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The 2011 Pro Bowl is just a few weeks away, and the rosters were announced on Tuesday night. What we have to remember about the Pro Bowl this year is that players that are playing in the Super Bowl are not going to be in the game this year, as the Pro Bowl is played the week before the biggest game of the year, not a few weeks later.

That being said, it wouldn’t be overly surprising if either AFC QB Tom Brady or NFC QB Michael Vick are kept out of this game due to the fact that they are playing for the Lombardi Trophy the next week.

Even though we know right now that the rosters aren’t going to look like this when push comes to shove, we can still analyze the rosters as they sit at the moment.

Quarterbacks: The AFC has a fantastic trio of pure drop back passers. Brady simply plays with precision with every single pass, while his backups, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were both fantastic all season long. In Manning and Rivers, the AFC has two of the top passers in terms of yardage in the league, while Brady has a great touch and should only be made better by a great crop of receivers, something that he doesn’t have in New England. The NFC is probably more dynamic. Atlanta’s Matt Ryan refuses to lose, while Drew Brees is seemingly always here in the Pro Bowl. Michael Vick as the start is an interesting choice, especially since he wasn’t even good enough to start in Philly at the outset of the season. There’s more than Vick can do with his legs, but the better passers are clearly in the AFC. Advantage: AFC

Running Backs: This is about as even of a match as you can get assuming that these are the backs that end up in the game. The AFC South duo of Maurice Jones-Drew and Arian Foster can run all day long, while Jamaal Charles has an explosive first step and is used to splitting carries. Michael Turner has been a workhorse all season long, which might cause him to be left out of the lineup for the Pro Bowl. Adrian Peterson is probably the most talented back in the league, while Steven Jackson is one of the most underappreciated backs that the league has to offer. Just one question for the AFC, though. Where’s Chris Johnson? Advantage: NFC

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: If the AFC is winning this game, this is where it is doing it. This conference has three of the top men for receiving yards in the league in Andre Johnson, Brandon Lloyd, and Reggie Wayne, and you won’t find a better target near the end zone than Dwayne Bowe, who has three more TD catches than anyone else in the league. Antonio Gates probably isn’t playing, which leaves just Marcedes Lewis and potentially a man like Dustin Keller. The NFC has the better tight ends and a fantastic option sitting on the sidelines, as Vernon Davis would easily be a starter in the red conference. Jason Witten and the experienced Tony Gonzalez are fantastic. Roddy White is probably the best possession receiver in the NFL, and there is a nice mix as well with some speed, as both Greg Jennings and DeSean Jackson have some major speed. Advantage: AFC

2011 Pro Bowl Roster – AFC (Bold denotes starter)
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning
Running Backs: Maurice Jones-Drew, Arian Foster, Jamaal Charles
Fullback: Vonta Leach
Wide Receivers: Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Brandon Lloyd, Dwayne Bowe
Tight Ends: Antonio Gates, Marcedes Lewis
Centers: Nick Mangold, Maurkice Pouncey
Guards: Kris Dielman, Logan Mankins, Brian Waters
Tackles: Jake Long, Joe Thomas, D’Brickashaw Ferguson
Defensive Linemen: Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Haloti Ngata, Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour, Jason Babin
Linebackers: Ray Lewis, James Harrison, Cameron Wake, Jerod Mayo, Terrell Suggs
Cornerbacks: Nnamdi Asomugha, Darrelle Revis, Devin McCourty
Safeties: Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed, Brandon Meriweather
Punter: Shane Lechler
Kicker: Billy Cundiff
Kick Returner: Marc Mariani
Special Teams: Montell Owens

2011 Pro Bowl Roster – NFC (Bold denotes starter)
Quarterbacks: Michael Vick, Matt Ryan, Drew Brees
Running Backs: Michael Turner, Adrian Peterson, Steven Jackson
Fullback: Ovie Mughelli
Wide Receivers: Roddy White, Calvin Johnson, DeSean Jackson, Greg Jennings
Tight Ends: Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez
Centers: Andre Gurode, Shaun O’Hara
Guards: Jahri Evans, Chris Snee, Carl Nicks
Tackles: Jason Peters, Jordan Gross, Chad Clifton
Defensive Linemen: Julius Peppers, John Abraham, Ndamukong Suh, Jay Ratliff, Justin Tuck, Justin Smith
Linebackers: Patrick Willis, Clay Matthews, DeMarcus Ware, Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher
Cornerbacks: Asante Samuel, Charles Woodson, DeAngelo Hall
Safeties: Nick Collins, Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle
Punter: Mat McBriar
Kicker: David Akers
Kick Returner: Devin Hester
Special Teams: Eric Weems

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Week 17 sometimes isn’t the sexiest week on the NFL betting slate, but it is still a great time to make some money, especially in the games that mean the most to teams that are really trying hard to improve their playoff positioning or to carry some momentum into next year.

The game that we are going to start off with is the Sunday Night Football duel between the St. Louis Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. These two teams are playing in a de facto play in game for the postseason, as the winner will claim the NFC West title, while the loser will be left home from the second season. The Rams are probably the better of the two teams, but flying up to Qwest Field and winning a game isn’t going to be an easy task for whomever the No. 5 seed would be in the playoffs, let alone for the Rams, who are still below .500 at this point in the year. However, what we’re not so sure of is whether QB Matt Hasselbeck will be the man under center or not this week. He injured his hip last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and isn’t expected to practice all week, and if he can’t go, QB Charlie Whitehurst is going to be forced under center, where he has been awful all season long. That’s why St. Louis is a slight one point favorite on the NFL odds.

The Indianapolis Colts are in a situation where they just have to win to get into the second season, and they are tremendous favorites to do so against the Tennessee Titans, a team that they dominated but couldn’t beat the pro football odds against just three weeks ago. Now, Indy knows that RB Dominic Rhodes and RB Joseph Addai can give it a shot in the arm in the ground game, which might make it even more dominating. The Titans know that they are just trying to play the spoiler role, but they are 9.5 point underdogs to pull off the upset.

The AFC North title is on the line in Cleveland and Baltimore this weekend. Should the Pittsburgh Steelers knock off the Cleveland Browns at the Dawg Pound, they would get the job done and earn a first round bye in the playoffs. There’s a big question whether S Troy Polamalu is going to be playing in this one, and if he doesn’t, Cleveland has proven that it can score points and move the pigskin against even the best defenses in the NFL. Don’t be shocked if the six point pups do some damage.

If that’s what happens, the Baltimore Ravens hold their own destiny in the AFC North race. Baltimore needs a win and a Pittsburgh loss to get the job done, something that isn’t going to happen easily. A loss to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this season might prove to ultimately be the difference between the Ravens playing a home game in the second round of the playoffs and needing to win on the road three times to make it to the Super Bowl. The combination of some revenge and the fact that the division title could still be had makes the Ravens a hefty 10 point favorite on Sunday. However, remember that the Bengals knocked the San Diego Chargers out of the playoffs last week at home as 7.5 point dogs, so the possibility of an upset is there.

The NFC playoff race still has a lot of odds and ends to sort out for the two Wild Card spots, and we will be sure to discuss this later in the week. The only game that is on the Week 17 rotation schedule right now with any effect on the Wild Card chase is the duel between the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. Simply put, this is a must win game for New York, which knows that it put itself in a major bind with a 45-17 loss at the Green Bay Packers in Week 16. The Redskins have been feisty, just as they were last week with an upset against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road. They’re only 3.5 point home dogs in this divisional rivalry to end the regular season.

The newest addition to the NFL lines of the most note is the clash between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay is perhaps the luckiest team in the NFL right now, as it gets to host the men from the Windy City with very little to play for. Instead of needing this one for a first round bye, the Bears clinched no worse than the No. 2 seed in the playoffs with the Philadelphia Eagles’ loss on Tuesday Night Football to the Minnesota Vikings. Yes, Chicago could get up to the No. 1 seed, but it would take a small miracle for that to happen. The oddsmakers aren’t expected the Bears to really care much about this one, as they are 10 point underdogs. The win for Green Bay would eliminate both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are +7.5 at the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and the New York Giants.

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Week 17 Lines for Sunday, 1/2/11

301 Oakland Raiders +3.5
302 Kansas City Chiefs -3.5
Over/Under 43

303 Miami Dolphins +3.5
304 New England Patriots -3.5
Over/Under 44

305 Tennessee Titans +10
306 Indianapolis Colts -10
Over/Under 48

307 Jacksonville Jaguars OTB
308 Houston Texans OTB
Over/Under OTB

309 Pittsburgh Steelers -5.5
310 Cleveland Browns +5.5
Over/Under 37

311 Cincinnati Bengals +9.5
312 Baltimore Ravens -9.5
Over/Under 43

313 Minnesota Vikings +3
314 Detroit Lions -3
Over/Under 43

315 New York Giants -3.5
316 Washington Redskins +3.5
Over/Under 44

317 Chicago Bears +10
318 Green Bay Packers -10
Over/Under 41.5

319 Dallas Cowboys OTB
320 Philadelphia Eagles OTB
Over/Under OTB

321 Buffalo Bills +1.5
322 New York Jets -1.5
Over/Under 39.5

323 Carolina Panthers +14
324 Atlanta Falcons -14
Over/Under 41.5

325 Tampa Bay Buccaneers +7.5
326 New Orleans Saints -7.5
Over/Under 47

327 St. Louis Rams -3
328 Seattle Seahawks +3
Over/Under 41

329 Arizona Cardinals +6
330 San Francisco 49ers -6
Over/Under 39.5

331 San Diego Chargers -3.5
332 Denver Broncos +3.5
Over/Under 47.5

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Upon completion of the Rose Bowl, the eyes of the college football betting world will head to Glendale, where the Connecticut Huskies will play their first BCS bowl game in school history against the Oklahoma Sooners. There are three tremendous keys to this game that we must remember in order to beat the Fiesta Bowl odds on New Year’s night.

Key #1: Connecticut has to act like it has been here before
We know that the Huskies have never played in a game of any sort of magnitude like this, but they have to believe that they can beat the most difficult team on their schedule this year. Last year, the Cincinnati Bearcats won the Big East and got a huge reality check when they were absolutely crippled by the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. We also remember when the Pittsburgh Panthers, the only team in the history of the BCS that wasn’t unranked in one of these tremendous games, getting blasted by the Utah Utes. Being in this game for the first time, Head Coach Randy Edsall has his work cut out for him against one of the proudest programs in the history of college football. The Sooners have to ratchet up the pressure in a hurry to be able to take the fight out of these Huskies as well… which leads us to…

Key #2: Connecticut absolutely cannot fall behind in this game
If you’re the Huskies, you want the ball first, and you want to set a tempo in this game. The only way UConn is hanging in there is if it gets something established in the ground game and keeps this contest as short as possible. The clock has to keep running, and the offense has to keep the Sooners off of the field. The main reason for this is to keep RB Jordan Todman rolling. Todman knows that he is going to have to be called upon at least 25 times in this game to have absolutely any chance of helping his team pull off the upset. He has already carried the ball 302 times this year and was one of the best backs in the country at 1,574 yards and 14 scores. More importantly though, Edsall knows that he doesn’t have a quarterback that is good enough to compete against a big time Big XII foe. QB Zach Frazer has only completed 52.7 percent of his passes for 1,202 yards and five TDs on the campaign. None of the quarterback options are solid. QB Cody Endres was dismissed from the team, while QB Michael Box started once this year and proved that he couldn’t get the job done. The ball just has to keep on the ground, but if the Huskies are two scores down, that really isn’t going to be an option.

Key #3: The Sooners need to exorcize the demons from Fiesta Bowls past
This is the biggest thing for Head Coach Bob Stoops to worry about in his locker room. The Sooners have to have nightmares about playing here in Glendale, as this is where the Boise State Broncos and West Virginia Mountaineers both pulled off tremendous upsets. The Broncos simply caught Oklahoma by surprise in a year in which Stoops’ men were disappointed that that they weren’t playing for the BCS Championship. West Virginia used the motivation of the “whole world is against us” in the first game in the post Rich Rodriguez era. Oklahoma knows that it is the superior team in this game and that it should be able to just use its willpower to take care of the Huskies. However, this was also the case a few times before. If the Sooners can get past this and treat this like an entirely different game against another inferior team, they should be fine.

The BCS gets started on Saturday afternoon in the traditional Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The “Granddaddy of Them All” this year doesn’t feature a Pac-10 team for the second time in the last six years. Instead, the TCU Horned Frogs become the first team from a mid major conference to crash the party in Pasadena in the modern era. They’ll have to put their undefeated regular season record on the line against the Wisconsin Badgers, who won the Big Ten in a three team tiebreaker. These two squads know that they have a lot to prove in this one, but which team will beat the Rose Bowl lines? You can’t afford to miss these keys to the Rose Bowl.

Key #1: Wisconsin needs to physically overwhelm the Horned Frogs
If there is potentially one knock on this TCU team this year, it is that it is a relatively undersized bunch that hasn’t had to deal with the physical nature of the major conference foes. Sure, beating the Oregon State Beavers, Utah Utes, etc. is nice, but this is a tremendously different type of challenge. The Badgers have three rushers that would be starters and lone backs on most other teams in the country in the form of RB John Clay, RB Montee Ball, and RB James White. These three are all just bruising backs that run behind one of the biggest offensive lines in the country. There is no doubt that the Badgers are going to be coming after the heart of a TCU defense that ranked No. 1 in the land both overall and in scoring, allowing just 11.4 points per game on the campaign. Clay, Ball, and White can all end with 1,000 yards on the season on the ground, and if they do pull it off, they would be the second trio in the history of college football to accomplish the feat. They would also be the first trio of pure running backs to all have at least four digits in yards as well, as the Nevada Wolf Pack did it with QB Colin Kaepernick and two backs.

Key #2: Andy Dalton has to be a real winner
All too often in these battles between the big boys and the little giants, the quarterback ends up being the man that makes the big difference. Remember QB Jared Zabransky against the Georgia Bulldogs? Or what about “Z” the next year in the Fiesta Bowl? Two totally different games, two totally different results. Another case of horrible play was Hawaii’s QB Colt Brennan against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. Dalton is the winningest quarterback in TCU history, and he is going to have to prove it in this one. The Wisky defense has stopped some of the best passing attacks that the Big Ten has to offer, and though these Horned Frogs prefer to run the ball, Dalton is going to have to make his throws. The senior completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 2,638 yards and 26 TDs this year, but more importantly, he only threw six picks. Dalton absolutely cannot turn the ball over in this game, or the Badgers are going to eat TCU for lunch on the other side of the ball.

Key #3: Scott Tolzien is going to have to make a few plays
When you have 44 rushing touchdowns between the three backs behind you, you don’t really have to do a whole heck of a lot. However, if the rushing game doesn’t do the job, Tolzien is going to have to make a few plays to keep things moving. Wisconsin quarterbacks aren’t rich in history, especially in bowl games, but Tolzien can be the exception to the rule in the biggest bowl game that this team has been at in quite some time. Tolzien threw for 2,300 yards and completed 74.3 percent of his passes, and just a few big shots will loosen up the purple and black defense and could set up a tremendous day for this offense. Don’t forget about how good WR Lance Kendricks and WR Nick Toon really are. Kendricks only caught 39 passes on the year, but he averaged 16.1 yards per catch and had five scores. Toon came back from an injury early in the season, and he came on strong with 33 grabs, 413 yards, and three TDs.

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In the third game of the “New Year’s Resolution” between the SEC and the Big Ten, the Gator Bowl will pit the Mississippi State Bulldogs against the Michigan Wolverines. These two teams have taken very different paths to get here this year, but they are both going to be proud to be here in Jacksonville. But which team will beat the Gator Bowl odds at Ever Bank Stadium? The three keys to this game are going to be the difference.

Key #1: Mississippi State’s defense has to use the exact same game plan it used against Auburn
It’s not often that you see Auburn Tigers QB Cam Newton be held down in a game, but that’s exactly what happened when he faced these Bulldogs early in the season. Now, what we need to remember is that this was several months ago before we even knew that Newton was going to be a Heisman candidate, let alone a runaway winner of the award. On that day, he rushed for just 70 yards and threw for just 136 yards and two total scores with a pick. The Tigers were held to just 350 yards on the day, and the Bulldogs were able to stay alive every step of the way to nearly pull off the upset. (However, on that day, MSU was only a one point underdog.) QB Denard Robinson is built in the exact same mold as Newton from the standpoint that he will look to throw the ball after he checks his running options. Newton was originally viewed as a poor man’s Robinson, but what ended up happening was the exact opposite. Still, this is a dynamic rusher that can make a lot of things happen, but the MSU defense needs to figure out how to contain him.

Key #2: Michigan has to keep Robinson clean
The problem with Robinson is that he is really a one man band on this team. He handled the ball 495 times this year, 245 of them coming on the ground. He really has no regard for his body at times and takes a tremendous beating. Michigan had to switch to backup QB Tate Forcier on several instances over the course of the year when Robinson either wasn’t at his best or when he had taken a few too many shots. In this game though, Forcier won’t be here. He was ruled academically ineligible for this game, which really just leaves Robinson to take care of himself. The offensive line has to do a great job taking care of him in the pocket, and RB Vincent Smith and RB Michael Shaw might have to do some more carrier of the football at times if Head Coach Rich Rodriguez wants to stay competitive in this game. If anything happens to Robinson, Big Blue is finished.

Key #3: Someone has to step up in the passing game for the Bulldogs
We know that it just isn’t in the nature of the Bulldogs to try to throw the ball all that much, but this secondary for Michigan is very, very bad 260.2 yards per game allowed. Normally speaking, QB Chris Relf would be trying to get the ball in the air to WR Chad Bumphis. However, Bumphis isn’t likely to be in the lineup in this one due to a collarbone injury. Both WR Malcolm Johnson and WR Leon Berry are questionable as well, while TE Marcus Green is definitely out of the game. Relf only threw the ball 195 times this year for 1,495 yards and nine scores, but a ton of his passes were in the direction of his top receiver. With Bumphis out, WR Arceto Clark becomes the team’s top receiver. The problem with that? Clark only had 22 catches for 317 yards and a pair of TDs. Someone has to step it up in a big way to be able to keep this offense balanced.

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The Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan State Spartans might not be playing in a BCS game this year, but they are certainly going to be playing in the most illustrious of all of the non-BCS bowls on New Year’s Day, as they’ll meet in Capital One Bowl betting action on New Year’s Eve. Head Coach Nick Saban is going to be facing off with one of his former squads, and the action should be tense, so before you make your Capital One Bowl picks in this one, check out our keys to the game.

Key #1: Saban needs to prove that he can coach in a game that isn’t for a championship
Sure, we know that Saban does have the ability to win games that don’t have that much significance in it, but we’re wondering about these last few seasons. Alabama looked very, very flat at times down the stretch this year, especially in the second half of the Iron Bowl against the Auburn Tigers and for a good chunk of the game against the LSU Tigers as well. The last time the Crimson Tide played in a game that didn’t have a direct impact on the BCS Championship race for the Tide, they were crushed by the Utah Utes, a team that they were supposed to be significantly better than. Now, not only is Alabama not playing in the BCS Championship Game, but it isn’t playing in a BCS bowl game whatsoever. Can the Tide stay mentally tough? We know that the Spartans will, as this is their best bowl bid in years. This might be the biggest key to the entire game.

Key #2: A relatively fresh Mark Ingram needs to look like a Heisman Trophy winner
Sure, RB Mark Ingram wasn’t anywhere near as good this year as he was when he won the Heisman Trophy last year, but he is still an incredibly dangerous runner that can rip apart any defense in the country. Ingram was really used a ton last year, as he rushed the ball 271 times and had another 32 receptions in the Heisman Trophy campaign. This year, Ingram was dealing with injuries at the start of the season, but he just wasn’t used as much as he was the year before in general. Rushing for 816 yards was a bitter disappointment for a man that that had double that last year. You want to prove that you’re still one of the best in the nation? Do something that the Wisconsin Badgers and their vaunted rushing attack couldn’t do. Beat up a big, physical Michigan State defense that only averaged allowing 114.0 yards per game this year. The Spartans didn’t allow a single team to score more than 31 points this year, and it’s going to be up to Ingram to make that not stay the case this week.

Key #3: The Spartans cannot be intimidated
If you’re Head Coach Mark Dantonio, you know that you have nothing to lose in this game. Even though you’re easily the higher ranked team, no one is expecting you to win, so even losing by 20 wouldn’t be a bitter disappointment. A win, and you’ve beaten the defending champs. Michigan State has to pretend like this is just any other game. It is a power running team, and even though the Crimson Tide have one of the more vaunted rush defenses in the nation. When the Spartans are ready to take their shots, they should take them and have confidence in QB Kirk Cousins to not turn the ball over. This was a team that averaged 408.5 yards per game against some of the best teams in the Big Ten this year, including that aforementioned win against the Badgers. As long as Michigan State believes in itself, it should be able to compete in the Capital One Bowl.

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One of the best programs over the past few years, the Florida Gators, reaches the end of an era on Saturday afternoon at the Outback Bowl, as Head Coach Urban Meyer is going to step down when this one is over. For Head Coach Joe Paterno, even at 81 years young, he’s still kicking strong and ready to make this college football betting affair the start of something bigger in Happy Valley. The keys to the game at the Outback Bowl are as follows…

Key #1: UF has to really want to win this one for Meyer
Last year, we saw the Gators pull the same type of stunt. Meyer said that he was stepping down at the end of the Sugar Bowl against the Cincinnati Bearcats, and the end result was an absolutely dominating performance against a previously undefeated team. The difference this year is that there isn’t a man named QB Tim Tebow there on the sidelines pushing the team to do its best. Can QB John Brantley do it? Can RB Jeff Demps do it? Can Mr. Do It All Trey Newton do it? We just find ourselves at a loss for where the confidence on the sidelines. We know that the Nittany Lions never have a problem with motivation, as they came to the table last year in the Capital One Bowl against the LSU Tigers and won a game in a brutal rainstorm after failing to make it to the Rose Bowl.

Key #2: Evan Royster has to finish up his career in strong fashion
Simply put, if you have a one dimensional offense against the Gators, you’re in a ton of trouble, especially if that one dimension is the pass and your quarterback is a sophomore with about half of a season of experience. The Nittany Lions weren’t really efficient this year on the ground, averaging just 143.4 yards per game. Royster was really supposed to explode in this, his senior season, but it just never really happened. Amazingly, after running for over 2,400 yards over the course of the last two years, the senior only had 916 yards and six trips to the end zone this year. We’ve seen some huge games out of Royster before, but he hasn’t had a game with more than 85 yards on the ground since November 6th against the lowly Northwestern Wildcats. Now, he’s going against a defense that held teams to just 121.8 yards per game on the ground. The Gators did have some big time letdowns this year against teams that can run the rock like the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide, so this is an attainable task. Royster has to have one of the best games of his career, though.

Key #3: One of the explosive stars for the Gators has to get the job done
NCAA football betting fans keep asking the questions about what the difference is between this year’s team and last year’s squad. Contrary to popular belief though, it’s not just Tim Tebow. The rest of the big time threats for this squad are still here. RB Jeff Demps had a few great plays this year, but he only ultimately averaged 6.0 yards per carry when push came to shove. It’s a great number, but when you consider the fact that there are three carries of at least 65 yards on the year, it would only bring this average down around 3.5 yards per carry. WR Chris Rainey was expected to be used on the ground a lot as well, but his suspension halfway through the season took him out of the fold, too. Trey Burton might be the man that can do this as well. He had 12 total TDs this year and will touch the ball a ton of times in this game as a runner, a receiver, and potentially as a passer. Someone just needs to explode and this offense needs to play quick, something that it hasn’t done all season long, to succeed.