A win by the Texans sends them to Baltimore to face the Ravens. If the Bengals pull off a mild upset, they will head to New England to battle the Patriots in the Divisional Playoff round next weekend.

AFC Playoffs Bengals vs. Texans: Game Day Preview

This AFC Wild Card football betting action is slated for 4:30 PM ET on Saturday, January 7, 2012, from Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The winner rolls on down the NFL Playoff road, while the loser heads home. Neither of these teams were very good down the regular season stretch run.

Houston (10-6 Home: 5-3) was 10th in scoring during the NFL 2011 regular season with an average of 23.8 points per game. On defense, the Texans were 4th overall as they allowed 17.4 PPG. Houston went 11-5 ATS and just five of their 16 contests went OVER the game total.

After losing starting QB Matt Schaub, the Texans went 1-3 to close out the season. The loses were against the Colts, Panthers, and Titans, who had a 17-31 combined regular season record.

Cincinnati (9-7 Road: 5-3) behind rookie QB Andy Dalton, ranked 18th overall with an average of 21.5 points per game. On defense, the Bengals came in 9th allowing 20.2 PPG during the regular season. Cincinnati was 8-6-2 ATS and four of their 16 contests stayed UNDER the game total.

The Bengals stumbled a bit down the stretch but they were up against some pretty stiff competition. Cincinnati went 3-5 in the second half – including two loses to both the Steelers and Ravens.

>>> Bet On Wild Card Weekend Playoff Action At BetOnline <<<

AFC Wild Card Saturday Betting Lines: Cincinnati vs. Houston Free Pick

BetOnline.com provides our AFC Wild Card Saturday Houston vs. Cincinnati Free Pick betting odds. When it comes to sports wagering – trust the BetOnline Sportsbook to bring you more bang for your NFL and sports betting buck! We think  the better defense wins this contest.

NFL Week 14 regular season action saw the Texans register a 20-19 win over the Bengals. The win sealed the first ever AFC South Title for the Texans. Houston QB T.J. Yates, who was making his second career start, engineered an 80 yard game winning drive that was capped with a 6-yard TD pass with two ticks left on the game clock.

This is the first playoff game in the Texans ten year team history. The Bengals will line up for a franchise 15th postseason game. Their last playoff contest was a 24-14 loss to the Jets back during the 2009 Wild Card Weekend.

This is contest marks the first time in modern day NFL history that two rookie quarterbacks matched up against each other in a postseason playoff game. Both Dalton ad Yates are less than 100% with the flu and a shoulder injury respectively.

We see the Texans having the better running game, a better defense, and home field advantage, as the three key factors to this contest. Being as such, we’ll back Houston over Cincinnati in this one!

>>> Back HOU vs. CIN at -3 (-120) at BetOnline <<<

Stayed tuned as we present our Saints vs. Lions Free Pick on Friday

>> Bet On The Orange Bowl At TopBet <<

Tonight, it’s the #23 West Virginia Mountaineers from the Big East Conference vs. the #15 Clemson Tigers from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tigers well balanced offense has a slight edge in this contest.

Tigers vs. Mountaineers BCS 2012 Orange Bowl Preview

Kickoff for the 77th annual Orange Bowl college football betting action is scheduled for 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, January 4, 2012, from Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Clemson (10-3, 6-2 ACC) stumbled  a little down the stretch and their overall numbers on the season were middle of the pack. Though they beat Virgina Tech 38-10 in the ACC Championship, the Tigers were 27th in the Nation in scoring at 33.6 PPG, and 62nd on defense allowing 26.3 PPG.

West Virgina (9-3, 5-2 Big East) is on a three game win streak, including a 30-27 win over South Florida that clinched them a share of the Big East title. The Mountaineers were 19th in scoring at 34.9 points per contest. Like Clemson, West Virgina also gave up 26.3 PPG on defense.

BCS Orange Bowl Betting Lines: West Virginia vs. Clemson Free Pick

TopBet.com and their world-class sportsbook provide the betting lines for tonight’s Clemson Tigers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Free Pick. The Orange Bowl has been a staple of the NCAA College Football Bowl season for decades – we have an awesome match-up for this years edition!

The ball will be flying all over the yard in this one as Mountaineers QB Geno Smith passed for 3,978 yards with 25 TD during the 2011 NCAA Colege Football season. Tigers QB Tajh Boyd was equally impressive with 3,578 passing yards to go along with 31 passing touchdowns.

Running the rock is the reason the Tigers will come out on top in this one. WVU RB Dustin Garrison lead the Mountaineers with 742 rushing yards and six touchdowns. The Tigers are lead by RB Andre Ellington who pounded his way to 1,062 yards and ten rushing touchdowns.

>>> Back the Tigers over the Mountaineers at -3.5 (-110) at TopBet <<<

>>> Bet On The Sugar Bowl At BookMaker <<<

Two very good defenses are set to battle as the  Michigan Wolverines from the Big Ten Conference, battle the ACC Champion Virginia Tech Hokies. Give us some Sugar Baby – as this should be a beauty!

Wolverines vs. Hokies: 2011 BCS Sugar Bowl Preview

This NCAA college football betting action is scheduled for Tuesday, January 3, 2012, at 8:30 PM ET from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, in New Orleans, Louisiana. We like the Maize and Blue here!

Michigan ranked 23rd in the country when it comes to points score during the 2011 NCAA season with a 34.2 PPG average. Virgina Tech came in at 55th overall as they put up an average of 28.5 points per game.

Both of these teams played stout defense as the Hokies were 8th overall in the league as they allowed 17.2 PPG. The Wolverines did the Hokies one better as they ranked 7th overall in the country with an average of 17.2 PPG. Defense will be the order of the day in this one.

BCS Sugar Bowl Wagering Odds: Michigan vs. Virginia Tech Free Pick

We surf over to “Where The Line Originates” at BookMaker.com for our Wolverines vs. Hokies Free Pick wagering odds.

Virginia Tech looks to add to their ACC Championship season with a Sugar Bowl Championship. The Michigan Wolverines, and their potent offense, will look to crush that dream in this one!

Looking at the NCAA schedule rankings, the Wolverines Strength Of Schedule was the 32nd most difficult in the Nation, while the Hokies had an easier ride with the 100th easiest SOS during the 2011 NCAA season.

Defense is a draw here so we will take the higher scoring team and back the Wolverines to win the 2012 Sugar Bowl outright!

>>> Back Michigan over Virginia Tech at -2 (-110) At BookMaker <<<

Bet On The Fiesta Bowl At BetOnline

The 2012 Fiesta Bowl match-up features the Big 12 Champion Oklahoma State Cowboys battling the #1 BSC At Large Selection Stanford Cardinal.

Cowboys vs. Cardinal: BCS Fiesta Bowl Game Day Preview

Exciting Fiesta Bowl wagering action is slated for kickoff at 8:30 PM ET on Monday, January 2, 2012. It’ll be ride ‘em Cowboys from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Oklahoma State lit up the scoreboard during the 2011 NCAA College Football season as they averaged 49.3 points per game, ranking them second in the Nation.

Standford weren’t slouches either as they racked up the 5th most points in the country with a 43.6 PPG average. This looks to be another high scoring BCS Bowl game.

The Cowboys gave up 28.5 points per game on defense, while the Cardinal, who played an easier overall schedule, gave up 20.3 points per game.

BCS Fiesta Bowl Betting Odds: Oklahoma State vs. Stanford Free Pick

We head to the BetOnline.com sportsbook for the BCS Fiesta Bowl betting odds for our Cowboys vs. Cardinal Free Pick tonight.

At the start on the NCAA 2011 season, both of these  teams had National Championship aspirations. One of them (the Cowboys) will gladly settle for the Fiesta Bowl Championship.

According to NCAA rankings, the Cardinal Strength Of Schedule was the 105th easiest in the country, while the Cowboys had the 38th toughest SOS in 2011.

We like the Cowboys to rustle up the Cardinal and win the 2012 BCS Fiesta Bowl outright!

>>> Back the Cowboys over the Cardinal at -3.5 (-110) At BetOnline <<<

>> Bet On The Rose Bowl At JustBet <<

Today we have the PAC-12 Champion Oregon Ducks battling the Big Ten Champion Wisconsin Badgers. We expect the more experienced Badgers to shoot down the Ducks in this one!

Badgers vs. Ducks: BCS Rose Bowl Game Day Preview

Kickoff for this football betting action is scheduled for 5:10 PM ET on Monday, January 2, 2012, from the historic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. Both teams will need lockdown defense here!

Oregon ranked third in the Nation with an average of 46.2 points per game. Wisconsin was right behind them in fourth with 44.6 points per game. If you like high scoring football, this is your game!

We feel the separation in this contest will come on defense in this contest. Wisconsin allowed the sixth least points (17 PTS PG) during the 2011 NCAA College football season. The Ducks were somewhat leaky at 48th (23.6 PTS PG) overall.

BCS Rose Bowl Football Betting Lines: Oregon vs. Wisconsin Free Pick

We turn to the sportsbook at the JustBet.com online sports wagering website for today’s Oregon Ducks vs. Wisconsin Badgers Rose Bowl Free Pick betting lines.

Based on NCAA rankings, the Ducks Strength Of Schedule ranking was the 28th most difficult in the country, while the Badgers had the 57th SOS in 2011.

This will be the Ducks fifth appearance in the Rose Bowl but they haven’t smelled the roses since 1917. The Badgers are back in Pasadena for the second straightyear. Wisconsin lost a heartbreaker 21-19 to TCU last year and they won in 1999 and 2000.

Wisconsin plays a ball control offense and that could keep the high flying Ducks on the sidelines for long stretches. Though they beat UCLA 49-31 in the Pac-12 Championship, we were less than impressed with the Oregon defense.

We don’t see one side blowing out the other and we question the lofty game total here. There have been a ton of points put up in more than a few games this NCAA Bowl season but we see this one being close and staying just UNDER the total

We’ll take the points and back the Wisconsin Badgers over the Oregon Ducks in 2012 Rose Bowl!

>>> Back the Badgers over the Ducks at +6.5 (-110) at JustBet <<<

Kickback and bet on this exciting NCAA Bowl action prior to the major Bowl Championship Series games that begin later today. Up first, the defensive minded Nittany Lions and high scoring Cougars get us going!

>>> Bet On NCAA Bowl Game Action At TopBet <<<

Cougars vs. Nittany Lions: TicketCity Bowl Preview

Kickoff for the TicketCity Bowl featuring the Houston Cougars vs. Penn State Nittany Lions is scheduled for Monday, January 2, 2012, at 12:00 PM ET from Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.

#19 Houston  (12-1 OA 8-0 C-USA) is not in the Bowl Game of their preference as they head to the TicketCity Bowl. The Cougars were riding a perfect season until they were stunned, 49-28 by Southern Mississippi, in the Conference USA Championship Game back on December 3, 2011.

Houston #6 in the nation and most certainly assured of an elite BCS Bowl bid. Following the loss to the Golden Eagles – they face Penn State as the #19 ranked team in Country.

#22 Penn State (9-3 OA 6-2 Big Ten) off-field issues aside, the Nittany Lions had a solid season of football. Led by their #5 ranked scoring defense Penn State recovered from a Week 2 loss to #3 Alabama to win their next seven contests.

Once the well-publicized sex scandal hit the front pages, the Nittany Lions slumped as they closed the season at 1-2 to start the post-Joe Paterno era. All three of the  Penn State loses were to ranked opponents as they also lost to #19 Nebraska and #16 Wisconsin.

We can’t see the Nittnay Lions getting up for the Cougars. The Penn State kids just want to get their nightmare season over with. Houston wants to show that they belong in the Big Leagues. They won’t hesitate to run up the score to impress the BCS Brass in this one.

Nittany Lions vs. Cougars Free Pick: Cruise with the Cougars at -7 (-110) at TopBet!

Florida Gators vs. Ohio State Buckeyes: Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl Preview

Up next we have the Florida Gators vs. Ohio State Buckeyes in the Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl. Kickoff is slated for at 1:00 PM ET from Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, FL

Florida (6-6 OA 3-5 SEC) beat up on four unranked teams to start the season before the wheels came off in a 17-6 loss to then #3 Alabama. The Gators had a free fall from there as they went on 2-6 run to close out the season. Facing #1 LSU, plus #13 South Carolina and #22 Georgia, didn’t help their cause but in reality, the Gators were not a very good football team this season.

Ohio State (6-6 OA 3-5 Big Ten) was rocked by off-season scandals and then got rocked in the regular season. After cakewalks through Akron and Toledo at the ‘Shoe, the Buckeyes got beat 24-6 by unranked Miami and dropped out of the AP Top 25 for the first time in almost seven years. A win over Colorado was followed by a 3-5 record including a 40-34 season ending loss to hated Michigan.

Oh how the mighty have fallen! Back in 2007, this match-up was for the National Championship as the Buckeyes were blasted 41-14 by Florida. Ohio State will want to impress their new boss as former Gators coach Urban Myer in set to take over the reigns of the Buckeyes in 2012.

Due to NCAA sanctions, the Buckeyes won’t be back in Bowl Game until the 2013-14 season. They’ll want this one! Plus, they will be looking to extract a small measure of revenge from Florida.

Buckeyes vs Gators Free Pick: Back the Buckeyes at +110 ML at TopBet!

>>> Register a TopBet Personal Sports Betting Account Today <<<

Stayed Tuned For Our Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl Predictions Later Today

!! Good Luck and Happy New Year !!

For the record; our 2011 NFL Free Picks, which began appearing during Super Bowl XLV, produced a 64-33-1 record in 2011. We ended the calender year with four straight wins. Happy New Year indeed!

>>> Bet On The NFL At BetOnline <<<

Lions vs. Packers: Week 17 Free Pick #1

Kickoff for both of our NFL Week 17 Free Picks is slated for 1:00 PM on Sunday, January 1, 2012, from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI, and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA.

Casual bettors will be shocked to find the 14-1 defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers as +4.5 underdogs at home against the 10-5 Detroit Lions. Green Bay is talking about resting their starters right of the gate in this one as this game means nothing to them.

At 122.5 Packers QB Aaron Rodgers currently holds the highest QB passer rating for a single season. Injured Colts QB Peyton Manning set the previous record at 121.1 back in 2004. Rodgers won’t see the field today and the new record will be preserved. Setting the record will cap the best regular season performance by a QB in NFL history.

Detroit on the other hand is playing to avoid a trip to the Bayou and a possible beat down by the Saints during the Wild Card Playoff Weekend. Additionally, the Lions are looking to show the world that their 5-2 NFL 2011 road record isn’t a fluke. We expect the Motown Cats to finish strong here.

SBR Free Pick #1: Take the Lions at -4.5 (-110) over the Packers!

Panthers vs. Saints: Week 17 Free Pick #2

As mentioned in the opening, it’s a tough week to handicap as some teams will rest players, some clubs are playing for something, while others are just looking forward to hitting the beach.

Carolina is one of the squads that will be hitting the beach but the Panthers would love to have a say in the Saints playoff future before they get out their shovels and pails.

New Orleans will be scoreboard watching as San Francisco is in St. Louis to face the Rams. A win seals the #2 seed and a first week playoff bye for the 49ers. We don’t see the Lambs keeping up here. Once the Niners get out to a comfortable lead, New Orleans will pull their starters.

That will allow Carolina QB Cam Newton & Co keep their version of Super Bowl XLVI close. The Saints are the #3 seed whether they win or lose here. Having a healthy squad, for their pending NFC Championship match-up with the Packers, is of paramount importance to the Saints.

As a point of reference, the Panthers have covered six of the last seven games against New Orleans. In those contests, the Saints were playing with a full deck while the Panthers basically sucked. A Saints half deck, and an improving Panthers squad, hints that Carolina could win outright here.

SBR Free Pick #2: Take the Panthers at +7 (-110) over the Saints!

>>> Register a Personal Sports Betting Account at BetOnline Today <<<

Our top rated online sportsbooks are open for business! They are ready to take betting action on the 2011 NCAA Bowl Championship Series, the NFL Playoffs, as well as great sports action from around the planet. Fantastic sports wagering is LIVE 24 hours a day.

>>> Bet On NCAA College Football Bowl Action At BookMaker <<<

Aggies vs. Wildcats: Meineke Car Care Bowl

Kickoff for the Northwestern Wildcats facing the Texas A&M Aggies is scheduled for Saturday, December 31, 2011, at 12:00 PM ET from Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Northwestern (6-6 OA 3-5 Big Ten) was 51st in scoring with 27.3 PPG while they were 67th in scoring defense at 27.3 PPG. The Wildcats went 1-4 against AP Top 25 teams. Their lone win was in Week 9 as they beat #10 Nebraska 28-25 on the road.

Texas A&M (6-6 OA 4-5 Big 12) was 11th in scoring with 39.6 PPG while they were 76th in points allowed at 28.7 PPG. The Aggies went 1-6 against AP Top 25 teams. Their win came back in Week 6 at home against Baylor as they laid a 44-28 whopping on the Bears.

Wildcats vs. Aggies Free Pick: Texas A&M -10 (-110) over Northwestern

Yellow Jackets vs Utes: Hyundai Sun Bowl

Game Two of our Saturday triple-header has the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Utah Utes with kickoff slated for 2:00 PM ET from Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

This NHL Western Conference betting action has its puck drop slated for Thursday, December 29, 2011, at 8:30 PM ET, from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

>>> Bet On The NHL At Bodog <<<

Blue Jackets @ Stars: NHL Game Day Puck Preview

Dallas (20-14-1) has been one of the surprise teams in the NHL this season. The Stars are 5-3 in their last eight games but they get their starting net-minder back for this contest.

Kari Lehtonen is expected to make his first start in net for the Stars since November 25, 2011. Lehtonen, and his 13-4-1 (2.34 GAA) record, is a major reason for the Dallas surge this season.

Columbus (9-22-5) is in a tough spot here as they are  3-12-2 on the road this season. All three of their road wins required extra time.

Steve Mason is slated to start between the pipes for the Blue Jackets. That’s not a good thing as Mason has a 0-8-0 record (4.80 GAA) on the road during the NHL 2011 season.

NHL Puck Betting Lines: Dallas vs. Columbus Free Pick

We surf over to the Bodog.com sportsbook for tonight’s NHL puck betting lines for our Dallas vs. Columbus Free Pick. As we head into the heart of the NCAA Bowl season, not to mention the NFL 2011 Playoffs, pad you sports betting bankroll with the Money Line in this one!

While we have mild concerns that Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen could be a little rusty, it really shouldn’t matter against the worst team in the National Hockey League. Back the Stars!

>>> Back DAL over CBJ at -180 on the Bodog Money Line <<<

>>> Bet On The NCAA At JustBet <<<

Kickoff for the Rockets vs. Falcons is slated for 4:30 PM ET on Wed, December 28, 2011, from RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. The Longhorns and Bears go at 8:00 PM from Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA.

Rockets vs. Falcons Military Bowl Game Day Preview

Toledo (8-4 OA 7-1 MAC) dominated the Mid-American Conference, as their only loss was a 63-60 shootout against Northern Illinois. In that contest the two teams combined for 1,121 total yards and 17 touchdowns as the Huskies scored with nine seconds remaining to pull out the win. That was the last loss for the Rockets as they finished the season on a 7-1 run.

Air Force (7-5 OA 3-4 MWC) was streaky all year as they started the season at 3-1 and finished with a 4-1 run.  A three game Falcons losing streak was sandwiched in between. Air Force defeated Army and Navy to win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy this season. Despite their name, Air Force loves to run the rock as they were #2 in the Nation with an average of 320.3 rushing yards per game.

Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman Free Pick: Rockets -3 (-110)