TheDailyBlitz.com

In the past couple of years, the team that has gotten hot at the right time has won the Super Bowl. The Patriots were the better team during the season last year, but the Giants got hot in the last six games and won it all. The Packers snuck in as the No. 6 seed before that, en route to a championship for them.

This year, it looks like the 49ers have been the best, or one of the best teams all year, while the Ravens cooled off around the middle of the season, only to catch fire heading into the playoffs. They were lucky to escape Denver with a win, but really took it to New England, dominating them in the second half, and yielding only 13 points, including a second-half shutout to a high-powered Patriot offense.

For some reason, this year just feels different to me. The Ravens have been playing great, but it just feels to me like the 49ers have some unfinished business. They lost a heart-breaker last year in the NFC Championship game, and this year, they appear poised and focused.

Colin Kaepernick has emerged as a legitimate superstar, and adds a dynamic dimension to the 49ers offense that they were lacking with Alex Smith. A team that had been primarily living off defense has started to win high-scoring affairs. This kind of adaptability shows the strength and completeness of San Francisco’s team, and I think they’re going to finish what they started this time.

Final Score Prediction: San Francisco 49ers 31, Baltimore Ravens 24

Related: Super Bowl XLVII Poll | Past Super Bowl results | Super Bowl Squares

Posted by John Trifone at 05:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my game predictions for the this weekend's Championship Games:

AFC Championship Game (see past results): New England Patriots 31, Baltimore Ravens 23

The Patriots are playing great on both sides of the ball. They are playing so well that coach Bill Belichick looked up only for a moment when Brady completed the touchdown pass to put the Patriots up 38-13 in the Divisional Round against Houston. The implication of this is simple; Belichick expects exactly what he got. The Patriots dominated the game virtually from start to finish, and once again cruised past a Texans team that is just not on their level.

The Ravens played a surprisingly well-rounded game in Denver. In addition to holding the Bronco offense to only 21 points (they scored two special team touchdowns), they were also able to put up 38 points on the offensive side of the ball.

Most people, myself included, picked Denver to knock off Baltimore, largely because it seemed unlikely that they could put up the amount of points it would require to win. Flacco played a great game, though, connecting early and often to the likes of Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones. Denver made plenty of mistakes, but give the Ravens credit, they hung in the game and took it away late to steal the victory.

The Ravens won the first matchup of these two teams early on, but I have to believe that the Patriots are going to win the rematch. Ray Lewis lived to see another game by the skin of his teeth in Denver, but as a clear underdog once again, it's hard to imagine another gritty victory.

New England appears to be the class of the AFC, and I'll take the Patriots, 31-23.

Continue reading "AFC and NFC Championship Game Predictions - NFL Playoffs (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are Divisional Round playoff predictions:

Denver Broncos 31, Baltimore Ravens 10

The Broncos are the hottest team in football, having won 11 in a row to finish the season. It took a few weeks for Manning and his new offense to work out the kinks, but they figured it out in a big way, en route to becoming the odds-on favorite to win the Superbowl.

The Ravens were not particularly impressive in their wild card matchup against the Colts, but they did win the game with relative ease. These two teams already met once in Baltimore Week 15, and the Broncos handed them a 34-17 loss. Like most people, I don't expect a much different result this time.

The emotion of Ray Lewis playing in the final home game of his career last week was enough to help the Raven defense against the Colts, but Manning and the Broncos are an entirely different animal. The Ravens are likely to struggle to match the offensive firepower of the Broncos.

This looks like an easy one for Denver, 31-10.

Continue reading "NFL Divisional Round Playoff Game Predictions (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 06:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my predictions for this weekend's NFL playoff games:

Houston Texans 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20

The Bengals have been playing great football, winning seven of their last eight games, with their sole loss being by one point to the Cowboys. The defense has been very stingy, holding all of their opponents to 20 points or less during their 7-1 stretch.

The Texans, on the other hand, started off the season on fire, and have significantly cooled. They got blown out by the Vikings and Colts in their last two games of the year, and have looked a lot less impressive defensively since they lost Brian Cushing for the season.

In spite of all this, I think Houston will win a tight one. They fought all year to get the No. 1 seed, and blew it in the last week of the season. Instead, they host a home game Wild Card weekend, and I think they'll get it together. Sometimes having the first-round bye can hurt you, so it may work to Houston's advantage.

If they can turn things around this weekend, they can build off that momentum, and would have to carry that forward to New England. We'll see how it plays out, but I think Arian Foster and company get it done against Cincy.

Continue reading "NFL Wildcard Round Playoff Game Predictions (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 07:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 17 NFL picks against the spread:

Carolina Panthers (+5) over New Orleans Saints

The Panthers have won three in a row, and have been competitive, if not winning, for the bulk of many of their losses this season.

They have a point differential of only -12 even though they are 6-9 on the year, compared to other sub-.500 teams like the Titans, Raiders, and Jets, who are -159, -150, and -175, respectively. The Panthers are more talented than their record indicates, and I think that they will finish strong.

The Saints will be looking to even their record at 8-8, and may pull out the win, but I'll take Carolina with the points.

Continue reading "Week 17 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 03:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 16 NFL picks against the spread:

Detroit Lions (+4) over Atlanta Falcons

In a week-to-week league, the Lions are coming off their worst performance of the year. Detroit has had one of the most disappointing seasons in the NFL, and last week's performance at Arizona shouldn't instill them with any confidence.

Still, their opponent this week played terribly on the road two weeks ago at Carolina, only to bounce back with their most impressive game yet, clobbering the Giants 34-0.

I like Detroit to bounce back at home on the big stage, in the stand-alone Saturday night game. At the same time, I expect the up-and-down Atlanta to play down to Detroit's level, and while they'll likely pull out the win, I like the Lions getting four.

Continue reading "Week 16 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 06:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 15 NFL picks against the spread:

New York Giants (+1) over Atlanta Falcons

The Giants play well this time of year, and the Cowboys and Redskins have kept the NFC East interesting. Last year, the Giants needed to win out late in the year just to make the playoffs, and ended up doing so en route to a Super Bowl win.

New York has played well in big games against good teams this year, defeating both the 49ers and Packers. While Atlanta is a tough place to play, the Falcons are coming off a loss to the Panthers, and haven't seemed to be playing up to their record.

Matt Ryan began the season as the league MVP, but has been mediocre, at best, of late, and I think he will struggle against the Giants pressure.

I like the Giants to go into Atlanta and get a victory.

Continue reading "Week 15 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 09:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 14 NFL picks against the spread:

Cleveland Browns (-6.5) over Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are coming off an emotional victory last week against the Panthers. They played better than they have all year, and I don't expect that momentum to carry into this week.

The Browns, on the other hand, have been playing really well. They have a legitimate defense, and an offense that continues to improve. Brandon Weeden is coming of a 364-yard passing effort against one bad defense, and this week he gets another. Trent Richardson is one of the best young backs in the league, in a very impressive rookie class.

I like Cleveland to cover against Kansas City this week, but I'm good for 1-in-3 picks this year, so feel free to go the other way.

Continue reading "Week 14 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 06:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Earlier this morning, I posted my look at the AFC playoff picture. Here's a look at the NFC playoff picture heading into Week 14:

NFC EAST

New York Giants (7-5)

The Giants remain one of the more impressive teams in the league, and have had several games where they have shown why they are the defending Super Bowl Champs. They embarrassed the likes of the 49ers and the Packers, and have a history of rising up against tough opponents in important games.

With games against the Saints, Ravens, and Falcons, it's tough to say whether the Giants will be in contention for a first-round bye, or will likely be playing on wild card weekend. They trail Green Bay for the three seed, but do hold the tie-breaker over them if it were to come down to that.

The loss against the Redskins opens up the division race quite a bit. We'll see how it plays out down the stretch.

Continue reading "NFC Playoff Picture Heading into Week 14" »

Posted by John Trifone at 09:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With only four weeks to go in the NFL regular season, here's a look at the playoff picture in the AFC:

AFC EAST

New England Patriots (9-3)

The Patriots are division champs once again, as expected. Defensively, they have looked better than they have in recent years, and the offense has been pouring it on, putting up 242 points over their six-game winning streak.

They are one of the hottest teams in the league, and have a pretty good shot at a first-round bye if they can keep it up. They do, however, host the Texans, 49ers, and division-rival Dolphins in three of their final four games.

The Broncos have a much easier schedule, and have won seven in a row themselves, so I'd pick the Patriots to finish third in the conference, but a bye is still certainly up for grabs.

Continue reading "AFC Playoff Picture Heading into Week 14" »

Posted by John Trifone at 06:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 13 NFL picks against the spread:

Arizona Cardinals (+4.5) over New York Jets

After starting off the season 4-0, the Cardinals have lost seven games in a row. They have a pretty solid defense, but offensively, they just have no firepower whatsoever. The quarterback situation is worse than the one the team they're facing this week has.

Still, I like the defense to keep Arizona in this one. Both sides have to view this game as very winnable. I think the game could go either way, but I think it will be close, as neither the Cardinals nor the Jets should put up a ton of points.

I actually like the Cardinals to win, but definitely like at least getting the points.

Continue reading "Week 13 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 12 NFL picks against the spread:

Dallas Cowboys (-3) over Washington Redskins

The Cowboys are infamous for putting themselves in a position to succeed and falling flat on their faces.

I don't love picking against that kind of history, but the Cowboys managed to eek out a win at home against a Cleveland team that is better than their record indicates. They didn't play great, but they have a bit of momentum now, having won two games in a row, while the division-leader Giants have opened the door with two losses in a row.

Dallas has an opportunity to put on a show for their fans on Thanksgiving, and could potentially pull back into a tie for the lead in the NFC East if the Giants are unable to defend home field against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

I like the Cowboys defense to step up this week against RGIII, and I expect the Cowboy offense to put up some big numbers against a weak Redskins secondary.

Take the Cowboys, give the points.

Continue reading "Week 12 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 11 NFL picks against the spread:

Green Bay Packers (-3.5) over Detroit Lions

As a general rule, I try not to get goaded into what is historically one of the worst bets in football: small road underdogs. However, my feeling is that the Packers should be a larger road favorite because there is a greater distance between these two teams than their records indicate. Aaron Rodgers is back to playing like the MVP of the league, and Green Bay is coming off a bye.

On the other hand, the Lions were starting to salvage their season before getting beaten pretty soundly by their division-rival Minnesota Vikings. The game ended with the Vikings winning by 10, but Minnesota had control of the entire game.

With Detroit playing inconsistent ball, I like the Packers to cover the small spread in a 31-20 type game.

Continue reading "Week 11 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 06:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 10 NFL picks against the spread:

Buffalo Bills (+13) over New England Patriots

The Patriots have been a bit tough to figure out this year. There are obvious signs that the rest of the league has caught up with them, and they're no longer the clear cut favorite to make the Super Bowl.

That said, they still have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, and New England can still run up the score against an inferior squad.

In fact, they steamrolled Buffalo earlier in the year by the score of 52-28. I do still like the Pats to win, of course, but 13 is a big number, and I like the Bills to keep it a bit closer this time.

Continue reading "Week 10 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 9 NFL picks against the spread:

Dallas Cowboys (+4) over Atlanta Falcons

For whatever reason, I can't stop picking against the Falcons against the spread (ATS). Earlier in the season, I loved the Panthers to cover seven in Atlanta, which they did, and just last week, I loved the Eagles to cover over the Falcons, which they did not. Still, while Atlanta is 7-0, they are just 2-2 ATS in their last four games, and 0-2 in home games.

This week, the Cowboys, who are desperate for a win to stay in contention in the NFC East, are coming to town. In an odd fact, the Cowboys are undefeated since 1991 when playing teams that are at least 7-0. I'm not a big fan of stats like that, but I do like this year's Dallas team to continue the trend.

The Cowboys are their usual up-and-down selves this year once again, but they often come to play when you don't expect they will. After falling behind 23-0 to the Giants early, the twitter-verse had them dead and buried. Then they ran off 24 unanswered points, and ended up losing a heart-breaker by Dez Bryant's fingertip.

I may not be giving Atlanta enough credit, and they certainly are coming off an impressive win in Philadelphia, but three of the wins could have easily gone the other way, and they just don't seem to be on par with some of the last remaining undefeated teams of years past. I give Dallas a decent chance to win outright, and like the Cowboys getting four.

Continue reading "Week 9 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 07:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)