It's that time of year again, and my pin is hovering over the Packers at around 12-1. Anyone feel like either encouraging or discouraging me ? They look (to me) to have addressed a couple of weaknesses, and the schedule looks a bit less daunting than last year.
I'll just make a top 4, cause it's always a gamble at the start of the season: 1. Packers 2. Broncos 3. Colts 4. Pats, 49'ers, Saints, Bucs, Bengals, and any other above par team last year really. let's face it, a consecutive win for the Seahawks won't happen, just like in Baseball, the team who wins it will suck the year after(Red Sox, Giants, Yankees or Saints, Packers, Giants, Ravens), or will likely go out first round in the post season.
Can't see it happening for the Falcons, big mystery if Eagles can do without DeSean Jackson but they're in the NFC Least division so... And Cardinals is a coin toss, great couple of players but in a division with the 49'ers ad Seahawks, can see them being left out of the playoffs with a good record. If the Seahawks completely suck this year only then I can see them getting a chance for the post season.
Go for the Vikings, you'll get good odds and you'll make lots of money when we win the Super Bowl and Cassel is the MVP
I am biased as a Packers fan, but its hard not to look at the team and put it in the playoff/superbowl picture. Rodgers is easily a top 3 QB. He has finally got a legitimate set of backs, headed by Eddie Lacy, who can run the ball effectively. Nelson and Cobb are finally both fit which gives him two top notch recievers. The biggest issue was the defense, but the D line has been strengthened by the addition of Peppers who should balance the line and take some of the pressure off of Matthews to get the sacks. If the secondary stays healthy and Capers/Whitt Jr can play them in their strongest positions then there is no reason, with the addition of Clinton-Dix they can up the turnover rate.
Very helpful, boys, and thank you. The money's down (for anyone else thinking of a bet, don't forget the Packers' game is Thursday/Friday night and, if they beat Seattle, the 12-1 won't be there on Friday morning). BHDan: the Peppers/Matthews combo did considerably influence me, and I'm greatly cheered that you agree. Speak again in January, probably. Enjoy the season.
Haven't really kept up to date with it recently so can't really say I will wait for at least 4 or 5 games in I know one thing it won't be my team (bears)
So far it looks like the Packers are living up to expectations and even BC's prediction of the Cards could come true.
OK, seen enough, time to take the modest profit and cash out (in around 12-1, out at an average of 7-1, and they were shorter than that in about week 12). Don't think GB can possibly win in Seattle - even if Rodgers makes a miraculous recovery - and imo Detroit let them off the hook yesterday. Barring major injuries or some collective loss of nerve/judgment, Seattle at around 5-4 to win the Bowl look a sensible bet.
As a niner fan I hope the pack roll over the hawks. Although I'm probably living in cuckoo land. However I'd love to see the colts win the Super Bowl ,which again means them doing a number on the patriots which will be no mean feat. So my ideal SB. Colts/Packers.
I'll be supporting my Packers, but it's a big ask for them to win in Seattle I think the other game will be close
Detroit ? I meant Dallas......whatever, Seahawks to win a low-scoring (under 45 point) game. Good luck to anyone whose heart or wallet is heavily involved tonight.
Yes, quite extraordinary. Agreed, the GB defence started very well, but for the first 20 minutes or so I really began to wonder if the Hawks had sold the game like the White Sox in the 1919 World Series - has any seeded team at this stage ever made so many unforced mistakes ? Then the disease changed trains and suddenly GB were performing like muppets - the missed tackles, the 2-point conversion, the DC-call on the 3rd-and-19 and - most of all - the dropped onside kick (which Harry Redknapp's wife Sandra would have caught). I know it was a bit breezy, but the temperatures weren't nearly as low as I'd expected - you simply don't expect millionaire-contract players to make this kind of mistake on this sort of occasion. As it happens, I came out in front on a couple of linked bets, but it must have used up my luck up for the next ten years !
Can't post at the weekend, so I'll go on the record now. These 'too-close-to-call' games where the betting's about level and the handicaps are a single point or so, very often turn out to be won fairly easily. I was expecting the Championship games to confirm my then mild inclination towards the Hawks (i.e. they'd win fairly comfortably and the Pats would struggle), which turned out diametrically wrong. Hard to forget how many basic mistakes the Hawks made - and were allowed to get away with - so it's the Pats. And, although I suspect that age and years of battering have taken a yard off his speed, my respect for Gronkowski is so great that he's my idea of the key figure in the game. So: Pats by 10 or more Total points 48 or more Gronk to score two or more TDs Gronk for MVP
