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Jimmy is an AWESOME 33-14 (70%) on all picks since Jan. 19, profiting $1,000/game bettors $17,870. You might also like to know that with last Thursday’s 3-0 SWEEP, his Thursday basketball picks improved to a WHITE HOT 13-2-1 (87%) the L6 weeks! The domination continues with his 5* 100% Perfect NBA *BEST BET*, 4* 34-0 ATS Sun Belt Game of the Week & 3* 100% Perfect NCAAB *CRUNCH TIME BAILOUT*!

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Today’s Plays:

5* 100% Perfect NBA *BEST BET* – With Wednesday’s 5* NBA Game of the Week winner on the Hawks -3 (by 10 over Indiana), Jimmy improved to a RED HOT 8-3 (73%) his L11 NBA 5* Top Plays! It’s also worth noting that his Thursday NBA picks are off to a 5-1 (83%) START this season. The BEST BET in Thursday’s NBA slate, which is backed by a 100% PERFECT TREND that hasn’t lost since 2008, will get you the CA$H again. Get it now for $39.95 with this link!

4* 34-0 ATS Sun Belt Game of the Week – Jimmy’s an AWESOME 33-14 (70%) on all picks since Jan. 19 and his NCAAB plays are a STAGGERING 19-6 (76%) during this span! You’ll also want to know that his Thursday NCAAB picks are a PERFECT 5-0 the L3 weeks! The perfection continues w/ the ABSOLUTE STRONGEST play in the Sun Belt this week. If you enjoyed Saturday’s Sun Belt winner on Denver -1.5 (by 15 over MTSU), then you’ll like this play, which is backed by an UNSTOPPABLE 34-0 ATS ANGLE, just as much! Get it now for $34.95 with this link!

3* 100% Perfect NCAAB *CRUNCH TIME BAILOUT* – Jimmy’s an AWESOME 33-14 (70%) on all picks since Jan. 19 and his NCAAB plays are a STAGGERING 19-6 (76%) during this span! You’ll also want to know that his Thursday NCAAB picks are a PERFECT 5-0 the L3 weeks. DON’T go to bed in the red! Pick up Jimmy’s CRUNCH TIME BAILOUT instead to finish the day in BLACK NUMBERS! It’s backed by a 100% perfect trend that has CA$HED 7 STRAIGHT TICKETS! Get it now for $34.95 with this link!

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Other Recommended Handicappers at Locksmith Sports

Jeff Alexander – 17 OF L23 DAYS IN THE BLACK! With Wednesday’s 3-0 NBA SWEEP, Jeff’s NBA picks improved to a RED HOT 12-4 (75%) the L7 days! The 2007-08 NBA Handicapping Champ took the books to school with a 3-0 NBA sweep last Thursday, and he’s leaving out the broom for THE 3 STRONGEST PLAYS in this Thursday’s lineup, featuring his Lakers/Celtics 5* Wiseguy NBA on TNT *PRIMETIME PUNISHER* and Thunder/Kings 4* Major NBA on TNT BAILOUT!

Check out all of Jeff Alexander’s packages and plays with this link!

Dave Price - No. 2 Ranked Handicapper in 2012 ($1,000/game bettors up $23,840)! With Wednesday’s profitable 3-2 performance, Dave has now produced a profit with 11 of his L13 basketball cards for a DOMINANT 33-16 (67%) RUN! He keeps the money train rolling Thursday with the 5 STRONGEST investments on the board (2 NBA, 3 NCAAB), including his Lakers/Celtics 7* NBA on TNT *HEAVY HITTER* (22-8 L30 NBA picks)!

Follow this link to check out Dave Price’s plays and packages!

No. 11 Ranked MLB Handicapper in 2011 ($1,000/game bettors banked 13,960)!

26-7 (79%) Run to close the 2011 MLB season!

2007 MLB World Handicapping Champion (296-263-6 record gained $1,000/game bettors over $50,000)!

No. 1 Ranked Overall Basketball Handicapper in the World in 2008-09 (+3853) – +1056 units better than 2nd place!

White Hot 8-1 L9 & 14-4 L18 5* NBA Game of the Year plays!

No. 6 Ranked NBA regular-season Handicapper in 2010-11 ($1,000/game bettors banked $8,230)!

Top 10 Finish in the 2009-10 NBA Season (No. 9)!

4th Place NBA Handicapper 2008-09 Season (25-11 Run to close out the Season)!

2008-09 NCAAB World Handicapping Runner-up!

Documented World’s Best 19-7 in the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament!

Jimmy was a Dominant 13-2 in NCAAB Conference Tourney Action in 2010, including a White Hot 10-1 Finish! He is 18-7 (72%) with his conference tournament picks the L2 seasons.

Strong 17-8 L25 NFL Playoffs picks!

White Hot 14-4-1 L19 NFL Playoffs 5* Top Plays!

Jimmy finished the 2007-08 College Bowl Season on a 14-5 run and came through with a 10-4 home stretch run in 2008-09 for another remarkable campaign! He closed out the 2009-10 Bowl Season on a terrific 8-3 run and finished the 2010-11 Bowl season on Hot 3-0 & 6-3 Runs! He capped off the 2011-12 Bowl Season on a Red Hot 5-1 Run!

FREE PLAY
1 Unit on Oregon +1
Motivated by a 1-point loss at Colorado, and further fueled by a 16-point loss at Washington in the season’s first meeting, expect Oregon to bounce back strong at home tonight.

The Ducks defeated Washington by 5 points in last year’s home meeting, and they’ll have an excellent opportunity to take down the Huskies again here.

Washington is just 3-5 when playing away from home this season and two of those wins came against Utah and Arizona State, who are a combined 12-34 on the season. It is also worth noting that those wins came by just 4 and 6 points respectively. The Huskies clearly aren’t the same team on the road.

Oregon is a rock solid 11-3 at home this season and has covered the number in 5 of its last 7 home games in this series. It’s also worth mentioning that the home team is 13-5 ATS in the last 18 meetings.

Oregon is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games when out for revenge for a loss to an opponent, provided that foe scored 75 points or more in the previous meeting. We’ll take the Ducks in this revenge spot.

Don’t miss Jimmy’s Guaranteed 5* 100% Perfect NBA *BEST BET*!

Originially posted at Locksmith Sports Picks

While the sports media analyzes whether the New York Giants or New England Patriots will win Super Bowl 46, sports bettors take their research a step further.

Sports bettors are certainly interested in finding edges to support which team will win the game, but they are also interested in how many points each team will score. This, of course, is because they are looking to bet the total.

The current Super Bowl odds have the total set at 54.0 points.

The total of this year’s Super Bowl might look familiar to some of you. You might recall a total of 53.5 points when the Giants and Patriots squared off in the 2008 Super Bowl. Odds makers were clearly begging for action on the over with that number considering the two teams combined for 73 points when they met in the regular season that year. With the majority of the public on the over, Vegas made out like bandits as the Giants and Patriots only combined for 31 points.

The public loves to bet the over, likely because their desire for a high-scoring game drives them to it. With more betting action on the Super Bowl than any other game of the year, odds makers often try to exploit that tendency by setting the total higher than they would during the regular season.

Last year’s Super Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers went 11 points over the posted total of 45.0, but that has not been the norm recently. We have seen five of the last seven Super Bowls come in under the number.

We saw 44 total points scored when the Giants and Patriots faced off during this regular season. With the total set 10 points higher than that, it looks like the books want the money coming in on the under this time around. Early money has been coming in on the under too, which comes as no surprise given the result of the regular-season meeting and the previous Super Bowl result between these two.

We saw the under hit in seven of the first eight lined Super Bowls and the under has been the play again in the last seven. However, the over and under have both cashed tickets 22 times in the first 44 lined Super Bowls (there was no over-under line for Super Bowl I).

Jimmy Boyd went 2-0 in the Conference Championship round to improve to 7-3 (70%) in the 2012 NFL Playoffs and 17-7 (71%) his last 24 NFL postseason picks. His highly regarded 5* Top Plays are on a 14-3-1 (82%) run in the NFL playoffs as well. He capped off last season with a huge 5* Best Bet winner on the Packers in the Super Bowl – his 3rd-straight Super Bowl side winner – and he’s got you covered again this year on Super Bowl Sunday! Don’t make a move before you see who Jimmy is siding with first.

Originially posted at Locksmith Sports Picks

Those who saw the Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas Chiefs in Super Bowl I only paid $6 for their tickets. A lot has changed since then. Now, it takes thousands of dollars for most fans to attend the biggest game of the year.

For the Super Bowl 45 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, it took $1,995 at StubHub.com to land a seat near the top of the end zone, which is better known as the nose bleed section. In order to get closer to the action, fans had to spend $9,300. That’s how much the club level seats were going for.

Prices are even higher for this year’s Super Bowl 46 matchup between the New York Giants and New England Patriots. Nose bleed seats are going for at least $2,250 per ticket, and it could cost you as much as $15,000 to sit on the 50-yard line.

At the NFL Ticket Exchange, seats are currently going for $2,273 to $14,093.

Ever wonder how Super Bowl tickets are dispersed? Well, about 75 percent of the tickets are given to the 32 NFL teams. The two teams participating in the Super Bowl split roughly 35 percent of those tickets. The team hosting the big game gets about nine percent of the tickets, and the other 29 teams receive just over one percent of the seats.

The 25 percent that is left over is for the NFL to disperse as it pleases. They are divvied out to NFL affiliated companies, the network broadcasting the game, corporate sponsors, media, VIPs, charities and fans.

This distribution method creates high demand, which keeps the prices climbing.

There is a way, however, to purchase Super Bowl tickets at face value. Now I’ve got your attention. Every year the NFL gives out 500 pairs of tickets to fans through an annual lottery. Although your chances of being drawn is slim, it may be worth a shot since it is free to enter. If chosen, you will have the opportunity to purchase a pair of Super Bowl tickets at face value – usually around $500.

While it won’t do you any good this year if this is the first you’ve heard of the Super Bowl lottery, it could get you a couple affordable tickets in the future.

Jimmy Boyd went 2-0 in the Conference Championship round to improve to 7-3 (70%) in the 2012 NFL Playoffs and 17-7 (71%) his last 24 NFL postseason picks. His highly regarded 5* Top Plays are on a 14-3-1 (82%) run in the NFL playoffs as well. He capped off last season with a huge 5* Best Bet winner on the Packers in the Super Bowl – his 3rd-straight Super Bowl side winner – and he’s got you covered again this year on Super Bowl Sunday! Don’t make a move before you see who Jimmy is siding with first.

Originially posted at Locksmith Sports Picks

This is the Super Bowl 46 injury report as of Jan. 31, 2012. This report takes a look at the status of injured players on the New York Giants and New England Patriots.

New York Giants Injury Report:

Jacquian Williams (probable) – The New York linebacker, who has 58 solo tackles on the season, has been wearing a walking boot to avoid further injury to his sprained right foot but is expected to play Sunday.

Mark Herzlich (questionable) – The former Boston College star linebacker has not played since spraining his ankle in Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints. He remains questionable Sunday.

Da’Rel Scott (questionable) – It’s unclear if the little used running back will be available Sunday. He’s been out since hyperextending his knee against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17.

Chase Blackburn (questionable) – Blackburn has come on late in the season and played well at the linebacker spot for the G-Men. Unfortunately, there’s a chance he may not be able to go in the Super Bowl after suffering a shoulder injury during the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers.

New England Patriots Injury Report:

Chad Ochocinco (probable) – Ochocinco missed the AFC Championship game due to the death of his father, but he’ll be ready to go Sunday. He hasn’t been much of an asset this season but don’t count him out in the biggest game of the year.

Rob Gronkowski (probable) – Patriots fans got a little bit of a scare when they saw arguably their top play-maker wearing a walking book after suffering an ankle injury in the AFC title game. Fortunately, it appears he’ll be ready to go.

Deion Branch (probable) – Branch has been taking it easy in practice due to a banged up knee but is expected to play Sunday. It’s never a bad thing to have a former Super Bowl MVP on the field.

Sebastian Vollmer (questionable) – The big tackle hasn’t played since Week 12 against the Philadelphia Eagles due to back issues but there’s chance he could be available for the Super Bowl.

Shane Vereen (questionable) – The former star running back at Cal has missed the last six games with a hamstring injury and remains questionable for Super Bowl Sunday.

Kyle Arrington (questionable) – It will be a big blow if Arrington, who tied for the league-lead with seven interceptions, isn’t able to go. He remains questionable after being forced to leave the AFC Championship game in the second quarter with an eye injury.

Jimmy Boyd went 2-0 in the Conference Championship round to improve to 7-3 (70%) in the 2012 NFL Playoffs and 17-7 (71%) his last 24 NFL postseason picks. His highly regarded 5* Top Plays are on a 14-3-1 (82%) run in the NFL playoffs as well. He capped off last season with a huge 5* Best Bet winner on the Packers in the Super Bowl – his 3rd-straight Super Bowl side winner – and he’s got you covered again this year on Super Bowl Sunday! Don’t make a move before you see who Jimmy is siding with first.

Originially posted at Locksmith Sports Picks

A missed field goal by Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff assured the New England Patriots of a 23-20 victory and a fifth Super Bowl trip in 11 years.

It’s been four years since the Patriots’ last Super Bowl, when they fell 17-14 to the New York Giants. The Giants, who were 12.5-point underdogs in that game, kept New England from a 19-0 record and, quite possibly, the title of the greatest team in NFL history.

The Patriots will be out to avenge that loss on Super Bowl Sunday.

New England entered the postseason with a 13-3 record – the best mark in the AFC – but some experts weren’t sold. And rightfully so. The Patriots hadn’t won a playoff game in three years and had lost at home to the Ravens and the New York Jets in the 2010 and 2011 playoffs.

New England, which has won 10 in a row, has since silenced most doubters with a pair of quality postseason wins. Super Bowl odds makers believe it could shut them all up Sunday. The Patriots are currently listed as a three-point favorite.

Some believe odds makers have the wrong team favored considering the Giants won the regular season meeting 24-20 in Foxborough. But keep in mind the Pats turned the ball over four times in that game and Tom Brady was responsible for three of those giveaways (two interceptions and a fumble).

Odds makers obviously don’t expect Brady to make as many mistakes this time around. He’s had three passes picked off in these playoffs but only threw 12 interceptions in 16 regular season games.  And while Brady faced immense pressure in Super Bowl XLII, he didn’t throw an interception.

Eli Manning has ascended into the elite category this season, but the numbers suggest he’s no Brady yet.  Brady has a higher passer rating than Manning in these playoffs.  Brady finished the regular season ranked second in passing yards (5,239), fourth in touchdown passes (39) and third in passer rating (105.6). Manning ranked fourth in passing yards (4,933), sixth in touchdown passes (29) and seventh in passer rating (92.9).

The New England stop unit, which ranked 31st in the NFL this season with 411.1 yards allowed per game, is the reason why some experts weren’t sold. Defense can’t be the excuse any longer considering the Pats rank fourth out of 12 playoffs teams in total defense (325.0 yards allowed) and are tied for second in scoring defense with 15.0 points allowed per game.

The Patriots gave up a lot of yards during the regular season, but they also forced a lot of turnovers. They finished tied for second in the NFL with 23 interceptions. Led by cornerback Kyle Arrington, who tied for the league lead with seven interceptions, New England has a big play secondary that could end up being the difference in this game.

Jimmy Boyd went 2-0 in the Conference Championship round to improve to 7-3 (70%) in the 2012 NFL Playoffs and 17-7 (71%) his last 24 NFL postseason picks. His highly regarded 5* Top Plays are on a 14-3-1 (82%) run in the NFL playoffs as well. He capped off last season with a huge 5* Best Bet winner on the Packers in the Super Bowl – his 3rd-straight Super Bowl side winner – and he’s got you covered again this year on Super Bowl Sunday! Don’t make a move before you see who Jimmy is siding with first.

Originially posted at Locksmith Sports Picks

Heading into Week 14 at 6-6 and having lost four in row, the New York Giants didn’t appear to be headed to the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. But here they are.

The Giants have won six of seven games since, including five in a row, and are now looking to win a second Super Bowl in five years.

The Giants punched their playoff ticket with a 31-14 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 and haven’t looked back. After routing the Atlanta Falcons 24-2 in the wild-card round, crushing the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers 37-20 in the divisional round and edging out the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in overtime to capture the NFC Championship, the Giants will meet a familiar foe – the New England Patriots.

Despite defeating the Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII and beating them 24-20 at New England during the regular season, the Super Bowl odds show the Giants as a three-point underdog.

Even though New York finds itself in the underdog role, backers aren’t likely to be scared off. The Giants closed as a 12.5-point underdog in their Super Bowl XLII win and a 9.5-point underdog in their Nov. 6 victory.

Eli Manning is one reason New York backers won’t be afraid to take the plunge. He finished the regular season ranked fourth in passing yards (4,933), sixth in touchdown passes (29) and seventh in passer rating (92.9), and he’s arguably been the best quarterback in these playoffs.

Manning has passed for 923 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception in the postseason. He could be poised for a big game against a New England defense that finished the regular season ranked next-to-last against the pass with 293.9 yards allowed per game.

Manning connected on 21 of 33 passes for 330 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the divisional round while facing a Green Bay defense that finished the regular season ranked dead last against the pass.

Defense was a weakness for the Giants during the regular season, but it has been a strength in the playoffs.

New York entered the postseason ranked 27th in total defense with 376.4 yards allowed per game and 25th in scoring defense with 25.0 points allowed per contest. But in the playoffs, it ranks first in scoring defense (13.0 points allowed) and second in total defense (321.0 yards allowed).  Its ferocious pass rush is a been a big reason for the turnaround.

Led by defensive end Osi Umenyiora, whose 3.5 sacks are tied for the most in the playoffs, the Giants have amassed nine sacks during postseason – tied with San Francisco and Houston for the most.

Jason Pierre-Paul, who finished fourth in the league with 16.5 sacks, and Justin Tuck, who was responsible for two of the Giants’ five sacks of Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLII, also deserve recognition.

New York’s pass rush proved to be the difference the last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl, and it just might be the difference again.

Jimmy Boyd went 2-0 in the Conference Championship round to improve to 7-3 (70%) in the 2012 NFL Playoffs and 17-7 (71%) his last 24 NFL postseason picks. His highly regarded 5* Top Plays are on a 14-3-1 (82%) run in the NFL playoffs as well. He capped off last season with a huge 5* Best Bet winner on the Packers in the Super Bowl – his 3rd-straight Super Bowl side winner – and he’s got you covered again this year on Super Bowl Sunday! Don’t make a move before you see who Jimmy is siding with first.

Originially posted at Locksmith Sports Picks

The New York Giants (12-7) and New England Patriots (15-3) will face off in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Odds makers believe the Patriots will be the team to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. They are currently listed as a three-point favorite with the total set at 55.0.

Having earned a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, New England needed to win just two games to reach the Super Bowl.

After crushing the Denver Broncos 45-10 in the Divisional round, the Patriots held off the Baltimore Ravens to earn a 23-20 victory and the AFC Championship.

Tom Brady and the New England offense struggled against Baltimore’s vaunted defense. Brady completed 22 of 36 passes for 239 yards but didn’t throw a touchdown pass and was picked off twice. He did score the game-winning touchdown on a quarterback sneak.

Five of Brady’s passes found the hands of star tight end Rob Gronkowski, who led the team with 87 receiving yards.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis led the way on the ground with 68 yards and a score on 15 carries.

The Giants had to win three games to reach the Super Bowl. Their last two wins came on the road against the top two seeds in the NFC.

Eli Manning continued his solid play as the Giants upset the San Francisco 49ers 23-20 in overtime to claim the NFC title.

Manning connected on 32 of 58 passes for 316 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He has passed for 923 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception in these playoffs.

Victor Cruz was on the receiving end of 10 of Manning’s passes against the 49ers and finished with a team-high 142 receiving yards.

Ahmad Bradshaw headed up the ground attack with 74 yards on 20 carries.

The Patriots have won four of the last six in this series, but the Giants have won the last two.

New York upset New England with a 17-14 victory in Super Bowl XLII. It then upset the Patriots again this season with a 24-20 win Nov. 6 on the road.

The Patriots will definitely need Brady to play better that he did last week, and likely better than he has in the two aforementioned losses, in order to have their revenge.

He was 28 of 49 for 342 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the November meeting and 29 of 48 for 266 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in Super Bowl XLII.

As far as the point spread is concerned, the numbers seem to support the Giants, who are 8-0 against the spread in their last eight playoff games in the underdog role.

The Patriots are 1-6 against the number in their last seven playoff games as a favorite and 1-3-1 against the spread in their last five Super Bowls.

In regard to the total, the under has been the play. These two have finished under the number in four of the last five matchups.

Jimmy Boyd went 2-0 in the Conference Championship round to improve to 7-3 (70%) in the 2012 NFL Playoffs and 17-7 (71%) his last 24 NFL postseason picks. His highly regarded 5* Top Plays are on a 14-3-1 (82%) run in the NFL playoffs as well. He capped off last season with a huge 5* Best Bet winner on the Packers in the Super Bowl – his 3rd-straight Super Bowl side winner – and he’s got you covered again this year on Super Bowl Sunday! Don’t make a move before you see who Jimmy is siding with first.

Originially posted at Locksmith Sports Picks

It was supposed to be Kobe vs. LeBron last year in the NBA Finals, except the Dallas Mavericks didn’t get the message.  The best we can hope for at this point is to have a highlight regular-season meeting in South Beach Thursday night, as two star-studded teams emphasizing opposite ends of the floor collide.  The latest NBA odds show the Heat favored by 5.5 points, while the total has been posted at 191.

Los Angeles Lakers @ Miami Heat, 8 p.m. EST

When the Lakers hired Mike Brown as their head coach during the summer, it was expected that the team would improve itself defensively, and it has parlayed that into six wins in the last seven games following a 73-70 home win over Dallas Monday night to rank fifth in the NBA in scoring defense (fewer than 90 points per game) and tops in rebounding (46 rpg). Kobe Bryant is still leading the way (30.8 ppg, 5.5 apg) and is supported by Pau Gasol (15.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg) and Andrew Bynum (16.5 ppg, 13.9 rpg), but it has been their defensive intensity that has propelled the Lakers to the top of the Pacific Division after a pedestrian 4-4 start.

Meanwhile, the Heat’s own Big Three – LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh – has been running teams off the floor, as Miami leads the league in scoring (107 ppg), but ranks in the bottom-five of defense (99 ppg). After running to an 8-1 start, Miami lost three straight before pounding San Antonio 120-98 Tuesday night at home.  Wade has been day-to-day the last several games, which may affect the Heat’s ability to defend Bryant.

The Lakers are 1-4 on the road this year, while Miami is 4-1 at home. The star power alone will make this game entertaining, but in a regular-season game with a compressed schedule, the team that can dictate tempo will likely be the winner. The Lakers are in a good defensive groove right now, and that may very well be just enough to help the Lakers win and keep their positive momentum going.

Final Score Prediction: Lakers 94, Heat 92

Be sure to stop by Betfirms this season for winning NBA picks from the top handicappers in the world!

Originially posted at Locksmith Sports Picks

The New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers will compete for a spot in Super Bowl XLVI when they meet Sunday at Candlestick Park.

Odds makers believe the 49ers have the edge. They are currently listed as a 2.5-point favorite with the total set at 42.

San Francisco won for the seventh straight time at home when it defeated the New Orleans Saints 36-32 in the divisional round.

Alex Smith matched Drew Brees every step of the way, completing 24 of 42 passes for 299 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He rushed for a score as well.

Seven completions, including two touchdown tosses, went to Vernon Davis, who led the team with 180 receiving yards.

Frank Gore led the way on the ground with 89 yards on 13 carries.

The Giants enter the NFC title game after stunning the reigning Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers 37-20.

Eli Manning bested Aaron Rodgers by completing 21 of 33 passes for 330 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Seven passes, including two touchdown strikes, found Hakeem Nicks, who led the team with 165 receiving yards.

Ahmad Bradshaw headed up the rushing attack with 63 yards on 12 carries.

The Giants had won three straight against the 49ers before falling 27-20 in San Francisco on Nov. 13, 2011.

Home field could once again be the difference for the 49ers, who are 8-1 straight up and 8-0-1 against the spread at Candlestick Park this season. Going back further, we find the 49ers are an impressive 19-6-3 against the number in their last 28 home games.

It is also worth noting the home team has covered the spread in five of the last seven in this series, and the favorite has covered the number in each of the last four.

The Giants, who last week avenged a regular-season loss to the Packers and ended their 13-game home winning streak, improved to 7-0 against the spread in their last seven postseason games away from home.

New York sailed over the total last week, but it has still played to the under in four of its last five games overall and seven of its last nine in the playoffs.

The 49ers have played to the under in eight of their last 12.

Jimmy Boyd will keep you winning consistently on the pro gridiron clear through the Super Bowl with his expert picks. He has nailed 15 of his last 22 NFL playoffs picks (68%), and his highly regarded NFL postseason 5* Top Plays are on a 13-3-1 (81%) run. He was a rock solid 8-4 (67%) in the 2011 playoffs and capped things off with a huge 5* Best Bet winner on the Packers in the Super Bowl – his 3rd-straight Super Bowl side winner! Don’t make a move in the conference championship round before you check out Jimmy’s full slate of highly rated premium picks.

Originially posted at Locksmith Sports Picks

The Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots will face off Sunday at Gillette Stadium with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

Odds makers expect the Patriots to be the team that represents the AFC in Super Bowl XLVI. They are currently listed as a 7.5-point favorite with the total set at 50.5.

New England, the AFC’s top seed, cruised into the conference championship game with a 45-10 victory over the Denver Broncos.

Tom Brady had one of his best games of the season, completing 26 of 34 passes for 363 yards with six touchdowns and one interception. 10 completions, including three touchdowns, went to tight end Rob Gronkowski, who led the team with 145 receiving yards.

Gronkowski wasn’t the only New England tight end to lead the team in an offensive category. Fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez led the team with 61 rushing yards on five carries.

Hernandez is currently considered questionable for Sunday after leaving last week’s divisional game with concussion-like symptoms.

The Ravens looked like they might ride a blowout victory into the conference championship as well when they jumped out to a 17-3 first-quarter lead over the Houston Texans. That was not the case, however, as they scored just three more points the rest of the way and had to hold on for a 20-13 win.

Joe Flacco connected on 14 of 27 pass attempts for 176 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Four passes, including a touchdown, found the hands of Anquan Boldin, who led the team with 73 receiving yards.

Ray Rice led the way on the ground with 60 yards on 21 carries.

The Patriots have won six of seven all-time meetings with the Ravens, including a 23-20 home win in the most recent matchup on Oct. 17, 2010.

New England’s lone loss to Baltimore was a 33-14 defeat at home on Jan. 10, 2010 in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

If you believe in the old saying “defense wins championships”, then you’ll likely side with the Ravens Sunday. After all, they finished the regular season ranked third in both total and scoring defense with 288.9 yards and 16.6 points allowed per game.

Baltimore’s defense has been one of the best in the NFL this season, but it will be asked to slow down a potent New England offense that entered the playoffs ranked second in total offense and third in scoring with 428.2 yards and 32.1 points per game.

The Patriots are 4-2-1 against the spread in their seven matchups in this series, but they are only 1-6 against the spread in their last seven playoff games.

As far as the total is concerned, the Patriots have been an overs machine. They have finished over the number in 22 of their last 28 games. The over is also 4-1 in the Ravens’ last five road games.

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Originially posted at Locksmith Sports Picks