What is this Weekend's AFC & NFC Conference Championship Playoff Game Picks

Question

I am planning to bet on AFC & NFC Conference Championship Playoff Game and would like to know what betting experts say about AFC & NFC Conference Championship Playoff picks. Please help me find AFC & NFC Conference Championship Playoff picks as I want to

Answer 1

2011 NFC Conference Championship: Green Bay at Chicago
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The Packers will win…

because the Packers have been the best team in football since late December and that isn't going to change anytime soon. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers(notes), the best QB remaining in the playoffs, is playing on All-Madden difficulty right now. Since week 16 against the Giants, Green Bay's first "win or the season is over" contest in the past month, Rodgers has thrown eleven touchdowns, just one interception and has a quarterback rating of over 122 in those four contests. Chicago's defense was great when it mattered on Sunday but, and no disrespect to Matt Hasselbeck(notes), Aaron Rodgers is not Matt Hasselbeck.

Chicago has the NFL's second best run defense but don't discount running back James Starks(notes), who, like Aaron Rodgers, will have a chip on his shoulder this Sunday. Starks was snubbed by the Bears during the NFL Draft, a fact the sixth-round pick hasn't forgotten. A few decent-to-impressive gains from Starks early on will open things up even more for Rodgers.

Ask Matty Ice about Green Bay's pass rush and cornerback Tramon Williams(notes). The Packers brought Atlanta QB Matt Ryan(notes) down five times on Saturday evening and Williams picked him off twice, taking one 70 yards to the house for what was a backbreaking touchdown at the end of the first half. Jay Cutler, good for one interception a game during the regular season (three in two games against Green Bay), could have a very long afternoon.

The Bears will win…

because Chicago already knows how to stop the Green Bay offense. On January 2 in Green Bay, when the Packers had to win to save their season while the Bears had no real reason to try, Chicago held Green Bay to 2.6 yards on the ground and just ten points in a 10-3 losing effort. The Bears know that it's going to be the Aaron Rodgers show on Sunday afternoon and they can penetrate Green Bay's offensive line. Chicago's also scoring more than three points this Sunday.

Jay Cutler's most important weapon against Green Bay may not be his arm. Facing a Seattle defense that sacked him six times on October 17, Cutler rushed for 43 yards and two scores in front of the home crowd. His athleticism, along with better decision, will prevent Cutler from being on his back and handing the ball to the defense.

Green Bay has struggled against the run at times and the duo of Matt Forte(notes) (still an incredibly underrated weapon) and Chester Taylor(notes) should be able to take some of the pressure off of Cutler. Forte especially could be vital depending on the weather conditions, as he's good for at least three catches out of the backfield.

Prediction : I do believe the Packers to be the best team in football and they're essentially on a four-game playoff winning streak. There may not be a force on this earth that can stop Aaron Rodgers over the next three weeks as he completes his Super Bowl mission. A late game TD from the eventual Super Bowl MVP gives Green Bay a 17-16 win .

2011 AFC Conference Championship: New York Jets at Pittsburgh

The Jets will win…

because the Jets are the real "AFC's best team" and they proved it last weekend. While the Steelers were being assisted by phantom holding penalties, Gang Green was just beating up the league's number one team on their own field. New England looked invincible just a few weeks ago but, and don't let the score fool you, they were thoroughly beaten by a better team. As Evan Roberts of WFAN said on Monday, the Jets "left no doubt."

While football fans fawn over Big Ben's fourth quarter performance against the Ravens, Mark Sanchez(notes) has quietly evolved into a Super Bowl QB before our very eyes. He did something Roethlisberger couldn't do in Pittsburgh in mid-November; Sanchez outplayed Tom Brady(notes) and did so in New England. With Braylon Edwards(notes) and Santonio Holmes(notes) on separate "I told you so" missions, Sanchez could have at least one more three-touchdown game ahead of him.

The New York defense needed to find a pass rush in order to advance to another AFC title game. They found one at the best time, harassing Brady throughout the contest and sacking the MVP QB five times. When Brady wasn't eating the turf, he was finding no open receivers due to an A-plus effort from the New York secondary. I'd bet on at least one Roethlisberger turnover this Sunday evening.

The Steelers will win…

because teams don't beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh twice in the same season. The Ravens found this out the hard way and that was after the Steelers spotted them 21 consecutive points and a 14-point advantage. Heinz Field is the ultimate homefield advantage and that crowd will be able to rattle the New York offense in ways the Indy and New England fans could not.

Pittsburgh has an amazing ability to change a game in a heartbeat, especially when it looks like they are down and out. The Jets are perfectly capable of jumping out to a 13-7/16-7 halftime lead on the road this weekend. What happens, however, if the Steelers answer back with two consecutive touchdown drives? Can this Jets offense answer the call late in the game in Pittsburgh against the league's number one defense with a Super Bowl berth on the line?

Ben Roethlisberger(notes) certainly can. He's the most proven clutch quarterback playing this Sunday and he's shown that he doesn't require an incredible Santonio Holmes tippy-toes catch in order to pull off a game winning drive. If Big Ben gets the ball with two minutes to go and a chance to win the game, the Steelers are going to another Super Bowl. Bank on it.

Prediction : The Jets have adopted the "us against the world" mentality, they aren't afraid of playing in Pittsburgh and the team's biggest concern, the second year QB out of USC, is playing as good as ever. I foresee a green Super Bowl as the Jets beat the Steelers 24-20.

That's all for me. You've been great, as always. Enjoy all of the NFL labor dispute talk. Which side are you on?