New England +5.5 over Denver

 

Moneyline Special +200

 

I could see this game really going in any possible direction. However, I just can't imagine living in a world in which Brady and Belichick end up with a losing record against Peyton Manning in AFC Championship games. 

Most of the people backing the Broncos this week have made the point that when the Patriots made that dramatic comeback in Week 12 the Broncos didn't have Julius Thomas and the Patriots had Rob Gronkowski. I don't want to discredit that because it is a rather large factor but the Patriots in Week 12 were a completely different team than the Patriots are now. The Pats have almost come full circle after several ring-less years of slinging the rock around the field. They have made yet another AFC Championship game by running the ball and playing defense, which happens to be the best way at beating this Broncos team. The Patriots should be able to keep Manning off the field with the run game and that should set up the passing attack for Brady rather nicely. As long as the Pats can protect the ball they should be able to get the best of Manning once again even though it would be a bit of a miracle for this Patriots team and all its injuries to reach the Super Bowl. 

Pats 27-24 

Seattle -3.5 over San Francisco 

 

Lock Alert 

 

The 49ers have turned into the trendy pick. All of a sudden everyone has them pegged as being the best team that is playing the best football. But I haven't seen anything to make me believe that Colin Kaepernick can go into Seattle and win this big of a game. I just can't imagine a scenario in which he succeeds against that defense. 

 

The one thing that the people who are picking the Niners have seem to put a ton of stock into is the amount of completetions by Russell Wilson. This guy has done nothing but win football games, yet all of a sudden it's incredibly important that he completes a ton of passes. He always seems to step up when he needs to and I have a lot more trust in him at home than I do Kaepernick in that Seahawk nest even if he has far more offensive weapons than Wilson does. 

 

Hopefully by kickoff Troy Aikman will have re-upped his Xanax perscription because if he couldn't stand all the trash talking between the Niners and Panthers last week, this game is really going to bother him. The rest of us are going to be treated to one hell of a football game. There should be even more trash talking and even more pushing and shoving after every play. These two teams are going to beat each other up in what should be a low scoring defensive struggle. But I believe Russell Wilson and that Seahawk defense will be too much for the Niners to make another run to the Super Bowl

Seahawks 17-13