NFL Conference Championship Sunday. Service Plays

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SUNDAY 1/22

NFL: Baltimore @ New England -- Over 50
NFL: NY Giants +3 (-130)

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[TheGame]

DUNKEL INDEX

NY Giants at San Francisco
The Giants look to build on their 7-0 ATS record in their last 7 road playoff games. New York is the pick (+3) according to Dunkel, which has the game Even. Dunkel Pick: NY Giants (+3)

Game 301-302: Baltimore at New England (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore 135.275; New England 148.298
Dunkel Line: New England by 13; 47
Vegas Line: New England by 7 1/2; 50 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New England (-7 1/2); Under

Game 303-304: NY Giants at San Francisco (6:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Giants 143.438; San Francisco 143.069
Dunkel Line: Even; 45
Vegas Line: San Francisco by 3; 42 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Giants (+3); Over

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STU "The Source" FEINER

Sunday NFL 100,000,000-Dime Private Play
NY Giants+2.5

Sunday NFL 10,000,000-Dime Private Play
Baltimore +7.5

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EA Sports Consultants: Ravens and 49ers

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DCI NFL

Conference Championship Predictions

Sunday, January 22, 2012
AFC Championship
NEW ENGLAND 29, Baltimore 17
NFC Championship
SAN FRANCISCO 24, N.Y. Giants 21

[TheGame]

DOUBLE DRAGON NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
(6-2-1 Playoff Record)

RAVENS +10 (-160) at patriots

GIANTS +4 (-155) at 49'ers

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 Robert Ferringo


Football:

New York Giants (+2.5) over San Francisco (6:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22)

'Under' 42.0 New York Giants at San Francisco (6:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22)

Baltimore (+7) over New England (3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22)

'Under' 50.5 Baltimore at New England (3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22)

[STGUCHI]

JIMMY BOYD

5* NFL Playoffs Game of the Year!
NY Giants +3 (-135)

4* AFC Championship SMASH!
Baltimore Ravens +9 (-125)

[TheGame]

Sports Wagers

Baltimore +7 over NEW ENGLAND PINNACLE
It’s difficult to penalize the Patriots for dismantling the Broncos the way they did in New England’s 45-10 playoff win last week. But c’mon now. That hardly seemed like a playoff game as Denver and Tim Tebow were nothing more than a charade. To the Patriots’ credit, they did what needed to be done and they took no prisoners. It’s not unusual for Tom Brady and the Pats’ offence to light up scoreboards against any oncomers as New England has tallied 30 or more in nine of its past 10 games.

Many critics believe that the Pats need to score often in order to mask New England’s 32nd ranked defence. While defensive stats and rankings can be skewed for teams with high-powered offences (the defence is on the field a lot because the offences are quick strikers), the detractors may be right. The Dolphins, Chargers, Bills and Eagles, all non-playoff teams, threw for nearly 1600 yards combined against this Patriots secondary with each exceeding 370 yards. Even the Raiders and Colts each passed for almost 350 yards in their games against the AFC’s top-seed.

Those numbers bode well for the Ravens and particularly quarterback Joe Flacco. The fourth-year quarterback takes a lot of flak (pun fully intended) but is steady enough to game manage while a solid running attack featuring Ray Rice and the persistent Ricky Williams keeps things flowing. Baltimore’s’ trademark defence does the rest, giving its offence opportunity to win. We have seen Flacco step up when he’s had to, including Week 9 this year when Flacco marched his team 92 yards in the final two minutes before connecting with Torrey Smith.on a 26-yard touchdown pass to earn a 23-20 win over the rival Steelers.

A look back on the 2011 season finds that the Patriots faced only three teams that would ultimately reach the playoffs. One of those teams was the improbable Broncos. The other two qualifiers were the Steelers and the Giants. New England was defeated by the latter pair, scoring just 17 against Pittsburgh and 20 at home to the Giants. That was the same Pittsburgh team that the Ravens defeated twice this season. In fact, Baltimore ran the table with a 6-0 mark in its division that had three of its four teams making this year’s post-season. The Patriots were the only team from the weak AFC East that qualified for these playoffs. The Ravens have played seven games against playoff teams so far. They’re a perfect 7-0 with wins over the 49ers and the Texans, Steelers and Bengals twice each.

This will mark only the second time this season that Baltimore will be an underdog. The only other time they were spotted points, the Ravens won straight up. We have to go back to the 2007 season to find the last time we were getting a full touchdown head start with the Ravens. With a 3rd-ranked defence that gave up nearly 2,000 less yards than its host on the year, in a setting that will not be intimidating to them, and with a fine pedigree of its own, there is more than enough room to keep this one within range. Play: Baltimore +7 (Risking 2.14 units to win 2).

N.Y. GIANTS +119 over San Francisco PINNACLE
Good for the Niners. They rewarded their faithful fans with a win in their first playoff appearance in nine years after upsetting the high-flying Saints. It’s been an outstanding season for this surprising 49ers club and the future certainly seems bright. However, we’re not sure if they’re ready for this assignment and the responsibility attached to it.

The Giants are hot. Smokin’ hot. So hot in fact, that it makes you wonder how they could have been a .500 club just a month ago. From where we sit, they are the most complete team of the dozen that qualified for this post-season. New York’s defence has been lights out. In their last four games, all of which were sudden-death, the G-men defeated the Jets, Cowboys, Falcons and mighty Packers by a combined 121-50. Of course, the latter two were playoff games where the Giants basically shut out the Falcons while making Green Bay appear like the Browns or Jaguars. It is no coincidence that when the Giants’ front four became healthy, the team got noticeably better. They are a nasty quartet that can wreak havoc on almost any opposition and quarterback. If Aaron Rodgers and the Packers didn’t faze them, we’re guessing that Alex Smith won’t either.

One drive does not a quarterback make. Yes, Alex Smith led his team on an impressive game-winning drive last week but let’s not get carried away. He’s Alex Smith. He’s been in this league since 2005. He’s had starting jobs, been a backup and then found his way back to the starter’s role simply by attrition. Granted, he’s been decent this year. Maybe serviceable is a better word. While Smith only threw five interceptions on the season, he did not have a 300-yard passing day. The Niners ranked 29th in yards passing per game, averaging 183 per and finishing only ahead of the aerial inept Rams, Broncos and Jaguars. San Fran’s red zone play left much to be desired also. In 54 trips to the red zone, Smith and the Niners managed just 22 touchdowns, which had them 30th in the league.

Conversely, Eli Manning has never looked better. His offensive line gives him plenty of time to pass and he’s taken full advantage. No more Plaxico Burress, Steve Smith or Kevin Boss. No problem. Meet Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz. New York receivers caught an impressive 4,933 yards of Manning’s passes, which is complimented by the solid running tandem of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Much is made of the 49ers stellar defence. While it is certainly a capable unit, we can’t ignore San Fran’s soft schedule, its wussy division or the yardage relinquished against decent passing teams.

Last week, the Saints had five turnovers. In most cases, that would that would lead to a blowout win but the Niners needed a touchdown with nine seconds remaining to secure that victory. Against a team that relishes this role with seven straight road playoff covers, a team with stronger offensive weapons and most importantly, is clicking on all cylinders, it is doubtful that the same good fortune awaits this host. Play: N.Y. Giants +119 (Risking 2 units).

[TheGame]

collin cowherd " blazing 5" 50-38-5 season

baltimore +7
giants +2.5

[STGUCHI]

Allen Eastman

NFL (Conference Championships)

pair of 5-Unit Plays  both straight from my NFL 411 System
5 UNITS  49ers 1H -0.5
5 UNITS 49ers -2.5


--
Ravens u50.5
Ravens +7


49ers u42
49ers u52 / Ravens u60.5 / Ravens +17 (10-point teaser)

[TheGame]

Vegas Sports Informer

2 Unit Play. #301 Take Baltimore +7 over New England (3:00p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22 CBS)

4 Unit Play. #304 Take San Francisco -2 ½ over New York Giants (6:30p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22 FOX)

[TheGame]

Strike Point Sports

5-Unit Play. Take #303 New York Giants (+2.5) over San Francisco (6:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22)

3-Unit Play. Take #302 New England (-7) over Baltimore (3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22)

[TheGame]

Indian Cowboy

2-Unit Play. #302. Take the New England Patriots -7 over the Baltimore Ravens (Sunday @ 3pm est).

Free NFL Prediction:
Take ‘Over' 50.5 Baltimore at New England (1 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22)
The general betting principle that I follow is favorite/under or underdog/over as I have been calling it the active dog/over for nearly 10 years. But I think this game will shape up a bit differently. For starters, the Patriots might have an added edge on their shoulders after the great defense performance against Tebow by giving up just 10 points. But even that game went over the posted total as the last 7 games for the Patriots have gone Over. Baltimore is also 4-1 to the Over on the road, either it be a favorite or an underdog. Combine this with Flacco being called out by Ed Reed (staged or no as Harbaugh could have very well asked Reed to do this), but this is going to put pressure on Flacco to step up. The whole situation just seems too perfect as someone questions Flacco and yet another player comes to defend him immediately after. Regardless, the Patriots defensive line is not as strong! as Houston's and I do expect Flacco to be able to make some checks and this offense to click a bit more. The Over is 4-0 when the Ravens face teams with a winning home record and the Over is 20-8 for the Patriots when they face a team with a winning record as well.

[TheGame]

 
WUNDERDOG

Game: Baltimore at New England (Sunday 1/22 3:00 PM Eastern)
Breaking News: The New England Patriots can score. The Pats have scored 30 or more points in 20 of their last 25 games. The Patriots defense has been their Achilles heel all season, giving up over 21 points per game and ranked second to last in the league in yards allowed. The Ravens strength is of course their defense. They have held opponents to 289 yards and 16.6 points per game. So can Baltimore stop this Patriots offense? Consider that the Ravens great defensive numbers are bolstered by an incredibly weak schedule. They have in fact played the softest offensive schedule in the NFL this season. They have faced the dead-last offense of the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 32, the No. 31 ranked offense in St. Louis, the No. 30 ranked offense in Indianapolis, the No. 29 ranked offense of the Cleveland Browns twice, the No. 28th ranked offense in Seattle, No. 26 San Francisco and finally the No. 25 New York Jets. That is eight games vs. the eight worst offenses in the league. The best they saw this season was San Diego who punched them for 415 yards and 34 points. New England played a very soft schedule too, as the only team they faced all season that won 10 games was Pittsburgh. And, they lost that game. The Ravens are 7-0 straight-up vs. playoff teams this year while New England still hasn't beaten a winning team this year. But, Brady is on a mission right now and in a quarterback-driven league, the Pats have a huge advantage at this position. My computer matchup for this game (NOT an official pick) has New England winning but not covering a 7-point spread. The public likes the Pats in this one. What will happen?

Game: New York Giants at San Francisco (Sunday 1/22 6:30 PM Eastern)
Last week I called the upset win by the Giants in part because I really felt the Packers were overrated. But, the Giants are also deserving of credit. This team was left for dead by many after losing to the Washington Redskins in week 15 by a score of 23-10. It was their fifth loss in six weeks as part of a big second-half meltdown. They haven't lost since, stirring up memories of the 2007-2008 magic season in which they won the Super Bowl. The Giants are winning because they have resolved defensive issues and are playing balanced offense. Their defense allowed 188 points from week 10-15 (31 per game). But since then they have allowed just 73 points in their last five (14.6 points per game). Hakeem Nicks has been unstoppable, grabbing 13 balls for 280 yards and four TDs in the two playoff games. But let's not forget about San Francisco, a team under the radar all season. They are 14-3 and have held opponents to just 15.4 points per game on the year. The 49ers are making people remember the old adage, "defense wins championships." Last week they handled the team that seemed the hottest going into the playoffs, beating Drew Brees and the high-powered Saints. Jim Harbaugh has this team believing and playing very good, solid fundamental football. My computer matchup for this game (NOT an official pick) has San Francisco winning a close one. The public thinks New York is likely to win the game.
Free play from predictem

With the two biggest favorites in the NFC bracket now golfing, the oddsmakers out in Las Vegas will try and earn their money with some crafty points spreads, right? Not so much, as it appears they took the easy way by listing the 49ers as early 2.5-point favorites at home, just the hook away from the “standard” 3-point number at home.
After a few days at the window, the number has yet to move in either direction, with all of Vegas and most of the offshore sportsbook industry sitting right at 49ers minus -2.5-points. There are a few sportsbooks on the Internet that are taking some East Coast money on the Giants, dropping down to minus -2 or even minus -1.5, but those a literally few and far between.
The over/under total opened at 45 and had taken a beaten since, dropping like a rock a full three points down to 42 or 42.5 at a majority of the sportsbooks on the Web. There are even a few 41.5s out on the Web, so a large portion of the early money is sitting on the under for this game.
When we look back at the November 13th meeting between these two teams this season to help handicap the title game, one aspect of offense that is certainly different is the running game.
The 49ers only ran 50 offensive plays in the game total back in week 10, so there 77 yards on 20 carries will need to change if San Francisco runs it’s game plan on Sunday. They’ll want to get Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter going early, not just to play from the front but also slow down the Giants red-hot pass rush. It’s hard to get sacks when the 49ers are pounding the ball, and head coach Jim Harbaugh is stubborn and smart enough to try and grind away.
The Giants run game will also be drastically different come Sunday, much different than the unit that ran for 93 yards (29 carries) in the week 10 matchup. For one, Ahmad Bradshaw didn’t play in the regular season meeting, and he’s enjoying a surge as the team’s main ball carrier. For two, the Giants are re-dedicated to running since the team has averaged 122 yards and 4.2 per carry during the win streak.
With two excellent and surging defenses and two head coaches that know that running the ball will be the key on offense, at some point this game will likely come down to one of the quarterbacks making a play. Smith took a huge step toward stardom last week in the Divisional round, and Eli Manning has been here before. If and when it comes down to it, I think Manning has to be given the edge until Smith proves to us all otherwise.
It is interesting to note that the Giants have only won once on the West Coast in San Francisco since the 1992 season (last 10 head-to-head meetings). With the exception of a 24-6 win in 2005 when the heralded Cody Pickett was playing QB for the 49ers, the Giants are 1-5 SU against the 49ers at Candlestick. The Giants are 3-3 ATS on the road, however.
But one huge betting trend in the Giants favor is their incredible 7-0 ATS record in their last seven playoff road games. That’s also a 7-0 ATS mark as road underdogs too, where they are 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 games overall as a road dog (of 0.5 to 3.0 points).
SF has played well as a home favorite (9-0 ATS in L9), and at home in Candlestick in general (19-6-3 ATS in last 28 home games), but those numbers are non-playoff numbers, so it’s apples and oranges really.
The over/under trends are mixed, with numbers in favor of both the under (under is 7-2 in NYG last 9 playoff games) and the over (over 4-1 in L5 San Francisco playoff games).
Badger’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: This game comes down to the steady leg of David Akers, and the 49ers win in a kicking duel. I’m betting San Francisco minus the points.
Free play from predictem

Reed is expected to play and the Ravens will need a great effort from him along with the rest of the Baltimore secondary to slow down the Patriots passing attack. Up front, Lewis and LB Terrell Suggs will be responsible for getting adequate pressure on Tom Brady. Brady seemingly becomes even more unstoppable the longer he has to throw the football so the Ravens must get pressure on him quickly to disrupt the Patriots offense.
Even if the Ravens defense stands up to the challenge against the talented Patriots passing attack, the Baltimore offense will need to play much better than they did last week against Houston. Baltimore managed just 227 total yards last week in the win against Houston and the majority of their points were the result of Houston turnovers. That type of performance will not get the job done this week against a Patriots offense that will put up their fair share of points no matter how well Baltimore's defense plays.
Baltimore does not have a flashy offense but they have run the ball extremely well behind running back Ray Rice and then built the passing game around that ground success. Rice has rushed for over 1,300 yards on the ground this season and added an additional 700 plus yards in the passing game. Rice is normally the guy that sets the tone for the offense and it will be interesting to see if the Patriots rush defense can keep him bottled up this weekend. For Baltimore it will be critical they have success on the ground and establish long drives to keep the New England offense off the field. If the Ravens are not able to establish their superb rushing attack, they will have to turn to QB Joe Flacco to lead the offense down the field.
Flacco has just not played well in recent weeks and completed just of 14 of 27 passes for 176 yards last week. Flacco did toss two touchdown passes in the win but the majority of the afternoon was spent seeing missed opportunities in the passing game. So far this season the Patriots pass defense has been horrible allowing an NFL 2nd worse 294 yards per game through the air. Therefore, the opportunity should be available for Flacco to get the ball into the hands of star WR Anquan Boldin and the rest of the Ravens receivers which will be needed to put some points on the scoreboard.
Jay's Pick to Cover the Point Spread: The Ravens are just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games and I do not believe they will have an answer to Brady and company this weekend. Houston QB T.J Yates missed many open opportunities last week against the Ravens defense that Brady will not miss this week. I think there is a big speed mismatch with the Baltimore linebackers and the Patriots receivers which will be a big difference. Additionally, I just do not think Baltimore has enough offense to score the points it will take to win the game or cover the spread. Take New England -8.

[TheGame]

Northcoast power sweep

3 nyg
2 ne

[STGUCHI]

Reno Sports Advisors

10* 49ers -2.5

[STGUCHI]

Arlon NFL

NFL
1* Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots Play Baltimore Ravens.

[STGUCHI]

NFL Prop Shop: Championship Weekend player prop picks
By RYAN STETSON

Player prop bettors were treated to a lot of big numbers last week when San Francisco slipped by New Orleans in a shootout and New England bombed the Denver Broncos to finally put an end to Tebowmania.

Here are my four favorite player prop plays for Championship Weekend.

Total rushing yards

Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens): Over/Under 80.5

Rice is the motor that makes Baltimore’s offense go and if the Ravens have any hope of keeping up with New England, Rice is going to have to make some big plays.

The tricky part with this one is Rice often breaks long ones on screen passes or on short passes out in the flats, not on straight running plays. He was held to 60 rushing yards against Houston and you know New England will be gunning for him.

The Ravens may end up abandoning the running game before they’d like, turning Rice into more of a receiving option.

Pick: Under (-120)

Total completions

Tom Brady (New England Patriots): Over/Under 25.5

Brady scorched the Broncos for six touchdown passes, but before you jump on the over, consider that he only completed 26 passes against Denver. The Patriots actually ran the ball 30 times in the 45-10 win, though they were certainly looking to kill some clock by the end of it.

Brady has topped 25 completions only twice in his last five games and is still nursing a left shoulder injury that forced him to sit out a practice this week.

Plus, he’s facing the No. 4 passing defense in the league. The thing you can’t measure here is revenge. The Ravens hammered him in the playoffs two years ago and he’ll be ready to make amends this time around.

Pick: Over (even)

Total receiving yards

Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers): Over/Under 50.5

Davis had a game most players only dream about last week, going for 180 receiving yards and the game-winning touchdown in the dying seconds. Asking for a performance like that against the Giants would be crazy, but this number looks a little low.

The Giants held the big tight end to 40 receiving yards and a touchdown on three catches back on Nov. 13. Containing him won’t be that easy this time around. Alex Smith is throwing the ball with confidence and Davis is easily the most dominate receiver he has at his disposal.

Davis is peaking at the right time, averaging 106 receiving yards per game over the last four outings.

Pick: Over (-110)

Total completions

Eli Manning (New York Giants): Over/Under 23.5

There’s a lot of hype about Eli’s recent hot streak, but it’s legit. He has completed at least 23 passes in six of his last eight games and has topped 300 yards in five of his last seven starts. It’s pretty clear by this point that the Giants are going to live and die by Eli’s right arm and not the running game.

San Francisco’s defense will be a major challenge, though. The 49ers are going to bring a lot of heat at Manning all day. But if Drew Brees can complete 40 passes against this defense, you have to think Eli should be able to connect on at least 25.

Pick: Over (-120)

[STGUCHI]

NFL conference championships' biggest betting mismatches
By LARRY HARTSTEIN

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (-7, 50)

Pats’ protection vs. Declining rush

The Ravens did not sack T.J. Yates last week. They only hit him twice.

Over the last four games, Baltimore has five sacks. For the season, the Ravens have 15 sacks on the road.

Baltimore’s pass rush is declining while New England’s pass protection is peaking. The Pats gave up no sacks, one QB hit, and four pressures against Denver.

The bye did wonders for New England’s O-line.

Left guard Logan Mankins came back from his knee injury and played seven of eight series in the first half. Right guard Brian Waters was outstanding, allowing zero pressures. Their strong play compensates for struggling center Dan Connolly. Matt Light is showing no dropoff at left tackle, and rookie Nate Solder has been solid on the right side.

When they give Tom Brady time, there’s no stopping this passing game.

Anquan Boldin vs. Soft corners

Boldin caught four balls for 63 yards and a touchdown in last season’s matchup. He might double those numbers Sunday.

The Patriots will sell out to stop Ray Rice, both in the running game and as a receiver. They simply don’t have a corner who matches up with the 6-foot-1, 223-pound Boldin.

Kyle Arrington and Devin McCourty better hope safety Patrick Chung is in the area when they try to tackle Boldin.

At 31 and coming off a knee injury, Boldin doesn’t create a lot of separation. But he played a full complement of snaps last week, ran a team-high 31 pass routes and finished with four catches for 73 yards and a score.

It was a tuneup for his starring role versus the Pats.

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers (-2.5, 42)

49ers’ brick wall vs. Coughlin’s stubbornness

Aside from one nice run each from Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, the Giants went nowhere on the ground against the Packers. They averaged 3.5 yards a carry for the game.

Coach Tom Coughlin insists the Giants have to be better Sunday to reach the Super Bowl.

But now they’re facing the brick wall that is San Francisco’s run defense (77.3 yards per game - best in NFL). Linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman and safeties Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner aren’t going to let Bradshaw or Jacobs get loose.

New York would be wise to run only as a change-up. Every fruitless carry is one less opportunity for Eli Manning and his elite receivers.

The Giants ranked last in the NFL in rushing (89.2 yards per game), and it wasn’t just due to Bradshaw’s injuries. Their O-line graded out as the fourth-worst run blocking unit, according to Pro Football Focus.

New York’s best formation’s Sunday will be Manning in the shotgun.

Giants’ pass rush vs. Subpar tackles

With Osi Umenyiora healthy, the Giants have gotten back to terrorizing quarterbacks.

New York sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, and hit or pressured him on 15 other occasions. 

Umenyiora has five sacks in three games since returning from his badly sprained ankle. His presence allows the Giants to keep Justin Tuck fresh or move him inside in certain situations.

Umenyiora, Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul should feast on San Fran tackles Joe Staley and Anthony Davis. Staley is slightly below average as a pass blocker, while Davis is downright awful. Davis gave up a sack, a hit and a pressure last week.

If the 49ers double-team New York’s pass-rushing ends, defensive tackles Chris Canty and Linval Joseph will bust through. Or blitzing linebacker Michael Boley (two sacks last week) will come free.

Most expect San Fran to go especially run-heavy Sunday. That would be smart. If the 49ers have to throw, Alex Smith won’t have time to look beyond his first read.

[STGUCHI]

AFC Championship blogger debate: Who covers the spread?

There’s no love lost between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens, especially with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. The Ravens shocked the Patriots in the playoffs at home two years ago, but a lot has changed with these teams since then.

Oddsmakers opened New England as a big 9-point home favorite for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, but that has been bet down to a touchdown.

Who better to give you the inside scoop on the Ravens and Patriots than the guys who eat, sleep, and breathe their team’s football 24 hours a day. We spark the debate between Baltimore blogger Bruce Raffel, of Baltimore Beatdown, and Patriots blogger Russ Loede, of Patriots Gab.

Find out what these team experts have to say about this weekend’s AFC Championship Game and get their final score prediction for Sunday’s showdown.


How will the Ravens defend Rob Gronkowski?

A defensive back will be pushed all over the place and a linebacker will have a tough time keeping up with Gronkowski. I can see the Ravens either putting our fastest, most athletic linebacker, Brendon Ayanbadejo, on him or even strong safety Bernard Pollard, who is really a safety with a linebacker's mentality. They could also just mark him with another defensive back with help from the rest of the secondary in coverage. The Ravens have been one of the best in defending the pass to the opponent's tight end, but have never faced a pair of TE’s like they have in New England.

Can Joe Flacco come through if the Ravens need to jump on his back?

Any honest Ravens fan will say that there is no way that the Ravens can win a shootout with Tom Brady and the Patriots. At the same time, coming back from a big deficit will also be tough because, as poor as New England's defense is, it’s among the league leaders in intercepting passes. Flacco can definitely have success against the Patriots, but he will need help from his offensive line. If they can protect him, there's no reason why he can't pick apart the porous Pats secondary. And if Ray Rice can rip off huge chunks of yardage on the ground, it will open up the passing lanes.

Will Baltimore play more passive after the officials coddled Brady in their last meeting?

The Ravens know only one way of playing and that is all out. Part of the reason this defense has been ranked among the best in the league for the past decade is that it never stops trying to knock the opposition out. They didn’t have a single penalty in last week's victory over the Houston Texans, but everyone knows how much the referees love Brady and they do their one-sided, obviously-biased best to protect him. Baltimore will try to pressure, harass and hit Miss Brady as much as possible and the threat of a yellow flag being whined for by the Pats QB will not deter them.

Prediction: Baltimore 28, New England 24

The Ravens have won four road playoff games in Joe Flacco's career, including a 33-14 win at New England a couple years ago. This team is far from overwhelmed and as tough as it can be as a visitor, one thing is for sure: This defense travels well. Despite being 0-6 in the regular season against the Patriots, all of the games have been close and in the one game that mattered, the Ravens prevailed in the playoffs and will repeat that Sunday afternoon.


Was last week an indication that the defense is ready to step up in the playoffs?

I believe the defense has something to prove The one thing you constantly hear about the defense is how it was ranked 31st overall during the regular season. I think the defense is feeding off the energy and production of the highly-efficient offense, and you saw that against the Broncos. This defense won’t be mistaken for the Ravens, but if anything, last weekend indicated the Patriots' stop unit is capable of giving Flacco and friends fits because of its athletic pieces.

How do the tight ends find room against a Ravens defense that has been especially stingy versus TEs?

Room will not be hard to come by. Big plays - that could be a different story. I know Gronk and Hernandez will combine for 15 or more catches because they’re just too good. You won't find a linebacker with enough speed to keep up with Gronkowski or a safety with the size to contain him in the open field. The only way to nullify the tight ends is to get to Brady and force them to stay inside to block. In the end, it will be a matter of how bad the dynamic duo burns Baltimore - not if they can find separation from the Ravens' linebackers and safeties.

Can the Pats offensive line hold up against the Ravens' dominant front line?

Yes and yes. A double-team is a must for Haloti Ngata and an extra back to hold up Terrell Suggs will be necessary. At times, you will see the Pats offensive line overmatched. But, as a group, they will work together to make sure Brady stays upright. I think the key will be the first drive. If the Patriots snatch the lead early they can use the running game as an option and that will keep the Ravens defense honest. Play-action, quick strikes on underneath/crossing routes will also help silence the Birds’ ferocious front line.

Prediction: New England 26, Baltimore 19

I think the Patriots will create an early lead and ride the accurate arm of Brady to Indianapolis. I don't have any faith whatsoever in Baltimore's playmakers, outside of Ray Rice, to make enough plays to catch up to the Patriots when they get behind. In all reality, the Pats have the home crowd and the best quarterback in the world on their side to take on a defense that is very good, but not great.

[STGUCHI]

NFC Championship blogger debate: Who covers the spread?

The NFC Championship between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants is a rematch of a Week 10 meeting, which the Niners won 27-20 at home. But a lot has changed with these teams since then.

Oddsmakers have set the Niners as 2.5-point home favorites this weekend, with the total sitting at 42 points

Who better to give you the inside scoop on San Francisco and New York than the guys who eat, sleep, and breathe their team’s football 24 hours a day. We spark the debate between 49ers blogger David Fucillo, of Niners Nation, and Giants blogger Ed Valentine, of Big Blue View.

Find out what these team experts have to say about this weekend’s NFC Championship Game and get their final score prediction for Sunday’s showdown.


Does Alex Smith's performance versus New Orleans allow San Francisco to open up the passing game?

The 49ers showed a willingness to open up the passing game earlier in the season, but the results haven’t been quite so compact as we saw on Saturday. When the 49ers and Giants met up in Week 10, the 49ers opened throwing the ball, with nine passing attempts and two runs on their first drive.

That being said, the 49ers’ best chance to advance involves dominating on the ground and keeping Eli Manning and his receivers on the sideline.

How do the Niners slow down the Giants trio of speedy receivers?

The 49ers safeties, particularly Dashon Goldson, will need to step up as well. They play aggressive coverage that has led to numerous interceptions, but that also provides an opportunity for big plays. The 49ers were among the league leaders in pass plays of 40-plus yards allowed and it comes from the aggression that leads to interceptions.

Can the 49ers win if they don’t create turnovers on defense?

If the 49ers are unable to force turnovers on the Giants, they can still win this game if their red-zone defense steps up. It will be difficult because, more than likely, they will be giving up a fair amount of yards and spending a bit too much time on the field. However, the 49ers defense has done a great job in the red zone when they haven't had success getting turnovers. They simply must hold the Giants to field goals.

Prediction: San Francisco 23, New York 20

I think the 49ers pull this win out but it will be interesting to see how the Giants adjust their game plan following the Week 10 matchup and the 49ers’ performance last week. They stacked the box against the run game during the regular season and forced Alex Smith to beat them, which he did. We won't see the exact same defense, so hopefully the 49ers can really establish the run game in the potentially nasty weather conditions.


Can New York create balance on offense against the Niners' top-ranked rushing defense?

Sure they can. They have run the ball pretty well the last few weeks, despite finishing last in the league overall in yards per game. Even last week against Green Bay, when the totals weren't good, the Giants hit three big running plays. They’re really a big-play offense, whether it comes from the passing game or the running game. They aren't a consistent, grind-it-out, well-oiled machine that will always look pretty. They can look really ugly, then strike quickly.

What's the biggest difference between the Giants now and when they lost to the 49ers in Week 10?

Health on defense. Osi Umenyiora is back. Justin Tuck is healthy. Michael Boley went out of that game injured. The health on defense has allowed the Giants to get back to doing what they do best - rushing the passer. They love using the four defensive ends on passing downs and they didn't have them for most of the season. The pass rush has helped the secondary, which is also playing more consistently.

Can the Giants defense be as disruptive against a run-first offense like the Niners?

Well, I don't know if disruptive is the right word. You don't get the big negative plays and the strip/sack type things against the run. But, what the Giants want to do - and I think they can do - is win on first down and put the 49ers in long-yardage situations. That enables them to turn the pass rushers loose.

Prediction: New York 27, San Francisco 20

Same score as last time, only with the Giants winning this one. It will be a close one, but the Giants will make enough plays and Eli Manning will find a way.