In what appears to be one of the greatest mismatches in the entire playoffs, the Houston Texans will take on the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the NFL postseason. Check out our Texans vs. Ravens keys to the game for Sunday’s slugfest.

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens
Texans vs. Ravens Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
Texans vs. Ravens Date/Time: Sunday, January 15th, 1:00 p.m.
Texans vs. Ravens Television Coverage: CBS

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Key #1: The Houston defense has to get pressure on the edges
This is the why the Cincinnati Bengals really struggled against the Houston defense on Saturday. The Texans have the ability to bring an immense amount of pressure off of the edges with their 3-4 look. Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips isn’t afraid to bring the heat on every play, and the combination of LBs Brooks Reed and Connor Barwin, along with DEs JJ Watt and Antonio Smith can really make a big difference. QB Joe Flacco has been known to make some bad decisions when he is under pressure in the pocket, and that might be the case once again in this one if Houston can force him into bad situations. The Texans were built as a team with strength right up the middle with LBs Brian Cushing and DeMeco Ryans, but it is the boys on the outsides of the front seven that are going to be the big difference makers if the Texans are going to even remotely have the ability to pull off the upset.

Texans @ Ravens Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Houston Texans +9
Baltimore Ravens -9
Over/Under 38
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Key #2: Both sets of running backs have to keep the ball moving
If the Ravens can get RB Ray Rice in some space, whether it be as a rusher or a receiver, Flacco won’t be in those positions to have to face the wrath of the Houston front seven. Rice had over 2,000 total yards and 15 TDs this year, and we have to remember that RB Ricky Williams has the ability to have some big games when called upon as well. For Houston, the key is down and distance. Punting is okay, but at least staying on schedule in terms of 2nd and 7 and 3rd and 3 is key. The less than QB TJ Yates has to do, the better off that the Texans are going to be. That means that RB Arian Foster is going to have to have another big time game. He racked up over 150 yards on the ground against the Bengals on Saturday, including a number of runs in which he hit the corner and snared those few extra yards that made the difference. It’ll be tougher against the Baltimore defense with all of its speed, but Foster and RB Ben Tate will have no choice but to get the job done in this one, or the Texans will get run off of the field at M&T Bank Stadium.

Key #3: Both teams have to get used to some new territory
This may seem silly, but the Ravens have to get used to the idea that they are supposed to win this game. They went 6-0 this year against playoff teams, but those four losses were four brutal, brutal losses this season, and they all came in games in which they were expected to win and win with ease. Remember that Flacco has never played a game at home in the playoffs in his career, and this could be a totally different situation for him since he usually has tremendously low expectations. Houston has obviously never played a road playoff game, and Yates has never seen anything the likes of what he is going to see in terms of defensive intensity on Sunday. However, the Texans clearly have nothing to lose. They came out of that win against Cincinnati in great shape, and they acted like it was just another win on a Sunday that helped them out. Sure, there was some celebrating, but there wasn’t a Gatorade bath for Head Coach Gary Kubiak, and the team didn’t go all out as if it had just won the Super Bowl. There is more work to be done for sure. That being said, no one outside of Houston really believes that this team has a shot at the upset, and that could play big time into the Texans’ hands, especially if the pressure of playing at home proves to be too much for Flacco to overcome.

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The team that everyone thinks is the best in the league, the Green Bay Packers, ends the Divisional Round of the playoffs, and we are set to make our NFL predictions in their game against the New York Giants.

NFL Playoffs Matchup: New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers
Giants vs. Packers Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
Giants vs. Packers Date/Time: Sunday, January 15th, 4:30 p.m.
Giants vs. Packers Television Coverage: FOX

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Key #1: New York has to continue to get a good contribution from the running game
We know that the way that you beat the Packers is by throwing the ball, but keeping a consistent offense both on the ground and through the air is going to be the calling card for continued success in the postseason for the Giants. This was the worst rushing attack in the league this year, but both RB Ahmad Bradshaw and RB Brandon Jacobs had success against a normally solid rush defense for the Atlanta Falcons last week. In fact, QB Eli Manning threw the ball about the same number of times as the Giants ran it, and that was a real shock for a team that normally throws it at least 60-65 percent of the time in games like that one. It’s hard to run the ball right up the gut against DT BJ Raji and the rest of those stout front liners for the Packers, but it is something that New York is going to have to do to keep the Packers from really assaulting Manning and the passing attack.

Giants @ Packers Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
New York Giants +9
Green Bay Packers -9
Over/Under 51.5
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Key #2: Greg Jennings has to get involved in the game early
Jennings played in the first 13 games of the season for the Packers, and the team averaged 35.6 points per game. Week 17 was a bit of a toss week with QB Aaron Rodgers sitting, but the offense just didn’t look the same without Jennings out there. He and WR Jordy Nelson can both stretch the field, and when both are on their game, it really opens up the rest of the offense for guys like TE Jermichael Finley and WR Donald Driver, who can’t get up the field as easily. Jennings really has to get into this one early, especially if he is matched up against rookie DB Prince Amukamara. He can do it all, and there is a reason that he has averaged right around five receptions and 80 yards per game over the course of the last five seasons.

Key #3: Green Bay’s flaws cannot be exposed in the clutch
If this were a game against the San Francisco 49ers, we would be having a totally different discussion, as we don’t think that QB Alex Smith really has the ability to win a game in the final two minutes on the road against a team like this. However, the Packers have a real problem against QB Eli Manning, who has proven that he can win games from behind, including against this very same team when he did everything that could do just a couple months ago. Green Bay has one of the worst rushing teams in the league, and neither RB Ryan Grant nor RB James Starks had even 600 rushing yards on the season. It has been proven time and time again that the Packers can’t close out games with their running game, and if that happens in a tight game on Sunday, Eli and the Giants are going to have a chance against a pass defense that ranked No. 32 in the league. There were a number of teams that had a lot of success against the Packers this year down the stretch, and if this ends up being the case once again this week, Green Bay, in spite of its 15 wins in the regular season, could be in a lot of trouble against a team that has a history of winning games like this one against all odds.

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The first day of the second round of the NFL playoffs schedule finishes up on Saturday night in the great state of Massachusetts, where the New England Patriots will try to beat the NFL odds for the second time this year against the Denver Broncos. Check out our NFL playoffs keys to the game for the Broncos and Pats!

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots
Broncos vs. Patriots Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
Broncos vs. Patriots Date/Time: Saturday, January 14th, 8:00 p.m.
Broncos vs. Patriots Television Coverage: CBS

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Key #1: Tom Brady has to get over his playoff blues
Something happened to the Patriots in the playoffs in 2008. They were coming off of a 16-0 regular season of perfection in which they were really just not challenged at all. They struggled for a long time with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs, and the San Diego Chargers nearly picked them off in the AFC Championship Game. The New York Giants finished the deal and ended the “perfect” season at a not-so-perfect 18-1 and without a championship. Since the AFC title game that year though, there has been something majorly wrong with this offense. The team has scored at least 30 points in just a slew of games, especially at home since the start of that perfect 16-0 regular season, but in the playoffs, none of New England’s last four games have resulted in more than 21 points going on the board. Brady, who finished with over 5,200 passing yards this year, has only averaged 232.0 yards per game in his last four postseason games, and he has the same number of TD passes as INTs. We don’t know whether it is the playoff pressure or the tremendous opponents that the Patriots have run up against, but they have to figure this out quickly, or they will have a very short run here in the playoffs in 2012 as well.

Broncos @ Patriots Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Denver Broncos +13.5
New England Patriots -13.5
Over/Under 50.5
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Key #2: Denver has to bring pressure, force turnovers, and take advantage of them
That’s a heck of a lot to ask one team to do, especially against a team that had four receivers account for over 700 receiving yards this year, two of which had over 1,300 yards. That being said, the common bond in the games that Brady has struggled in during the past postseasons was the pressure that he faced. Three offensive linemen are nicked up for the Patriots, and this was already a unit that struggled at times to keep its quarterback off of his backside. The Broncos brought all sorts of pressure last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, sacking QB Ben Roethlisberger five times and forcing him into tons of other bad decisions. There were two golden opportunities in the first half to score TDs instead of kick field goals, and in both trips into the red zone, the Broncos had to settle for K Matt Prater field goals. That just can’t be the case against New England. LB Von Miller, DE Robert Ayers, and DE Elvis Dumervil have to make some plays and they have to force turnovers, and when those turnovers are forced, the end result has to be touchdown, not field goals.

Key #3: The Patriots have to kick the Broncos to the curb early
Starting strong has been a real problem for the Pats in recent weeks. They were losing in the first half in each of their final four games of the season, including dropping behind 21-0 to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. That being said, New England did come back to win all of those games, two of which were in resounding fashion. These Broncos aren’t the Bills from two weeks ago though, and if you look back over the course of the winning streak that QB Tim Tebow was able to amass, most of those came in games in which they were able to hang around until the end, when Tebow was able to make a play. Last week, Pittsburgh was up 6-0 at the end of the first quarter in spite of the fact that the Broncos only had eight total yards of offense. Two TDs there, and Tebow probably panics, has to throw the ball more, makes some mistakes, and the Steelers could have won by 40. New England has to get off to a better start in this game, take advantage of any mistakes that Tebow makes, and force him to become a passer. That’s when the game really got out of hand when these two met in Mile High a month ago, and that’s what has to be the case as early as possible this week for New England to feel safe, especially when playing against a set of NFL playoff odds like these.

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No one believed that the San Francisco 49ers were really good enough to win the NFC this entire season, but on Saturday, they have a chance to beat the NFL betting odds against one of the best teams in the league, the New Orleans Saints with a spot in the NFC Championship Game on the line.

NFL Playoffs Matchup: New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers
Saints vs. 49ers Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
Saints vs. 49ers Date/Time: Saturday, January 14th, 4:30 p.m.
Saints vs. 49ers Television Coverage: FOX

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Key #1: The Saints’ secondary cannot let Drew Brees go wild
It seems like the understatement of the century, but it is true. Brees has now thrown for nearly 6,000 yards in 17 games this year, and he just keeps racking up 400+ yard performance after 400+ yard performance. The 49ers did a great job this year on the ground, as they didn’t allow a rushing touchdown in the first 14 weeks of the season, but their secondary at times was suspect, allowing 230.9 yards per game and ranking No. 16 in the league. Rookie LB Aldon Smith did have a team best 14 sacks this year to help bring a lot of pressure off of the corner, and others like LB Ahmad Brooks, DE Justin Smith, and DE Ray McDonald had great years as well. When Brees has been slowed this year, it has been with great pass rushes. That’s what the Detroit Lions had going last week for a half of football, but in the end, it was Brees that got the last laugh with a clinic in the second half. Brees is probably going over 300 yards, and he is probably going to get a couple scores, but much more than that is bad, bad news for the Niners.

Saints @ 49ers Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
New Orleans Saints -3.5
San Francisco 49ers +3.5
Over/Under 47.5
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Key #2: San Francisco cannot get overtaken by the pressure in this game
It has been almost a decade since the 49ers have played in the playoffs, and no one like RB Frank Gore and QB Alex Smith were around at that point. We already saw the Lions fail against the Saints in their first playoff game in ages, and though the Texans won in their first ever playoff game, it came against a Cincinnati team that also had absolutely zilch in terms of playoff experience on the team. Playing at home is at least going to give a level of comfort for the 49ers, especially since they are playing against a New Orleans team which was beaten last year on the road in the first round of the playoffs. Smith and Gore are really the two cogs that have to hold up in this one, as they have to make the most of their opportunities against a sometimes suspect New Orleans defense. Even though you would like to think that San Francisco can’t afford for this game to become a shootout, consistently scoring and putting the pressure back on Brees and the gang is the right way to try to go about this game. Going conservatively isn’t going to get the job done.

Key #3: Whichever team gets a few big plays on the ground will have a major upper hand
The one thing that Head Coach Jim Harbaugh brought to the Niners this year was a level of toughness. They play fantastic rush defense because they aren’t losing those battles up front in the trenches. That being said, the Saints, who aren’t known for their ground game, do have the backs to make plays happen on the ground, while Gore could have a big day against the Saints as well. New Orleans only allowed a total of 32 yards on the ground to the Lions on Saturday night, but that came against a team that just doesn’t run the football. The 49ers are a significantly different team for sure. RBs Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles, and Chris Ivory all have the ability to bust off some big runs as well for New Orleans. Whichever team can establish the line of scrimmage and get its ground game off to a great start is going to have a major advantage in this game.

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The mantra of “Good vs. Evil” might be the storyline once again on Sunday in the final game on the NFL playoff schedule in Wild Card weekend. The Denver Broncos are going to be squaring off with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a clash that, at least on paper, seems like it would be a ridiculous mismatch. Check out our Wild Card keys to the game to help beat the Broncos vs. Steelers odds.

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos
Steelers vs. Broncos Location: Sports Authority Field, Denver, CO
Steelers vs. Broncos Date/Time: Sunday, January 8th, 4:30 p.m.
Steelers vs. Broncos Television Coverage: CBS

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Key #1: The Broncos can’t beat the Broncos
When Denver was winning games this year with QB Tim Tebow calling the shots, it was doing it by running the ball, playing good defense, making some plays on special teams, not turning the ball over, and not committing silly penalties. That is going to be the theme in this game once again. The Broncos just cannot make stupid mistakes in this game, and Head Coach John Fox knows it. Penalties have to be limited, the turnover count may have to read zero at the end of the game, and everyone on the team on every single play has to play smart. The talent is too overwhelming in black and gold for the Broncos to beat themselves, and they have to be the smarter of the two teams in this one to have a shot to win.

Steelers @ Broncos Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Pittsburgh Steelers -8.5
Denver Broncos +8.5
Over/Under 33.5
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Key #2: The Steelers need to make sure that they don’t get away from their game plan
The Broncos know that they have to keep this game in the 20s in all likelihood to be able to win it. The Steelers might have to do the exact same thing. All too often, the running game for Denver has baited other teams into getting out of their game plan. The Steelers absolutely cannot afford to get away from their plan, or they are going to be in a heck of a fight. QB Ben Roethlisberger can’t put the ball in the air 40 times in this game, and the offense can’t start to panic if all of a sudden, there are a few drives when RB Isaac Redman can’t run the ball. Redman is going to be in for a tall task against an improving Denver defense, especially since in all likelihood, he is going to be the only back in this game that has any sort of experience for the Steelers. RB Rashard Mendenhall tore his ACL and is out for the year, RB Jonathan Dwyer is also on IR, and RB Mewelde Moore has a knee injury that is likely going to keep him on the sidelines.

Key #3: The opportunities will be there, so Tim Tebow has to make the passing game count
In one of the big time games of the year for the Broncos, they beat up the Kansas City Chiefs. Tebow only threw the ball eight times that whole game. He is going to have to do more than that in this one. The Steelers are just too stout up front in their front seven to allow gaping holes in the middle of the defense, and generally, they are too fast to run outside as well. That being said, we have seen some success against this defense on the ground at times, but it won’t happen without at least the threat of the passing game. Tebow only completed 46.5 percent of his passes this year, which was easily the lowest mark in the NFL, and he is going to have to prove that he can make some of the big time throws on third and long. It’s not going to take an elite 300 yard passing day, but Tebow is at least going to have to make some plays with his arm down the field. If the field can’t be stretch further than that, what we are going to see is the same type of result that we saw when the Steelers beat up the New England Patriots several months ago. The only reason that game was close is because QB Tom Brady still has the ability to do some great things even without a deep threat receiver on the field. Tim Tebow is no Tom Brady.

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Of all of the games on the NFL TV schedule in Wild Card weekend, the one between the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons might be the toughest to handicap. We present our New York vs. Atlanta keys to the game so you can make your NFL picks for the first game on Sunday’s NFL schedule.

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants
Falcons vs. Giants Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Falcons vs. Giants Date/Time: Sunday, January 8th, 1:00 p.m.
Falcons vs. Giants Television Coverage: FOX

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Key #1: The Falcons have to hit the deep ball
Way back in the Spring when the Falcons traded just a slew of draft picks for the ability to draft WR Julio Jones early in the first round, many thought that they were crazy. Atlanta thought that it was just one piece to the puzzle away from winning the Super Bowl. We don’t really think that it has the ability to do that with a defense that is suspect this year, but it does clearly make a big difference. Jones has had at least one catch of at least 40 yards in six of his last eight games, and many of those catches went the distance for a touchdown. Jones has six TDs in his last four games, and many of those were of the very long variety. New York has a secondary that is still suspect and has been all season long, and it has been prone to the deep ball. For Atlanta to win this game, it is going to have to stretch the field with Jones to open up the rest of the offense for RB Michael Turner, TE Tony Gonzalez, and WR Roddy White.

Falcons @ Giants Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Atlanta Falcons +3
New York Giants -3
Over/Under 47.5
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Key #2: The Giants absolutely have to find a ground game
Why? Because we know that RB Michael Turner is going to get his yards. He touched the ball over 300 times this season, and he had 1,500 yards of total offense, so we know that Turner will do his damage. There is a real question as to whether RBs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are going to be able to get the job done or not. These two used to be a part of a tremendous backfield, and both have the capability to be 1,000 yard rushers. Neither had a great year, and it almost seems as though age parlayed with the weird offseason may have cost them both in conditioning. Neither averaged even four yards per carry this year, and the end result saw New York ranked dead last in rushing the football. The pressure on the shoulders of QB Eli Manning is already immense as it is, but to have to win this game all by himself might be too tall of a task to ask for. But then again…

Key #3: One of these quarterbacks has to be a star
This type of game is pretty easy to see develop. One of these teams is going to have the ball at the end of this game, and one of the quarterbacks is going to have to get the job done. With apologies to QB Matt Ryan, he just might not be ready for this quite yet. He doesn’t have the background to be a “game winning drive” type of quarterback at this point in his career, and he is 0-2 in his two postseason appearances. Eli has won a Super Bowl, and won it with dramatics. He was the one that threw the ball that magically came down in WR Shane Tyree’s hands, and he was the one that threw the TD pass to WR Plaxico Burress that won the Super Bowl against the previously perfect New England Patriots in ’07. Even this year, Manning, for all of the grief that he has been given, led his team on a game winning drive at the Dallas Cowboys, a game tying drive against the Green Bay Packers, a game winning drive against the New England Patriots, a game winning field goal drive against the Buffalo Bills, and a two TD comeback against the Arizona Cardinals, all of which came in the last two minutes of a game. Eli can do it, and we know it, but the question might be asked of either he or Matty Ice once again to see whether they can put the team on their back and win a game.

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The Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans probably make for tremendously strange bedmates in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday afternoon. Both have had the best seasons that they have had in years, and one will get to move through to the second round of the playoffs next weekend. Check out our Texans vs. Bengals odds, predictions, and keys to the game so you can make your NFL picks on all of the action!

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans
Bengals vs. Texans Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Bengals vs. Texans Date/Time: Saturday, January 7th, 4:30 p.m.
Bengals vs. Texans Television Coverage: NBC

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Key #1: These two teams have to pretend like they have been here before
To say that there isn’t a heck of a lot of experience on either side of the ball in terms of the playoffs is a bit of an understatement. The Texans have never been to a playoff game in franchise history, and the Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since before the Oilers had ever thought about moving out of Houston. Neither rookie quarterback has played in a game quite like this one, though QB Andy Dalton did get a taste of the action last week against the Baltimore Ravens at home in a game that the Bengals were beaten in. QB TJ Yates has really been thrown into the fire this year, as two months ago, he still had never even suited for his first NFL game before injuries struck. Neither of these coaches, Gary Kubiak nor Marvin Lewis has ever won a playoff game as a head coach before either. The team that can successfully put aside the fears of playing in a nationally televised game like this one is going to be the one that ends up having the better shot to win this game when it is all said and done with.

Bengals @ Texans Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Cincinnati Bengals +3
Houston Texans -3
Over/Under 38.5
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Key #2: The ground game is key for both squads
We’ve already spoken about these rookie quarterbacks, and that obviously means that the running game is going to be crucial for both sides. RBs Ben Tate and Arian Foster combined for well over 2,100 rushing yards, and they near had 3,000 total yards between rushing and receiving between them. RB Cedric Benson doesn’t nearly get the publicity that he should, but he rushed for 1,067 yards this season, his third straight 1,000+ yard season with the Bengals. Both offensive lines have had their questions, especially with the Bengals. Benson did only average 3.9 yards per carry this year, and now, he has to run up against a defensive front seven that was amongst the most ferocious against the run all season long. Houston does have the best offensive line that it has had in team history, but that line still has never been in a moment like this one.

Key #3: Houston needs to overcome all of its injuries that it has suffered all season long
The list of injuries this season for the Texans has been borderline insane. Schaub and Leinart were knocked out for the season in successive weeks, and that came after Foster missed basically three full games, LB Mario Williams hasn’t played since the beginning of October, and WR Andre Johnson has only been in the lineup for a total of about five full games all year after dealing with hamstring injuries. P Brett Hartmann is out for the year with a knee injury, and DB Danieal Manning missed a month with a leg injury as well. It is amazing that this team has been able to hold it together in spite of all of this, and now, the pieces of the puzzle that have to limp onto the field have to find a way to get the job done even with all of the setbacks.

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