NFL Parlay Picks – Let’s Hope for a Total-ly Awesome Playoff Weekend

In our NFL parlay picks this weekend we once again look at totals, this time on three of the games that are being played in the NFL. Some of the best defenses in the league will be in action, and obviously the oddsmakers have adjusted accordingly, so will anything happen out of the ordinary? We explore that in this three-teamer in our NFL parlay picks.

BALTIMORE RAVENS at PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Saturday, January 15 — 4:30 PM ET

Football Playoff Odds:  Pittsburgh -3, Baltimore +3, Total 37

This is one of the two matchups for this playoff weekend where the teams know each other very, very well. I’m not sure whether that kind of thing translates into something that favors the offense or the defense to a more considerable extent. I am going to guess the defense, based on the fact that these teams are probably more talented on the defensive side than they are on the offensive side, and because I am looking at some of the recent results. In the last six games played between these two, the total has exceeded 37 only once. In the last seven meetings only four times has one of the two teams reached 300 yards on offense. Plus, the nastiness quotient is very high on both sides.

JAY’S PLAY – NFL PARLAY PICKS:  UNDER 37

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GREEN BAY PACKERS at ATLANTA FALCONS

Saturday, January 15 — 8 PM ET

Football Playoff Odds: Atlanta -2.5, Green Bay  +2.5, Total  43.5

These teams both have some excellent talent on offense; after all, Green Bay has Aaron Rodgers that group of receivers, while the Falcons have Matt Ryan, who has built a great record at home (winning 20 of the last 22), a top running back in Michael Turner, a Hall of Famer in Tony Gonzalez and a guy who is putting up All-Pro numbers in Roddy White. Yet I just sense that this is going to be one of those games that features a lot of punches in the mouth.

Both teams (and this includes the Packers) are going to try to run the ball, maybe because neither of them have put up very good numbers stopping it. Atlanta may even DARE Rodgers to hand the ball off. Remember that these defenses operate at a high level of proficiency; Green Bay allows only 15 points a game and Atlanta surrenders 18. On the road, the Packers have scored 18 points a game. These teams played it very close to the vest in the first meeting, which resulted with a 20-17 Atlanta win.

JAY’S PLAY – NFL PARLAY PICKS:  UNDER 43.5

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS at CHICAGO BEARS

Sunday, January 16 — 1 PM ET

Football Playoff Odds:  Chicago -10, Seattle +10, Total 41.5

It appears as if the snow showers are going to avoid Soldier Field on Sunday, and that is good news for the offenses, and for the Bears in particular, I suppose. Seattle often implodes on the road, and that is principally because they have a hard time stopping anyone. The Seahawks allow over 29 points a game when they are the visitor, and they’ve yielded nearly 400 yards of offense per game. if we were looking at the Bears earlier in the season, we would be lamenting the fact that they weren’t making use of the ground attack, but they got themselves straightened during a bye week, which came just a game after they suffered the indignity of losing to Seattle at home.

To the credit of Lovie Smith, Mike Martz, Jay Cutler, and whoever else was involved, the Bears greatly improved their pass protection, which was horrid then and has upgraded to "average" now, as well as their running game, where they use Matt Forte the way he was being used before, and also the third down efficiency. All of this adds up to bad news for Seattle’s defense, which did a decent job of rushing the passer but didn’t perform any miracles last week against New Orleans in that 41-36 thriller.

JAY’S PLAY – NFL PARLAY PICKS:  OVER 41.5

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