Sports.com
College Basketball March Mayhem Picks College Basketball March Mayhem Picks VegasInsider.com VegasInsider.com
Handicapper Bios Sports Picks Free Odds Contests Sportsbook
Sports.com
VI Home NFL NBANHLMLBNCAA FBNCAA BKGolfAutoHorsesBoxingVI More Sports
NFL Scores Matchups Teams Standings Schedules Injuries News
 
 · Latest News
 · Player Updates
 · Transactions
Buy Picks Vegas Odds
 
 · Vegas Odds
 · Offshore Odds
 · Future Odds

 
Oddsmakers favor home teams
 

Oddsmaker Ken White, chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sports Consultants, predicts Super Bowl XLII will be a rerun of the NFL's 1997 Green Bay-New England mid-winter extravaganza, while Sin City bookmakers report the bulk of early wagering for this weekend's conference championships is split between a favorite and a dog.

Green Bay, a 60/1 long shot to win the Super Bowl when the 2007 regular season kicked off, is a touchdown pick over the surging wild card New York Giants in the NFC title game.

The Giants, winners of nine straight on the road, stunned Dallas 21-17 in one divisional matchup last weekend, while the Packers rallied from an early 14-0 deficit to crush Seattle 42-20 at snowy Lambeau Field in the other.

Advertisement
Unbeaten New England (17-0), a two touchdown pick, hosts San Diego in an affair between what White calls the two hottest teams in pro football in the AFC Championship.

The Pats ousted Jacksonville from the postseason 31-20 and the Chargers stunned 2007 Super Bowl champion Indianapolis 28-24.

Conference championships will be played in Green Bay and Foxboro on Sunday.

"We've already received a ton of money on the Packers," Hilton SuperBook supervisor Jeff Sherman said.

"The money's all been on the dog in the other game.

"We opened at 15 and we're now at 14."

Wynn and Harrah's both had the number at 14 1/2 Tuesday morning; Wynn also had Green Bay laying 7 1/2.

The Patriots are a huge 1/3 Hilton choice to win the Feb. 3 Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.

The Packers are a 4/1 second pick, with the Chargers 10/1 and the Giants assuming the long shot's mantle at 12/1.

"Straight up I think the two favorites will win," White said, cautioning, however, that "anything's possible" in light of Sunday's upsets of the Cowboys and Colts.

The oddsmaker says New York's best chance is "just to keep doing what the Giants have been doing."

"They're playing well, playing good D, showing depth and winning on the road," White declared.

"They totally outplayed Dallas Sunday.

"They made adjustments and the Cowboys didn't."

White pronounced Eli Manning "a big-time quarterback" and says the fact Peyton's little brother has the Giants in the conference championship speaks for itself.

"He had a good, not great, year," White said.

"He's playing with confidence.

"He completed 56 percent of his passes playing in a home stadium where it's difficult to complete passes if it's windy.

"Eli has what it takes.

"It's generally thought that it takes four years for a player to develop into a solid NFL quarterback and he's there.

"It's going to be a tough game, but I'd lean to the Giants with the points."

Straight up is another matter, especially with well-seasoned veteran Brett Favre calling the shots for Green Bay.

"The Packers are home and they've got Favre," White said.

"Last weekend we saw (Ryan) Grant has also given them a running game."

He expects weather could be a factor in Green Bay.

"It's going to be extremely cold, something like 10 degrees, which will be tough on both teams," White said.

"I think 7 may be a little high."

LVSC sent the total out at 44 and it continues to drop.

Stores on Tuesday morning had the over/under at between 41 1/2 and 42 1/2.

"If it's not windy I think the total is going the wrong way," said White, who correctly took the OVER in Green Bay's victory over Seattle.

A straight up Chargers triumph over the Brady Bunch isn't out of the question either, White believes, despite the double-digit point-spread.

The Pats have struggled at times lately while failing to cover, including against the Jaguars last weekend.

"The Pats need to step it up a notch this weekend," he said.

White notes the pressure is on New England, which is seeking to go 18-0 en route to a Super Bowl title and unblemished 19-0 slate.

"This is going to be a pressure-packed game," he observed.

"The longer the Pats go without losing, the more the pressure builds. I think San Diego will keep it close."

If they are to beat New England, the oddsmaker points to several things the Chargers must do.

"First they need to run the football," he said.

"They need to control the line of scrimmage and they need to convert on third down."

White expects to see both running back LaDanian Tomlinson and Philip Rivers on the field Sunday, though both left the game versus Indy with injuries.

"They're listed as probable and I expect them to be fine," he said.

"I think (Coach) Norv Turner made the right decision in taking them both out last weekend rather than risk further injury.

"I can't imagine either player not being ready to play in this one."

New England nipped San Diego last season for the right to face Indianapolis in the AFC Championship.

The Pats-Chargers total was shipped at 50, but also steadily was dropping. Books had it between 47 1/2 and 48 1/2 on Tuesday.

"The pros say go UNDER," White said.

White doesn't expect weather to be as much of a factor in Foxboro as in Green Bay.

"The storms are due Friday and Saturday," he said. "It should be fine by Sunday.

"It'll be cold, in the 20s. but I don't think it will affect the scoring."

  
HEADLINES
Edwards: Eagles at Bears
Hall: AFC South Showdown
Rogers: Trend Setters - Week 11
David: Total Talk - Week 11
Roberts: Las Vegas Money Moves
Rogers: NFL Challenge - Week 11
Rogers: LVSC Rankings - Bengals roar
Bush, Ellis, not making trip to Tampa
Holmgren interested in the Browns
MORE HEADLINES
 
 Bob Donahue
 4-0 Sunday, 13-8 This Year
 Marc Lawrence
 14-4 L18, +1,340 This Year
 Adam Meyer
 4-1 L5, 60% +809 TY
 Matt Fargo
 12-4 L16 Selections
 Ed Meyer
 7-4 L11, 14-6 L20 NFL Plays
 Jason Sharpe
 10-5 L4 NFL Sundays
 Bill Marzano
 2-0 Thursday
 James Manos
 7-3 L10 Selections
 Scott Pritchard
 4-0 L4, 8-2 L10 Selections
 Bruce Marshall
 7-3 on Guarantees TY
 Chip Chirimbes
 4-0 L4, 25-12 L8 Sundays
 Lawrence Prezman
 6-3 Sunday, 7-3 L10
 Tom Freese
 3-1 Week 10, 5-2 L7 Picks
 Pat Hawkins
 3-0 Sunday, 5-1 L2 Sundays
 
NFL Football Expert Picks - Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens
 
2009-10 NFL SEASON PICK RECORDS
Money Leaders
Handicapper Money
Marc Lawrence + 1340
Adam Meyer + 809
Matt Fargo + 600
Last Week's Leaders
Handicapper Money
Adam Meyer + 400
Bullseye + 300
Pat Hawkins + 300
Percentage Leaders
Handicapper Pct
Bob Donahue 62 %
Marc Lawrence 62 %
Adam Meyer 60 %
Guaranteed Leaders
Handicapper Money
Adam Meyer + 480
Christian Alexander + 470
Matt Fargo + 410
Over-Under Leaders
Handicapper Money
Antony Dinero + 442
Bruce Marshall + 413
Northcoast Sports + 400
Member Leaders
Handicapper Money
Bullseye + 750
Paul Bovi + 393
Jason Sharpe + 370
MORE PICK RECORDS
  
Membership
 
VI GOLD Membership

Get winning picks from our full roster of handicappers for all sports and receive a 20% discount on all Daily Pick Packs.
 
 
 
 


NFL
NFL Picks
NFL Odds
NFL Matchups
NFL Scores

NBA
NBA Picks
NBA Odds
NBA Matchups
NBA Scores

MLB
MLB Picks
MLB Odds
MLB Matchups
MLB Scores
NCAA FB
NCAA FB Picks
NCAA FB Odds
NCAA FB Matchups
NCAA FB Scores

NCAA BK
NCAA BK Picks
NCAA BK Odds
NCAA BK Matchups
NCAA BK Scores

NHL
NHL Picks
NHL Odds
NHL Matchups
NHL Scores

More Sports
Golf
Auto Racing
Horse Racing
Boxing
UFC
WNBA
Soccer

Features
Free Odds
Contests
Newsletters
VI Radio
Sportsbooks
Sportsbook.com
Bodog.com
Sports.com
PlayersOnly.com
SBG Global.com
SuperBook.com
SPORTSBETTING.COM
AllStar.com
Brobury Sports
BetUS Sportsbook
betED.com
Betting Tools
Live Odds
Parlay Calculator
VI Stats
Gaming Terms
TV Listings
Handicapping Records

VegasInsider Info
About Us
Help Center
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Contact Us
User Feedback