The last week of football season sees the Buffalo Bills visit the New england patriots in an significant game for the New England Patriots. It also is actually one that is stuffed with possible intrigue.
The ultimate week of the nfl regular season finds a match plenty of people imagined would settle who would be NFC West Division Champion prior to this season when the 49ers visit the St Louis Rams. Instead, the san francisco 49ers have already clinched the division and the Rams have one of the worst records in football.
The December 25 – Boston Celtics versus Knicks game is a conflict between two of the greatest teams in the Eastern conference. New York has appeared to be one of the better teams in the east due to their acquisition of Carmelo Anthony who was added to the team following they got Amare Stoudemire. This year is anticipated to be great for the team even though the two did fairly well together last year.
On Christmas Day, the year officially opens with 5 contests to be performed. Among the most anticipated contests incorporate the Dec 25 – Mavericks against Miami Heat game. For many reasons, the game is the most anticipated game. One is that it’s a rematch between the 2 squads that met in the Finals. The second reason is so that the supporters can see if the squads have the possibility to win the championship again particularly with their lineup modifications. The preseason tournaments were cut short like the signing of free agents and trading but squads have made the most of the time that was allotted for them to get work accomplished.
In the 1980′s and 1990′s, these two teams would have been a lock for a Fiesta Bowl or another BCS-type game however the BCS method wasn’t in place at that time. Players and systems might alter over the years, but these two teams can still put on one heck of a show. The Seminoles face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando on December 29th. As opposed to Bobby Bowden vs Lou Holtz, we have Jimbo Fisher vs Brian Kelly in what is sure to be an excellent game. The sports book appears to concur with Florida State at -3 and the over/under at 47.
Unless you’re a Titans lover, this is probably not the most interesting match up of week 15. The Titans are 7-6 and still in the playoff running. In the AFC they’re evened up with the Raiders and the Bengals. All 3 squads are a game behind the New York Jets for the second wild card spot. The Titans need to win their last 3 contests of the season and pray the Bengals, Oakland Raiders, and Jets fall short. Sunday’s game against the Colts appears to be an easy one as the Colts have yet to win a game this season. Add to this the fact that the Titans beat the Colts handily last October and Titan devotees can feel confident that their squad’s playoff desires will be alive this time next week.
Last week the Giants beat the division leading Dallas Cowboys in what was an all or nothing game for them. Not only did they win the game, but they did it in extraordinary fashion with 2 touchdowns in the last 3 minutes of the game. That win powered them into a tie with the Dallas Cowboys; both squads are now 7-6 on the season. There are a number of possibilities in the last 3 weeks of the season, however the most distinct way to the playoffs for the Giants is to defeat the Washington Redskins this Sunday and then defeat the Dallas Cowboys on the last game of the season. Should this happen the game with the NY Jets in week 16 won’t matter.
Week 15 of the NFL betting will see the Lions going to Oakland to play the Raiders. As both squads are fighting for a playoff berth, this is shaping up to be a crossroads game. The Detroit Lions are 8-5 and looking for a wild card berth as the unbeaten Packers have already won the division. The Raiders at 7-6 are only a game behind the Broncos in their division and cannot afford to lose any more competitions this year. The loser of this match won’t be eliminated from the playoffs, but they will be considered a longshot as their odds will become statistical.
This is a big game for the Cincinnati Bengals. At 7-6 they’re still in the running for the second wildcard berth. The Cincinnati Bengals must win their outstanding 3 games as they’re one game behind the Jets and tied with the Titans and Raiders. This is a lot to ask, but commences this Sunday with the 2-11 Rams. Out of their final 3 games, this is going to be their easiest. If they can get past the Rams they are going to face the Cardinals the following week. They’ll face a great Baltimore Raven squad for their final game.
An “A-Peelin’” match comes to Boise, Idaho on December 17th when the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl begins with the Ohio Bobcats taking on the Utah State Aggies. Coming in at 1st place in the MAC, the Ohio Bobcats come into play with a 9-4 record and a 6-2 record. The Ohio Bobcats average 31 points per game on offense and 22.1 ppg on defense. Ohio has performed great in the 2nd half of the year winning 5 of their last 6 contests. The Ohio Bobcats are led by former Nebraska coach and Tom Osborne protégé Frank Solich who’s in his 7th year as Ohio head coach. The Aggies come into Boise with a 7-5 record and a 5-2 record that is second in the WAC. The Aggies average 34.5 ppg on offense and 28.3 ppg on defense that is standard of the shootout nature of the WAC. Utah State has also been on a streak as of late winning their last 5 contests. The Aggies are led by 2nd year coach Gary Andersen.
