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1. 0 likes

   WAYNE ROOT

   Millionaire PITTSBURGH

   Chairman OVER

   Northcoast system play 32-5, but has lost last 3 years row, on the Steelers

   Scott Spreitzer

   Pittsburgh

   Promotion: I'm laying the points with the Steelers. First the angle. You simply play ON the SB entry that won their conference championship as an underdog when their SB opponent won as a favorite. This angle is a perfect 6-0 with one push. Most recently, Carolina got the money against New England 2 years ago - and Tampa Bay crushed Oakland 3 years ago. On the field, Seattle will be hard-pressed to run the football against the Steelers' 3-4. Seattle has face three teams that use this defense, but 2 came against San Fran & Houston. The only quality 3-4 they faced came against the Cowboys. Alexander was held to 60 yards on 20 carries and the Seahawks barely escaped with a 13-10 home field win...scoring 10 late points. When Pittsburgh has the ball I expect big days receiving for Willie Parker out of the backfield and for TE Heath Miller, one of the best in the league. Also, look for special teams to come into play with the Steelers owning a huge advantage in punt return units. Seattle has been just a tad above average away from home this season, losing to Jacksonville and Washington, beating the Rams by only 6, escaping SFO by only 2 points, and pulling out a 4 point win over a weak Tennessee squad. And, well -- we've seen what the Burgh can do away from home in the playoffs. Add it up and we have a 10-to-14 point win for the Steelers. Pittsburgh minus points is my Super Bowl winner. Thanks! Good Luck! Scott.

   Marc Lawrence

   SEATTLE over Pittsburgh by 3

   Welcome to Super Bowl XL in Detroit. Some say it stands

   for Seattle's XL-ent Adventure. In truth, it reads more like

   the parka size of preference in Detroit this weekend.

   While it's not exactly at the top of the most desirable destinations in

   the world, it beats the proposed locale – Vladivostok – as a host city

   for a runner-up bowl for championship game losers (Anchorage

   was booked). Pot shots aside, the game itself is a matchup of two

   teams that peaked at season's end, strong enough to earn a berth

   in the biggest football game of them all. Pittsburgh's journey has

   been historic, to say the least. Three of the Steelers' five losses this

   season occurred on the final play of the game. They recorded no

   less than NINE ROAD WINS while running the table on the playoff

   road, defeating the AFC's #1, 2 and 3 seeds to become the first-ever

   #6 seed to make it to the Super Bowl. Unlike 23 of the last 27 Super

   Bowl winners that benefited from a week of rest at the onset of the

   playoffs, the Steelers find themselves rested for the first time in

   four months. Speaking of rest, Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher is

   14-8 SU with rest in his NFL career, but only 6-11 ATS when favored.

   Cowher's clubs also tend to struggle indoors in dome stadiums

   where he is just 7-8 SU & 6-8-1 ATS in his career, including 1-4 SU

   & ATS (and 0-5 UNDER) against an opponent that is off back-toback

   wins. He also comes up empty when favored against teams

   from the NFC, going 9-20 ATS – including 1-8 SU & ATS when

   laying 4 or less points. While the Steelers are 25-4 SU behind QB

   Ben Roethlisberger, Cowher has never covered the spread in a

   PM EST

   ABC TV

   game against the Seahawks in his career, going 2-4 SU & 0-5-1

   ATS (favored five times). Mike Holmgren, on the other hand, is 4-1

   SU & ATS against Pittsburgh in his career, winning straight-up

   both times he was installed as the underdog. The history books tell

   us that four NFC teams arrived to the Super Bowl sporting perfect

   10-0 SU records at home. All four of them – '85 Chicago (46-10), '86

   NY Giants (39-20), '96 Green Bay (35-21), and St. Louis (23-16) –

   left with rings. Throughout the course of the playoffs, underdogs

   that own the higher win percentage are a glitzy 19-8 SU & 21-5-1

   ATS, including 4-0-1 ATS in the Super Bowl. Seattle is a 13-win

   team from the regular season and those clubs are 42-21-2 ATS in

   the post-season when squaring off a against sub .777 opposition,

   including 21-1 SU & 18-4 ATS if they are a dog or favorite of less

   than 10 points and own a win percentage of .823 or higher. Before

   closing up our database, remember these juicy Super Bowl tidbits:

   the last nine Super Bowls have seen the favorite go 6-3 SU & 1-6-

   2 ATS; the last 12 favorites to score 30 or less points are 0-11-1

   ATS; teams who score 27 or more points are 22-1 SU & 20-2-1

   ATS; teams who score less than 20 points are 0-21 SU & 3-17-1

   ATS. So what we have is a #1 seeded Seattle squad that has

   allowed more than 26 points only ONCE this season, taking points

   from a #6 seeded Wild Card team in a complete role reversal from

   the championship games (the Seahawks won and covered as a

   favorite, the Steelers won as a dog). We're not saying the linesmaker

   is wrong. We're saying Seattle is right.

   

   posted by phball101

   Feb. 5 2006 11:53am
2. 0 likes

   Dr Bob

   Strong Opinion Seattle

   Super Bowl Propositions

   The only Super Bowl proposition I see with any value is Seattle’s

   Matt Hasselbeck to go UNDER in passing yards (the

   line ranges from 234 ½ yards to 240 ½ yards). My math model projects

   191 net passing yards for Seattle and 14 sack

   yards, which gives Hasselbeck 205 gross passing yards. I’ll consider

   Hasselbeck Under in gross passing yards a

   Strong Opinion.

   BRANDON LANG

   1000 Dime - Pitt ML -195

   500 Dime - Pitt-4

   Props

   Bettis scores a TD

   Hasselback throws an INT

   Seattle never leads in the game +220

   Sports Marketwatch

   Seattle Seahawks vs Pittsburgh Steelers

   The Pittsburgh Steelers took the hard road to Super Bowl XL, winning three straight road games against the toughest teams in either conference. They’ve been a “publicâ€Â

   

   posted by phball101

   Feb. 5 2006 11:55am
3. 0 likes

   RANDALL THE HANDLE:

   Seattle Seahawks (15 - 3) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (14 -5)

   Current Line: Pittsburgh –4 –1.20

   The Pittsburgh Steelers have a rich football history. They have won four Super Bowls. The ‘Steel Curtain’ teams of the 70’s are still fondly remembered. Players like Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and Lynn Swann bring back vivid gridiron images. Hailing from a blue-collar community, they have always subscribed to playing hard and working harder. The Steelers current path to this extravaganza is a testament to that. Pittsburgh is the first six-seed to make it to this game. En route, they knocked off the top-seeded Bengals, Colts and Broncos. Even more impressive was winning all of those games away from home. While it is generally accepted that winning on the road in this league is a difficult task, these Steelers have won a remarkable 16 of their past 19 road games. The maturity and poise of Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been a big reason for their success, both home and away. Big Ben is an impressive 26-4 as a starter and despite attempting to become the youngest QB to win a Super Bowl, he plays with the savvy of a veteran. Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt has prepared brilliant game plans throughout these playoffs and his troops have executed them to near perfection. On the defensive side, coordinator Dick Lebeau’s efforts may be even more commendable after his schemes stymied three formidable offences. Safety Troy Polamalu is quickly becoming a household name for both his cat-like prowess and his cerebral play. There are many players that we could profile in this space but it is not necessary. Very similarly to the preceding champion Patriots, this group plays as a team and its sum is greater than any of its parts. To identify flaws on this Pittsburgh squad would be like reprimanding your child for getting an ‘A-minus’ on an exam.

   The Seattle Seahawks have about as much history as Canada does in soccer. Perennial underachievers, this unfamiliar team has wallowed in mediocrity for years. Since arriving in the NFL in 1976, you would be hard pressed to name any notable players outside of Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent. Tucked away in the northwest corner of the United States, this city is better known as the birthplace of Starbucks than it is for its football team. Don’t think for a minute that oddsmakers aren’t aware of all this. Pittsburgh is football. Seattle is sleepless. The Seahawks hope to change that perception and don’t be surprised if they do. Sure, they came out of the weaker conference. No one can debate that. But is it fair to fault them for dominating their conference? We’ve been guilty of it ourselves but they’ve answered the call each time and then some. This team quietly scored the most points (452) in the NFL this season. They were tops in the red zone, scoring touchdowns nearly 72% of the time from inside opponents’ 20-yard line. QB Matt Hasselbeck quietly has become one of the league’s premier passers having tossed 24 touchdowns this season compared to just nine interceptions. Running back Shaun Alexander is the league’s Most Valuable Player. Much of the offence’s success can be attributed to an unheralded offensive line that employs three Pro Bowlers. Three guys that you likely haven’t heard of but a trio that was responsible for allowing Hasslebeck to be sacked only 27 times this season. As for the defence, they get very little recognition but this unit led the league in sacks (50), had the 2nd best percentage in preventing touchdowns inside the red zone and were 4th ranked in both points allowed and rushing yards allowed. The Seahawks allowed a mere five rushing touchdowns during the regular season, second only to Jacksonville.

   In 10 of the past 12 Super Bowls, the favourite has been a 7-point pick or more. Regardless of the outcome, there was an anticipated victor. That is not the case here. Strong arguments can be made for both sides but because of their popularity, the strenuous path they had to follow to get here and the questionable pedigree of their opponent, the Steelers are the fashionable choice. St. Louis, Oakland and New England twice were the preferred and favoured teams in the previous four Super Bowls but all four games resulted in covers by the underdog. In fact, only two of the past 10 favourites have managed a cover in this event. This Seattle team has far better credentials than any underdog in recent memory. The Seahawks can easily win the game. They can also lose a close one and we get the cover. With what they bring to the table, that works for us.

   Take: Seattle +4 (Risking 1.5 units).

   TY GASTON SEZ “DON’T BE TOO QUICK TO BET PITTSBURGH IN THE SUPER BOWLâ€Â

   

   posted by phball101

   Feb. 5 2006 11:57am
4. 0 likes

   DR.BOB Super Bowl XL

   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Seattle (+4) 23 Pittsburgh 24

   The pointspread in the Super Bowl is determined by public perception

   more than a normal NFL game because more

   amateur money is going to be placed on this game than on any other game

   all season. The public deemed Pittsburgh’s

   playoff road wins at Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Denver as more

   impressive than Seattle’s two home wins over

   Washington and Carolina and thus Pittsburgh is an undeserving 4 point

   favorite in this game instead of the 2 or 2 ½

   point favorite that they should be. I don’t want to diminish

   Pittsburgh’s playoff accomplishments, as beating the

   Colts and Broncos on the road is truly a great achievement, but two

   games is an awfully small sample size and the

   Steelers simply aren’t much better than Seattle when you look at each

   team over the course of the season (and even

   in the playoffs only). Seattle is getting criticized for playing an

   easier schedule than the Steelers and that is

   absolutely true, but my math model compensates each team’s statistics

   for the level of the opponents that they faced

   and those compensated numbers are pretty close. Seattle’s offense was

   one of the very best in the NFL this season,

   as their balanced attack would averag 5.79 yards per play against an

   average NFL defense. That number was derived by

   compensating Seattle’s offensive numbers by the defensive numbers of

   their opponents (and the level of their

   opponent’s opponents) while excluding games against the Colts in week

   16 (Indy didn’t play their starters) and

   against Green Bay in week 17 (Seattle rested many of their starters).

   Seattle’s compensated yards per rush is 4.70

   ypr and quarterback Matt Hasselback’s compensated yards per pass play

   (including sacks) is 6.91 yppp. The league

   average for yards per play is 5.13 yppl (I take kneel downs and

   quarterback spikes out of my stats, which is why

   that number is different from the official stats you may see), so

   Seattle’s offense is 0.66 yppl better than

   average. Pittsburgh’s defense would allow 3.66 ypr, 5.35 yppp, and

   4.60 yppl to an average offensive team and a

   team’s compensated defensive numbers are adjusted depending on

   opposing quarterbacks faced. For instance, my ratings

   adjust for facing backup Jon Kitna for all but 2 plays in the

   Steelers’ first playoff game against Cincinnati

   instead of facing All-Pro Carson Palmer. Pittsburgh’s defense is 0.53

   yppl better than average, so the Seahawks’

   attack has a slim 0.13 yppl advantage against Pittsburgh’s defense.

   Seattle has proven themselves against good

   defensive teams, averaging 5.5 yppl in games against Jacksonville,

   Washington twice, and Carolina – the 4 games that

   they played against teams that allowed less than 5.0 yppl for the

   season (Green Bay also allowed less than 5.0 yppl,

   but Seattle sat their starters in that game). Those teams would combine

   to allow 4.8 yppl to an average attack, so

   the Seahawks were 0.7 yppl better than average against good defensive

   teams, which is the same that they were

   overall this season.

   Pittsburgh’s offense was without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in 4

   games this season (weeks 6, 9, 10, and 11), and

   the Steelers’ attack with Roethlisberger would average 5.67 yppl

   against an average NFL defense. The rushing attack

   is a bit below average (4.01 ypr compensated; NFL average is 4.13 ypr

   when you exclude kneel downs as I do in each

   game), but Roethlisberger averaged an impressive 7.90 yppp this season

   and would average 7.81 yppp against an

   average defensive team. Seattle is better defensively than most people

   think, as the Seahawks would allow just 3.76

   ypr, 5.64 yppp, and 4.81 yppl to an average NFL team, which isn’t

   much worse than Pittsburgh’s compensated defensive

   numbers. The Steelers are 0.54 yppl better than average offensively and

   Seattle is 0.32 yppl better than average

   defensively, so Pittsburgh has a 0.22 yppl advantage when they have the

   ball. Pittsburgh faced 4 better than average

   defensive teams with Roethlisberger at quarterback (New England in week

   3 when the Pats had their secondary intact,

   San Diego, Baltimore, and Chicago) and the Steelers averaged 5.1 yppl

   in those 4 games against teams that would

   allow 4.7 yppl to an average team, so Pittsburgh wasn’t quite as good

   offensively against good defensive teams as

   they were overall.

   I project 5.32 yppl for Pittsburgh in this game and 5.23 yppl for

   Seattle by using the compensated numbers for each

   team and matching one team’s offensive numbers with the other

   team’s defensive numbers. Projected turnovers are only

   slightly in favor of Pittsburgh and special teams are slightly in favor

   of Seattle. Overall, my math model favors

   Pittsburgh by only 0.7 points. Some may argue that Pittsburgh is

   playing better now than they played during most of

   the season, but you may be surprised to find out that Seattle has

   actually played better the last two weeks than

   Pittsburgh has. The Steelers averaged 5.13 yppl in their playoff wins

   at Indianapolis and at Denver (I left out

   their playoff game against Cincinnati because of Palmer’s injury in

   that game) and allowed 5.52 yppl, for a

   difference of -0.39 yppl. The Colts and Broncos would combine to

   out-gain an average NFL opponent at home by an

   average of 1.23 yppl, so Pittsburgh was in fact 0.84 yppl better than

   an average team in those two games from the

   line of scrimmage. Seattle had a yppl differential of +0.99 yppl in

   their two playoff victories over Washington and

   Carolina (5.38 yppl on offense and allowed 4.39 yppl) and the Redskins

   and Panthers would combine to out-gain an

   average opponent by 0.24 yppl on the road, so Seattle was 1.23 yppl

   better than an average team from the line of

   scrimmage in their two playoff wins, which is considerably better than

   Pittsburgh’s compensated performance the last

   two weeks. So, those of you making a case for the Steelers based on

   their playoff results should actually be

   favoring Seattle in this game if playoff performance is your criteria

   for Super Bowl success – which it shouldn’t be

   (a full season of games is much more predictive than just two games).

   Another way of calculating a fair pointspread involves using each

   team’s individual game ratings and creating a

   matrix using those ratings. For instance, Pittsburgh opened the season

   with a 34-7 home win over Tennessee. That

   game was at home (home field advantage this season was 3.5 points) and

   Tennessee was 9.0 points worse than average

   this season so the Steelers’ game rating in that week 1 win was +14.5

   points (they won by 27 points, - 3.5 for being

   at home, and -9 for Tennessee’s average rating equals +14.5 points).

   I calculated a game rating for each of the

   Steelers’ games and for each of Seattle’s games. I tossed out the 4

   games for Pittsburgh that Roethlisberger didn’t

   play in and the playoff game against Cincinnati when Palmer was knocked

   out on the second play. For Seattle, I

   didn’t include their week 16 game against the Colts, who rested their

   starters, or the week 17 game against the

   Packers when Seattle rested some of their starters. What I have

   remaining is 14 game ratings for Pittsburgh and 16

   game ratings for Seattle. If I compare each of Pittsburgh’s game

   ratings against each of Seattle’s game ratings I

   get a 14 by 16 matrix with 224 possible results - with each cell

   representing a projected margin of victory/defeat.

   I can use that matrix to determine what the median cell is (what the

   spread should be) and how many cells have

   Pittsburgh with an advantage. The matrix has a median cell of

   Pittsburgh by 2 points and has the Steelers with an

   advantage in 55.6% of the cells, which would represent their chance of

   winning straight up. I have found that any

   method of prediction using scoring margins is not as accurate as

   predictions using yardage, since turnovers have

   such an influence on scoring margins and past turnovers have a

   relatively low correlation to future turnovers.

   However, these teams project about the same in turnovers, and the

   matrix is a good way to dampen the affect of

   outliers (i.e. really good or really bad games that would skew the

   season numbers), so I thought the use of a matrix

   would be very insightful and pretty accurate in this case. The number

   that is most important in this game is the

   55.6% chance of winning that Pittsburgh has based on the matrix. Using

   that percentage, and a standard distribution

   of NFL margins of victory, gives Seattle a profitable 59.2% chance of

   covering at +4 points (57.8% at +3 ½, 60.2% at

   +4 ½). Pittsburgh may be worthy of being called the favorite in this

   game, but the line should not be more than -2

   or -2 ½ points and Seattle is certainly the percentage play in this

   game. I also like the fact that Super Bowl

   underdogs with the same or more number of victories (including the

   playoffs), are 8-2-1 ATS since Super Bowl 15. I

   will consider Seattle a Strong Opinion in this game and I have no

   opinion on the total.

   Super Bowl Propositions

   The only Super Bowl proposition I see with any value is Seattle’s

   Matt Hasselbeck to go UNDER in passing yards (the

   line ranges from 234 ½ yards to 240 ½ yards). My math model projects

   191 net passing yards for Seattle and 14 sack

   yards, which gives Hasselbeck 205 gross passing yards. I’ll consider

   Hasselbeck Under in gross passing yards a

   Strong Opinion.

   

   posted by phball101

   Feb. 5 2006 11:58am
5. 0 likes

   Tom Stryker

   WELCOME TO ISSUE #28 OF THE PRE-GAME REPORT!

   Tom Stryker's 32-7 ATS Super Bowl XL Payday

   #302 PITTSBURGH (-) over Seattle by 14 at 6:20 PM EST

   There are a ton of handicappers that try and get cute at Super Bowl time. Not me. When I analyze the “big gameâ€Â

   

   posted by phball101

   Feb. 5 2006 12:03pm
6. 0 likes

   Bob Balfe

   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Bob Balfe's Super Bowl Pick

   Seattle +4 over Pittsburgh

   The Seattle Seahawks may not have played any decent opponent on the road this season. It also can be argued that they recently completed a rather easy road to the Super Bowl. However, the ability of the Seattle running game and the lack thereof their opponents can not go unnoticed. Seattle's one weakness is the pass defense, but Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger is not the type of general who is going to pick your defense apart without making mistakes. Obviously, the talk all week has been about Jerome Bettis playing his final game in his home town of Detroit to capture the Super Bowl victory. This is a "feel good" story and Bettis is (was) a great player, but I assure you-the stingy Seattle defense has no tears in their eyes! Bettis is known for his goal-line and short yardage play. Seattle's defense will deny him the opportunity to even be involved in that situation. The Seahawks also have a better RB in Shaun Alexander. Matt Hasselback is no better than Roethlisberger, but he is a lot more experienced. Besides, in all reality, it's not that easy for a 23 year old to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. Stats and strength of schedule may indicate that Pittsburgh is better, but let's not forget that they almost missed the playoffs altogether and suffered a beat down from backup QB Jon Kitna in Cincinnati just a few weeks ago. The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for running the ball in the second half when they have the lead. We all saw how that almost backfired at them in Indianapolis. That particular game plan will simply not work against the dominant rush defense of Seattle. Pittsburgh's defense is also very good. However, they face a much bigger task simply due to the fact that they will need to pursue the almost impossible goal of containing Shaun Alexander-who, Oh by the way, happens to be the Most Valuable Player in the NFL. The public is slamming the Steelers, and after a season like this, the last thing Vegas wants is to allow the Super Bowl favorite to cash in. I assure you the lines are deceiving. Remember, this is a business. The best year ever for the NFL public bettors occurred in 2005-2006, as 60% of the favorites cashed in this year opposed to a seasonal average of approximately 50%. I like Seattle to cover AND get the outright win. This game should be tight and four points is a little too much. Take the value in Seattle!

   

   posted by phantom

   Feb. 5 2006 12:47pm
7. 0 likes

   ESPN's Hank "The Hammer'" Goldberg:

   Pittsburgh (-4) 27

   Seattle 20

   

   posted by phantom

   Feb. 5 2006 12:48pm
8. 0 likes

   Matt Rivers

   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   200,000* BIG EAST NO BRAINER Part 2 Plus Bonus Lock

   Your winners here are on:

   1. 200,000* Georgetown

   2. 50,000* Richmond

   1. It is never easy to lay points to Carl Krauser, Aaron Gray and the Panthers but I just absolutely love the way the Hoyas are playing. John Thompson III's squad has been as good as any over the last few weeks. These guys beat Duke and then seemed to take off.

   Georgetown won in overtime in Notre Dame dominating the contest and also won in DePaul with ease last weekend. These guys are shooting the lights out and at home should win in this spot.

   Pitt only has two losses (St. John's and UCONN) and certainly should not get blown out but I love the confidence that G-Town has been playing with. I do not see them falling here at home and I will gladly lay this small number!

   2. Can you say letdown!?!?!? Sure GW is much more talented then this semi garbage Richmond squad but the Spiders will play their usual slow down and stay closer then expected.

   The Colonials are coming off of that mountainous comeback in Xavier where they were down 18 and won outright as the four point dog. Today they will show up, lace the shoes and figure "oh it's Richmond at home", this will be a breeze." But not so fast at least in terms of the cover. GW is too athletic with Pops and the fellas and should win the game but these guys will not socre in the 90's like in that last game. The Colonials possessions will be limited as will their scoring.

   Look for a 68-57 type of a final!

   300,000* SUPER BOWL XL LOCK

   Your winner here is on Pittsburgh!

   Let me first say that I am one of the many who just does not believe in this Seattle team. Sure they are good and brimming with confidence but they still have yet to really beat a solid team. They did beat the Giants and Cowboys at home but should have lost both games as they were dominated in both and were more then lucky to win thanks to terrible interceptions and missed fg's. The Seahawks also had six disgustingly easy games in the division beating bottomfeeders like the 49ers, Cardinals and Lams.

   I do give the Seahawks some credit because they did win all of these games with only three losses but I still do not care. Shaun Alexander is awesome and Matt Hasselbeck has certainly improved but I still have my doubts about both in big games and I would call this a fairly big game. Alexander can easily end this game with 28 yards against the vaunted Steelers d and I would not be surprised in the slightest. Sure Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson are great but this is the new Steel Curtain we're talking about here.

   Seattle did win a pair of playoff games but both were in their friendly confines and both were against teams that ran out of gas in the Redskins and the Panthers. Washington had no offense and was playing on fumes in the end and Carolina imploded with Jake Delhomme leading the way throwing pick after pick in what was their fourth straight road game.

   The Steelers are on a mission. They just shocked me and the world winning in Indy and then in Denver. They should have won in Cincinnati after Carson Palmer was injured so I do not give them much credit for that.

   Jerome Bettis, whatever, the guy is good and will go out on a winning note but blah blah blah, good for him. The guy is no longer great at all but good for him.

   Ben Roethlisberger is a star and a winner. Pretty much whatever the former Miami O quarterback touches turns to gold and you will see his unreal 28-4 mark or whatever it is improve once again here.

   The Steelers offense has become a machine of late. Bill Cowher's squad used to be all about defense and the running game but now the passing game is looking like the Colts. These guys could not be stopped in Denver by a very potent defense led by Champ Bailey. Big Ben made things look Tom Brady-like easy in the Mile High city. Hines Ward is great with his unreal blocking and play making. Antwaan Randle El is a big play threat at any time and Cedrick Wilson even came up huge in that last win.

   I am not calling for a blowout but I do know this, the Steelers are walking off of the field as the champion. Could we be the right side, dominate and get backdoored in winning by a field goal? It's always possible in this league but the Steelers are the much better team, are more the home team today playing closer to home with many more fans and just seem like a destined team.

   Not only will Seattle lose this game but they may not be back to the Bowl for another 20 or so years as this team is just not much better then good!

   Meanwhile, the Steelers right now are great!

   

   posted by phantom

   Feb. 5 2006 12:48pm
9. 0 likes

   Handicapper: Ben Burns

   League: NFL

   Event: Seattle Seahawks vs Pittsburgh Steelers on 02/05/2006 at 15:20

   Condition: Under

   Grade: Ungraded

   Promotion: Both teams were involved in high-scoring games in the Conference Finals. I feel that has caused the line to be higher than it would be otherwise and has created value with the 'Under'. The Steelers and Seahawks have faced each other 12 times since 1981. Those 12 games averaged just 33 points and only one of them finished with more than 47 points (it had 48) and that was way back in 1983. Over the past three seasons the Under is a combined 16-6 when the Seahawks and Steelers have played on turf and also a profitable 8-1 when the two teams have played in a dome. Both defenses have been playing very well during the playoffs thus far. Seattle held Washington and Carolina to an average of just 12 points while Pittsburgh held three powerful offenses: Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Denver to 18 or less points each. Both Hasselbeck and Rothlisberger are certainly capable quarterbacks. However, let's make no mistake about it, both these teams are run-oriented. As you know, a heavy dose of the run helps to chew up the clock. I expect that to be the case from both teams at Ford Field on 'Super Sunday'. I feel the number is too high and I'm playing on the UNDER.

   

   posted by phantom

   Feb. 5 2006 12:49pm
10. 0 likes

    Handicapper: Larry Ness

    League: NFL

    Event: Seattle Seahawks vs Pittsburgh Steelers on 02/05/2006 at 15:20

    Condition: Pittsburgh Steelers

    Grade: Ungraded

    Promotion: Here's why I like Pittsburgh and why I'm making them a RARE 22* play! The AFC was BY FAR the stronger conference and while the Steelers are a No. 6 seed, they are much better than that. An injury to Roethlisberger and an unsettled RB position early, really hurt. While Parker had a decent year and Bettis began to contribute by mid-season, the Steelers never hit their stride, until Big Ben got healthy. At 7-5, Pitt won its final four games, covering all but its Week 17 win over Detroit. The Steelers then won at Cincy, Indy and Denver. In the Indy and Denver games, the offense came out aggressively, opening up early leads. Big Ben, unlike his rookie year when he played poorly in the postseason, has been superb, with seven TDs and just one interception. As for the defense, they sacked Manning five times, stopped James and completely confused the Colts. Against Denver, they forced Plummer into a turnover 'machine', after he was near-flawless all season, particularly at home. The Seahawks played a weak schedule during the reg season and in two playoff wins, were home versus the NFC's No. 6 and No. 5 seeds. Washington was playing its 3rd straight road game and continued its late-season poor play on offense, while Carolina (playing its 4th straight on the road), played its WORST game of the year. Seattle is NOT a championship-caliber team, while Pitt (15-1 LY) would have been 13-3 or 14-2 TY, if healthy. The Steelers are BY FAR the better team and the 'hotter' team. 22* Pit Steelers

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 12:49pm
11. 0 likes

    northcoast

    3* Pitt and top op on the over

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 12:50pm
12. 0 likes

    Northcoast system

    Super Bowl XL System:

    Total Points Awarded: Pittsburgh 47.5 Seattle 20.0

    Predicted Winner: Pittsburgh

    Number in (#) is the rotation number.

    Super Bowl Propositions:

    Triple Play: Over 47 Seattle/Pittsburgh (#301/#302)

    Triple Play: Over 13.5 in the 4Q (#313/#314)

    Triple Play: Pittsburgh 1st TD will be a TD Pass (-115)

    Double Play: Willie Parker Over 58.5 rush yards (#395)

    Double Play:Matt Hasselback Under 21 completions

    Double Play: Hines Ward Over 66.5 receiving yards (#399)

    Single Play: Total First Downs by Pittsburgh Over 19.5 (#339)

    Single Play Ben Roethlisberger Over 219.5 passing yards (#391)

    Single Play: Player to score 1st TD, Pitt Heather Miller (10-1) (#413)

    Single Play: Player to score 1st TD, Pitt Antwaan Randle El (15-1) (#414)

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 12:50pm
13. 0 likes

    Updated Superbowl Numbers

    92-60 services on the Steelers, a little over 60%

    42-36 services on the Under

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 12:51pm
14. 0 likes

    Mike Neri

    Sunday February 5, 2006

    FOOTBALL

    THREE STAR: 301 Seattle +4 6:20 EST

    THREE STAR: OVER 47 Pittsburgh and Seattle 6:20 EST

    THREE STAR: Seattle +165 on the money line. 6:20 EST

    SUPER BOWL PROPS - ALL PROPS ARE TWO STAR SELECTIONS

    Pittsburgh's first offensive play will be a RUN? Yes -110

    Will both teams make a field goal 33 yards or longer? Yes +130

    Will there be a score in the final 2 minutes of the first half? Yes -243 Pinnacle #515

    OVER 10 in the Third Quarter

    OVER 13.5 in the Fourth Quarter

    Seattle +1/2 in the fourth quarter

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 1:34pm
15. 0 likes

    CHAMPION

    Pitt and under

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 1:35pm
16. 0 likes

    Joe Gavazzi's Private Players of Pittsburgh

    Super Bowl XL Primetime Opinions

    (1*) Seattle Seahawks

    (1*) Seattle/Pittsburgh Under

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 1:36pm
17. 0 likes

    SOLID GOLD PICK

    SPECIAL PLAYS (12-3)

    PITTSBURGH

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 1:36pm
18. 0 likes

    Total Edge

    Super Bowl XL Top Rated Play

    (1*) Seattle/Pittsburgh Over

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 1:36pm
19. 0 likes

    The Prez

    Super Bowl XL Top Rated

    10*) Seattle/Pittsburgh Over

    Regular Play

    (5*) Pittsburgh Steelers

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 1:37pm
20. 0 likes

    SPECIAL K

    20* PITTSBURGH

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 1:38pm
21. 0 likes

    LENNY STEVENS

    10 seattle

    Pitt -2 in first half

    Heath Miller to score first TD of the game

    _________________

    

    posted by phantom

    Feb. 5 2006 1:38pm
22. 0 likes

    Lot of these might be already out there but here ya go, sorry about the duplicates

    SEATTLE: 13 picks for

    Marc Lawrence - SEATTLE over Pittsburgh by 3

    Bettorsworld - 3* SEAHAWKS +4.5 OVER STEELERS

    TY GASTON’S: SEATTLE 31 PITTSBURGH 21

    Harmon Forecast: Pittsburgh 24 Seattle 23

    Gold Sheet - Seattle 27 Pittsburgh 24

    DR.BOB - Seattle (+4) 23 Pittsburgh 24

    CAPPERS ACCESS – Seahawks + 4

    Dunkel Index - Pittsburgh 139.6 (2 1/2) Seattle 137.0

    Total Points: 44 ½ UNDER

    Jim Rich - Seattle & Over

    Sports Marketwatch - Seattle +4.5

    RANDALL THE HANDLE -Seattle +4

    Chris Berman - Seattle 24 Pittsburgh 23

    Ben Lee Eckstein Seattle

    PITTSBURGH: 20 Picks for

    Brandon Lang - Pitt ML & Under

    BOXER SPORTS 12-2 IN PLAYOFFS - Steelers -3.5 5*

    Joey Gaffney - Pittsburgh Steelers 8* PP –180

    FRANK ROSENTHAL- STEELERS-3.5 & UNDER 47

    ESPN Scouts Inc - Steelers 24, Seahawks 20

    Doc Enterprises 6* Lock Under

    5* Top Play Pittsburgh

    EZ Winners Sports: Pittsburgh Steelers

    Cyber Sports Picks - Pittsburgh Steelers –4

    Game Day = 4* Pitt

    surewager NFL – PITTSBURGH & Over

    Lane - Pitt ML –195; Pitt-4

    Tom Stryker - PITTSBURGH (-) over Seattle by 14

    Mighty Quinn Pitt

    Bill Gallo Pitt

    Gary Meyers Pitt

    Hank Gola Pitt

    Ralphie Vacchiano Pitt

    Rich Cimini Pitt

    Scott Spreitzer Pitt

    Game Day 4* Pitt

    4 Over Picks & 6 Under Picks

    Power Sweep Had Under 47

    sports investors – over

    Northcoast Power Sweep - 2* over 47

    usa sports - under

    

    posted by slam

    Feb. 5 2006 3:01pm