Now that the college football season is over, the NFL has our full attention. The football odds for all four Division Round games will be available at Bodog Sports; we'll preview the two most compelling contests in this week's betting preview. All times are Eastern. Make sure to take advantage of our live sports betting feature where available for these marquee matchups.
1. NFL: Baltimore at Indianapolis (Saturday, 8:15 p.m.)
This ought to be a dandy. The Ravens (10-7 SU, 9-7-1 ATS) punched their ticket to the Divisional Round with a convincing 33-14 humiliation of the New England Patriots (-3.5) at Gillette Stadium, forcing Tom Brady into three interceptions and racking up 234 rushing yards. The Colts (14-2 SU, 10-5-1 ATS) beat Baltimore 17-15 as 1-point road favorites back in Week 11 in a very close contest. Indianapolis only ranks No. 20 in the league in efficiency against the run. Ravens QB Joe Flacco is bothered by a quad injury and a sore hip and completed just four of his 10 passes against the Patriots.
2. NFL: Dallas at Minnesota (Sunday, 1:00 p.m.)
The Cowboys (12-5 SU, 10-7 ATS) had little trouble putting away the Eagles (+3.5) in the Wild Card Round, winning 34-14 and forcing four turnovers in yet another dominant late-season display by the defense. The Vikings (12-4 SU, 9-6-1 ATS) are 2-3 SU and ATS in their last five games, but Minnesota still proved itself to be an elite team this year with Brett Favre (107.2 passer rating) at quarterback and the most efficient run defense in the nation. The secondary is vulnerable, though, and Tony Romo (97.6 passer rating) savaged a very good Eagles pass defense on Saturday with a pair of TD strikes and zero picks. Check our NFL odds page for the latest lines.
3. NBA: Chicago at Boston (Thursday, 8:00 p.m.)
They had an epic first-round series last season, but it's hard to imagine this year's Bulls (15-20 SU, 15-18-2 ATS) coming anywhere close to competing with the Celtics (26-9 SU, 16-19 ATS) in the 2010 playoffs. This Thursday, on the other hand, could be a different story. Kevin Garnett (19.5 points, 9.9 rebounds per 40 minutes) has been out of action since Dec. 28 with a hyperextended knee, and could be out another couple of weeks according to coach Doc Rivers. The Celtics are 3-2 SU and ATS since the Big Ticket was put on the shelf. Chicago is 5-3 SU and 7-1 ATS since Christmas, coinciding with the return of power forward Tyrus Thomas (15.9 points, 11.0 rebounds per 40 minutes) to the lineup.
4. NCAAB: No. 7 Syracuse at No. 8 West Virginia (Saturday, 12:00 p.m.)
The college hoops game of the week takes us to the Big East, where the Orange (15-1 SU, 9-3 ATS) and the Mountaineers (12-2 SU, 5-8 ATS) have already suffered one loss apiece in conference play. Syracuse fell 82-72 to Pittsburgh (+11) last week, while West Virginia got the wrong end of a 70-68 final at Notre Dame (+4.5) on Saturday. The Orange have bagged a pair of victories SU and ATS to recover from that Pitt defeat. WVU has the marginally more efficient offense of the two teams, but Syracuse is notably better on defense, both inside and on the perimeter.
5. NHL: New Jersey at N.Y. Rangers (Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.)
The Eastern Conference-leading Devils (31-11-1, 13.89 units) are coming off an unusual "suspended game" situation. On Friday night, they were down 3-0 to the Tampa Bay Lightning (+195) in the second period when a lighting problem at the Prudential Center caused the remainder of the game to be put off until Sunday. Tampa Bay went on to win the game 4-2. This means New Jersey had to play three days in a row before getting Monday off. The Rangers (22-17-6, 11.14 units) played just once during that span, beating the Boston Bruins (-135) 3-1 on Saturday to improve to 8-1-3 since mid-December.
Honorable Mentions
NFL: Arizona at New Orleans (Saturday, 4:30 p.m.)
NFL: N.Y. Jets at San Diego (Sunday, 4:40 p.m.)
NBA: Phoenix at Atlanta (Friday, 8:00 p.m.)
NCAAB: No. 3 Kentucky at Florida (Tuesday, 9:00 p.m.)
NHL: Ottawa at Montreal (Saturday, 7:00 p.m.)
This information is provided in partnership with BoDog Sportsbook
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