Conference Championship Match-ups and Sports Betting Odds

POSTED IN NFL Football + Online Sportsbooks | no comments

One game closer to the Super Bowl, four teams left in the running will be decided at the Conference Championships, and sportsbooks have all of the action. This is the time of the year when betting skyrockets, making it quite profitable for the fans. We will preview the AFC and NFC championship matches, as the franchises try to make history, along with the different odds you can get.

New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos

The Patriots are looking extremely good, especially for a team that had a few injured players on the field when they won last week. A few players to look out for during this match-up include:

• Tom Brady: throwing like a beast with 302 yards in their first playoff game of the season.
• Rob Gronkowski: Brady’s go-to man has been amazing, catching for 2 touchdowns against the Chiefs.
• Chandler Jones: getting a sack and forcing a fumble, he will create big chances.

The Broncos are not looking to be in top shape, as they struggled to win against the battered Steelers last week, and will be facing an even bigger opponent this week. Players to look out for:

• Peyton Manning: despite being old, he still has his last-rocket-arm, now if he could only be well protected in the pocket.
• J. Anderson/Emmanuel Sanders/Demaryius Thomas: these three make the perfect offensive combo that allows Manning freedom when throwing or running the ball.
• DeMarcus Ware/Antonio Smith: these two defenders will be the best chance the team has of putting pressure on Brady.

Match	Bovada	BetOnline	TopBet
Patriots @ Broncos	Patriots (-3.5)	Patriots (-3)	Patriots (-3.5)

Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers

The Cardinals have an outstanding balanced team between a great offense and defense, and this might give them the advantage over the Panthers. With these players, they could go all the way:

• Carson Palmer: threw for 349 yards against the Packers, but showed he was vulnerable with w interceptions and 3 sacks, so if they can protect him enough from Panther defense, he will be great.
• Larry Fitzgerald/David Johnson: being the top receiver and running back on the team, Palmer will use them the most.
• Dwight Freeney/Tony Jefferson: Freeney is a beast on the rush and will help contain the quarterback, and Jefferson is amazing at reading the plays.

The Panthers did an amazing job in the first two quarters of their game against the Seahawks, but they will need to play well during all four quarters if they want to win. These players will certainly help them achieve victory:

• Cam Newton: he is quarterback and running back, making his versatility on the field a dangerous advantage.
• Jonathan Stewart/Greg Olsen: when Newton isn’t doing everything himself, he will use both of these talented players.
• Entire Defense: there are too many names to pick, seeing as their entire defense is deadly and will need to be contained by the Cardinal offensive line if they hope to score.

Match	Bovada	BetOnline	TopBet
Cardinals @ Panthers	Panthers (-3.5)	Panthers (-3)	Panthers (-3)

The sportsbooks are being cautious with these top tier games, as the match-ups are so well-balanced that it is tough to know if one team truly surpasses the other by a big margin.