The 2012 Belk Bowl picks are going to be difficult to make, as the Cincinnati Bearcats and Duke Blue Devils are set to do battle with one another in a Big East vs. ACC battle. Check out our Belk Bowl predictions and the keys to the game for Cincinnati vs. Duke.

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2012 Belk Bowl: Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Duke Blue Devils
2012 Belk Bowl Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
2012 Belk Bowl Date/Time: Thursday, December 27th, 6:30 p.m. (ET)
2012 Belk Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Key #1: The Blue Devils have to prove they can play with the big boys
The Belk Bowl isn’t exactly a BCS bowl game or anything of the sorts, but this is as big of a stage as the Blue Devils have played on in quite some time. They haven’t been in a bowl game in 17 years, and they haven’t won one in over 50 years. That’s a heck of a long time for a team to wait between bowl appearances or bowl victories. Duke played great ball this year against some lousy teams to start the season, but what we have to remember is that there wasn’t a win against a bowl eligible team to show for its work. Head Coach David Cutcliffe and the gang went 0-6 SU and ATS against teams that were bowl eligible and 6-0 SU and ATS against teams that weren’t eligible. The only asterisk to that mark was the fact that the North Carolina Tar Heels would have been eligible if not for the fact that they were faced with a bowl ban handed down by the NCAA. In their last four games of the season, the Blue Devils were outscored by an average score of 49-24.

Famous Belk Bowl Odds at Diamond Sportsbook
Cincinnati Bearcats -9.5
Duke Blue Devils +9.5
Over/Under 60.5
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Key #2: George Winn has to find the end zone for UC
The equation really is frighteningly simple for the Bearcats this year. When RB George Winn has found the end zone, they have done tremendously well. When he hasn’t, they haven’t. Winn has 12 touchdowns on the season spread over six different games. In those games that he has scored, the Cats have averaged 36.0 points per game. In those six outings, Winn has averaged 110.0 rushing yards per game. When he hasn’t scored, Winn has averaged just 90.7 yards per game, and the team has been good for only 26.0 points per game (21.0 points per game against FBS teams). There is a good chance for Winn to get into the end zone in this game against a Duke outfit that has allowed 17 rushing touchdowns in its last seven games.

Key #3: Duke’s seniors have to play like seniors
QB Sean Renfree has started for three seasons for the Blue Devils, while WR Connor Vernon is now in his fourth straight campaign starting. These two men arguably been the best QB/WR tandem that the Blue Devils have had in decades, and it is really showing. Renfree threw for 2,755 yards and 18 TDs this year, and he now has a total of 55 TDs between passing and rushing in the last three campaigns. Vernon has had 273 receptions, 3,630 yards, and 20 trips to the end zone in his four campaigns. He wrapped up his regular season finale with 11 catches, 109 yards, and two scores against Miami, and that marked the third time this year that he had multiple touchdowns in an outing. This is a game where the Blue Devils have everything stacked against them, and if they are going to figure out how to beat the Belk Bowl odds, they’ll need great contributions from their big time leaders that have been around the team for a long time.

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The X’s and O’s of the Little Caesars Bowl predictions aren’t shared by many expert handicappers, but here at Bankroll Sports, we are giving up all of our insight and telling you all of the keys to the game for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. Central Michigan Chippewas. The Little Caesars Bowl picks are some of the hardest to make this year of all of the bowl games, so don’t miss out on all of our Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan predictions!

2012 Little Caesars Bowl: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. Central Michigan Chippewas
2012 Little Caesars Bowl Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
2012 Little Caesars Bowl Date/Time: Wednesday, December 26th, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
2012 Little Caesars Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: Central Michigan has to figure out how to score against a bowl team
The Chippewas haven’t done a whole heck of a lot over the course of the year against bowl teams this year. They won just six games, and none of those games came against bowl teams. In fact, Central Michigan was crushed 41-7 by the Michigan State Spartans, 55-24 by the Northern Illinois Huskies, 50-35 by the Toledo Rockets, 31-13 by the Navy Midshipmen, and 41-30 by the Ball State Cardinals. That’s nothing but losses, and all of those losses came by at least 11 points, while many of the games weren’t even remotely close. Granted, this is likely just as bad, if not the worst of all of the bowl teams that the Chippies have played thus far this year, but still, the situation remains the same. This isn’t Akron, or Eastern Michigan, or Massachusetts, or any of the other lousy teams that CMU beat this year. This is a legitimate game against a team that has won 14 games over the course of the last season and a half.

Little Caesars Bowl Odds at BetRevolution Sportsbook
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers -5.5
Central Michigan Chippewas +5.5
Over/Under 57.5
Click Here to Bet Your Little Caesars Bowl Picks!

Key #2: The moment cannot be too big for the Hilltoppers
It has got to be good to be a Hilltopper right now. Western Kentucky has won those 14 games over the course of the last two seasons. It is unfortunate that the Hilltoppers and Head Coach Willie Taggart are no longer a unit, as Taggart has left for the brighter lights of the South Florida Bulls, but the man that is coming to town now is Bobby Petrino. Petrino might have a checkered past, but there is no doubt that he has won just about everywhere that he has gone, and he should be winning at WKU as well. That being said, this is the first bowl game that the Hilltoppers have ever played in, they have to prove that they are ready to play at this level. Last year, they were snubbed out of a bowl game in spite of the fact that they finished out the year by winning seven of their last eight games and covering nine in a row. This is a veteran team led by QB Kawaun Jakes, but in the end, the team has to prove that it is truly good enough to handle this moment of playing in a bowl game in a standalone time slot against a reasonable team, though this is a nice spot against what is clearly the worst of all of the 70 bowl teams this year.

Key #3: The Chippewas have to figure out how to stop the run
It is clear that RB Antonio Andrews has to be a monster on the ground for the Hilltoppers to win their first ever bowl game. He rushed for 1,609 yards and 11 TDs this season, and he has taken right over for RB Bobby Rainey, who has been one of the most accomplished rushers in the country over the course of the last few years. Andrews rushed for 230 and 238 yards in his last two games of the year, and he averaged 5.8 yards per carry this year. Andrews also averaged 154.3 yards per game on the ground in his last 10 games of the year, and he had at least 88 yards in all of those games. Central Michigan ranked 97th in the country against the run at 196.7 yards per game allowed. That number was all the way up to 246.8 yards per game against teams that qualified for bowl games this year. If all of that continues in this game, this game could end up being a blowout.

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2012 Hawaii Bowl picks are going to be entertaining to make this year, as we have two teams that are going to be going at it against each other in what could be an unpredictable game in the SMU Mustangs and the Fresno State Bulldogs. Join us for our Hawaii Bowl keys to the game and our Fresno State vs. SMU predictions.

2012 Hawaii Bowl: SMU Mustangs vs. Fresno State Bulldogs
2012 Hawaii Bowl Location: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI
2012 Hawaii Bowl Date/Time: Monday, December 24th, 8:00 p.m. (ET)
2012 Hawaii Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

Key #1: The Mustangs have to not get trampled defensively
All too often in these bowl games, one of the two teams (and it isn’t always the inferior team) just gets trampled defensively. Teams come out of the blocks with guns blazing, and in the blink of an eye, 21 points hit the scoreboard, making it virtually impossible to get back in the game. SMU’s offense isn’t good enough in all likelihood against a stout defense to come back from down three scores to win, so the unit really has to make sure that it doesn’t just get run all over right out of the blocks. The Mustangs will especially have some problems if they end up letting QB Derek Carr throw the ball all over the place, as this team ranks just 107th in the country, allowing 271.2 yards per game. Five teams were able to put at least 36 up against the Mustangs this year, but that just can’t happen if they are going to figure out how to stay in this game. Fresno State will get its points, but the hope is to keep it so gobs of points don’t get on the scoreboard.

Hawaii Bowl Odds at BetGuardian Sportsbook
SMU Mustangs +11.5
Fresno State Bulldogs -11.5
Over/Under 59.5
Click Here to Bet Your Hawaii Bowl Picks!

Key #2: SMU has to figure out how to not lose the turnover battle
The reason that the Mustangs won six games this year is because their defense, though sometimes shoddy, did manage to force 33 turnovers in just 12 games. It was crucial for sure to keep this team in the fold, knowing that the offense only turned the ball over a total of 21 times, giving the Mustangs a +1.0 turnover per game advantage. The Bulldogs though, ranked tied for fifth in America in turnover margin at +17 for the year. Turnovers are the great equalizers in these bowl games for sure, and it is going to be tough for either of these teams to win this game from behind in that category. QB Derek Carr isn’t likely to make mistakes, knowing that he only threw six INTs all year long. QB Garrett Gilbert though, is a much different story. He had 13 picks, and he barely completed half of his passes in some of his games. If the Mustangs win this game, we would bet that they are at least +2 in the turnover category as a result.

Key #3: Fresno State has to stay balanced and keep the ball in Robbie Rouse’s hands
Fresno State has always had a great tradition of solid running backs, and RB Robbie Rouse is the next in that line. He rushed for 1,468 yards and had 406 more as a receiver, totaling 14 TDs as well. This is a back that is truly a horse, as Rouse now has 598 carries over the course of the last two seasons alone. When the ball is in his hands, good things tend to happen. Rouse got over 100 rushing yards in nine of his 12 games this year, and the one game that wasn’t covered or won, the 20-10 loss on the Smurf Turf at the Boise State Broncos, he had just 77 rushing yards. Carr will do the job that he needs to do, but the team can’t get pass happy. To cover a number like this one, it is going to take a nicely poised game with a lot of touches from Rouse to get the job done. Don’t be shocked if Rouse has another humongous game like he did against the Nevada Wolf Pack, as he rushed for 261 yards on 36 carries in that 52-36 victory. If he does, the Mustangs are in a heck of a lot of trouble.

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There are just two weeks worth of games left on the NFL schedule, and that makes this week’s sets of NFL odds all the more important for the week to come. Join us for our quick discussion of the NFL Week 16 betting lines, and don’t miss all of the Week 16 odds that are at the bottom of this post.

There are a number of teams that are going to be playing for crucial playoff spots this week, and a lot of teams are playing those that are out of the race for the second season. As a result, there are a ton of games that are featuring just huge point spreads.

The biggest of the big pits the New England Patriots on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars. There are nine games separating these two teams in the standings, and there are 14 points separating them on the NFL Week 16 odds with a game being played at EverBank Field. New England absolutely has to have these last two games if it wants any chance of getting a first round bye in the playoffs. The Jags probably need to lose these last two to have any chance to get the top pick in the NFL Draft.

The problem that the Pats have this week is that the two teams above them in the standings, the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos are huge favorites at home as well. The Broncos are hosting the Cleveland Browns and are favored by 13, while the Texans are laying 7.5 in the crucial game against the Minnesota Vikings, a game the Vikes have to have if they are going to stay on the right side of the playoff race in the NFC.

Meanwhile, over in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers can keep the pressure on by beating the Tennessee Titans this week as 12.5-point choices on the Week 16 betting lines. The other huge favorites this weeekend are the Carolina Panthers, who are -9 against the Oakland Raiders.

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This week is also odd from the standpoint that there is no Monday Night Football game on Christmas Eve and no Thursday Night Football game either. There is though, a Saturday Night Football clash between the Atlanta Falcons and the Detroit Lions on ESPN. The Lions are coming off of the embarrassment of getting blown away by Arizona last weekend, and they are going to want to get back in the saddle against an Atlanta team that is still tenuously holding onto the top spot in the NFC playoffs. Atlanta can win the No. 1 seed and make sure that the road to the Super Bowl goes through the Georgia Dome with a victory, something that could be had as 3.5-point underdogs at Ford Field.

The only other division that still needs to be sorted out in the league is the NFC East. The Washington Redskins hold their own destiny right now, and they just need to win these final two games this year to lock up the division. They’re taking on the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend in the City of Brotherly Love, and they’re 5.5-point favorites to move within just one step. Meanwhile, both the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, who are both also at 8-6, are involved in very tough games this weekend. New York is on the road against the Baltimore Ravens, while the Cowboys are hosting the New Orleans Saints. Both teams are favored by 2.5-points.

Those Ravens have their work cut out for them if they plan on winning the AFC North. They are still in control of the division at the moment, but if they lose this one against the Giants, they’re going to probably be forced into a do-or-die game next week for at least the division, and maybe the playoffs all together against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals meanwhile, can clinch a playoff spot if they can beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road this week. It’s a do or die game for the Steelers, who have to win at least this game, and likely the game next week against the Browns to get into the playoffs. They can still win the AFC North though, and that would go a long way towards getting back to the Super Bowl. The Steelers are -4 at Heinz Field, but a lot of betting in this game has actually gone on the Bengals, who have lost five in a row in this series.

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The big game of the weekend is Sunday Night Football, though. The Seattle Seahawks are going to host the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers will lock up the NFC West with a win, and they might ultimately clinch no worse than the No. 2 seed as well with some help. In all likelihood though, San Francisco is in some trouble if this game is lost. It will still control of its own destiny to win the division, and it likely won’t in Week 17 to get the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Seattle meanwhile, is just trying to get into the playoffs, and it will get in with a win and a heck of a lot of help. The easiest thing for the Seahawks to do is win twice to end the regular season, as if they don’t, they are leaving themselves open to be left out of the second season. After watching the Niners go to New England last week and win, the oddsmakers have lined them at a pick ’em at CenturyLink Field.

There are a few other games that we have yet to discuss that we are going to quickly gloss over. The Chicago Bears are laying five to the Arizona Cardinals on the road in a game that they have to win if they have any playoff aspirations left. The Miami Dolphins, who are technically still alive in the playoff race, are -4.5 against the Buffalo Bills at home. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are giving a field goal to the St. Louis Rams in a battle of two teams that have overachieved this year and have a lot to look forward to in the future. The Indianapolis Colts will clinch a playoff berth if they can beat the Kansas City Chiefs as 6.5-point favorites at Arrowhead Stadium, while another of the lousy teams in the AFC West, the San Diego Chargers, are +2.5 on the road against the New York Jets, who will be giving QB Greg McElroy his first career start.

In terms of ‘totals’, they are starting to trickle down just a bit this week as the weather gets colder. The only two games in the 50s, the New Orleans/Dallas game and the Atlanta/Detroit game are both played in domes. Both games feature numbers posted at 51. Chicago and Arizona have two of the best defenses in the game, but most importantly, they both have anemic offenses. That’s why that game is the lowest number on the board of the week at 36.5. The Seattle/San Fran game also only features a ‘total’ of 39, the second lowest ‘total’ of the week. Those two teams played a brutal 13-6 game when these two met two months ago, but Seattle has scored 108 points in the last two weeks, while the 49ers have scored 68 points in those same two weeks.

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Week 16 NFL Betting Odds for Saturday, December 22nd
101 Atlanta Falcons -3.5
102 Detroit Lions +3.5
Over/Under 51

Week 16 NFL Point Spreads for Sunday, December 23rd (1:00 ET Kickoffs)
103 Tennessee Titans +12.5
104 Green Bay Packers -12.5
Over/Under 46

105 Oakland Raiders +9
106 Carolina Panthers -9
Over/Under 46

107 Buffalo Bills +4.5
108 Miami Dolphins -4.5
Over/Under 41.5

109 Cincinnati Bengals +4
110 Pittsburgh Steelers -4
Over/Under 43.5

111 New England Patriots -14
112 Jacksonville Jaguars +14
Over/Under 48.5

113 Indianapolis Colts -6.5
114 Kansas City Chiefs +6.5
Over/Under 41.5

115 New Orleans Saints +1
116 Dallas Cowboys -1
Over/Under 51

117 Washington Redskins -5.5
118 Philadelphia Eagles +5.5
Over/Under 44.5

119 St. Louis Rams +3
120 Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3
Over/Under 43.5

123 Minnesota Vikings +9
124 Houston Texans -9
Over/Under 43.5

131 San Diego Chargers +2.5
132 New York Jets -2.5
Over/Under 40.5

Week 16 NFL Spreads for Sunday, December 23rd (4:00 ET Kickoffs)
125 Cleveland Browns +13
126 Denver Broncos -13
Over/Under 44.5

127 Chicago Bears -5
128 Arizona Cardinals +5
Over/Under 36.5

121 New York Giants -2.5
122 Baltimore Ravens +2.5
Over/Under 47

NFL Week 16 Betting Lines for Sunday Night Football, December 23rd
129 San Francisco 49ers +2
130 Seattle Seahawks -2
Over/Under 39

The X’s and O’s of the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl predictions aren’t shared by many expert handicappers, but here at Bankroll Sports, we are giving up all of our insight and telling you all of the keys to the game for the UCF Knights vs. Ball State Cardinals. The Beef O’Brady’s Bowl picks are some of the hardest to make this year of all of the bowl games, so don’t miss out on all of our UCF vs. Ball State predictions!

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

2012 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl: UCF Knights vs. Ball State Cardinals
2012 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
2012 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl Date/Time: Friday, December 21st, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
2012 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl On TV: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Key #1: Blake Bortles has to keep control of the football
The Knights only turned the ball over a grand total of 15 times this year, and just seven came off of the arm of Bortles. Keeping those picks down has been key for UCF to stay in games and to win them. It has been over five games since the last time Bortles threw an interception, and he is going to be determined to keep that up here in the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl. Ball State only picked off seven passes and forced seven fumbles this year, making it one of the worst teams in the nation in forced turnovers, lower than some of the worst teams in the land. It’s not that the Knights are going to win this game if they don’t turn the ball over, but if they do turn it over more than once, perhaps twice, they almost certainly have no chance whatsoever to win the game, as the team preaches playing good defense and running the football. This is a club that isn’t afraid to punt, and it has to take advantage of that by not turning it over.

Beef O’Brady’s Bowl Odds at BetRevolution Sportsbook
UCF Knights -7
Ball State Cardinals +7
Over/Under 61.5
Click Here to Bet Your Beef O’Brady’s Bowl Picks!

Key #2: Keith Wenning has to stay away from AJ Bouye
Wenning threw 10 picks this year for the Cardinals, but he still threw 22 TDs and has two great wide receivers in WR Willie Snead and WR Jamill Smith. The two men have combined for 151 receptions, 1,776 yards, and 13 TDs this year, and both can light up the Knights for sure if given the chance. However, Wenning has to be smart with the football. UCF’s best DB is Conference USA second team All-Conference DB AJ Bouye, who is one of the three players in the history of the school to return both a pick and a fumble for a touchdown in the same season. Bouye is probably the best player in this secondary, and he is one of the ones that might hear his name called in the NFL Draft come April. He can’t cover both Snead and Smith though, and Wenning has to be smart and figure out how to keep the ball away from the crafty senior, because disastrous things have been proven to potentially happen when push comes to shove when the ball comes his way.

Key #3: Jahwan Edwards has to poke some holes in the UCF defense
Part of the key to keeping the ball away from Bouye and those Knights’ defenders is going to be getting the ball going with the run. We know that RB Jahwan Edwards can run the ball and bust some big ones, as he averaged 6.1 yards per carry this year and had 14 trips to the end zone. But can the sophomore stay consistent? That’s the real question here, knowing that he has had four games this year with less than 80 yards and three with more than 140 yards. Edwards also had six games this year where he averaged over 6.0 yards per carry, but he also had four games in which he averaged less than 5.0 yards per carry as well. If Edwards doesn’t get up to that 5.0 yards per carry mark against a defense that ranked 64th in the nation against the rush, it is going to be a long day for Wenning and this passing attack in the teeth of a ferocious pass rush.

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The 2012 Las Vegas Bowl picks are going to be difficult to make, as the Washington Huskies and Boise State Broncos are set to do battle with one another in a Pac-12 vs. Mountain West battle. Check out our Las Vegas Bowl predictions and the keys to the game for Washington vs. Boise State.

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2012 Las Vegas Bowl: Washington Huskies vs. Boise State Broncos
2012 Las Vegas Bowl Location: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
2012 Las Vegas Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 22nd, 3:30 p.m. (ET)
2012 Las Vegas Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Key #1: Both teams need to win the turnover battle
It’s definitely cliché in football, but in this case, it clearly is something that is true. The team that wins the turnover battle is going to win the Las Vegas Bowl this year. The Broncos were ranked No. 4 in the country in turnover margin at +18, and they were the leaders in the nation in recovered fumbles with 17, and tied for 17th in picks with 16. Washington meanwhile, in spite of its horrifying schedule chock full of great defenses, still managed a +7 turnover margin for the year, which is something that you wouldn’t have expected from a team that featured a quarterback in QB Keith Price that tossed 11 interceptions on the campaign. One of these teams is going to end up with a minus in the turnover margin in this game, and it is going to be a rare happening for either one. The loser will be the one with the big, fat minus marking in their turnover column on December 22nd.

Famous Las Vegas Bowl Odds at Diamond Sportsbook
Washington Huskies +5.5
Boise State Broncos -5.5
Over/Under 44
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Key #2: Points cannot be left on the field
There were only a total of 31 field goals attempted all year long by both the Broncos and the Huskies, while there were just a total of 77 touchdowns. It’s just not all that great for either team. That means that, especially Washington, which averaged just 2.92 touchdowns per game this year, cannot afford to let opportunities slip away. RB Bishop Sankey has a real nose for the end zone, as he had 15 scores this year, and when he gets close, he has no choice but to pound the ball into the end zone. The same could be said for a Boise State outfit that has gotten spoiled by QB Kellen Moore over the course of the last four years. Now, with QB Joe Southwick in the fold, Head Coach Chris Petersen is relying a lot more on his defense, which is one of the best in America statistically. Again, it’s up to RB DJ Harper to get the job done, as there wasn’t another player on this team that had a better nose for the end zone. Harper scored 15 times on the campaign. No one else scored more than five.

Key #3: Boise State has to prove that it belongs here and wants to be here
Those are two totally different points of contention that we have to discuss. The Broncos did win 10 games again this year, but few think that this 10-win team is anywhere near as good as some of the 10, 11, and 12 win teams that have come off of the Smurf Turf in the past. The losses this year against the San Diego State Aztecs and Michigan State Spartans turned out to be as bad of losses as the program has had in years and years, and there weren’t those dominating 65-0 victories littered all over the schedule. As a result, this is the third straight season playing in the Las Vegas Bowl, and it has to get tiresome, especially for some of the upperclassmen that have been here before. Were the Broncos really the best team in the Mountain West this year? That’s probably still partially to be determined. That loss to the Aztecs at home with a backup quarterback under center really didn’t sit well at all with the Boise State faithful. Don’t blame the Broncos if they don’t really feel like showing up for this game, something that certainly will not be a problem for a U-Dub team that has earned every single victory that it has gotten since Head Coach Steve Sarkisian has taken over as the man in charge in Seattle.

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The 2012 NFL schedule continues in Week 15, as there are just three weeks left in the campaign to determine which teams will and will not be going to the playoffs, and where they will all be playing. Join us here at Bankroll Sports, as we break down all of the games on the Week 15 NFL schedule, along with all of the Week 15 odds on the board.

There are a heck of a lot of teams that are fighting for their lives right now, and we’re going to see that right away on Thursday when the Cincinnati Bengals visit the Philadelphia Eagles. Cincy is one of the many teams this week that is favored by right around a field goal. In fact, there are nine games as of Tuesday evening that are lined between two and four. The Bengals are one of those at the high end of that spectrum at -4 on the road against a Philadelphia team that is trying to play the role of spoiler.

Division titles can basically be won (or actually be won) in a number of games on Sunday, and most of the games are going to be incredibly close calls.

The Green Bay Packers are going on the road to Soldier Field on Sunday, and the clash against the Chicago Bears is going to be the biggest game of the year for both of these teams. The Pack will win the NFC North with a victory, while the Bears will claw right back into the race if they can hold serve at home. However, Green Bay is clearly the better of these two teams and is better form at the moment, and it is favored by a field goal as a result.

In the other big time game of the weekend that could solve a division championship is in the AFC South. The Houston Texans are a win over the Indianapolis Colts away from winning the division. However, at this point, the Colts also control their own destiny for shocking the world and winning the division. Indy will be in the playoffs with a win one way or the other, and it will put the pressure on the Texans in a big time way in the division race. Meanwhile, Houston is three wins away from the No. 1 seed on the AFC side of the postseason. Everyone sees how “lucky” QB Andrew Luck and the Colts are getting, and the whole world saw the Texans get their doors blown off on Monday, yet the hosts are the biggest favorites of the weekend at -7.5.

Division leaders are also going to be involved in a few duels on Sunday as well that could shape the landscape of the playoffs in both conferences. We’ll start at the Georgia Dome, where the Atlanta Falcons are taking on the New York Giants. The G-Men are the team to watch here, as they are the ones with a heck of a lot more on the line. New York needs to win these final three games to ensure getting into the playoffs, and no other route will absolutely ensure a bit into the postseason. Atlanta is starting to stare over its back shoulder at some teams coming from behind, who might be able to catch up with it. The Giants are getting a point for now, but we wouldn’t be surprised if that flips by the end of the week.

Meanwhile over at M&T Bank Stadium, the Baltimore Ravens, who are perennially a fantastic home team, are actually two-point dogs this week to the Denver Broncos. The winner of this game is going to have a good chance to get a first round bye in the playoffs and keep their name in the hat for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The loser is going to be in a lot of trouble, especially if it is the Ravens. Baltimore still hasn’t won the AFC North yet, and it needs a couple of wins down the stretch to ensure that that happens. The tiebreaker here is crucial for the Broncos, who already lose tiebreakers to both the Patriots and the Texans, and they aren’t going to want to have lost to all of their most competitive playoff foes going into the postseason.

Sunday Night Football this week also pits two division winners against each other. Both the San Francisco 49ers and the New England Patriots are chasing the top seeds in their respective conferences, and the team that loses this game is unlikely to ultimately be able to claim that top seed. The Niners are a group that garner a heck of a lot of respect, but this is the toughest game thus far in the career of QB Colin Kaepernick, who has to go against a New England defense that just shut down the top team in the NFL, the Texans, last week. That’s why the Pats are -5.5 to open up the week.

And then there are plenty of games that are going to involve teams with Wild Card playoff hopes as well. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints are essentially playing in an elimination game for sure, though both of these teams are already probably on the wrong side of the playoffs for good. New Orleans is laying 3.5 at the site of Super Bowl 47. The Washington Redskins are still hanging in there, and they have to go on the road to the Cleveland Browns this week as well. Cleveland is hot, and if the rest of the teams in the AFC North keep sliding, you never really know if it can actually get into the playoffs. Winning out is a pre-requisite for success though, and the Browns are getting 1.5 at home.

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Perhaps the most important of the Wild Card potential showdowns in the 1:00 ET hour pits the Minnesota Vikings against the St. Louis Rams. Both teams are still struggling to get into the playoffs, and both are going to need some wins and some help to get the job done. The loser is going to likely be done for this year, making this essentially a playoff game for both. The Rams are -2.5 at the Edward Jones Dome, and regardless of what happens to these two this year, both should be incredibly proud that they took a lot of steps in the right direction.

In the 4:00 ET hour though, there are two other crucial games. The Buffalo Bills are on their last gasp, and they have to win out and get a lot of help to think about the playoffs. They head to Toronto for their annual visit to the Rogers Centre on Sunday afternoon for a battle with the Seattle Seahawks, the team that everyone is chasing for the last playoff spot in the NFC. The Hawks are -4, and if they can win this one and watch the Bears lose earlier in the day, they’ll be in a spot where they really should make the playoffs from here.

The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers are both 7-6 teams, and they’ll both know by the time they take the field in this one what it means to them. Dallas is in a spot this week where making up a game on the field in the NFC East is a distinct possibility, while Pittsburgh could draw nearer in the AFC North. However, the loser of this one will be just 7-7 through 14 games. That isn’t damning by any stretch of the imagination, but it will make life harder and open up the door for a number of teams that could slip into the playoff race around them both. This one should be tight at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, though the hosts are actually getting a point in what should be a crucial tilt.

Of course, for all of the great games on the docket, there are some lousy ones as well that we’ll fly through quickly. The Miami Dolphins are favored by a touchdown, making them the second biggest favorites of the weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers are separated by just home field advantage, while the Detroit Lions are going to put their skid of four out of five games on the line against the longest losing streak in the NFL, that of the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona has dropped nine in a row, and it is coming off of the embarrassing 58-0 loss in Seattle last week. That’s why it is getting six points at home. The dog game of dog games pits the 10-loss Oakland Raiders against the 11-loss Chiefs. The loser of this one will be in significantly better shape in terms of the NFL Draft than the winner will be, but the Raiders are -3 thanks to home field advantage. Monday Night Football features the Titans at -2 against a New York Jets outfit that, believe it or not, could actually get back onto level terms for the last playoff spot on with a win and some help.

‘Totals’ this week are pretty tightly packed as well. There are only two numbers stuck in the 30s this week. The Jags and Fins are only expected to reach 37, the lowest ‘total’ of the weekend, while the Rams and Vikings are at 38. There are only two games in the 50s as well. The Falcons and Giants are the second highest number on the board of the weekend at 51, while the highest, not surprisingly, features the Saints and Bucs, who have two of the worst defenses in the NFL. That over/under is set for 53.5. All other ‘totals’ this week chime in between 42 and 48.

2012 NFL Week 15 Odds @ WagerWeb Sportsbook (as of 12/16/12):
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Week 15 NFL Betting Odds for Thursday, December 13th
301 Cincinnati Bengals -4.5
302 Philadelphia Eagles +4.5
Over/Under 45

Week 15 NFL Spreads for Sunday, December 16th (1:00 ET Kickoffs)
303 Green Bay Packers -1
304 Chicago Bears +1
Over/Under 43

305 New York Giants +1
306 Atlanta Falcons -1
Over/Under 51

307 Tampa Bay Buccaneers +4
308 New Orleans Saints -4
Over/Under 53.5

309 Minnesota Vikings +1
310 St. Louis Rams -1
Over/Under 39

311 Washington Redskins -1
312 Cleveland Browns +1
Over/Under 43

313 Jacksonville Jaguars +8
314 Miami Dolphins -8
Over/Under 37.5

315 Denver Broncos -3
316 Baltimore Ravens +3
Over/Under 48

317 Indianapolis Colts +10
318 Houston Texans -10
Over/Under 47.5

NFL Week 15 Betting Lines for Sunday, December 16th (4:00 ET Kickoffs)
319 Carolina Panthers +3
320 San Diego Chargers -3
Over/Under 44.5

321 Seattle Seahawks -4.5
322 Buffalo Bills +4.5
Over/Under 43

323 Detroit Lions -6
324 Arizona Cardinals +6
Over/Under 43.5

325 Pittsburgh Steelers -1
326 Dallas Cowboys +1
Over/Under 44

327 Kansas City Chiefs +3
328 Oakland Raiders -3
Over/Under 44

Sunday Night Football Week 15 Odds for Sunday, December 16th
329 San Francisco 49ers +4.5
330 New England Patriots -4.5
Over/Under 46

Monday Night Football Week 15 Lines for Monday, December 17th
331 New York Jets +1
332 Tennessee Titans -1
Over/Under 41