Cajun-Sports Super Bowl Total
NFL Playoffs: 9-5 ATS (TSM)
Side Selection has already been released
Handicapper: Cajun Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals (NFL) - 6:25 PM EST Premium Play
Pick: Total: 46.5/-101 Over Play Title: Cajun Sports NFL Super Bowl Total Winner
Click Here to View Pick Analysis
Cigar City will be the site of Sunday’s Super Bowl between the AFC representative Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFC representative Arizona Cardinals. It took the Steelers winning just two home playoff games as the number 2 seed to get their invitation to the Big Game while the Cardinals as a number 4 seed had to win three games as an underdog to make their dream a reality.
Once again we have a team with an outstanding defense in the Super Bowl as Pittsburgh led the league in almost every conceivable defensive category and this makes them the eleventh such team to make it to the Super Bowl. For us the great part of that defense is they actually score points in fact the Steelers defense and special teams have accounted for a touchdown in each of their playoff games this season.
Most people had this Cardinals team dead and buried in the first round of the playoffs when they hosted the Atlanta Falcons. After that home win over the Falcons the public knew there was no way they could go on the road especially when that road led to the East Coast of the US where the Cardinals had been completely annihilated in each of their previous trips and defeat the only team that had a perfect 8-0 home record during the regular season. Well the Cardinals destroyed that Carolina team to ensure the next game would be played in the desert. The Championship Round would certainly be the end as everyone knows “defense wins championships” and the Eagles will take down this weak Cardinals team, well the people in the “know” were wrong once again as the Cardinals handled that Eagles “D” and punched their ticket to the Super Bowl.
In 2008 the New York Giants became the first team in thirty-three years to win the Super Bowl without reaching the twenty-point plateau. There have been seventeen previous Super Bowl teams to fail to reach fourteen points and their record is perfect 0-17 both straight up and against the spread. The last twenty-five teams who scored 20 or fewer points in the Big Game are 1-24 SU and 4-20-1 against the spread. The only winner was of course the 2008 NY Giants. The last fifteen favorites to score less than thirty points are 2-12-1 against the number. The moral of the story is you better score some points if you plan on taking home the Lombardi.
Arizona has been one of the best teams in the NFL for going ‘over’ the posted total with a record of 13-6 ‘over’ on the season. The Cardinals have proven to be a solid ‘over’ proposition the last three seasons going 35-16 ‘over’. Pittsburgh may surprise a few with their record of 10-8 ‘over’ this season and five of their last eight have all sailed over the posted total.
Pittsburgh’s defense has been stingy allowing only 13.9 points per game but this has come against some teams that are also known for their defensive prowess and not necessarily their offensive scoring abilities. In fact the Steelers have only faced one other true passing attack, the Houston Texans and that resulted in fifty-five points being scored in that contest.
The Steelers offense has faced the Ravens twice, the Titans and the Eagles who all have solid defensive units. Arizona by contrast ranks 28th in the league in scoring defense and allow 26.6 points per game. The Steelers have averaged 28.5 points per game over their last eight games which include games against five of the league’s best defensive teams. The Steelers realize they will have to put points on the board to win this game; it will be highly unlikely that their defense can shutdown this Cardinals offense completely.
The Cardinals ranked second in yards passing per game and third in points scored during the regular season. The Cardinals offense threw the ball sixty-five percent of the time during the regular season but during the playoffs we saw that ratio become significantly different with one hundred rushing attempts to ninety-two passing attempts. That change in philosophy didn’t change the scoreboard as the Cardinals put up 30, 33 and 32 respectively.
Arizona’s Kurt Warner will not be intimidated by the Steelers pass rush his ability to get rid of the ball quickly has proven to be effective against this type of defensive scheme. We also expect Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger to improve on his last performance in the Super Bowl, he was 9 for 21 for 123 yards no touchdowns and two interceptions. Even with his poor performance the Steelers were able with the referees help to defeat the Seattle Seahawks back in 2006. We expect him to have a much better performance and along with Warner they should be able to send this one ‘over’ the posted total.
On the technical front we see that Pitt is 8-1 ‘over’ versus teams averaging <=3.5 rushing yards per carry the last 3 seasons and 6-0 ‘over’ after covering the spread in 5 or 6 out of their last 7 games over the last 3 seasons. Arizona is 8-1 ‘over’ when playing against a team with a winning record this season, 9-1 ‘over’ vs. defenses allowing 5.7 or less passing yards per attempt the last 3 seasons, 13-5 ‘over’ as an underdog the last 2 seasons, 8-0 ‘over’ off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons and 10-1 ‘over’ after allowing 6 or more yards per play in their previous game the last 2 seasons.
This bureau is recommending a play on the ‘over’ in this year’s Super Bowl as both teams should help this one sail over the posted number.
GRADED PREDICTION: 3* Pittsburgh / Arizona OVER 46.5
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NFL Playoffs: 9-5 ATS (TSM)
Side Selection has already been released
Handicapper: Cajun Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals (NFL) - 6:25 PM EST Premium Play
Pick: Total: 46.5/-101 Over Play Title: Cajun Sports NFL Super Bowl Total Winner
Click Here to View Pick Analysis
Cigar City will be the site of Sunday’s Super Bowl between the AFC representative Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFC representative Arizona Cardinals. It took the Steelers winning just two home playoff games as the number 2 seed to get their invitation to the Big Game while the Cardinals as a number 4 seed had to win three games as an underdog to make their dream a reality.
Once again we have a team with an outstanding defense in the Super Bowl as Pittsburgh led the league in almost every conceivable defensive category and this makes them the eleventh such team to make it to the Super Bowl. For us the great part of that defense is they actually score points in fact the Steelers defense and special teams have accounted for a touchdown in each of their playoff games this season.
Most people had this Cardinals team dead and buried in the first round of the playoffs when they hosted the Atlanta Falcons. After that home win over the Falcons the public knew there was no way they could go on the road especially when that road led to the East Coast of the US where the Cardinals had been completely annihilated in each of their previous trips and defeat the only team that had a perfect 8-0 home record during the regular season. Well the Cardinals destroyed that Carolina team to ensure the next game would be played in the desert. The Championship Round would certainly be the end as everyone knows “defense wins championships” and the Eagles will take down this weak Cardinals team, well the people in the “know” were wrong once again as the Cardinals handled that Eagles “D” and punched their ticket to the Super Bowl.
In 2008 the New York Giants became the first team in thirty-three years to win the Super Bowl without reaching the twenty-point plateau. There have been seventeen previous Super Bowl teams to fail to reach fourteen points and their record is perfect 0-17 both straight up and against the spread. The last twenty-five teams who scored 20 or fewer points in the Big Game are 1-24 SU and 4-20-1 against the spread. The only winner was of course the 2008 NY Giants. The last fifteen favorites to score less than thirty points are 2-12-1 against the number. The moral of the story is you better score some points if you plan on taking home the Lombardi.
Arizona has been one of the best teams in the NFL for going ‘over’ the posted total with a record of 13-6 ‘over’ on the season. The Cardinals have proven to be a solid ‘over’ proposition the last three seasons going 35-16 ‘over’. Pittsburgh may surprise a few with their record of 10-8 ‘over’ this season and five of their last eight have all sailed over the posted total.
Pittsburgh’s defense has been stingy allowing only 13.9 points per game but this has come against some teams that are also known for their defensive prowess and not necessarily their offensive scoring abilities. In fact the Steelers have only faced one other true passing attack, the Houston Texans and that resulted in fifty-five points being scored in that contest.
The Steelers offense has faced the Ravens twice, the Titans and the Eagles who all have solid defensive units. Arizona by contrast ranks 28th in the league in scoring defense and allow 26.6 points per game. The Steelers have averaged 28.5 points per game over their last eight games which include games against five of the league’s best defensive teams. The Steelers realize they will have to put points on the board to win this game; it will be highly unlikely that their defense can shutdown this Cardinals offense completely.
The Cardinals ranked second in yards passing per game and third in points scored during the regular season. The Cardinals offense threw the ball sixty-five percent of the time during the regular season but during the playoffs we saw that ratio become significantly different with one hundred rushing attempts to ninety-two passing attempts. That change in philosophy didn’t change the scoreboard as the Cardinals put up 30, 33 and 32 respectively.
Arizona’s Kurt Warner will not be intimidated by the Steelers pass rush his ability to get rid of the ball quickly has proven to be effective against this type of defensive scheme. We also expect Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger to improve on his last performance in the Super Bowl, he was 9 for 21 for 123 yards no touchdowns and two interceptions. Even with his poor performance the Steelers were able with the referees help to defeat the Seattle Seahawks back in 2006. We expect him to have a much better performance and along with Warner they should be able to send this one ‘over’ the posted total.
On the technical front we see that Pitt is 8-1 ‘over’ versus teams averaging <=3.5 rushing yards per carry the last 3 seasons and 6-0 ‘over’ after covering the spread in 5 or 6 out of their last 7 games over the last 3 seasons. Arizona is 8-1 ‘over’ when playing against a team with a winning record this season, 9-1 ‘over’ vs. defenses allowing 5.7 or less passing yards per attempt the last 3 seasons, 13-5 ‘over’ as an underdog the last 2 seasons, 8-0 ‘over’ off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons and 10-1 ‘over’ after allowing 6 or more yards per play in their previous game the last 2 seasons.
This bureau is recommending a play on the ‘over’ in this year’s Super Bowl as both teams should help this one sail over the posted number.
GRADED PREDICTION: 3* Pittsburgh / Arizona OVER 46.5
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