The NFL is into its 16th week of the regular season, and the playoff picture is jumbled in both conferences. What happens today could clear things up, but I wouldn’t count on it. In the early games, there are three contests involving AFC teams all mired i

2009-12-28

The NFL is into its 16th week of the regular season, and the playoff picture is jumbled in both conferences. What happens today could clear things up, but I wouldn’t count on it. In the early games, there are three contests involving AFC teams all mired in a tight grouping for the 4th-6th seeds in the conference. Let’s take a look at each of those games. Get the latest prices for them on the LIVE ODDS page of Sportsbook.com.

(111) HOUSTON at (112) MIAMI
Miami’s playoff hopes took a severe hit with the loss at Tennessee last Sunday, and now the Dolphins must win their final two remaining games at home and get some help along the way. It starts vs. Houston, a team in nearly the same predicament, although the Texans come in riding the momentum of two straight wins to get back to .500. They have scored very well on the road, 23.68 PPG in ’09, and will need that type of production to keep up with a Miami offense that scored 28.8 PPG at home in going 4-2 SU & 3-3 ATS. HC Gary Kubiak’s team is on an 8-3 ATS run on the road after the win in St. Louis. These teams have met the last three seasons, but not in Miami since ’03. Overall, the underdog is on a 4-game ATS winning streak in the head-to-head matchups.

StatFox Platinum Sheet Consensus: Play on Houston

(117) JACKSONVILLE at (118) NEW ENGLAND
New England looks to wrap up the AFC East while putting a rest to any playoff hopes the Jaguars might still boast. It certainly hasn’t been the season as expected for the Patriots, but yet they are still 9-5 and figure to be a team that few teams will want to match up with in the playoffs. They are 7-0 SU & 4-3 ATS at home too, so a win and division title here could ensure a first round home playoff game. Under Bill Belichick, New England boasts a 14-3 SU & 13-4 ATS record in the last two weeks of the regular season. For the 7-7 Jaguars, this is a critical contest in which they are trying to improve on a 1-5 ATS skid in December/January road games. Jacksonville has never won in New England, going 0-5 SU & 2-3 ATS while being outscored by a 27-13 margin.

StatFox Platinum Sheet Consensus: Play on New England

(119) BALTIMORE at (120) PITTSBURGH
After meeting in the AFC title game a year ago at Heinz Field, the most the Ravens and Steelers are hoping for now is a chance at the wildcard spot. A loss would be catastrophic to both. Pittsburgh is 7-7 after ending its 5-game losing skid by beating Green Bay on the game’s final play, but finishes its schedule vs. two playoff hopefuls. Baltimore is 8-6 but plays its last two games on the road where it is just 2-4 in ’09. This will be the second meeting of the season between these AFC North foes, with the Ravens having won the first, 20-17, in a game where the Steelers were without QB Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh is just 1-4 SU & ATS in division games this year. Eight of the L9 games these teams have played in Pittsburgh surprisingly went OVER the total.
StatFox Platinum Sheet Consensus: Play on Baltimore

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