There are six teams in the NFC Conference that are in the mix to be NFC Conference Champions. NFL oddsmakers have the Green Bay Packers listed as 10/13 odds favorite to win the NFC Conference. Let’s take a look at who else could content with Aaron Roger and the Packers. Be sure to make your 2012 NFL NFC Conference Picks before Wild Card Weekend kicks-off.
Odds to win the 2012 NFC Conference:
Green Bay Packers 10/13
New Orleans Saints 11/4
San Francisco 49ers 6/1
New York Giants 10/1
Atlanta Falcons 16/1
Detroit Lions 28/1
New Orleans (13-3, 8-0 H) finished atop the NFC South and host Detroit Saturday Jan 7th. The Saints won their only meeting this season 31-17, at home, in Week 13. Sean Payton’s Saints are playing better than anyone in the NFL at the moment, but home against Detroit, at San Francisco and at Green Bay would be a very arduous path to Indianapolis. Can it be done? Definitely. But there are no layups in that lineup. We have witnessed the full fury of the Saints offense with three consecutive 40-point-plus outings, but maybe the best news with January having arrived is that Gregg Williams’ defense has given up 17 points or less five times during New Orleans’ current eight-game winning streak, with no one topping 24 points during that span.
San Francisco (13-3, 7-1 H) won the NFL West and they received a first round bye, where they face the winner between New Orleans and Detroit, Saturday Jan 14th. The 49ers won this season with a defense that held the score down, and a conservative-style offense that ran the ball and didn’t beat itself in the passing game. It’s a great blueprint for success in the regular season, but maybe the 2000 Ravens or the 1990 Giants were the last couple of teams to go all the way with that approach in the postseason. It’s going to take more offense than San Francisco has needed thus far to get past the likes of New Orleans and Green Bay in the playoffs. That puts a big burden on Alex Smith’s shoulders this month.
New York (9-7, 4-4 H) won the NFC East and host Atlanta on Sunday Jan 8th. They didn’t play this season but the Giants won their last meeting 34-31 (OT) at home. The Giants responded to pressure well the past two weeks, winning the NFC East with consecutive playoff-like wins against the Jets and Cowboys. But New York and Dallas specialized in beating themselves this season. That’s not Atlanta’s game. The Falcons are solid, and takeaways are likely to decide Sunday’s early game. The quarterback who plays better, Eli Manning or Matt Ryan, will deliver either New York’s first postseason win since 2007, or Atlanta’s first playoff victory since 2004.
Atlanta (10-6, 4-4 V) squeaked in with a Wild Card and will face the Giants on the road, Sunday Jan 8th. They didn’t play this season but the Giants won their last meeting 34-31 (OT) at home. Here they are again, as the No. 5 seed, playing on the road against a division champion (the 9-7 Giants) with an inferior record. Atlanta has to capitalize on this opportunity and end its playoff drought in the Mike Smith-Matt Ryan era. I think they win this one, but I’d feel better if the Falcons had beaten more than two teams that finished with a winning record (Detroit and Tennessee). QB Matt Ryan threw for 29 TD’s this season and loves to air it out. The Falcons have the edge with Michael Turner (1,344 yards) in the backfield. Defensively, the Falcons have been better against the run and the pass. While I think the Falcons have the overall talent advantage, the Giants have home field.
Detroit (10-6, 5-3 V) got in with a Wild Card and face a tough Saints team on the road, Saturday Jan 7th. They met once this season, in New Orleans, with the Saints winning 31-17. QB Mathew Stafford is playing at a high level, with a team-record 5,038 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. The last time these teams met, on Dec. 4, New Orleans walked away with a 31-17 win. This time around, the Lions are hoping their familiarity with the raucous Superdome and the presence of a gifted quarterback might lead to a different result against an opponent that has won eight straight games. The Lions have talent in Calvin Johnson (96 receptions, 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns), tight end Brandon Pettigrew (83 receptions) and two other shifty, reliable targets in Burleson (73) and rookie Titus Young (48). Stafford has used those weapons to lead a team that averages 29.6 points and 396.1 yards per game. If the Lions had a little more balance, they could’ve easily won two or three more games. The defense that takes the field for the Lions should look considerably different than the one that conceded 342 passing yards and three touchdowns to Brees and didn’t force a turnover against the Saints a month ago. Safety Louis Delmas, whom Schwartz referred to as “the soul” of the defense, is expected back after missing five games with a torn knee ligament.
Point-Spreads recommends you make your 2012 NFC Conference Predictions before Wild Card Weekend starts.
The Bottom Line: The Packers, Saints for sure, but I also like the Niners and a Cinderella team the Lions. NFL Point Spreads Expert Tyler Morgan went 4-1 ATS in Week 17, winning on underdogs Jets vs Dolphins to bring his NFL Predictions record to 73-39-4 for the season. Morgan, whose 2011 NFL Picks are hitting at 65% against the spread. Tyler’s moves have put thousands of dollars into his clients hands week after week. The good news for NFL Football bettors is – TYLER MORGAN’S PICKS ARE FREE – unlike most self proclaimed experts who charge big bucks to subscribers. Put a few Morgan Silver Dollars in your bank account by getting Tyler’s winning plays for FREE. Feel free to sign up to get NFL Picks Free!
