NFC Championship Philly (-4)  @ Zona (+4) Over/Under 47.5

I’d like to thank the Cardinals for the money they’ve made me the past 2 weeks and because we are friends I won’t point out that they could have easily lost that game with a 27-7 lead at halftime if Carolina would have run the ball and got some rhythm instead of letting Delhomme throw into double coverage every play. Is the Cardinals defense good? No, no they are not good. You’re not looking at a defense that has TAKEAWAYS, like the Ravens or Steelers. You’re looking at a team who played against one of the all-time playoff chokes and a rookie quarterback the week before. We are going to see all the chinks in their armor against the Eagles. In fact, I’m so sure that the Eagles are going to cover the 4 points that I’m going to spot Arizona 10 points to some ridiculous offensive play and a McNabb fumble, and I still think the Eagles score at least 34 points. Don’t be afraid if the 1^st quarter doesn’t go the Eagles way. Now as for the Eagles, every week this year, I would call up my buddy to talk about the lines and which picks we felt were good. EVERY SINGLE WEEK, we would say, “oh you gotta take the Eagles, their blitz packages are going to eat that quarterback up.” The Eagles defense was so inconsistent that it has become a running joke that we should be using even though the Eagles aren’t in the playoffs at all…..but somehow they are. How did they get here? They played Tarvaris Jackson and somehow didn’t have to face Adrian Peterson in the 4^th quarter at all. Then, they played Eli “how exactly does the wind affect my throws?” Manning and got to see Brandon Jacobs SHARE HALF THE CARRIES with Ward. That is terrible coaching. The good news for the Eagles is that the Cardinals can’t run the ball. The better news is that they’re playing a soft defense. They have to roll…..they just have to.

Final Score: Eagles 34 – Cardinals – 24 (game not as close as score)

AFC Championship Ravens (+6) @ Steelers (-6) Over/Under 33.5

PLUS SIX, VEGAS IS GIVING US 6. In the two meetings this season, the Steelers won by a TOTAL of 7 points, and now it’s a 6 point spread in a playoff game to go to the Super Bowl? These are the best defenses in football. More importantly, these are the best RED ZONE defenses in football. You don’t cover 6 without touchdowns, that is the plural version of the word there. In week 15, Flacco was 11/28 for 115 yards and 2 picks, and it still took the Steelers 59 minutes to get into the end zone to squeak out a win at 13-9. The only difference between that game and this one is that Willie Parker looked like a Super Bowl MVP last week. Roethlisberger had a spinal concussion in week 17, and he played like a stud last week anyway. I refuse to believe either team gets in the end zone twice. This game will be won on 4^th down plays. I like the Ravens defense more. I like the Steelers offense more. Flacco will turn in another sub-par performance, but if they win, people will anoint him as the greatest rookie quarterback again. Baltimoreans just have to hope they aren’t playing from behind in the 4^th because he will not win you the game. I think there’s a good chance we see a safety, a quarterback kick, 5 attempts at 4^th down conversions, 2 of the hardest hits of all time, 3 interceptions, a confused touchdown celebration, and ABOVE ALL the announcers will once again profess their love for Ben Roethlisberger. He is like that friend of yours who has had girls eating out of his hand since he was in junior high, and you have no idea why. It’s not looks, intelligence, or money, but for some reason the STD isn’t his fault. If “Big Ben” throws 3 picks on Sunday, he’s going to get so many encouraging messages on his MySpace from sportswriters and announcers that I will once again have to pray that I never have to see him play again just to avoid this uncomfortable experience.

Final Score: Steelers 15 – Ravens 13 (winning because of a safety is epic)

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Dave Weitzel is a professional gambler and excels at everything from Poker to Chinese Checkers and has been betting on both since the third grade.  Dave Weitzel has turned his sights to sports betting and is passing his knowledge onto you via The Odds by The Sports Union.

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