BODOG DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF WAGER

For Immediate Release -- January 12th, 2006

The NFL’s Divisional Playoffs feature four rematches and there are reasons to believe the results could be different this time around

By Jason Brough
BodogNation Contributing Writer

To quote the Beatles, the NFL's regular season is "a long and winding road".

Over four months of gruel and grind, a team’s momentum can change on a weekly basis. Injuries occur. Offensive and defensive strategies that worked one week are analyzed and deciphered by the opposition the next. Players gain and lose confidence. Bottom line: no match-up is the same in the playoffs as it was in the regular season.

The above in mind, let's take a close look at this weekend's four Divisional Playoff games - all of which are rematches of regular-season games.

PLAYOFF WAGER - Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks (Saturday, Jan. 14, 4:30 p.m. ET)

Regular Season Meeting: Week 4, at Washington

Final Score: Washington 20, Seattle 17 (OT)

Storyline Then: Statistically, the game was practically dead even. Seahawks kicker Josh Brown hit the left upright on a 47-yard field goal to win at the end of regulation. The Redskins won the coin toss in overtime, drove 55 yards, and sealed the deal with a 39-yard Nick Novak field goal.

Why Things Could Be Different This Time: After losing to Washington, the Seahawks lost just once in 12 games, the lone defeat coming in an irrelevant, mostly starter-free Week 17 game at Green Bay. During their 11-game winning streak, the Seahawks earned a first-round bye, meaning they got to practice and rest last week while the Redskins slugged it out in Tampa Bay. Add to the equation the Seahawks went a perfect 8-0 at home, the 'Skins were a mediocre 4-4 on the road, and Clinton Portis is battling a shoulder injury, and it’s no wonder Seattle is better than a touchdown favorite in the rematch.

Straight From the Bodog Sportsbook: "Despite Washington's great defense and the fact they're one of the hottest teams in the NFL, Seattle is very strong at home and the line reflects that."

PLAYOFF WAGER - New England Patriots at Denver Broncos (Saturday, Jan. 14, 8 p.m. ET)

Regular Season Meeting: Week 6, at Denver

Final Score: Denver 28, New England 20

Storyline Then: Do not be fooled by the relatively close score. This was a dominant performance by Denver. Jake Plummer had his best game in a Broncos' uniform, going 17-for-24 for 262 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. The Broncos put up 178 yards rushing to the Pats’ 89, bettering the Super Bowl champs by a two-to-one ratio. In fact, with about half its roster listed on the Week 6 injury report, New England unraveled like a squad of rookies. At the stroke of halftime – with Denver leading 21-3 after Adam Vinatieri missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt – Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins was ejected for hitting Ebenezer Ekuban below the belt.

Why Things Could Be Different This Time: The Patriots are a different team than they were in October. They've got that swagger back, the one that epitomizes a team that's won three of the past four Super Bowls. The key to the Pats' recent success has been the return of their run defense, which was the best in the NFL in the second half of the season, allowing just 68.6 yards per game over that stretch. If Denver struggles to establish the run on Saturday, they will then have to rely on Plummer. And in a battle between the defensive scheming of Bill Belichick and the history of the mistake-prone Plummer, the edge has to go to New England.

Straight From the Bodog Sportsbook: "It's scary the way the Patriots are playing right now, even if you're the Denver Broncos and playing at home, where you went 8-0 in the regular season."

PLAYOFF WAGER - Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts (Sunday, Jan. 15, 1 p.m. ET)

Regular Season Meeting: Week 12, at Indianapolis

Final Score: Indianapolis 26, Pittsburgh 7

Storyline Then: In one of the most anticipated Monday night match-ups of 2005, the Colts dominated right from the start. Their first offensive play was an 80-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison. After that, it was the Edgerrin James show - the Colts' star running back carried the ball 29 times for 124 yards and became the first rusher to gain 100 yards against Pittsburgh in 23 games. The Steelers struggled mightily on offense, but that was hardly surprising. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger - who went 17-for-26 for 133 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions - was making his first start after missing three weeks because of knee surgery.

Why Things Could Be Different This Time: For obvious reasons, the Colts and coach Tony Dungy, who tragically lost his son last month, have been through the ringer of late. Coupled with two late-season losses, they don't seem as unstoppable as they did back in Week 12. On the other hand, the Steelers have won five in a row, and they've done so in dominant fashion, winning by an average margin of 19.2 points per game. A healthy Roethlisberger employing a silent snap count to offset the crowd noise - something the Steelers had a lot of trouble with in November - should benefit the Pittsburgh offense.

Straight From the Bodog Sportsbook: "The boys in Vegas opened at Indy -9, but our client base loves the Colts, so we took the proactive approach and posted Indy -10. However, the line didn't last long, and we dropped it to -9.5 soon after."

PLAYOFF WAGER - Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears (Sunday, Jan. 15, 4:30 p.m. ET)

Regular Season Meeting: Week 11, at Chicago

Final Score: Chicago 13, Carolina 3

Storyline Then: Heading into the game on a six-game winning streak, Carolina came up against one of the dominant forces in the NFL this season: the Chicago defense. After scoring at least 20 points in each of their 10 previous games, the Panthers were summarily shut down by the league's top defenders. Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme had one of his worst performances of the year, throwing two key interceptions and getting sacked a whopping eight times. The Bears weren't much better on offense, but they capitalized when they had to. Their first two scoring plays, which staked them to a 10-0 first-quarter lead, came as a result of Nathan Vasher interceptions that left the Bears with prime field position.

Why Things Could Be Different This Time: We saw in the wild-card games what an experienced quarterback brings to the game (and also what an inexperienced quarterback fails to bring). Though Delhomme struggled against the Bears in Week 11, he possesses the big-game experience that's so important come postseason. Moreover, bettors cannot assume the Bears will once again win the turnover battle. At +16, the Panthers were third best in the NFL this season in net turnover margin. Bears quarterback Rex Grossman has thrown two interceptions in just 39 pass attempts this year. It could get ugly for him if the Panthers shut down the run like they did against the Giants last week.

Straight From the Bodog Sportsbook: "Carolina is probably the second best team in the NFC behind Seattle, but the Bears' defense is incredibly tough, and even tougher at Soldier Field."

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