Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - In an interesting twist that doesn't occur too often, all four NFL contests this weekend revolve around one simple thread - familiarity. The Giants and Eagles play for the third time in three months, while the other three games feature two teams that will meet for the second time this season.
The Ravens and Titans hook up on Saturday afternoon after matching up in early October. Tennessee pulled off the 13-10 victory in Baltimore, when Kerry Collins found Alge Crumpler for the game-winning touchdown inside the final two minutes of play.
The Titans grabbed the straight up and against the spread victories as the one-point favorite. This Saturday, the Titans are home but only favored by three despite finishing the regular season with the best record in the NFL.
The Ravens come into this game having won 10 of their last 12 both SU and ATS. Their defense has been nothing short of spectacular giving up an average of 10 points per game over the last seven contests. In addition, they have held their opponents to single digits in four of those matchups.
Tennessee and Baltimore finished the regular season with the second and third best defenses but surprisingly combined to end up with just a .500 over/under record at 16-16-1, counting the Ravens playoff game. Still, four of Baltimore's last five games have gone under the total and only one of Tennessee's last four has been a winner for those wagering on the over. Nevertheless, it's important to keep in mind that the over was the right side in six of the Ravens' nine road tilts, and the Titans finished their home campaign with a 5-2-1 mark in favor of the over.
With the number set at 34 it might be too difficult a task to wager on the total. The easiest way to attack this game is to concentrate on the side. To that end, it's hard to pass up Baltimore and the points, especially since the Titans have lost three of their last six and have not played a meaningful game in three weeks.
Take the Ravens plus the points.
When Arizona travels to Carolina to take on the 12-4 Panthers, it will be the second time this season the Cardinals will have met the NFC South champions.
The Cards failed in the late October affair by just four points, 27-23, one of five games they lost this year when playing in the eastern time zone. Kurt Warner threw for 381 yards and two touchdowns but the ground game was nowhere to be found as Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower combined for a measly 20 yards on 13 carries. Nevertheless, the Cardinals did cover the five-point spread, the only time this year they grabbed the ATS victory when failing to win straight up.
After beginning the season 7-3 both SU and ATS, Arizona won and covered just two of its final six regular season games before coming through vs. the Falcons in the Wild Card round. Expecting Warner and company to fly sky-high in hostile road territory in January might be asking too much, even as a 10- point underdog.
Carolina has been an offensive juggernaut of late averaging 32 points per game in its last seven contests (6-1 to the over) after scoring just 22 ppg the first nine (6-2-1 to the under). The Panthers are also 8-0 SU at home this season with an average score of 29-14.
Take Carolina minus the points.
The first of two Sunday affairs is the lone divisional matchup of the weekend. The Super Bowl Champion Giants are looking for their seventh cover in the last 10 meetings with Philadelphia. New York opened as the 5.5-point favorite but it seems everyone has jumped on the Eagles bandwagon as the line has dropped down to four.
These two teams have played one close game after another, as five of the last seven have been decided by six points or less. However, one can't automatically assume the Eagles will cover since just two of those seven were decided by three points or less.
The Giants proved throughout this season that last year's playoff run was no fluke. They finished the season as the number one seed in the conference while covering nine of their last 11 games. Meanwhile, Philadelphia is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games as an underdog, and some view the Eagles in the same light as the 2007 Giants.
Perhaps the most telling statistic when these two clubs square off in New Jersey is the propensity for close, low-scoring affairs. The under has been the right side in six of the last eight meetings at the Meadowlands, and the average score has the Eagles ahead by a 17-14 count. With the over/under at 40, it's best to stick with the total rather than choosing either squad.
Take the UNDER.
The last of the four games has San Diego traveling to Pittsburgh. These two clubs met on a snowy Sunday at Heinz Field back on November 16, with the Steelers prevailing, 11-10. They picked up the straight up win but failed to cover the 4.5-point spread due to an oversight by the officials who ruled that Troy Polamalu's touchdown on the game's final play should not have counted because of an illegal forward pass.
Pittsburgh has won five of six games (both SU and ATS) since that contest, with the only loss coming to Tennessee. The Chargers followed that effort with two more defeats and were sitting at 4-8 after 12 games before winning their final four regular season games, including three divisional matchups.
Tackling the likes of Denver, Oakland and Kansas City is not the same as mixing it up against the league's number one defense, so look for the Steelers to come up huge against a San Diego offense that sports an unhealthy LaDainian Tomlinson (groin) and Antonio Gates (ankle). Tomlinson's replacement, Darren Sproles, provided the spark that propelled the Chargers past the Colts last week, but the odds of him running wild in back-to-back weeks are slim at best.
Take Pittsburgh minus the points.
