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

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012 NFL Playoff Bracket And Other NFL Playoff Previews

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
Click Here to Bet Your NFL playoffs Picks!

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.

Click Here to get the best football picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NFL playoffs picks and the NFL picks for the rest of the playoff game odds.

In what could be one of the most entertaining games in the first round of the playoffs, the Detroit Lions will take on the New Orleans Saints. We’re set to make our NFL predictions for the big time duel on Saturday night in the playoffs.

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints
Lions vs. Saints Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Lions vs. Saints Date/Time: Saturday, January 7th, 8:00 p.m.
Lions vs. Saints Television Coverage: NBC

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012 NFL Playoff Bracket And Other NFL Playoff Previews

Key #1: Detroit absolutely cannot beat itself
The first time that these two teams played this year, the penalties mounted in almost ridiculous fashion against the Lions. WR Nate Burleson was flagged three times for offensive pass interference, and there were three personal fouls that went against Detroit, some of which proved to kill drives on offense or extend drives on defense. In total the team committed 11 penalties for 107 yards. It is hard enough to try to beat the Saints on the road, a place where they seemingly never lose. You absolutely cannot give up a football field’s worth of penalty yardage against them and expect to win. If Detroit lets its emotions get the best of it in this game, it will be absolutely blown away and made to wonder what could have been had it been a more disciplined team this entire season.

Lions @ Saints Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Detroit Lions +11
New Orleans Saints -11
Over/Under 59
Click Here to Bet Your NFL playoffs Picks!

Key #2: Someone on the Detroit defense has to be spying Darren Sproles at all times
Sproles actually didn’t have that much of an impact on the game that these two played a month ago, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have the ability to kill the Lions. At just 5’6”, Sproles has a way of going unnoticed out of the backfield, and his blazing speed and uncanny ability to make tacklers miss in the open field is why he is so dangerous. Head Coach Sean Payton will use him between the tackles at times, as he did have 81 carries for 563 yards on the ground this year. However, Sproles also had 81 receptions for 681 yards and six scores, and he had a grand total of 1,287 yards as a return man between kicks and puns to go with a TD. In the end, he broke the record for most all-purpose yards in a season. We’ve seen Sproles do some amazing things in the past, and someone has to be keeping an eye on him at all times, or he will absolutely be the killer in this game.

Key #3: Matt Stafford has to outduel Drew Brees
Brees and the Saints were nuts this year. Not only did Brees reach the 40,000 yard mark for his career, but he became the first man to throw for 5,000 yards twice in seasons in a career, and he obliterated Dan Marino’s record for the most passing yards in a season. He has six receiving options that can all go off for over 100 yards in a game, and he throws for multiple touchdown seemingly every week. In total, he had 46 TDs this year. However, the Lions are still craving some respect, and this would be the way to get it. Stafford stayed healthy for the full 16 games for really the first time in his career, and he became the fourth different man to throw for 5,000+ yards in a season this year as well. WR Calvin Johnson had some amazing games this season, including picking up over 200 receiving yards in two of his last three games, but Burleson, WR Titus Young, and TE Brandon Pettigrew can’t be forgotten either. Detroit is good enough to shoot it out with the Saints, and without any sort of a running game to rely on, it doesn’t really have a chance of winning this one if it doesn’t.

Click Here to get the best football picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NFL playoffs picks and the NFL picks for the rest of the playoff game odds.

“Black Monday” for NFL coaches is just a week away, and by the time the season is said and done with, there coach be over a dozen openings that assistants and others that weren’t leading NFL teams this year need to fill. Check out the list of coaches that we think are set to make the jump into the head coaching ranks in the 2012 NFL season.

Brian Billick: Billick led the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl a decade ago, and he really built that strong foundation that Baltimore has had since that point, but for the past few seasons, he has been working for FOX Sports as an analyst as he tries to get back into the coaching game. There are no signs that he is coming back, but an owner like Dan Snyder that is willing to throw enough money at him could get a steal.

Jon Gruden: Another man who went from the sidelines to the booth, Gruden’s name always gets tossed around as a potential head coaching candidate. Again, there is no reason to believe that this will be the year that he comes back to coaching, especially since he really does enjoy his gig with ESPN. That doesn’t mean that a job near home with the Jacksonville Jaguars or Miami Dolphins might not be appealing.

Bill Cowher: See: Gruden, Jon. It’s basically the exact same situation, just change the letters “ESPN” to “CBS.” However, of all of the coaches that are in broadcasting right now, we think that Cowher is the least likely to get back into coaching this year. Now, if the Cleveland Browns job were to open back up or if the Houston Texans job were to come open, that might be a different story… but for now, we doubt that Cowher gets back in the game.

Jeff Fisher: The Titans’ split with Fisher last year was as bloody as it gets, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have the ability to jump back onto the sidelines and to fix a team that just needs some tweaking to be solid. Tennessee, in spite of a very similar record to that of last season, wasn’t nearly as good this season, and Fisher was probably at least a part of the reason for that. A team that is looking for stability like the Eagles could be a nice new home for Fisher if wants to come back to coaching.

Romeo Crennel: Crennel really deserves the job with the Kansas City Chiefs. He led QB Kyle Orton to a win over the Green Bay Packers in his first week on the job, replacing the fired Todd Haley. Crennel has ties to GM Scott Pioli from the days that both were dominating with the New England Patriots, and it would be a move that makes a heck of a lot of sense for both sides.

Tony Sparano: In our opinion, Sparano did a great job with the Miami Dolphins over the course of the last few years, and we think that he left them in a heck of a lot better shape than the lousy squad that he inherited. Someone should give Sparano a shot to shine for sure in spite of the fact that he was canned this year. He will almost certainly be the only coach fired that we think is deserving of a head coaching job once again right away.

Jay Gruden: No, you’re not reading that wrong. That does say “Jay” and not “Jon” in front of the word “Gruden.” The younger Gruden brother has had all sorts of success in the Arena Football League and United Football League as a head coach, and though he only has one season as an offensive coordinator at the NFL level, teams may be vying for his services this offseason. Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Miami… are you paying attention? Gruden’s roots are all in the Sunshine State, and he would inevitably love the come back to his home.

Rob Ryan: Someone is probably going to offer Ryan a lot of money in hopes that he can bring the same level of success to their franchise that his brother, Rex did for the New York Jets. That being said, we really weren’t all that impressed this year with what Ryan did for the Dallas Cowboys’ defense, and we’re really not all that sure that it is going to be a wise hire for a team that is hoping for a jolt. That being said, Ryan is clearly one of the hottest coaching commodities out there to become a head coach, and this is probably the season that he gets a look.

Gregg Williams: In spite of the fact that Williams really failed as a head coach with the Buffalo Bills a decade ago, there is no denying the fact that he has been a great defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. He’s got experience and a decent background of late, so someone will probably make the relatively “safe” hire for Williams, and then wonder why they need to fire him again in four years…

Perry Fewell: Fewell was the interim coach for the Bills a few years ago, and he did a respectable job. However, he really wasn’t that hot of a commodity then like he is now, as many love the way that he has handled that this New York defense, which has had a slew of injuries this year and has still proven to be a solid unit.

Brian VanGorder: All together now: “Who???” VanGorder is the man that has really made the Falcons a much more viable defensive team, and there is going to be a coach that wants to bring his intensity to their sidelines as well. He was the coach at Georgia Southern for awhile, so at least he does have some level of coaching experience at the top, unlike names like Josh McDaniels and Raheem Morris who were given jobs as head coaches foolishly before him, and don’t be surprised if he turns out to be one of those hires in the 2012 NFL season that you had never heard of before, sort of like Pat Shurmur with the Cleveland Browns.

Mike Zimmer: It’s high time that Zimmer gets a job as a head coach. He has done a great job with a Cincinnati defense that was absolutely atrocious before he got there. Now, he has done it again, and he should really get a spot on the sidelines for a team that has a bit of a defense in place that doesn’t quite have the right scheme.

Dirk Koetter: We’re actually a bit surprised that the Jags tabbed Mel Tucker as their interim head coach and not Koetter. Of course, the fact that he hasn’t been able to mold QB Blaine Gabbert into a starting signal caller could be bad news for him, just like it is probably going to be bad news for McDaniels that he couldn’t get anything going with QB Sam Bradford and the Rams this year. That being said, Koetter’s name continues to come up from time to time as a potential coaching candidate, and he just hasn’t gotten the nod yet.

Chuck Pagano: Any time you are the coordinator for a defense that is as big and bad as that of the Ravens, you deserve your name in the head coaching pool. Pagano did a nice job this year keeping this unit together in spite of the fact that LB Ray Lewis has missed time, and the end result might be that he gets hired to try to fix some poor team’s defense.

Pepper Johnson: Another defensive coach off of the Bill Belichick tree… Coordinators for the Pats become head coaches more often than any other team, and Johnson is young and is leading a defensive line that is anchoring an otherwise poor defense. Johnson will draw some looks for sure, and he could be a perfect fit for the likes of Kansas City or Arizona.

Our NFL prop picks continue with our Monday Night Football picks and our Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints prop picks. Be sure to check out our NFL prop picks for the big duel on Monday, courtesy of BetOnline Sportsbook.

Michael Turner, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Jason Snelling Over/Under 128.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards
Playing ‘unders’ in NFL props like this one can be dangerous, as we have a slew of players that are involved, which really removes the potential easy out of an early injury. The first time that these two teams met, Turner and Rodgers alone had 126 yards on the ground and another 43 as receivers, and that really doesn’t bode well for the ‘under’ in this one. However, we have to look at the great job that New Orleans has really done this year against backfield groupings like this one. The team is averaging allowing just 109.9 rushing yards per game, and that is in a division in which th e Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers run the snot out of the football. Sure, dump off passes might be the death of us in this one, but we are definitely going to take our chances that the power of the New Orleans defense is going to be enough to get the job done in this very crucial game. Michael Turner, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Jason Snelling Under 128.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards (-115 at BetOnline Sportsbook)

Darren Sproles Over/Under 83.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards
Sproles really is a one of a kind back in this league, as he does just about everything. Sure, he is only run between the tackles a handful of times per game, but he is capable of being a 100+ yard receiver as well in any game, and any time he touches the football, it could go a long, long way. Sproles has 496 yards on the ground and 659 more as a receiver, both of which are career highs with two games to play. In the first meeting, he was really kept under wraps, as he rushed for just one yard and had four catches for two yards. However, that isn’t going to stop him by any means, as he is surely going to have a heck of a lot better day than that. He will probably get at least seven or eight targets as a receiver, and if he can catch just four or five of them, it could result in a slew of yards. We just don’t like the Atlanta defense and its capability of slowing down Sproles yet again in this game. When push comes to shove, at home, Sproles is a different back, and he is going to show it on Monday. Darren Sproles Over 83.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards (-115 at BetOnline Sportsbook).

Drew Brees Over/Under 2.5 TD Passes
Asking a quarterback to throw for three TDs in a game is always a tall task, but we think that this is going to be one of these days in which Brees puts his name back in the hat for the MVP award once and for all. Sure, he isn’t going to catch QB Aaron Rodgers for the most passing touchdowns in the league at 45 since he “only” has 37 scores, but he is going to become the first quarterback of the season to throw for at least 5,000 yards, and he is probably going to break QB Dan Marino’s record for most passing yards in a season on this night. Brees is 220 yards shy of becoming the first man to ever throw for 5,000 yards in a season twice in his career, and he needs another 83 yards to break Marino’s record. We think that he will do it, and do it with flying colors, and if he needs to play in Week 17, we think that he could even come up near the 5,500 yard mark to totally smash the record to bits and pieces as well. With 16 TDs and no picks over the course of his last five games, Brees is just rolling right now, and we don’t see how he isn’t going to throw for at least three TDs at least half the time in this situation. Remember that he already has three or more scores in seven of his 14 games this year, including in five of his six played here at the Louisiana Superdome. Drew Brees Over 2.5 TD Passes (+105 at BetOnline Sportsbook).

We’re down to the nitty-gritty of the fantasy football season, and we are set to head into the playoffs. Find yourself in a bind? Check out these fantasy football sleepers for Week 15!

Heath Miller vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Niners still haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown this year, and it is completely up in the air whether QB Ben Roethlisberger is going to give it a go or not on Monday Night Football. That doesn’t mean that all of a sudden, Pittsburgh isn’t going to score. It’ll be tough to get the ball up the field to these speedy receivers against a great San Fran secondary, but the Steelers might be able to work the ball to Miller in the slot. Miller only has 56 points so far this season in standard ESPN.com fantasy leagues, but he really could be in line for a decent day, especially near the red zone if RB Rashard Mendenhall can’t find any holes to take advantage of. This is a sneaky play for a man that you could probably find on the waiver wire.

Sammy Morris vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Before you ask who Sammy Morris is and what he is doing in this article, we’ll answer those questions for you. He might be the back that is getting the goal line carries this week against a rush defense that ranks dead last in the game against fantasy backs this year. The Cowboys signed Morris on Tuesday, but with both RBs Phillip Tanner and DeMarco Murray going on IR in recent weeks, Jerry Jones had to do something to bolster his team’s running game. RB Felix Jones isn’t anywhere near a between the tackles back, and at 6’2″, 200 lbs, we very well could see some action for Morris straight off of the streets, a la Kevin Smith a few weeks ago for the Lions. Don’t say that we didn’t warn you, especially against a Tampa Bay team that is turning the ball over a ton and can’t seem to get out of its own way offensively this year.

Santana Moss vs. New York Giants
Last week, Moss had 11 targets, but he was only able to convert on three of those. That being said, he did have 81 yards and a TD, and now, he is going against a defense which ranks No. 31 against fantasy wide receivers this year in that of the Giants. New York just doesn’t have a great secondary, and if you want proof of that, just check the 76 yards that Moss had the first time that these two teams met in Week 1. It seems as though Moss is getting back into the groove again after missing a month injured, and he could be in line for another big time day for Washington, as it tries to pull off the upset of the G-Men to ruin their playoff chances.

Arizona Cardinals D/ST vs. Cleveland Browns
In spite of the fact that the Browns have a hard time putting points on the board, they really haven’t been all that bad about turning the ball over and giving up sacks thanks to the short passing game of QB Colt McCoy. The Cardinals aren’t a turnover forcing machine either, but in this one, we know that we have a safe play that isn’t going to cost you points. We always have the off chance at a defensive TD, especially against an offense that is going to be likely featuring QB Seneca Wallace on Sunday, and we know that DB Patrick Peterson is always capable of returning a punt for a touchdown. The Cardinals have only had one week since Week 7 in which they have scored fewer than eight points. They’re not going to be a play that wins you your week, but if you’re in a bind and want a consistent option that you know will get you some point, Arizona’s defense and special teams could probably be had off of the waiver wires.

Our NFL prop picks continue with our Thursday Night Football picks and our Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers prop picks. Be sure to check out our NFL prop picks for the big duel on Thursday, courtesy of BetOnline Sportsbook.

Tony Romo -42.5 Passing Yards vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QBs
Over the course of the last few weeks, Romo really hasn’t had as many passing yards as you would figure. He only passed the 300-yard mark for the first time since Week 6 last week against the Giants, and in that game, the Cowboys allowed 400 passing yards to QB Eli Manning. We know that QB Josh Freeman has been a nightmare in terms of turning the ball over, but that doesn’t mean that he is all of a sudden going to end up forgetting how to throw the pigskin down the field. For all of their problems this year, the Bucs QBs are averaging 241.7 passing yards per game between them. This is a bad secondary that they are going against, and we think that they can get into the 260s or 270s in this one. Don’t be shocked if Tampa Bay’s QBs win this prop outright. Getting 42.5 yards is a heck of a start. Tampa Bay QBs +42.5 Passing Yards (-110 at BetOnline Sportsbook)

LeGarrette Blount +24.5 Rushing/Receiving Yards vs. Felix Jones
Jones is going to be back as the starting back for the Cowboys, but that doesn’t mean that he is going to immediately step in and put up the numbers that RB DeMarco Murray did. Murray was clearly the superior back of the two for this offense, and we just don’t know whether we are only going to see Jones in the backfield or not. RB Phillip Tanner could get some looks, especially in short yardage situations. Though Blount has been splitting carries all over the place with backs like RB Kregg Lumpkin and RB Moises Madu, he has still generally been getting his looks. He has at least 18 carries in three of his last four games. The problem is that you’re not going to get a lot of “Wow!” plays from Blount, and he isn’t going to pitch into the passing game all that often. But if he can get himself 80 yards in this one on the ground, we see no reason why he wouldn’t be a big time winner. Again, we think that this NFL prop should be a heck of a lot closer to a pick ’em than anything else. LeGarrette Blount +24.5 Rushing/Receiving Yards vs. Felix Jones (-115 at BetOnline Sportsbook).

Total Field Goals Over/Under 3.5
We know that K Dan Bailey has had some issues over the course of the last few weeks kicking important field goals at the gun, but we also know that he has just a slew of attempts this year. Bailey has made 31 of his 35 field goal attempts, and he has had at least two attempts in each of his last six games. The Dallas offense just has a tendency of reaching the red zone and just flopping. K Connor Barth, at times, is the only offense that the Bucs have. He hasn’t missed a kick since Week 6, and Head Coach Raheem Morris has a ton of confidence in him. We don’t think that there will be a shortage of yards in this game, but whether either team can execute in the red zone is a totally different story. Over 3.5 Field Goals (+145 at BetOnline Sportsbook).

Our NFL prop picks continue with our Thursday Night Football picks and our Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons prop picks. Be sure to check out our NFL prop picks for the big duel on Thursday, courtesy of BetOnline Sportsbook.

Blaine Gabbert Over/Under 17.5 Completions
Simply put, we just really don’t trust Gabbert all that much. In a game in which the Jags forced seven turnovers and had the ball for seemingly the entire game, the former Missouri Tiger only completed 19-of-33 passing. That Falcons aren’t going to hand the ball over nearly that much, and they promise to have a better pass rush and more heart than the Bucs did. Considering the fact that this game will have so many fewer opportunities for the Jaguars than last week’s win did, we have no choice but to go with Blaine Gabbert Under 17.5 Pass Completions (-110 at BetOnline Sportsbook)

Total Punts Over/Under 10.5
Jacksonville punted the ball away seven times last week in a game that it dominated. The team has already punted the ball 81 times this year, including a number of which have come via the three and out. If the Jaguars punt the ball another seven times in this game it’s going to be hard to see the punt total get to anything less than 11. The Falcons take a ton of chances and chuck the ball deep all the time, and Head Coach Mike Smith often puts the ball in the hands of his punter, who is averaging almost five punts per game. It seems like a winner to us, especially with both of these teams playing on short notice and Jacksonville playing its third game under its new coach in 11 days. Over 10.5 Punts (-115 at BetOnline Sportsbook).

Matt Ryan -50.5 Passing Yards vs. Blaine Gabbert
We have already spoken just a tad about Gabbert and how we really don’t trust the fact that he is going to complete even 15 passes in this game. That being said, we take a look at the numbers that Matty Ice has put up of late and make the assumption that he is going to get to at least 260 yards through the air. He has reached that mark in six straight games, and he is starting to take some more shots down the field. He has a full set of receivers with WR Roddy White and a now-healthy WR Julio Jones, and this offense is a heck of a lot more efficient with both healthy and in the lineup. Ryan already has 3,474 passing yards this year, and we think that he is going to fly past the 4,000 mark before season’s end, especially at the rate of which he is going right now. If Ryan gets to 272, that would mean that Gabbert would have to have a career high in passing yards in order to beat us. We just don’t see any way that that could happen. Barring an injury, this should be a slam dunk. Matt Ryan -50.5 Passing Yards vs. Blaine Gabbert (-115 at BetOnline Sportsbook).