NFL Betting - Sanchez Needs to Step it Up This Weekend
Jan 21st, 2010 by admin
One of the most anticipated playoff games this weekend is the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts contest. On the surface, it looks like a blowout: Peyton Manning has a laser guided throw and a half way decent defense to back him up. On the other hand, the Jets are the big surprise of the playoffs, and ironically the team that ended the Colts’ bid for an undefeated season. Clearly, had the Colts won that game, they wouldn’t be facing the Jets this weekend; but “what ifs” and “what could have been” don’t count now. The game plan is to win and make it to the Super Bowl for both the Jets and Colts.
All this means that the Jets’ quarterback, Mark Sanchez, will need to step up his game to near “Peyton Manning” level. You don’t have to be Peyton Manning to beat Peyton Manning, but you’d better be damn close. Looking at the stats, Sanchez has 196 completions for 364 attempts over 2444 yards. He’s coordinated a respectable 12 Touchdowns as well. When you look at their opponent’s bench, there’s a marked difference. Manning is probably the best quarterback in the entire league, claiming 393 completions for 571 attempts over 4500 yards. He’s also got 33 Touchdowns to his name. So, as you can see, going quarterback-to-quarterback, Sanchez is definitely going to need an extra bowl of Wheaties on Sunday morning.
Quarterback issues aside, each team’s rushing units are solid. The Jets boast Thomas Jones with 331 carries over 1402 yards and 14 touchdowns, while teammate Shonn Greene has contributed 108 carries over 540 yards for 2 touchdowns. In the Colt’s barn, Joseph Addai has 219 carries over 828 yards with 10 touchdowns, besting teammate Donald Brown who has 78 carries over 281 yards and 3 touchdowns to his name. The Colts will need to be on guard when Sanchez goes to Thomas Jones: he’s rushed for 50% more yards than his Colts counterpart Joseph Addai.
Receiving will also be a key factor in the game, and could prove to be the deciding factor in how successful each offense plays. Each team’s rushers are solid; but when it comes to receiving, the Colts’ Reggie Wayne/Dallas Clark duo out classes the Jets. Sanchez has passed 57 receptions over 821 yards for 3 touchdowns with Jerricho Cotchery, while teammate Braylon Edwards has 35 receptions over 541 yards with 4 touchdowns. That’s not bad for a team that typically looks to its rushing squad for most plays. The receiving squad for the Colts, however, is literally playing in a different league altogether. Manning has connected with Reggie Wayne 100 times over 1264 yards for 10 touchdowns, and he also likes to throw to Dallas Clark, who’s caught 100 times as well over 1106 yards with 10 touchdowns. Manning doesn’t favor any particular receiver, and as a result, each player is well prepared to make a dash for the end zone when they catch the ball. The Colts’ experience and strength in receiving clearly outshines the Jets receiving lineup.
What will be the deciding factor? When it’s all said and done, it will come down to how effective the Jets can rush and play defense against the Manning offensive Machine. For the Colts, they’ll need to execute their offensive with precision, and be on guard for any of the Jet’s rushing attempts. If Thomas Jones isn’t neutralized, the Colts will get their tails kicked pretty fast.
Looking at the sportsbooks, the Colts are clearly favored with the current odds -8/+8 Colts/Jets respectively. The Vikings/Saints game is much closer, +3.5/-3.5 Vikings/Saints respectively. If you like betting on the dog, the Jets should be on your ticket. An eight point spread is fairly large for a playoff game, so recreational bettors might be able to get under that line and pick up some cash. Otherwise, betting on the Colts is safer than buying a US Treasury Bond.
Good Luck NFL Betting during this season’s playoffs!