…And then there were four. Championship Sunday will determine which teams will meet in Super Bowl XLIX, and bettors are advised to soak up as much information as possible before making decisions on the two games. With that in mind, here are a few relevant facts and figures:
Green Bay Packers @ Seattle Seahawks (Sea -7.5, 46.5)
– Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers boasts a 105.3 passer rating in 11 career playoff games, which is the second-highest career playoff rating in NFL history. What quarterback is the highest-rated postseason passer in league history, you may ask? That would be Seattle’s Russell Wilson, who checks in at 109.8.
– The Packers are a 13-4 team that has racked up 7 double-digit wins, but much of that success has come at home. When they leave the friendly confines of Lambeau Field the results are often much different, as they were 4-4 overall (3-5 ATS) in their eight road games this season and have covered just 3 times in their last 10 road games against teams with winning records.
– The Seahawks have won eight consecutive home playoff games, covering in 4 of the last 5. They’re also traditionally at their best when faced with quality opposition, going 19-6-1 ATS in their last 27 games against teams with winning records.
– Much has been made of the Seattle defense, but the Packers have improved on that side of the ball as well, allowing more than 21 points just once in their last 9 games. They’re especially good in the secondary, ranking 10th against the pass, and the Seattle offense ranks 28th in pass yards per game.
– Aaron Rodgers’ calf injury was clearly an issue last week, but he still managed to throw for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns and is officially listed as probable for Sunday. Rodgers struggled in his only other appearance in the NFC Championship game (2010), throwing 2 interceptions and completing just 17 passes in the worst playoff outing of his career. The Packers were still able to win that game, though, and Rodgers would go on to be named MVP of Super Bowl XLV.
– This is a matchup of the league’s best offense and the league’s best defense, as the Packers lead the NFL in points scored while the Seahawks rank 1st in points allowed. What happens when a great offense meets a great defense? Well, back in Week 1 the Packers managed just 16 points and fewer than 300 total yards against this very same Seattle defense. Green Bay has surely fine-tuned some things since then, but will it be enough?
– The Packers rank 23rd in rushing defense but they improved over the course of the season, surrendering 86.4 rushing yards per game and just 3.6 yards per carry over their final eight regular-season contests. However, they allowed DeMarco Murray to run for 123 yards and a touchdown last week, and the last time they faced the Seahawks they didn’t put up much of a fight, with Marshawn Lynch and the ‘Hawks rolling up 207 yards on the ground.
Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots (NE -6.5, 53.5)
– Andrew Luck has faced the Patriots three times in his career and it hasn’t been pretty, with New England winning all three games by 21 points or more. Luck has topped 300 yards passing each time, though, so he should have confidence in his ability to succeed against Bill Belichick’s defense.
– The Patriots have covered just 3 times in their last 14 playoff games and are 0-5 ATS in their last five AFC Championship games. However, they’re generally an excellent team to back when they face good teams at home, covering in 8 of their last 9 home games against teams with winning records.
– When these team met back in Week 11 the Patriots showed their offensive versatility, turning to seldom-used running back Jonas Gray against an Indianapolis defense that has struggled against the run all season, surrendering nearly 115 rush yards per game. Gray responded by rushing for over 200 yards in a 22-point New England win, a performance that laid bare Indy’s deficiencies on defense. The Colts will undoubtedly pay more attention to the New England running game this time around, which could lead to opportunities for Tom Brady and the potent Patriots passing attack.
– The Patriots could be without their starting center on Sunday, as Bryan Stork left last week’s Divisional Round game with a knee injury and did not return. Stork didn’t practice over the first half of this week and his status should be monitored closely in the coming days. If Stork can’t play, right guard Ryan Wendell is expected to slide over to center, with reserve Josh Kline filling Wendell’s spot at guard. Anyone who remembers how horrifically bad the New England offensive line was early in the season knows that shifting things around at this juncture could prove disastrous.
– Andrew Luck led the NFL in passing yards this season and he’s averaged an astounding 340.8 pass yards per game in 5 career playoff starts. On Sunday Luck will face a New England defense that ranks 17th against the pass and was shredded for 292 yards and 4 touchdowns by Joe Flacco last week.
– The Colts have now had 6 consecutive games come in under the posted total, and the Under is 7-1 in their last eight postseason road games. The Patriots have also been playing at lot of low-scoring football lately, with Under bettors cashing in 5 of New England’s last 7 games overall. However, the Over is 6-0 in the last six games between the Patriots and Colts. BETDAQ has the total for Sunday’s game set at 53.5.
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
Bet via BETDAQ mobile below
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
