Posted on
1/18/2008 5:43:33 PM
Bet on NFL Playoffs – Can San Diego Beat New England?
By Russell Edward
Any team can beat any other team on any given Sunday, the old saying goes, and we witnessed last week as the almost unthinkable happened twice. If you bet on football and chose the Chargers and the Giants to win last week in a two-team parlay, a $100 wager with the BetUS sportsbook would mean your bankroll jumped by $1562.50. Not a bad day at all, and one that leaves you with the option to take dogs this week as well, just in case, while covering yourself by taking the favorites, too. But would anyone take the San Diego Chargers (+500) this week, being a 14-point road dog with major injuries to the key offensive positions? Better yet, should anyone take them?
San Diego Chargers +14 at New England Patriots –14
The supposed weak spot on the New England Patriots (-700), the run defense, held the number one rushing game in the AFC to just 82 yards on 22 carries last week, in a thorough dismantling of the Jacksonville Jaguars – the AFC team many said had the best chance to beat New England because of that running game.
In Week 14, the Pittsburgh Steelers vaunted rushing game did slash the Patriots defense for 181 yards on 31 carries, for almost six yards per carry. Can the Chargers do the same? Will it matter? The Patriots have the offensive weapons to carefully dispose of any issues that might arise when an opponent finds one weakness. Against Pittsburgh, Tom Brady nullified any possible advantage that Willie Parker and company might have gained against another team by throwing for 399 yards and four touchdowns, even though the Patriots only held the ball for just over 25 minutes.
AFC Championship Game: Sunday, January 20 at 3 p.m. EST
If the Chargers do get a running game going and can keep the Patriots offense on the sidelines, it will not be nearly enough to win the game unless they can come up with another weapon. Pittsburgh had nothing else to give that night and the defense simply could not stop the Patriots aerial juggernaut. The Chargers will suffer the same sort of fate if they do not get more done on offense, as no defense seems able to slow Brady and his talented group of receivers.
Whoever plays at quarterback for San Diego will have to step up big time, make a few big plays downfield and add points, lots of them, to the board. Failing that, with the injuries they have recently suffered, the Chargers could suffer an even worse beat down than Pittsburgh did against New England when they lost 34-13, even though they executed much of their game plan to perfection.
Whatever you do, do not bet on the NFL playoffs with your heart. There is a lot of Patriots hating going on right now, because humans naturally want to see anything or anyone fall from the top of the heap. Still, while last week’s underdog bet would have paid off handsomely on the moneyline, this week, taking a chance on winning more off this surprising Chargers squad would be akin to throwing money away.
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