The NFL playoffs are down to four teams, and three of them are in familiar territory. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots have won two or more Super Bowls since 1996. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons are one of 13 teams to have never won the Super Bowl.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will attempt to be the first man to coach in seven Super Bowls, but standing in his way are RB Le’Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Can the Patriots slow down Bell, or will he record the most rushing yards this weekend?
Who will Record the Most Rushing Yards in the Conference Championship Round?
Le’Veon Bell: -200
Any Other Player: +150
All four teams have quality running backs, but Bell is a cut above. He leads all playoff rushers with 337 yards, which is 142 more than second-place Thomas Rawls. He also finished the regular season second in rushing yards per game (105.7). Of the remaining starting running backs, New England’s LeGarrette Blount was closest to Bell in that category, placing 11th with 72.6 rushing yards per game.
The Patriots’ rushing defense ranked third in the NFL in yards and allowed the fewest rushing touchdowns in the NFL. If they can slow Bell, an opportunity will be open for a different runner to finish with more rushing yards this weekend.
Who will Record the Most Passing Yards in the Conference Championship Round?
Aaron Rodgers: +180
Matt Ryan: +200
Tom Brady: +275
Ben Roethlisberger: +300
Rodgers and Ryan are favoured, as both are the trigger men in a game with a total of 61.5. They’re facing weaker defenses and are also playing indoors.
The Steelers-Patriots matchup could present far tougher sledding for the two quarterbacks. For starters, the Steelers don’t perform well in the playoffs when Big Ben has to air it out (12-1 when he throws for 256 or less, 1-5 otherwise). As for Brady, he’ll be up against a red-hot defense that’s giving up an average of 16.5 points per game over their last nine contests.
Will there be a Score in the First 7 Minutes and 30 Seconds of the First Quarter in the Packers-Falcons Game?
This matchup is looking at a 61.5-point total, which is higher than any other total we’ve ever seen in an NFL playoff game, so clearly lots of points are expected. How soon will the scoring start? The defenses look like the weak link on both sides; the Falcons’ unit ranked 28th in pass defense and passing touchdowns allowed (31), and the Packers were 31st in yards and 29th in touchdowns (32) allowed.
Super Bowl 51 Early Line
If you’ve got a hunch on how this weekend’s games will play out, you might consider the Super Bowl early line. Place your bet before the action starts on Sunday. Once we know the final two contenders, the odds will be adjusted accordingly.