NFL Betting – Divisional Round Sunday

The Divisional Round wraps up Sunday with two NFL betting matchups to choose from. Here’s an inside look at these games and their odds:

Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears (-10, 41.5)

NFL playoff bettors have a tough one to tangle with Sunday afternoon. The Seahawks, still glowing from their upset over the New Orleans Saints last weekend, are set as big underdogs in the Windy City.

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The NFL pointspreads have Seattle as a 10-point pup, expecting a letdown after such an emotional win at home.

These Seahawks, however, are playing with house money – much like they did against the Saints. Their defense was aggressive and tackled well while the offense got a spark from the return of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who passed for 272 yards and four touchdowns. They have nothing to lose and played with unwarranted confidence last Saturday.

The Seahawks already have a victory over Chicago this season, taking a 23-20 win from the Bears as 6-point underdogs at Soldier Field in Week 6. However, Hasselbeck told reporters his team was only able to win that game thanks to the absence of Chicago pass rusher Lance Briggs, who missed the meeting with Seattle due to a sprained ankle. Briggs is back and Hasselbeck knows he’s in for a long day versus an aggressive Chicago front seven.

The Bears excelled at stopping the run this season, ranking second in the NFL, but they did show weakness against the pass. They were ripped by elite QBs like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers and even allowed Hasselbeck to pass for 242 yards and a score back in October. Receiver Mike Williams had a huge day versus the Bears, catching 10 balls for 123 of those yards.

Chicago wasn’t able to generate much offense during Week 6, marching for only 61 yards on the ground. Running back Matt Forte is hoping to redeem himself this weekend after posting 11 yards on eight carries against the Seahawks. Forte has been red-hot lately, rushing for 296 total yards in his last three games. Seattle’s stop unit finished the year ranked 21st on the ground and gave up two rushing touchdowns to the Saints on Saturday.

The Seahawks are 3-1 ATS in the past four meetings with the Bears and all four of those games have played over the total. Sunday’s number is at 41.5 points – the second-highest total between these two teams in the past 24 years.

New York Jets at New England Patriots (-8.5, 44.5)

The Jets are selling this AFC battle like a boxer would promote an upcoming fight. New York has been mudslinging since the final whistle blew on last weekend’s win over the Indianapolis Colts, most notably defensive back Antonio Cromartie, who blasted Patriots stud quarterback Tom Brady in the New York Daily News.

While New England coach Bill Belichick is issuing a gag order for his team, the one-way trash talk is apparently convincing some bettors. The Jets have been bet down from 9-point road underdogs to +8.5 for what will be their third meeting with the Patriots this season.

New York defeated New England 28-14 as a 3-point home pup in Week 2 only to have the Pats return serve in Week 13 with a 45-3 drubbing as 4-point faves in Foxboro. Brady put together his best performance of the season with 326 yards and four touchdown passes, while Jets QB Mark Sanchez stunk up Gillette Stadium with a 17-for-33 performance, totaling 164 yards and three interceptions.

Sunday’s grudge match could turn into a slugfest on the ground. Both teams have been able to run the ball effectively. New York put together 152 rushing yards in that blowout loss to New England and marched for 169 yards and two scores in its thrilling 17-16 victory as a 1-point underdog in Indianapolis last weekend.

New England got a welcome surprise in running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who rumbled for 72 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 13 win over the Jets. Green-Ellis has scored at least one touchdown in all but six games this year and cracked the 1,000-yard mark in rushing. The Patriots are also known to switch around their ball carriers, giving rushing plays to receivers and tight ends.

The Jets are just 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 meetings with the Pats. These AFC East rivals have gone 5-4-1 over/under in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. Sunday’s total is set at 44.5 points, the same number as in Week 13.

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