Pro Bowl Odds

Written by Jason Lowry

It has been 30 straight years that the NFL has played the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, but when the AFC and NFC square off this Sunday at Aloha Stadium, it could be the last time we see a Pro Bowl in Hawaii for some time to come, as the NFL is set to play the Pro Bowl the week before the Super Bowl at the same location. The reason for this is to try and get a little more of a fan base, as it stands right now it seems hard for fans to get into the action, even though it’s a game full of the leagues best athletes. Both of the Super Bowl contenders will be represented in this one, as the Cardinals send 5 starters on the field in this one, including the trio of quarterback Kurt Warner and receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, while the Steelers have just two starters in linebacker James Harrison and safety Troy Polamalu, with linebacker James Farrior coming off the bench. For those of you looking to bet on the NFL one last time this season, we are going to take a quick look at what both teams are sending on the field, and who we think walks away with the victory.

AFC +2.5 (-110)

The AFC is coming off a 42-30 loss last season, and you know that some of these guys want to get their division back on top. With Peyton Manning leading the way offensively it definitely increases their chances. Manning might not have the targets the NFC has, but he still has some of the best playmakers in the league with Andre Johnson and Brandon Marshall, and arguably the best tight end to ever play the game in Tony Gonzalez. One concern we have with this unit is they just don’t have a star running back that the AFC is so use to having, as Thomas Jones is set to start, and nothing against Jones, but he is no Adrian Peterson, Clinton Portis, or Michael Turner.

Where this team is stacked is on the defensive side of things, as they have arguably the best duo you could put on the field at the safety position in Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu. Thats not to mention the front 7 this team is going to put on the field, that includes the big guys of Albert Haynesworth and Kris Jenkins in the middle, with the fierce pass rush of Mario Williams and Dwight Freeney, and its hard to get a much better linebacking group than Ray Lewis, James Harrison, and Joey Porter. The most important matchup likely comes with starting corners Cortland Finnegan and Nnamdi Asomugha taking on the receiving duo of Fitzgerald and Boldin.

NFC -2.5 (-110)

So you want to see what it would be like for Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals offense to have a real star running back in their backfield, well you get a slight sneak peak at what that would look like when Warner hands it off to one of the best the league has to offer in Adrian Peterson. The NFC gets a real advantage to start this one with Warner throwing to Boldin and Fitzgerald, as they need no time to get to know each others game. Warner might not play long in this one, but with Drew Brees and Eli Manning in the backup roles, the NFC is set at the Quarterback position. Besides Boldin and Fitzgerald look for plenty of big plays from backup receivers Steve Smith and Roddy White, and tight end Jason Witten. It will be interesting to see how the NFC plans to attack the AFC’s loaded defense, as they could easily pound it with Peterson, Portis and Turner, or let it fly to with some of the best passers and receivers in the league.

The NFC defense as you might expect with the best of each league representing each team, is pretty darn good as well, and the front seven they plan on sending on the field to start the game is nearly just as good as what the AFC has to offer. Up front you get Julius Peppers and Justin Tuck separated by the big tackles Kevin Williams and Jay Ratliff. Behind these four guys are 3 outstanding linebackers in DeMarcus Ware, Lance Briggs and Patrick Willis. The reason we like the AFC’s defense more is we just aren’t sold on the NFC’s secondary, as safeties Nick Collins and Adrian Wilson have little on Polamalu and Reed, and corners Ronde Barber and Antoine Winfield better have big games or the AFC could run away with this one by throwing all over this defense.

Lowry’s Lean on the Game: AFC +2.5

I am going with the AFC to win this one, not only because I think that they are the better team in this one, but its went back and forth between the two leagues since the NFC snapped the AFC’s 3 game winning streak back in 2004. While the points are nice we think its a good idea to bet on the AFC straight up, as their hasn’t been a game decided by less than 3 points since 1983.

Comments

Got something to say?