivation point is crucially it won’t be 'chilling it's beans' as they have done have for half the season - like their pathetic effort two weeks ago against St Louis where it was beyond patently obvious they were playing at not even half speed simply saving themselves for a likely 3 stretch road run before the SB itself.  I’m still kicking myself for not backing the Rams that week – 7/1 ffs given what I’ve seen the Seahawks do all season I felt it was possible but left it given the rams literally have zero passing game - they somehow managed it anyway.  Cost us a right few quid there.

There are teams that have red lined themselves all season like the Cardinals and then there is Seattle - waiting for the 4 games of the season that actually count. 
You could say the way they have approached the regular season displays arrogance...and you'd be right....but when you're as good as they are....it's hard not to be I guess.  Let's hope their confidence in themselves has not been misplaced.

They knew they would always make the playoffs but not be seeded 1 or 2 from week 7 and have saved themselves accordingly since in my view - winning when needed and not killing themselves in tough spots when already injury ridden when not..  Last week was a timely reminder to the rest of the league of what they still are – all achieved without Lynch who is due back next week.  It couldn’t have worked out better for us really.

It was also a reminder of the fact Wilson is now an outstanding QB - a better more complete player in every way than the QB who has led them to the last two superbowls.

The Panthers will be their one big test but I think the Seahawks at their top level are better in every department so they should take that one in what will be a great game.  I only hope that should we get the W they don’t pick up any significant injuries – it’s bound to be a bruiser of an encounter.

So eventhough we are already on at the double figure prices available of 5 or 6 weeks ago when everyone was panicking about them even making the playoffs (despite the fact they clearly were foot off the gas half the time) – the advice is a press up at the 6/1 currently available on the High St and 7’s on the exchanges.  They’ll be no bigger than 2/1 by the time the conference finals come along.

As I’ve said in previous correspondence – I have and still find the AFC  hard to call and haven’t involved myself there.  Gutted I didn’t play up the 80/1 Chiefs when I advised the 8/1 about them to win their division back in week 7 – can’t do anything about that now though so let’s hope they don’t come through or it’ll be a bitter pill to swallow given the Bengals overtime loss in week 16 denying us the 8/1 that week and Manning coming in from know where this week to deny the winner we should have collected on.

Nobody in the NFC will want to play Seattle and anybody who has bet Carolina will be wanting them out, the quicker the better.

I'm on Carolina, and without a shadow of a doubt... Go Vikes!!!

I don't even k ow where to start with some of this nonsense.

Let's start with studious. He seems to be under the impression that Seattle go to Arizona and then Carolina. No no no. Other way around. It will be Carolina followed by Arizona/Washington or Green Bay.

Let us just state what the Seahawks face, and potentially face.

On Sunday the kick off at noon local time, 10am Seattle time. The temperatures forecast are nothing short of brutal. If the temperature is correct then it will be in the top ten coldest play off game of all time. Whether it is or not is a mute point, suffice to say it will be brutal conditions.

No one knows who Seattle's running back will be. Will it be lynch or the 3rd or 4th string running backs? If it is lynch will he actually be fit or completely rusty or just pure gone at the game.

Assuming the come through Sunday. They will then travel way across country yo another time zone to take on Carolina. Thus will be a brutal game for differing reasons. It will be physical and no hiding place for anyone. Even if Seattle survive the Carolina game it would be odds against that they go so with suffering injuries and tiredness.

They survive Carolina and then they have to travel to the desert and face Arizona. A team that has already shredded them this season. The PR Seahawks fans in here talk about a meaningless game that took place on Sunday with nada at stake but ignore the earlier encounter, in Seattle, with lots at stake.
In the game in Seattle, Carson Palmer marched Arizona up and down the field at will. The Seahawks just couldn't stop Arizona. In fact letting up only 39 points flattered Seattle. Palmer said on the field after the game that it was disappointed he didn't put up 50 points.

Also I've had a few people accept that this team isn't as good as last year but they ignore the championship game last year when Green Bay dominated them and chucked it away. And that wasn't an elite Green Bay team.

What happened two weeks ago against the Rams? A win there would have secured the 5th seed for Seattle

If people fancy Seattle to win the super bowl good luck to them. But to argue they are value is about as deluded as it comes. To ignore their obvious flaws is the fast track to the betting poorhouse.

A better Seattle team than this, much better team, went to Atlanta in their last road play off game and laid an egg for most of the game.

hardly nonsense pointing out that going to Minneapolis then (probably) Charlotte & Phoenix is a huge ask.
It's pretty easy to look at Seattle from whichever perspective you want at the moment but 4th ranked offence
and 2nd ranked defence for a team that has had an indifferent season results wise reads quite well along with plenty other stats too.
Stats can always be picked apart tho and getting to play such a stinking 49ers side twice is bound to help your numbers

i had a quick check back to see what the kick off time was in early December when the Seahawks went to Minnesota and battered them.
It was noon!

Sorry I meant go to Green Bay!!