There is nothing quite like the anticipation football fans feel leading up to the NFL Draft. The only exception, however, may be the anticipation for the next draft on most football fans’ minds.

Their fantasy football draft(s).

With the 2012 NFL Draft in the books, football fans turn their attentions now to the 2012 NFL regular season. The calendar has turned over to May, which means summer — and football — are right around the corner again.

Most large fantasy football hosting sites will open in a month. Now is a good time for fantasy owners to shake off the cobwebs from the last fantasy football campaign and start the preparations for draft day all over again.

A good way to start is to break down last weekend’s NFL Draft with some rankings. Here are ours for standard-scoring redraft leagues:

Quarterbacks

1. Robert Griffin, Redskins
2. Andrew Luck, Colts
3. Brandon Weeden, Browns
4. Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins
5. Brock Osweiler, Broncos

Running Backs

1. Trent Richardson, Browns
2. Doug Martin, Buccaneers
3. Ronnie Hillman, Broncos
4. David Wilson, Giants
5. Isaiah Pead, Rams
6. Lamar Miller, Dolphins
7. Bernard Pierce, Ravens
8. LaMichael James, 49ers
9. Vick Ballard, Colts
10. Chris Rainey, Steelers

Wide Receivers

1. Michael Floyd, Cardinals
2. Justin Blackmon, Jaguars
3. Brian Quick, Rams
4. Stephen Hill, Jets
5. Reuben Randle, Giants
6. Kendall Wright, Titans
7. Alshon Jeffery, Bears
8. Marvin Jones, Bengals
9. Chris Givens, Rams
10. Mohamed Sanu, Bengals

Tight Ends

1. Coby Fleener, Colts
2. Michael Egnew, Dolphins
3. Dwayne Allen, Colts
4. Ladarius Green, Chargers
5. Orson Charles, Bengals

If you are a Tweeter, follow The Hazean on Twitter. If it is a good chuckle you desire, check out The Hazean’s Facebook page. Remember to follow (Twitter) and become a fan (Facebook) of The Hazean on both popular social networking sites.

If it is just more solid reading material that you crave, check out The Hazean’s Google Reader Shared Items page.

Miss football?

The season ended more than two months ago with the Super Bowl. But with the annual NFL Draft this week, the fire that burns in a football fan’s belly for more football is being rekindled. In a few short months, fantasy owners will be joining leagues, prepping spreadsheets and participating in live drafts once again. Then comes all the real fun: Setting lineups, trading, waiver wire action and sports betting.

Can’t wait.

Much has changed in the NFL since the Super Bowl, and more will change after the NFL Draft. To get fantasy owners caught up on all the important free agent movement, here is a primer:

Quarterbacks

Peyton Manning, Broncos: The biggest move of the offseason. If truly healthy, Manning should re-enter the fantasy game as an every week starting QB again. The real question is who on this offense will benefit the most from his presence? The candidates: DeMaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, the two tight ends listed below, or some other unknown. Decker would be my guess right now.

Matt Flynn, Seahawks: Pete Carroll insists this is an open quarterback competition, but is there any way Flynn doesn’t beat out Tarvaris Jackson? Didn’t think so.

Tim Tebow, Jets: Mark Sanchez remains the starter, but the Jets plan to have Tebow packages for every game. Should be interesting, but gone is his fantasy value. Needs to be a starting quarterback to be considered for fantasy rosters.

Running Backs

Michael Bush, Bears: Bad, bad news for Matt Forte. As if coming off injury was not bad enough, now Forte is going to have to deal with a serious committee-mate. And a touchdown vulture at that. Before this acquisition you could have penciled Forte into the middle of the first round in most leagues. Now? A fringe first-round pick, at best.

Brandon Jacobs, 49ers: Yawn. Jacobs will be used mostly to spell Frank Gore but his productivity is in steep decline. When you deliver the punishment, as he did earlier in his career, you also take some yourself. If this hurts anyone in particular, though, it would be Kendall Hunter. Though they won’t have similar roles in the offense, there still will be less touches to go around when all three backs are healthy.

Mike Goodson, Raiders: As of right now, he likely will serve as the backup to Darren McFadden. That’s an important role — just ask anyone who owned Michael Bush last season.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bengals: Could be a great landing spot for BGE if the Bengals do not add anymore pieces to the backfield. Will finally get a shot to be the main guy.

Mike Tolbert, Panthers: Apparently gone as his chances of being a significant fantasy running back. Tolbert sits behind DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart on the depth chart, and plans are for him to become the team’s starting full back.

Peyton Hillis, Chiefs: Kansas City, where aging but really, really ripped running backs (Thomas Jones, Hillis) go to die. If healthy, Hillis will be the goal line back over Jamaal Charles. Still worth a look in fantasy leagues.

Wide Receivers

Vincent Jackson, Buccaneers: Josh Freeman was expected to take a big step forward in fantasy last year, but it never materialized. Perhaps having a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver will help his cause for a bounce-back in 2012.

Robert Meachem, Chargers: Buried on the depth chart in New Orleans, Meachem will get his shot to be an every-week starter in San Diego with VJax gone. He will be favorably listed as a fantasy football sleeper/mid-round value pick in 2012.

Mario Manningham/Randy Moss, 49ers: While both of these players make the 49ers’ pass offense look sexier, neither gets a bump because of the quarterback situation. Alex Smith is back at the helm despite the efforts of the front office to get a replacement — namely Peyton Manning.

Laurent Robinson, Jaguars: Oh, boy. The Jaguars are where wide receivers go to die. Robinson cashed in on his big season in which he filled in for the oft-injured Miles Austin. Now he’s a No. 1 wide receiver? Ask that Rams how that worked out for them a few seasons ago.

Brandon Lloyd, Patriots: Lloyd exploded under Josh McDaniels in Denver. Then he followed McDaniels to St. Louis. And now, he has done it again, teaming up with McDaniels in New England. Instantly the best wide receiver on a pass-happy offense, but are there enough footballs to keep everyone happy?

Pierre Garcon/Josh Morgan, Redskins: Neither of these guys are a true No. 1 receiver, but the Redskins are assembling a group of decent players to surround a new quarterback. Not too thrilled with the fantasy prospects of either of these guys with a rookie at the helm, but last year showed fantasy owners that rookie QBs can be better than expected.

Brandon Marshall, Bears: Perhaps the biggest move of the offseason at the wide receiver position, Marshall-to-the-Bears came via a trade from Miami. Marshall reunites with Jay Cutler, and both of these players had magnificant fantasy numbers during their time together in Denver. Could be a very happy reunion.

Tight Ends

Jacob Tamme/Joel Dreessen, Broncos: Other than JerMichael Finley re-signing with the Packers, the only newsworthy free agent acquisitions this spring were made by Denver. On their own, neither Tamme nor Dreessen carry much fantasy value. But inherent in the acquisition of Peyton Manning is a certain value applied to the tight end he favors the most. Right now, my money is on Tamme become a fantasy-relevant starting tight end in 2012 because of his history with Manning in Indianapolis.

If you are a Tweeter, follow The Hazean on Twitter. If it is a good chuckle you desire, check out The Hazean’s Facebook page. Remember to follow (Twitter) and become a fan (Facebook) of The Hazean on both popular social networking sites.

If it is just more solid reading material that you crave, check out The Hazean’s Google Reader Shared Items page.

Editor’s note: Bryan Daugherty (@bryan_CTP) takes his first crack of the spring at the 2012 NFL Draft. It is our first full-round mock draft of the season, complete with all 32 picks in the 1st round. To see our previous mock drafts, please visit the NFL Mock Drafts page).

Here is my first NFL mock draft of the season.

1. Indianapolis Colts select … Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.

2. St. Louis Rams select …Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa.

3. Minnesota Vikings select … Matt Kalil, OT, USC.

4. Cleveland Browns select …Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select … Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU..

6. Washington Redskins select … Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars select …Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State.

8. Carolina Panthers* select … Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina.

9. Miami Dolphins* select … Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford.

10. Buffalo Bills select …Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama .

11. Kansas City Chiefs* select …Mike Adams, T, Ohio State.

12. Seattle Seahawks* select …Devon Still, DT, Penn State.

13. Arizona Cardinals select … David DeCastro, G, Stanford.

14. Dallas Cowboys select …Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama.

15. Philadelphia Eagles select … Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina.

16. New York Jets select … Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland) select … Lamar Miller, RB, Miami.

18. San Diego Chargers select … Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama.

19. Chicago Bears select … Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor.

20. Tennessee Titans select … Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State.

21. Cincinnati Bengals select …Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta) select …Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina.

23. Detroit Lions select … Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers select … Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska.

25. Denver Broncos select …. Dontario Poe, DT, Memphis.

26. Houston Texans select … Chris Givens, WR, Baylor.

27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans) select … Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois

28. Green Bay Packers select … Doug Martin, RB, Boise State.

29. Baltimore Ravens select … Michael Brockers, DT, LSU.

30. San Francisco 49ers select … Mohammed Sanu, WR, Rutgers.

31. New England Patriots select…Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina.

32. New York Giants select … Mark Barron, S, Alabama.

You know what I do every year between the last Championship game and sometime towards the end of the marathon Super Bowl pre-game show? I DO NOT WATCH NFL COVERAGE. This will be my third straight year and I gotta tell ya, it’s fantastic. No longer do I care about what made up quotes or storylines they’ve had time to come up with. I don’t care about what C-list celebrity thinks about who is going to win. I don’t care that every sports person is broadcasting live from Indianapolis this week.

*side rant* What a corporate-sports sham that broadcasting from location has become. You can’t tell me that it adds to anything other than the same few recycled guests going from each other’s sets. I bet (because that’s what this is all about right?) it’s a con to get the employers to let these guys hang out for a week and go to strip clubs. You can’t tell me Mike Golic isn’t making it rain every night of this week in some sleaze ball establishment. I will not support that type of behavior.

So here are my last picks of the 2011 season. For the playoffs, my record is 13-7 including 4-0 last week. Because you need to get crazy in front of people you probably only are casual friends with, I’ve included ten prop bets to give you something to talk about.

Never forget – there is only one winner this weekend – whatever third world country gets the losing team’s “winning” t-shirt air-dropped to them like the bomb in the movie OUTBREAK. As a Geography genius, I’ve often wondered how this country was chosen. Socio-economic data? On the ground research of lack of cotton apparel? Is it rotated between continents? Can you give Patriots to a country that might really need it but is under a Dictator? These are the type of things I hope the NFL considers but they are probably spending their time trying to fine some elderly residents of Del Boca Vista  on infringement for hosting a hip replacement charity viewing party centered around the Super Bowl. Alas, I’ve enjoyed making everyone money for yet another year. Winning is what we at The Hazean are all about.

NFL

NY GIANTS +3 vs. New England Patriots – I understand why the Patriots are favored but every analysis/trend/stat I run points to the Giants being the better team since midway through the season. I would love to grab a 3.5 out there but I anticipate the line actually going down if anything. Don’t fall into the trap that New England is “due” or “revenge” or any other manufactured storyline that has no bearing on the actual game. Bottom line is the Giants offense can match New England (especially with a slightly gimp Gronk) and their defense is much better at generating pressure. No reason to stop riding the Giants now.

NY Giants/NE Patriots OVER 54.5 – If you have been following this column this year and especially the playoffs, you are aware I’m a big UNDER player. However, I have this game in the low 60’s. I like the Giants to get into the 30’s for sure and show a score of 35-27. Eli has three fantastic WR that will carve up a New England secondary that hasn’t been tested in several months. I’m also not worried about the ability of New England to get theirs at some point either. If nothing else, you want to be the guy at your Super Bowl party rooting for fun things to happen. Nothing is more fun than points. Hot tubs. Maybe hot tubs, but I would bet against you watching the Super Bowl in a hot tub. If you are, then I’m impressed.

GAME PROPS

Eli Manning TD Passes OVER 2 1/2 +160 – What’s not to like here? If I think that the Giants get into the thirties scoring points then Eli will throw for at least three touchdowns……and I’m getting plus money to do it.

 Longest touchdown scored OVER 51 1/2 yards +105 – These teams (Welker, Cruz) are no strangers to long scores and both the QBs will definitely try.

Will a team score 3 times in a row? YES +150 –In a high scoring game, this happens more often than not. Seems like it shouldn’t but it always does.

MVP of game – Victor Cruz 12/1, Hakeem Nicks 14/1 – I would love to throw Manningham out there since he’ll be covered by Edelman or someone similar but these two have the higher game play to this point. With these odds, I’ll take both of them and hope lightning strikes. Personally, I’ll also throw Manningham in here.

The Patriots will convert a 4th down attempt +115 – Bill Belichek is the Les Miles of the NFL. This will happen.

ENTERTAINMENT PROPS

How many times will David Tyree’s Catch be shown on TV OVER 1 ½ – This will hit by halftime. This was THE DEFINING PLAY of the first matchup.

Will Andrew Luck be mentioned during the Super Bowl OVER/UNDER 1 – I like taking these props that are at 1. All I need is one mention and I’m pushing. Get involved in a Peyton/Irsay conversation and it’s time to collect our winnings.

Kelly Clarkson National Anthem Rendition UNDER 1:34 +100 – A quick YouTube search shows that in several sporting events where she sang it has either been right at this number or below. She seems like a sweet girl. Sweet girls are efficient, if nothing else. *Bonus* if you can get odds (not just a YES bet) on if Kelly will bare her stomach, then bet no. Remember, she’s sweet AND wholesome and I can’t find a picture that shows her revealing her midriff.

Will Madonna be wearing fishnet stockings at any point during the Super Bowl Halftime show YES – Rather than spare you a rant on why Madonna at the halftime show is a sign of the Apocalypse, I’ll say this old hag will want to show off what made her iconic and that’s her veiny things she calls legs.

How many viewers will stream the Super Bowl online? Over/Under 1.5 million – This is easy money. Remember, all those third world countries that could be in the running for free t-shirts will want to see what’s possibly coming their way.

Posted our first 2012 NFL mock draft last week but it only went through pick No. 18. Got some good feedback on that draft and came back strong today with picks all the way through No. 30.

Only two teams left to figure out in the first round, and those are your Super Bowl teams — New York Giants and New England Patriots. Speaking of that game, I just wanted to thank the football gods for not giving us the Harbaugh Bowl. And it should be a good game, so don’t forget to place your prop bets for the Super Bowl (my favorite last year: Christina Aguilera’s over/under on the National Anthem. Of course she blew it by screwing up the lyrics!).

Made a few changes with a little more research for this version of the mock draft. Check it out below and leave your comments so that our next version can be even better.

1. Indianapolis Colts select … Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.

2. St. Louis Rams select … Matt Kalil, OT, USC.

3. Minnesota Vikings select … Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU.

4. Cleveland Browns select … Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select … Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama.

6. Washington Redskins select … Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars select … Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame.

8. Carolina Panthers* select … Devon Still, DT, Penn State.

9. Miami Dolphins* select … Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa.

10. Buffalo Bills select … Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina.

11. Seattle Seahawks* select … Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina.

12. Kansas City Chiefs* select … Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford.

13. Arizona Cardinals select … Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College.

14. Dallas Cowboys select … David DeCastro, G, Stanford.

15. Philadelphia Eagles select … Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama.

16. New York Jets select … Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland) select … Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama.

18. San Diego Chargers select … Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama.

19. Chicago Bears select … Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina.

20. Tennessee Titans select … Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin.

21. Cincinnati Bengals select … Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta) select … Mike Adams, T, Ohio State.

23. Detroit Lions select … Zebrie Sanders, T, Florida State.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers select … James Brown, T, Troy.

25. Denver Broncos select … Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State.

26. Houston Texans select … Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia.

27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans) select … Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama.

28. Green Bay Packers select … Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois.

29. Baltimore Ravens select … Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State.

30. San Francisco 49ers select … Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC.

*To be determined by coin flip

I have four picks this week. I guarantee 3-1. I’ve spent a lot of time reading Game of Thrones trying to figure out what game I will lose. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten to that part in the series. Regardless, If you wager half a million dollars on each of these picks then Sunday night you’ll have $1,000,000.  There is simply NO EXCUSE for you not being a millionaire in a few days.

Before we get into the picks, the always insightful Gregg Rosenthal at PFT & Rotoworld (despite the Brady Quinn getting reps debacle) dropped this earlier in the week and it blew my mind in regards to San Francisco QB Alex Smith: Smith was benched for the following quarterbacks during his 49ers career: Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey, Trent Dilfer, Shaun Hill, J.T. O’Sullivan, and Troy Smith.

One last note: Why can’t ESPN just analyze the games without “WHICH QB NEEDS TO WIN MORE” arguments non-stop? Both quarterbacks need to win in each game and trying to say that one is going to be replaced for losing is needless drama and speculation. But since it’s ESPN, that’s par for the course.

NFL

Baltimore +8 @ New England – Beware the team that struggled the week before against the team that had the cakewalk. Only thing that worries me here, in the Championship round when the home team scores 28+ they are 28-0 straight up and 26-2 ATS. Obviously the Patriots can reach that number. I just think this will be a close game with the running of Baltimore and their defense. The Ravens were 7-0 versus playoff teams and the Patriots were 0-2 before last week’s win over Denver. I talked to my friend Stu who runs a major Las Vegas sportsbook and he told me they are getting 8 NE bets for every 1 BAL bet, yet the line is going the OTHER way. Someone is setting themselves up for a big payday is all I’m saying.

BALTIMORE/NEW ENGLAND UNDER 50 – Unders have been ugly this postseason. I’m talking Kathy Griffin ugly. All I can tell you is the numbers have this one too high and everyone is on the over. That’s all I got. If you want to take the over, no one could blame you at this point.

New York Giants +2.5 @ San Francisco – Which question is what surprise teams do I like to keep the momentum going? The one that has done it before. I had both these teams last week and I still love the Niners defense at home. However, unless NY plans on turning the ball over multiple times deep in their own territory I don’t see SF keeping up with the Giants scoring every so often. Lastly, I don’t want the Niners in the Super Bowl. What a boring week when we could get crazy Brandon Jacobs, Victor Cruz and SportsCenter asking repeatedly if Eli is NOW better than Peyton. Gross.

New York Giants/San Francisco UNDER 42 – See the other games explanation (or lack thereof) for this UNDER selection. Have I mentioned the weather is supposed to be terrible? It is. Just remember…..3-1 with these picks this week. Let’s become the 1%.

As the NFL postseason marches toward the Super Bowl, most teams and fanbases now have their attention fixed squarely on the offseason. That is because they are not playing football anymore this season.

Sure, there still are a few big football games to watch (minus the Pro Bowl). But if you are not a fan of the Giants, 49ers, Ravens or Patriots, there really is only one thing to look forward to in the foreseeable future.

The NFL Draft.

The draft is the annual offseason bridge between the Super Bowl, free agency and the start of NFL training camps. The draft’s exponential popularity in recent years has led to the explosion of NFL mock drafts on the Internet. Mock draft is something I have been doing here for the better part of three offseasons now, and here is my first crack at the top 18 picks:

1. Indianapolis Colts select … Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.

2. St. Louis Rams select … Matt Kalil, OT, USC.

3. Minnesota Vikings select … Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU.

4. Cleveland Browns select … Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select … Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama.

6. Washington Redskins select … Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars select … Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame.

8. Carolina Panthers* select … Devon Still, DT, Penn State.

9. Miami Dolphins* select … Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa.

10. Buffalo Bills select … Nick Perry, DE, USC.

11. Seattle Seahawks* select … Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M.

12. Kansas City Chiefs* select … Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford.

13. Arizona Cardinals select … Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College.

14. Dallas Cowboys select … David DeCastro, G, Stanford.

15. Philadelphia Eagles select … Melvin Ingram, LB, South Carolina.

16. New York Jets select … Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland) select … Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama.

18. San Diego Chargers select … Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama.

If you are a Tweeter, follow The Hazean on Twitter. If it is a good chuckle you desire, check out The Hazean’s Facebook page. Remember to follow (Twitter) and become a fan (Facebook) of The Hazean on both popular social networking sites.

If it is just more solid reading material that you crave, check out The Hazean’s Google Reader Shared Items page.

Finally, I completely whiffed on the most exciting playoff win of all-time by a preseason 4^th string quarterback by taking the Steelers against Denver. What can I say? When you are a fan of a team no matter how hard you try, it’s difficult to be objective and not get too high or too low based on your feelings at that time.

The Divisional round is historically where the bye teams are always the favorite and they usually have a winning ATS. However, in the past 5 or 6 years, winning on the road has become more prevalent as at least one team has won each of those years. All but one year, it has been two road teams advancing. Just last season, we lost both #1 seeds in the Divisional round.

NFL

BALTIMORE -9 vs Houston – I had this game circled from the start. This is how it sets up to me. A rested, under the radar team that plays great defense, can run the ball and has a decent passing game against a rookie QB, a team playing it’s first playoff road game after winning the first road game of its franchise, and a defense that is good but not great. Yes, the Texans can run the ball but if they get down this game will get out of control quickly. This line screams “Hey, Texans won last week and they are getting 9 points so everyone take the Texans!” In fact, they are a public underdog thus far and a popular talking heads pick. Trust them if you want, but not I.

Baltimore/Houston UNDER 36 – This is low but with good reason. Baltimore would be happy winning 3-0. Houston knows it’s only shot is to never stop running the ball and short, low-risk throws. I see this as a 20-6 type ballgame and will need defensive turnovers or special teams scores to push it over.

NY GIANTS +8 @ Green Bay – NY is a public dog this week as well. However, unlike Houston I think they will keep it close for the following reasons. They aren’t scared to go into Green Bay. They are an outdoor team. They have the best pass rushers left in the playoffs. They have a better running game and defense than their opponent. If needed, they have a high-powered aerial attack. Green Bay is an awesome team but I can’t lay the points with them knowing they don’t run the ball or have a defense that can stop the other team. I hate giving my money to Eli but it’s the right play this week.

NY Giants/Green Bay UNDER 52.5 – This weekend will lend itself to UNDERS (I’m hoping) and my reason for this game is the Giants understand to have a chance they need to shorten the game. They have the running game to make that happen. I also believe their defense will stop GB enough to stall some drives. Again, I’m making UNDER my plays this week so wish me luck!

SAN FRANCISCO +3.5 vs New Orleans – Getting controversial by going against a Saints team that has all been placed in the championship game versus the Packers. Here’s the beauty of this pick – the Saints can still win. I can’t, I just can’t pass on a team that had a bye getting over a field goal at home that has the better defense and running game. Never going to happen. Personally, I do hope the Saint’s win but there is no denying the fact they are different on the road. Harbaugh has a chance to show everyone he is a genius with a game plan to slow down the greatest offense ever. If not, San Fran can go back to being an afterthought like they were all season anyway. Also, the Saint’s are the #1 consensus play of the weekend.

San Francisco/New Orleans UNDER 47 – Simple logic really. If I believe the Niners will slow down the Saints to keep the game within three then the game must go UNDER. There is no way they will win or be close in a shootout. Much like the Giants game plan, they will run the football and shorten the game. If you take the Saints, then by all means I urge you to take the OVER.

DENVER +13.5 @ New England – My first inclination was going to be take the Patriots because if the blowout didn’t come last week, then it’s coming this week. However, my research showed me several things. The Broncos have the better defense in this game and the better pass rush. The Broncos have the better running game. This line is begging for Denver money though and that worries me. If Denver can get some pressure on Brady every now and then and force some 3 and outs, they will stay close. Much like last week, some things are a leap of faith and don’t need statistics backing it up.

Denver/New England OVER 50 – I believe New England gets at least 30 points in this game. I say that as someone who just recommended Denver. I see a 33-21 type game. Denver learned last week that it is got to make big plays in the passing game and that should help their running game this week. Regardless, I’m really looking forward to this weekend and especially Saturday’s slate of games. Enjoy it, because after this weekend it’s all downhill.