The first day of the football betting action is here! But before you get started with the NFL odds, be sure to check out our NFL prop picks for the first day of the season!

Will Mark Ingram Or Pierre Thomas Score a TD?
It’s going to be difficult for Ingram and Thomas in this one, but the truth of the matter is that there aren’t any other players that are going to be stealing these rushing touchdowns like last year. Then you have the ultimate question: Will the Saints have a rushing touchdown in this game? In all likelihood, this has to be at least a 50/50 prop. We can’t imagine that this team isn’t going to have at least one rushing TD in just seven games this season. Ingram Or Thomas To Score a TD (+125 at BoDog Sportsbook)

Robert Meachem Over/Under 32.5 Receiving Yards
Meachem is the deep threat for QB Drew Brees, and that makes him a great candidate to have at least 33 yards on just one catch. In fact, he had six receptions of at least 35 yards last season, all of which came in different games. The Packers might have some secondary issues this year, and we know that Brees isn’t going to end up falling apart under the pressure of the Green Bay linebackers and defensive line. The former Tennessee Volunteer had eight games with at least 32.5 yards through the air last season, and we tend to believe that he will get there again in this one. Meachem Over 32.5 Rushing Yards (-130 at BoDog Sportsbook)

Jermichael Finley Over/Under 55.5 Receiving Yards
This could be a mighty interesting situation here for the former Oklahoma Sooner. He had 301 yards and 21 catches in his first four games last season before getting injured. Now, Finley might have a field day against a Green Bay defense that, for all of its major pros, had a major flaw taking care of tight ends. Finley could be in for a big, big day. Finley Over 55.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at BoDog Sportsbook)

Last season’s NFC North had a heck of a lot more downs than ups, but in the end, two of its teams were playing for all of the marbles in the conference. Will things be the same this year? Our NFL betting breakdown of the NFC North odds will show you the way.

We know that the Green Bay Packers (Current NFC North Odds: 1 to 1.85 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) are once again going to be the team with all of the hype around them because of the fact that they are the defending Super Bowl champs. The Pack really return the mass majority of their team from a season ago, and they get back both RB Ryan Grant and TE Jermichael Finley, two key pieces to the puzzle who were injured for the majority of the season. Last year, Green Bay had a ton of hype around it and really failed to live up to that hype… that is, until the very end of the regular season when all of a sudden, there wasn’t a team out there that had a shot of beating it. We’ll see how it translates this year and whether the Packers are really deserving of being the biggest chalks in the conference.

The Chicago Bears (NFC North Lines: 4.50 to 1 at BoDog Sportsbook) are the bunch with all of the question marks this year. QB Jay Cutler and Head Coach Lovie Smith both know that this is a season where they have to perform admirably. No, that doesn’t mean that Chicago has to get back to the NFC Championship Game, but at least it has to show some heart and at least compete for a playoff spot. There’s no doubt that this is a squad taking a step backwards this upcoming season, as no one expects it to even make the postseason. However, if they can get their defense going and Cutler remembers what color his team is wearing, the Bears could be a viable team.

The team that many are expecting to make big time strides this year is the Detroit Lions (Odds to Win the NFC North: 5.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The combination of DT Ndamukong Suh and DT Nick Fairley on the inside is going to be incredibly fun to watch, but the real question is going to be whether QB Matt Stafford can for one stay healthy, and secondly take some big time strides towards leading a playoff team. We’ve seen the potential in the former No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and we know that he has some great pieces to the puzzle around him, but there is a question as to whether or not it is all going to come together when it needs to in these tight divisional games.

The intriguing side this season if the team can get any quarterback play is the Minnesota Vikings (2011 NFC North Odds: 12 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). It was only two years ago that this team was in the NFC Championship Game and just a matter of a few yards away from having a shot to go the Super Bowl. However, QB Brett Favre reverted from a man who played like an MVP to one who played like he was 40 years old, and that parlayed with injuries and the loss of the Metrodome due to inclement weather really finished off the spirit of the team. The Vikes are going to rebuild around QB Christian Ponder in the future, but adding QB Donovan McNabb this year could be just what the doctor ordered. RB Adrian Peterson is one of the best in the league, and though talents like WR Sidney Rice and DT Pat Williams have moved on, there is still plenty of playoff type talent in here. We may be getting a fantastic price on Minnesota on the NFL betting lines this year.

2011 NFL Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC North
Chicago Bears 3.25 to 1
Detroit Lions 5.50 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 1.85
Minnesota Vikings 12 to 1

Odds To Win The 2012 Super Bowl
Chicago Bears 25 to 1
Detroit Lions 45 to 1
Green Bay Packers 8.45 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 42 to 1

NFC North Super Bowl Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC North Division
Chicago Bears 4.50 to 1
Detroit Lions 4.50 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 3
Minnesota Vikings 9.50 to 1

Super Bowl 46 Odds
Chicago Bears 25 to 1
Detroit Lions 35 to 1
Green Bay Packers 3.50 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 35 to 1

NFC North Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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2011 NFC North Odds
Chicago Bears 4 to 1
Detroit Lions 5 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 2
Minnesota Vikings 10 to 1

NFC North Odds To Win the Super Bowl
Chicago Bears 25 to 1
Detroit Lions 45 to 1
Green Bay Packers 5 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 40 to 1

NFL Betting Odds @ BoDog Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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NFC North Odds
Chicago Bears 4.50 to 1
Detroit Lions 5 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 1.90
Minnesota Vikings 7.50 to 1

Super Bowl Odds
Chicago Bears 28 to 1
Detroit Lions 30 to 1
Green Bay Packers 7 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 35 to 1

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Complete List of 2011 Superbowl Odds From Several Sportsbooks Can Be Found Below

And now, we’re down to just two more teams that are left to fight it out for the Lombardi Trophy, as the Green Bay Packers, the champs of the NFC, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the winners of the AFC, are going to fight it out in what should be an epic battle between two of the most storied franchises that professional football has to offer.

We’ll start with the Packers, who are the slight favorites on the Super Bowl betting lines in this one by just 2.5 points. They have already won three Super Bowls in their illustrious history, and they have 11 NFL Championships. The final two of these NFL titles came on the eve of Super Bowl triumphs over the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II respectively. “Title Town” would love to have another Lombardi Trophy to bring back home, especially since the most illustrious prize that the sport has to offer is named after their legendary head coach, Vince Lombardi. Green Bay hasn’t played in a Super Bowl since 1998, and it hasn’t won the title since 1997. That being said, it has very limited experience trying to beat the Superbowl odds in the past, though DB Charles Woodson and DT Ryan Pickett both know what it is like to make it to this game. There are no Super Bowl rings on any of the fingers of any of the players coming into Super Bowl XLV.

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Green Bay brings to the table a risk taking defense and a high octane offense that can throw the ball all over the field. RB James Starks has given the team a bit of a rushing boost of late, but when push comes to shove, the ball is going to be put in the hands of QB Aaron Rodgers and his wide receivers. Back in the divisional round of the playoffs, we saw just how good this passing attack could be. Rodgers threw for 366 yards and three TDs, and he hit WR James Jones, WR Jordy Nelson, WR Donald Driver, and WR Greg Jennings for at least 75 yards apiece. Sure, this unit struggled just a bit against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game, but when those types of problems happened, the defense really kicked it into gear.

DB Tramon Williams already has three picks, one of which was returned for a TD in the postseason, while undrafted rookie DB Sam Shields has two INTs to boot. DT BJ Raji was arguably the hero of the NFC Championship Game when he picked off QB Caleb Hanie and brought it back 18 yards for the score that effectively put the game away. LB Clay Matthews was one of the top sack men in the NFL with 13.5 this year, and he has his hands in on at least one sacks in all three postseason games, totaling 3.5.

The Steelers have the most Superbowl betting triumphs to their credit with six, and they are now tied with the Dallas Cowboys for the most appearances in the Super Bowl with eight. They have been in the Super Bowl three times over the course of the last six seasons, and because of that, there is already a plethora of experience, most importantly, at the top. QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Hines Ward, and several of the key cogs on both sides of the ball are already flashing two Super Bowl rings, while Head Coach Mike Tomlin, who is the youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl, is now the youngest to bring a team to the biggest game of the year twice.

If you love hard nosed action, this is the team for you. The Steelers make no bones about the fact that they are going to run the ball a ton with RB Rashard Mendenhall and play some stout defense. Roethlisberger has no fears about taking hits and still making plays, and he is most likely the man that is going to have to come up with the big plays to tame the Green Bay defense. Big Ben hasn’t always played at his best, but he knows that he can always rely on the rest of his weapons to get the job done when he is in danger or isn’t at the top of his game.

Defensively, there probably isn’t a more feared unit in the game. It’s not always about the stats that the Steelers put up, though they did force five turnovers and account for seven sacks in two victories thus far in the postseason. S Troy Polamalu is always there looking for the high impact play, and if you’re coming over the middle of the field, you’d better figure out where LB James Harrison is before he really comes after you with a hot shot.

Grit, tenacity, and toughness. These are going to be the keys to beating the Super Bowl XLV Odds, which you can find below…

Current 2011 Superbowl Odds @ Bodog Sportsbook (as of 1/23/11):
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Green Bay Packers (-3) +110 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (+3) -130
Over/Under (Total) 45

Latest Odds To Win The 2011 Superbowl @ 5 Dimes Sportsbook (as of 1/23/11):
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Team Totals
Pittsburgh Steelers 21.5
Green Bay Packers 24.5

Team Totals
Pittsburgh Steelers 21.5
Green Bay Packers 24

4th Quarter Superbowl Odds
Green Bay Packers (-0.5) +135 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

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All season long, the NFL has been chock full of high scoring affairs. In fact, this season alone, there have been 147 ‘over’ contests against 114 ‘under’ games with some pushes mixed in, meaning if you bet on the ‘over’ in every single duel, you cashed in 56.3 percent of the time. Will this continue to be the case on the Super Bowl XLV odds, or will we revert back to a lower scoring duel? Check out these three keys that are going to probably be the decisive factors in whether this one goes over or under the posted 46.

Key #1: James Starks needs to keep control of the clock
We’ve already talked about the importance of Starks in the Super Bowl for the Packers to beat the Superbowl XLV odds, but he is going to be very instrumental in the ‘total’ as well. Green Bay has to want to keep feeding him the football to keep this clock moving on a regular basis. It seems to go without saying that the more runs there are in a game, the fewer plays that there are, thus the fewer opportunities there are for points. The good news with Starks for those looking to back the ‘under’ is that he really isn’t all that much of a home run threat. If he’s going to move the ball 60s yards on you, he’s going to do it in 10-12 carries, not just in one pop. As we know, this probably isn’t going to work against the Pittsburgh front seven though, so in a bit of an ironic twist, if you back the ‘over’ on the Super Bowl betting lines, you’re probably more interested in Starks not getting his act together.

Super Bowl XLV Odds at BetUS Sportsbook
Pittsburgh Steelers +2.5
Green Bay Packers -2.5
Over/Under (Total) 46
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Key #2: Teams need to avoid careless mistakes
This is what has really been killing anyone that has backed the ‘under’ in a Pittsburgh game in the playoffs. Dumb, dumb, dumb mistakes. Remember in the duel against the Baltimore Ravens… The visitors picked up 17 points off of a punt return that came all the way back inside field goal range, a 35 yard pass interference penalty, and a fumble out of QB Ben Roethlisberger’s hands that was scooped up and returned for a TD. Green Bay hasn’t been all that swift of late either, as QB Aaron Rodgers coughed the ball up in enemy territory against the Chicago Bears. Of course, we know the importance of flags as well, and the good news is that these teams are very disciplined. There shouldn’t be too many drives that get down to the opposing 30 yard line, only to end in a punt because of a holding penalty or a false start call. However, you must remember that there is going to be rust on both sides, and both defenses are good enough to not just take points away from enemies, but to directly parlays those into TDs, just as both teams did on Championship Game Sunday.

Key #3: Special teams and trick plays will be key
Neither the Steelers nor the Packers really excelled this year in the kick and punt return department, which is really a surprise for two teams that are duking it out to beat the Super Bowl XLV lines. However, we know that both teams are capable of pulling off some big plays, especially via some creativity, especially the Steelers. It was only six years ago that they pulled off the wide receiver pass from WR Antwaan Randle El to WR Hines Ward to help beat the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and they have enough talented players that can run, catch, and throw to make the Packers shake in their boots. Remember the onside kick that the New Orleans Saints pulled off in last year’s Super Bowl? Gimmicks like that are becoming more and more popular, especially with teams having two weeks to prepare for this game. You can bet that there are going to be at least three or four really tricky plays that are tried out for the first, and probably the only time on February 6th, and when they happen, you if back the ‘over’, you hope they work, and if you are relying on the ‘under’, you hope that they fail and fail miserably.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers are already getting set to do battle in the Lone Star State, and in order for you to make your Superbowl XLV picks, we have the three biggest keys to the game that you must remember that will probably determine the outcome of the game.

Key #1: The Steelers have to use experience to their advantage
When you look at the roster for the Steelers, you see a whole slew of men that have already won rings titles, many of which have helped Pittsburgh to two victories over the Super Bowl odds in their tenures wearing black and gold. QB Ben Roethlisberger, the heart and soul of this team, is arguably the most important player on the field, and he not only figured out how to do it as a young buck, who just relied on his defense and handed the ball off a ton, but he also did it in a shootout against a two-time Super Bowl MVP in QB Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals just three Super Bowls ago. There aren’t all that many coaches left in the league that can flash a Super Bowl ring in their locker room, but Head Coach Mike Tomlin is certainly one of them. He was the youngest head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl, and the youngest to ever win it, and now, he is the youngest to bring a team to the pinnacle of the NFL twice in his career. When the Steelers won their first title in this run with a very young team, Head Coach Bill Cowher had already coached in the Super Bowl once before, and he was able to use that experience to get through to his younger players. Unfortunately for Head Coach Mike McCarthy, he really doesn’t have that to rely on. Sure, DB Charles Woodson played in Super Bowl XXXVII with the Oakland Raiders, and DT Ryan Pickett did so in Super Bowl XXXVI with the St. Louis Rams, but aside from that, there isn’t a single player on this team that knows what it’s like to play in the biggest game of the season. Pittsburgh really needs to exploit that advantage to beat the Superbowl lines on February 6th.

Super Bowl XLV Odds at JustBet
Pittsburgh Steelers +2.5
Green Bay Packers -2.5
Over/Under 46
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Key #2: The Packers need to figure out how to get into the face of Ben Roethlisberger
This is what the New York Jets had success with… sometimes. When Roethlisberger was kept in the pocket in the AFC Championship Game, he frequently made some mistakes. The pressure can really come from the outside, where Pittsburgh is very weak at the offensive tackle position, and this is a great thing for LB Clay Matthews, as these are the men that he is going to be going against. It’s when Big Ben breaks containment that things start to get hairy for the opponents. There might not be a signal caller that is better at escaping trouble and making something out of nothing than Roethlisberger in the entire league, and again, we have to stress the fact that he has really done it at every stage of the game in his career. Green Bay already has six INTs and 10 sacks so far in three playoff games this year. It really needs to make sure that Roethlisberger has hands in his face at all times and that he just doesn’t get to the outside, or these corners, no matter how great they are, just don’t stand a chance to win against guys like WR Mike Wallace, WR Antwaan Randle El, and WR Hines Ward.

Key #3: James Starks has to keep the Pittsburgh defense honest
We can be realistic when we say that Starks isn’t going to rush for 100 yards against the Pittsburgh defense in the Super Bowl, and we’re fairly sure that if he does, the Packers are going to be the champs and will beat the Super Bowl betting lines. However, the role that Starks has played, even though he has only averaged 3.76 yards per carry in the playoffs, is that he is taking some of the pressure off of QB Aaron Rodgers. Where this rookie from Buffalo has been all season long is beyond us, but he is clearly the best running back option that the Pack have had all season since losing RB Ryan Grant to a season ending ankle injury in Week 1. Starks, along with RB Brandon Jackson and RB John Kuhn, have to be able to keep Green Bay in front of the down and distance in this game. Punting is okay, but forcing Rodgers into situations in which he has to pick up third and long on a regular basis is going to create mistakes. The Steelers can overcome blunders every now and again. Odds have it, Green Bay won’t be able to. If Starks can’t at least get something going though, there is just going to be too much pressure on Rodgers, and he is going to be in for a very long game against a defense that just loves to make you one dimensional.

There are only three games left in the entire NFL betting campaign, but before we get ready to make our Super Bowl XLV picks, we have some unfinished business to tend to in the AFC and NFC Championship Games. Check out our NFL prop picks for two of the biggest games of the entire season!

Will There Be a Score in the First 6.5 Minutes of the Game Bears/Packers Game?
We know that the Chicago offense got off to a great start last week against the Seattle Seahawks, but we also have to remember that these two teams have played some absolutely sparkling defense along the way as well. If the Bears get the ball first, there is a decent chance that a scoring drive might take over 6.5 minutes even if it does happen on the opening sequence, believe it or not. We’re believers that points could be at a premium on Sunday, and though that might not necessarily translate into a lower scoring game, we’ll take our chances that the first score doesn’t occur early on. Bank on there being No Score in the First 6.5 Minutes (-110 at Hollywood Sportsbook) between the Bears and the Packers.

Will There Be a Safety in Both Championship Games?
This season, including the playoffs, there have only been 13 safeties. That’s right. Over the course of all of those games in the NFL betting schedule, 264 of them, there have only been 13 safeties. That’s one safety in every 4.9% of games played in the league this year. In 2009, there were only 14 safeties, including the playoffs. Let’s do some simple math here, shall we? Over the last 531 games in the NFL, there have been 27 safeties, or one safety in approximately 20 games (5.08%). If we can hit this prop at -1000 in 94.92% of our games, we’re going to be worth a ton of money. Over 1,000 games, at this price, if we were to bet $1,000 to win $100, we would have a profit of $4,412. Not a bad haul, eh? No Safety in the NFC Championship Game, and No Safety in the AFC Championship Game (-1000 Each Bet at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Aaron Rodgers Over/Under 3.5 Rushing Attempts
Rodgers certainly hasn’t been afraid to tuck it and run when he has to this season, as he was one of the best running options for a team that really didn’t have all that much to work with in that department in 2010. The former Cal Golden Bear took off 64 times this year and accounted for 356 yards in the regular season, but what impressed us the most is the fact that he had seven carries in the 10-3 win over these Bears in Week 17. Rodgers hasn’t gotten to this point yet in the playoffs, as he only has five carries in two games, but we tend to believe that this will be an exception, as the Chicago defense is a lot more prone to sending a lot of men after the quarterback, which could cause Rodgers to have to escape more often than he really wants to. He’ll go Over 3.5 Rushing Attempts (-120 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Colts.

Matt Forte Over/Under 16.5 Yards on Longest Carry
It’s only one stroke of luck and one stroke of genius that will get Forte to this type of a number. We’ve seen that the Bears have stayed committed to Forte this season when they have had the chance to, and over the course of the last four games, he has at least 15 carries in all four outings and has averaged 19 carries per game. Forte isn’t really the most explosive runner in the world, but he has had a ton of opportunities, especially when he gets the ball in open space, to be able to take advantage and pick up some huge gainers. Over the course of the second half of the season, Chicago’s top running back has had a long carry of at least 17 yards six times, and we tend to believe that that will continue on Sunday. Forte’s longest carry will be Over 16.5 Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Total Sacks in the AFC Championship Game
We’re a tad surprised to see Hollywood hang a ‘5’ in this game instead of a ‘5.5’ due to the fact that last week, there were 11 sacks in the duel between the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. We know that there are a ton of problems right now for the Steelers up front, and the Jets have really yet to show their best pass rush in these playoffs to date. After getting after QB Tom Brady all week last week, we have no doubt that New York can get to QB Ben Roethlisberger in this one, and when it does, it is going to make those opportunities pay off. There is no way, with these two ferocious defenses, that there aren’t Over 5 Sacks (-130 at Hollywood Sportsbook) significantly more often than not.

LaDainian Tomlinson Over/Under 18.5 Receiving Yards
You know that LT is going to get his touches in this game, and you know that the Pittsburgh defense is going to do what it can to make sure that he doesn’t have the same 49 yards on 11 carries that he had when these two squads met last month. We know that Tomlinson hasn’t been used all that much as a receiver of late, but there is a point that QB Mark Sanchez is going to have to realize that he doesn’t have the time to work the ball up the field against this Pittsburgh defense. Last week, it was TE Todd Heap for the Ravens that made all of those catches over the middle of the field, and it is clear that Tomlinson is going to be asked to fill that role as a check down option at times when Sanchez is in trouble. LT will go Over 18.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Pittsburgh defense.

Heath Miller Over/Under 3.5 Receptions
We’ve already talked just a tad about inside routes with Heap and the Steelers defense, but what about the New York ‘D’? This unit really doesn’t give up much of anything to anyone, but if there is a bit of a weakness, it is against teams that really utilize either tight ends or other receiving options to sit down in the middle of the field. Last week, Brady was really forced to do nothing but try to throw balls underneath to WR Deion Branch and TE Rob Gronkowski, while the week before, the Colts did the exact same thing with TE Jacob Tamme. Now, enter Heath Miller, who has had at least four catches in three straight games and is proving to be a great safety net for Roethlisberger when he gets himself out of some trouble in the pocket. Big Ben loves using his big time tight end, as Miller often gets at least a half dozen looks per game. He’s a big play threat up the seams and could be in for a lot of looks on Sunday, especially knowing that WR Mike Wallace and his friends are going to be worked a ton up the sides of the field. This is the man in the middle that should have a great day. Miller will go Over 3.5 Receptions (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the New York ‘D’.

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The first spot in Super Bowl XLV will be handed out on Sunday, January 23rd at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, as the Chicago Bears will take on the Green Bay Packers. These two teams know all about each other, having already played two games this season, with the home team winning both duels. The Bears covered both sets of NFL odds in these divisional clashes, and the oddsmakers still have them as three point underdogs on Sunday. Which team will beat the NFC Championship odds? Check out these three keys to the game that should be the deciding factors.

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Key #1: The Bears need to play defense like they did in the first half against Seattle and not in the second half
We know that the NFC Divisional Round duel against the Seattle Seahawks was really a tale of two halves for the Bears, as they were completing dominating for about two and a half quarters before pulling up lame down the stretch and nearly blowing the cover. However, this is a unit that has just been downright nasty all season long, allowing just 90.1 yards per game on the ground in the regular season. Chicago only allowed 34 yards on 12 carries in its first postseason tussle as well. The Bears did allow 331.5 yards per game in the regular season to these Packers, but we really know better. A lot of the yards for QB Aaron Rodgers were created from just a few big plays, but they ultimately were not parlayed into all that many points. Keeping this team to just 27 points in two games is definitely a feat to be proud of. There were also two turnovers forced by the men from the Windy City in this one, which is a problem that the Packers have had at times over the course of this season. They’ve done a great job of protecting the pigskin thus far in the second season, especially against the Falcons when they had just one blown fumble, and the three turnovers that they have had haven’t really come back to bite them.

Current NFC Championship Odds at BetUS Sportsbook
Green Bay Packers -3
Chicago Bears +3
Over/Under 44
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Key #2: Alright Jay Cutler… What’ve you got?
This isn’t necessarily a key that will cause Chicago to win this game, but it certainly could be a key to losing it. Cutler has been much maligned since coming to the Windy City, as he has thrown 42 picks in two years after throwing for just 37 picks in two and a half years with the Denver Broncos. The media in the Midway has been all over his case about not protecting the football and not coming up big in big games, and there are certainly still some reasons to believe that this is the case after winning his first playoff game on Sunday. Cutler did only go 15-of-28 on the day, a completion percent of just 53.6 percent, and this came against a defense that was dreadful against the pass all year long. The former Vanderbilt Commodore did toss three picks in two games against Green Bay in the regular season, and he ended the season with 16 boo boos. Enter the Packers ‘D’. This unit had 24 picks in the regular season, the most in the NFC and just one behind the New England Patriots for the league lead. We always thought that you wouldn’t find a better ball hawk in the game than DB Charles Woodson, but we were wrong. DB Tramon Williams has developed a tremendous nose for the ball, and he had the amazing pick six that sunk the Atlanta Falcons last Saturday. If Cutler gets careless with the football, he will throw picks to this team, and if he does that, the Bears don’t stand a chance.

Key #3: The battle at the line of scrimmage
You can bet that line play is going to be preached on both sides of the football this week. The Packers probably think they can get away with a little more leniency on this facet of the game because they are so talented elsewhere, but the team that wins this battle is most likely going to be the one that wins this game. Neither offensive line was that sharp all year, as neither opened up that many holes for the running game. Even in the divisional round games, the Bears averaged just 3.91 yards per carry (and that includes a 21 yard scamper by Cutler), while the Packers only averaged 3.10 yards per carry. Chicago’s OL is going to have to find a way to stop a Green Bay front that had five sacks of QB Matt Ryan on Saturday night, two of which came from one of the biggest sack masters in the league, LB Clay Matthews. The Packers are going to have to contend with a front seven that just has a mean streak in it, and though the Bears did really have the individual stats this year that some of the players on Green Bay’s ‘D’ did, they had the second best defensive front in terms of rushing this year in the league at just 90.1 yards per game.