Entries Tagged 'NFL News' ↓

The point spread, e.g. NFL point spread, also goes by the names of the spread and the line. It is used by books to handicap the favorite team. The person setting the initial odds (the opening line) predicts that a team will win by a certain number of points. The corresponding number of points is the point spread of the opening line.

The favorite team is denoted by a minus sign (e.g. -3.5). Conversely the underdog is denoted by a plus sign (e.g. +3.5).

In order to win when you bet on the favorite team, that team has to win and it has to do so by more points than the point spread. Should you decide to bet on the underdog, the way you win is if the underdog wins, ties or loses by less points than the point spread.

Even if you don’t bet, knowing how to read NFL odds and spreads is useful during and leading up to the season, especially when picking your players for fantasy football.

Fun Fact: When the Jets acquired Bret Favre, their super bowl odds went from 80/1 to 40/1!

Former Green Bay Packers quaterback Brett Favre, who announced retirement at the end of the 2007 NFL season, wants to give it another go on the field.

After 16 seasons in the NFL and capped by losing to the New York Giants in the 2007 Conference Championship, we believed Favre’s football career was over. He held a retirement press conference stating that he was indeed retiring and knew that he could play a couple more seasons, but just doesn’t want to. The Packers named Aaron Rodgers the starting quarterback when Favre retired.

Well, when summer came and NFL camps began, rumors abounded saying Favre wanted to come back and play, and that his family wanted him to play another season, too. Favre denied the rumors, saying he was retired and finished playing.

Later in the summer, Favre wanted to play, he was getting the urge to play again, but the Packers didn’t want him back. That Packers already named Rodgers as the starting quarterback, and if Favre was to ever go back to the Packers, he would be a backup for Rodgers. A long-suspenseful conflict between the Packers and Favre began.

Many Green Bay fans wanted Favre back more than ever; they didn’t think Rodgers was ready to start yet, and they wanted to see the man that was on their television screens for 16 years back on those screens for another year or two. Other than Packers fans, NFL fans everywhere had to be thinking about this situation. Nobody knew what exactly was going on, and there were questions that needed answers.

Nobody knew exactly if Favre was going to be on the Packers, another team, or remain retired. Everyday you’d hear something about Favre and his situation, either on the radio, ESPN, NFL Total Access, NFL.com, or anything about sports. Favre was eventually back on the Packers, but the Packers still wanted to trade him.

Finally, the day came, Favre was traded to the New York Jets on Aug. 6 for a conditional draft pick—depending on how many snaps Brett Favre takes this season, and if the Jets go to the Super Bowl, that will determine whether the Packers get a first-, second-, third- or fourth-round draft pick.

After Favre’s first practice with the Jets, he was named starter in the upcoming preseason game, hosting the Washington Redskins. Favre did run a penalty lap for fumbling a snap at practice, and he’s saying that his arm is getting tired, but only time will tell if he can get the job done in his 17th NFL season.

The New York Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 on Sunday to advance to the NFC championship game against the Green Bay Packers - one step away from the Super Bowl.

The Giants turned away a last, desperate drive by top-seeded Dallas when defensive back R.W. McQuarters intercepted Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo’s fourth-down pass in the endzone intended for Terry Glenn with nine seconds left.

That was the only turnover of the game and it gave the Giants a ticket to Green Bay for a Sunday showdown against the Packers, who advanced with a 42-20 divisional playoff win over the Seattle Seahawks a day earlier.

The AFC title match pits unbeaten New England Patriots against the San Diego Chargers, who upset last year’s Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts 28-24 on Sunday. The Pats advanced with a 31-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Next week’s winners will meet in the Super Bowl in Arizona on Feb. 3.

New York (12-6), who had lost twice in the regular season to NFC East rival Cowboys (13-4), took an early 7-0 lead on a 52-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning to Amani Toomer but Dallas surged back with two long touchdown drives.

The Cowboys travelled 96 yards on their first long march that ended with a five-yard fade pattern to Terrell Owens, returning to action after being sidelined with a high ankle sprain.

Dallas went on another brilliant second-quarter drive that covered 90 yards on 20 plays and ate up 10 minutes, 28 seconds ending on one-yard plunge by Marion Barber, who rumbled to 101 yards in the first half.

The marathon drive left only 53 seconds on the clock before the intermission but that was enough time for the Giants.

New York pushed the ball swiftly downfield with Manning connecting twice with rookie receiver Steve Smith before hitting Toomer with a four-yard touchdown pass with seven seconds left on the clock for a 14-14 tie.

A 34-yard third-quarter field goal by Nick Folk pushed Dallas back in front 17-14 before a 25-yard punt return by McQuarters started the Giants on a go-ahead drive that ended with a one-yard, fourth-quarter plunge by Brandon Jacobs for a 21-17 lead.

The Giants defense, which led the NFL this season in sacks, then turned up the pressure on Romo and preserved the lead.

“It was a great team performance,” Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who completed 12-of-18 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, told reporters.

“We had great belief coming in. We made plays, we made some big time plays.”

The NFL playoffs are here, after a historic regular season that was full of record-breaking performances, as well as a little controversy.

The most obvious storyline this season was the AFC’s New England Patriots and their mission for the first undefeated season since ‘72. Pats’ coach Bill Belichick was put under the microscope after the week one “Videogate” scandal, where the team was found taping the opposing team’s play calls. In the off-season, the Pats managed to build a “dream team” and never looked back, running up the score of every game en route to a perfect season. Odds makers unanimously pick the Patriots as the Super Bowl XLII favorites.

Contending Super Bowl champions, the Indianapolis Colts, turned in another great season going 13-3 and claiming the 2nd seed in the AFC. Peyton Manning and the Colts are quietly biding their time for a second shot at the Patriots after a close loss to the team during the season. The Colts seem to have improved, mainly on defense, despite losing several players from last season’s winning team.

In the NFC, quarterback Tony Romo and the Cowboys stumbled a bit to end the season, but still finished with a 13-3 record, locking up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. With the retirement of Bill Parcells at the end of last season, coaches Wade Phillips and Jason Garret inherited a team loaded with talent.

Outspoken wide receiver Terrell Owens had a terrific season as Romo shined in his first year as the full-time starter, even with girlfriend Jessica Simpson cheering from the stands.

Brett Farve pushed off retirement for yet another season and found the fountain of youth. The 38-year old led the Packers to a 2nd seed and a first round playoff bye. The aging gunslinger became the record holder for most career touchdown passes as he passed former NFL great Dan Marino for number one on the list.

Farve accomplished all this with a void at the running back position behind him for much of the season. It wasn’t until Green Bay turned to rookie Ryan Grant that the team was able to find an adequate runner to stop defenses from loading up against the pass on every down.

The first round of the playoffs began this past weekend with Washington versus Seattle. The Redskins overcame the devastating news of Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor’s death and united together as a team to win their last four games to secure a wild card spot in the playoffs. The team unfortunately was slated to play the NFC West division winners, the Seattle Seahawks, and fell 35-14. The Seahawks capitalized on two Todd Collins miscues by returning both interceptions for touchdowns to seal the victory. The Seahawks will now take on the Packers for the right to return to the NFC Championship.

The New York Giants have been on a hot streak of late, almost upending the Patriots and their perfect season in the last game of the season. While they struggled out of the gate early against the Tampa Bay Bucs, this momentum carried over to the whole game. The Giants, led by a resurgent Eli Manning, upset the Bucs 24-14. Manning completed 20-of-27 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns. The Giants must now travel to Dallas to challenge the top-seeded Cowboys.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had the task of playing the Pittsburg Steelers in the wild card weekend match up. The Jaguars saw their 28-10 third quarter lead evaporate before their eyes and needed a last-second field goal to pull out a 31-29 win.

The Jack Del Rio-led team seems to have constructed the perfect playoff team. They boast one of the best rushing attacks in the league, have one of the most consistent quarterbacks in David Garrard and can shut down opposing rushing attacks with a dominate defensive front seven. The Jaguars will battle Goliath next and the team must find a weak link in the Patriots’ armor to advance to their third ever AFC championship game.

In the final game of the first round, the San Diego Chargers and Philip Rivers came alive in the second half to hold off the Tennessee Titans 17-6. Rivers sealed the deal on his first playoff victory leading the team to 17 points in the second half, totaling 292 total yards and one passing touchdown. The Chargers are now headed to the RCA Dome to take on Manning and the defending Superbowl champs.

If the season is any indication, this weekend’s divisional round of the playoffs will definitely showcase some of the best match-ups of the year and maybe even a few upsets.

Bill Walsh was remembered today as a man who forever changed the 49ers, the NFL and anyone else who met him or participated vicariously in his lifetime of dramatic victories. Walsh, 75, who died of leukemia 10 days ago, transcended sports to touch all segments of society.

He will be missed.