It wasn't a good weekend to be a favorites bettor in the NFL. The favorites were an abysmal 1-3 ATS overall during the Divisional Round, and things were particularly bad on Sunday as both favored teams were sent packing.
Saturday's NFL action kicked off with Green Bay pounding Seattle 42-20 as a 7.5-point favorite. The big point total easily went Over the posted over/under total of 43.5. Packers running back Ryan Grant had a case of playoff jitters early on with a pair of fumbles, but made up for it with a team playoff record 201 rushing yards on 27 carries with three touchdowns. Brett Favre only passed for 173 yards but found the end zone three times and did not throw an interception in the win.
In Saturday's late game the Patriots kept their undefeated season alive by knocking off Jacksonville 31-20 as a 13.5-point favorite. The combined score fell just Under the posted over/under total, which was set at 51.5. Tom Brady was as close to perfect as a quarterback can get, completing 26-of-28 passes for 262 yards with three touchdowns. Randy Moss had a quiet game with only one reception for 14 yards, while Wes Welker led the Pats with nine catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Benjamin Watson caught only two passes in the game, but both of them went for a touchdown.
Sunday began with an upset after San Diego defeated Indianapolis 28-24 as an 11-point underdog. The Chargers battled through injuries to quarterback Philip Rivers and running back LaDainian Tomlinson in the hard-fought win. Rivers passed for 264 yards with three touchdowns and an interception before leaving with a knee injury. Backup QB Billy Volek successfully led the Chargers' winning drive that ended with him plunging into the end zone from a yard out. Tomlinson rushed for only 28 yards on seven carries before bruising his left knee. Michael Turner took over and rushed for 71 yards on 17 carries, while third-string RB Darren Sproles caught a 56-yard TD pass.
Sunday's other upset saw New York beat Dallas 21-17 as a 7-point underdog. The 38 points scored in the game fell Under the posted over/under total of 47.5. Eli Manning led the Giants to the win after passing for 163 yards with a couple of touchdown passes. Amani Toomer caught four passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns, while Brandon Jacobs rumbled for 54 yards on 14 carries and found the end zone once. The Giants' ferocious pass rush was held to only two sacks, but they applied constant pressure to Dallas QB Tony Romo in the fourth quarter to suppress any chances of a Dallas comeback.
