Saturday Wild Card Playoff Betting Info

Atlanta at Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals franchise will be hosting first playoff game since 1947, when they still resided in Chicago, which was about nine years before air-conditioning was introduced to a still budding metropolis called Phoenix in 1956.

For the most part, this is matchup of post-season neophytes, with Atlanta’s roster far different than the team that won division title in 2004. As this juncture, you have to dance with what brought you too this point. Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood of late have been quite a combination and Arizona has had problems with the power rushing teams, especially tackling. Matt Ryan must continue to keep his composure and get Roddy White in the right spots to attack ordinary Cards pass defense. Atlanta is 6-1 ATS off a spread loss.

You have to question the Cardinals mental toughness at this point. They have been unfocused for a month, and it’s not like they have an abundance of talent to just turn it on. It is imperative on offense they click from the very first play and put up points of some kind on the first drive to build confidence and three and out on defense wouldn’t hurt either. Remember, not only for this opening game, but what looks to be all the Wild Card games, home underdogs are 9-2 ATS.

Indianapolis at San Diego

This is you perfect example of why non-traditionalist want to abolish winning the division holding greater importance over having a better record. Indianapolis has won nine games in a row which is one more than what San Diego won all season. The Colts even hung a loss on San Diego earlier this season, with a 23-20 on a last-second field goal in November as three point road underdogs.

Indianapolis is far from a great team; not nearly as good as many of the teams they had earlier this decade. What Manning and the coaching staff have done is piece together a team that just wins, seldom by much as 7-8-1 ATS record proves. Since Ron Rivera started calling defensive signals, the Chargers have at least returned to more aggressive style, better suited to personnel. The Colts O-Line has to give Manning time to throw, since the Chargers secondary is just playing poorly this season. Indy can’t give up on the run either. A good method to keep the Bolts off guard is short completions on first down and run on second down. This loosens San Diego front seven. The Colts are 11-3 ATS after three or more triumphs.

Norv Turner it seems forgets what the strengths of his teams are. Anywhere he has coached, when his teams play physical, they win. San Diego played most of the year like a flag football team on offense and defense. Once they just started smacking people and trading paint, the Chargers started to win. The Bolts style is contrarian to how Indianapolis plays, which is why they give them so much trouble over the years. Manning has had more than one sour effort against San Diego, with pressure coming right up and A-and-B gaps. Phillip Rivers despite have sensational season, has made incredibly bad turnovers at the wrong time, he must play smart for San Diego to raise record to 14-4 ATS off a home blowout win by 21 points or more.

Chew on this, playoff teams that lost in the conference semi-finals the prior year and scored 24 or less points are 10-0-1 ATS in first playoff game the next year. Hello Indianapolis.