The Green Bay Packers (13-6) have a very rich tradition at the QB position (Bart Starr, Brett Favre) and anyone who’s betting on the Super Bowl this year is certainly aware of the riches the team currently posses behind center. Aaron Rodgers is coming off a tremendous regular season in 2010 (3,922 yards, 28 TDs, 11 INTs and a 101.2 passer rating) but it’s what he’s done in the postseason that has been so impressive for most fans.

After making his 1,500th pass attempt late in the season Rodgers quietly became the highest rated passer in NFL history (98.4) –that is not a typo. For an encore, upon completing his 150th pass attempt in the NFL postseason he also became the highest rated QB in NFL playoff history as well (134.5) prior to the NFC Championship game. Read more…

When it comes to handicapping NFL betting odds matchups or football games in general the most reliable indicators to study are obviously statistics. This can be an abstract process as the stats are derived from a variety of competition against a variety of opponents and perhaps a few common opponents but rarely are we able to extract the data from a head to head matchup in the relatively brief 16-game NFL season.

That’s not the case in this weekend’s AFC Championship game which features two teams, the New York Jets (13-5) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (13-4), which have not only already met once this season but played each other less than a month at the exact same field they’ll meet on Sunday.But those results, a 22-17 Jets win, are unlikely to be duplicated, as the statistical evidence would point to that result being an aberration of the norm rather than a likely outcome of this matchup. Read more…

When it comes to setting odds NFL experts are apparently stumped as the the AFC Championship approaches. The betting line on this conference title game, as it is for the NFC Championship game as well is basically a wash.

The two teams slated to battle for the AFC title this year are very similar in many ways and both are defensive-minded teams that don’t manufacture a lot of points. Inclement weather should also play a part in keeping the score down and when the #2 seed Pittsburgh Steelers (13-4) host the #6 seed NY Jets (13-5) the winner will most likely be determined by the team that makes the fewest mistakes in a game where points will be hard to come by. Read more…

The New York Jets (11-6) don’t even need to step on the field against the New England Patriots (14-2) on the frozen field in Foxboro this weekend in the AFC divisional playoffs action. They’ve already won this matchup, at least in terms of trash talking.

Since the moment the Jets pulled off an impressive 17-16 last minute win over the favored Indianapolis Colts on the road in the AFC Wildcard playoff action last weekend the New York Jets have been on the trash-talking offense, talking smack about the Pats to whoever will listen.

There are two way to view this: 1) that this team is extremely confident and ready to give New England a tough game; 2) this team is trying to cover up some deficiency or insecurity with their braggadocio. Read more…