The truth is the most important player on the Packers talented roster so during the playoffs is a player most people have never heard of: RB James Starks.

You can be forgiven if you’re not familiar with Starks’ body of work, after all, he’s an unheralded rookie (6th round pick in ’10) who played in just 3 games in the regular season and had all of 29 carries for 101 yards.

But in the postseason he’s been a beast rushing for 263 yards and TD, including a monster 123 yard game against the Eagles in the Wild Card game. Starks’ breakout performance has been a key to the Packers success but he’ll have no such luck against the Steelers run D and Green Bay will have to beat the Steelers with the passing game if this team is going to grab the franchises’ 4th Super Bowl victory.

Kickoff for this Sunday February 6th matchup is set for 6:30 Eastern Time and SBG Global sportsbook opened with the Packers as a 2-point favorite with an over/under total at 44.

The run game won the Wild Card playoff game for the Packers, something most people betting on the Super Bowl didn’t think would happen. It also opened up the passing lanes (and running lanes) for Rodgers for this 4 TD performance against the Falcons in the divisional round.

But against at top notch defense like the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Starks was held in check (22 rushes for 74 yards) and it’s no coincidence that Rodgers performance suffered (17-30, 2 INTs).

The Bears have a good run defense (90.1 ypg) but it’s not on the same level as the Blitzburgh defense. The Steelers have one of the best rushing defenses in NFL history this season allowing just 62.8 ypg.

Starks will go nowhere against this group and the offensive burden for the Packers is going to be 100% on Rodgers shoulders when the Super Bowl odds competition gets underway.

But the Pittsburgh Steelers (14-4) have not been that lucky, at least in terms of key injuries. Early in the season they lost their starting DE Aaron Smith, perhaps the most underrate defensive player in the NFL and one of the top D-lineman in the game. He is unlikely to play in the Super Bowl XVL although depending on test results he could be cleared to play later in the week.

But the Steelers have been living with that injury for months. The team’s latest injury to a key player, however, is a bit of different story.

In the AFC Championship game against the New York Jets the Steelers rookie center Markice Pouncey left the game with an banged up ankle and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be on the field again until next season (if there is a next season instead of the expected lockout).

The injury to Pouncey was both unexpected and devastating. Pouncey has emerged as an unlikely hero and key to the Steelers success this season. The former Florida Gator has been outstanding, earning not only All-Rookie honors, but was voted into the Pro Bowl as well.

But even more importantly, he was the lone bright spot of a Steelers O-line that has been shaky to say the least and that has already lost its top 3 tackles to injury.

Without Pouncey in the lineup –which seems very likely- the Steelers may have to re-think their strategy if they want to come out on top of the Super Bowl odds competition.

Kickoff for this Sunday February 6th matchup is set for 6:30 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Packers as a 2-point favorite with an over/under total at 44.

In order to win this game the Steelers are going to need to run the ball. This is something the team has done well this year (120.3 ppg) and much of that has to do with Pouncey’s ability to seal-off the player opposite him.

Without Pouncey plugging up space in the middle, backup Doug Legursky will get the start. Legursky is no Pouncey and that could have a huge impact not only the game plan but also on the way people are betting on the Super Bowl as well.

But if there is any certainty heading into this game between the #2 seeded Steelers (13-4) and the #6 seeded Jets (13-5) it’s that no team has had much success against either team running the ball this post season (or even during the regular season) and the coaching staffs of both these teams are too smart to keep beating a dead horse.

If either team is going to matriculate the ball down the field it’s going to be in the air, not on the ground, and that means that QBs Ben Roethlisberger and Mark Sanchez are going to a play in key role in this NFL betting odds matchup. Kickoff for this Sunday matchup is set for 6:35 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Steelers as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under total at 38.5.

This year the Pittsburgh Steelers formed one of the greatest run defenses of all time allowing just 62.8 ypg. To put things in perspective the next best run defense of th3 ’11 season gave up 90.1 ypg (Chicago Bears). As good as the Jets running game is (148.4 ypg) it will not be able to run the ball on the Steelers.

The Jets run defense was also among the best in the league (90.9 ypg, 3rd best in the NFL) and the Steelers running game (120.3 ypg) is hardly unstoppable. The run will not be a factor in this game.

That means the teams will forced to throw the ball more than they’d probably like to. And in a battle of passer Big Ben has a major advantage. In 12 games Ben threw for 3,200 yard 17 TDs and just 5 INTs with a 97.0 passer rating. In 16 games Sanchez threw for 3,274 yards, 23 TDs, 16 INTs and a 75.3 passer rating. Add to that the fact that Roethlisberger’s won 2 Super Bowls and Sanchez is in just his second playoffs and the advantage grows even wider for the Steelers.

The passing game will likely decide this NFL gambling matchup and it would seem Pittsburgh has a decisive edge in this category.

But with so many inconsequential games on the board this week the Baltimore Ravens (11-4) versus the Cincinnati Bengals (4-11) is the best game on the board for a couple of reasons. And you can go ahead and throw their collective records out the window as this should be a dog-fight.

These are two talented teams that are bitter AFC North Rivals and would love nothing better than to hand one another a loss.

In Cincy’s case this would be especially invigorating as it would prevent the Ravens from grabbing the division title and knock them down a seed in the playoffs.

The Ravens will be playing their guts out as well as the AFC North title and home game in first week of the playoffs is still very much within their grasp.

Kickoff for this Sunday match up is set for 1:05 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Ravens as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under total at 43.

This is an extremely interesting sport betting lines for a couple of reasons.

The first is that the Bengals actually won the first time these two teams met earlier in the year, though, admittedly, it wasn’t the Ravens finest hour.

But this time around the Bengals will be without their two biggest weapons on offense: TO and Ochocinco. That put this squad at a big disadvantage.

Baltimore’s D has been tremendous again this year as always and is giving up just 17.5 ppg and 313.8 yards per game in total offense. The team also has plenty of momentum behind it as it’s won its last 3 games including a big victory over the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints.

On offense the Ravens have also improve over the season and are averaging just under 30 points in the past 3 victories.

There’s no doubt that Baltimore is the better team but crazy things happen in division rivalries late in the season and to pick any team to beat a division rival by 9.5 in the NFL gambling action in what should be a relatively low scoring January game would be a very bold move.

Yet no one believes that this team is a legitimate contender and even some of its stats seem inflated because of the relatively weak schedule this team has played so far.

On Thursday this team will get good road test against the 5-4 Miami Dolphins.

Kickoff for this Thursday match up is set for 8:25 Eastern Time and SBG Global opened with the Dolphins as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under total at 39.5.

Even though the NFL betting odds are in favor of the home team the Bears should win this game for one simple reason: Defense.

The Bears have excelled this season on this side of ball, rekindling memories of the dominating unit that led this team to a Super Bowl berth in 2006. MLB Brian Urlacher is finally healthy again stuffing the middle. Chicago is giving up just 82.3 yards rushing per game (2nd in the NFL) and just 3.5 yards per carry (3rd best in NFL).

Miami has to be able to run the ball for their offense to function and if the Bears and Urlacher can take that element away from them this will be a long night for the home team.

The Dolphins 3rd string QB Tyler Thigpen will be starting on Thursday due to injuries and will have a very difficult time against a secondary that’s 2nd in the league in INTs (14).

The Bears will try and force Thigpen to beat them with his arm and that’s an awfully favorable match up if you’re a Bears fan.

On offense the Bears have hardly been a juggernaut averaging just 19.4 ppg (24th in the league). The run game has been minimal (just 95 ypg) and there’s been a lot pressure on QB Jay Cutler to win with his arm. For the most part he’s been successful and cut down on this picks (12 TDs, 9 INTs). However, he’s also been sacked a league high 29 times and his line must protect him if the Bears are going to win.

As always Devin Hester and the Bears special teams will play a decisive roll in this sports betting match up and if the teams play to a draw in the other facets of the game Hester the ability to tip balance in the Bears’ favor.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Dallas Cowboys. This team is one of just two in the league whose win total for the 2010 NFL season exceeds the number of head coaches it’s had.

Heir-apparent to the Cowboys’ head coaching job for the past 3 years, Jason Garret wishes have come true as he takes over the reins of the 1-7 Cowboys as they head to New Jersey for a Week 10 bloodbath.

Kickoff for this Sunday matchup is set for 4:20 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Giants as a 14-point favorite with an over/under total at 45.5.

It’s very rare that you see a 2 TD over/under in the NFL betting odds and rarer still that you should bet on a team covering that kind of bloated spread. But in this weekend’s matchup the smartest play might just be picking the Giants to cover the spread.

Over the past six weeks no team has been able to get closer than 14 points in their matchups with the Giants. Interestingly enough, that the closest anyone has come to handing the Giants a loss was the Cowboys in Week 7 in their 41-35 loss. But the Cowboys lost more than just the game, they also lost their starting QB, Tony Romo, the last time these two teams played and John Kitna had better beware.

The Cowboys offense is much less competent with Kitna at the helm (12.0 ppg with Kitna as the starter) and if history is indication there’s a good chance that Cowboys 3rd string QB Stephen McGee will see some time under center as the Giants have knocked out 6 opposing QBs so far this season.

Garret may be a great head coach but his team is awful and his debut should be a game to forget as the Giants will roll to a big win in this sports betting matchup.

And Lambeau Field is not a very profitable place to go looking for your second win of the season if you’re the struggling Cowboys. Green Bay is freezing this time of year, especially for a night game, and the Packers are 3-1 at home this year.

Kickoff for this Sunday night matchup is set for 8:30 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Packers as a 8-point favorite with an over/under total at 45.5.

The truth is, there really isn’t any good place for this very bad Dallas team to go looking for a win outside of Carolina.

The Cowboys talent is loaded with talent but it’s been hit with key injures (QB Tony Romo) and for whatever reason this team is just not performing. It’s also suffered from plenty of bad luck (a few last second losses resulting from stupid penalties) and the stats paint a different picture than the record.

But no one ever won a Super Bowl based on statistics and the only stats that matters in the NFL betting odds competition is wins and losses. And that is not a favorable stat for the ’10 Cowboys.

The only chance Dallas has of winning this game is establishing the run game with RB Felix Jones (just 286 yards in 7 games) and hoping that backup QB turned starter, John Kitna, somehow magically transforms into Joe Montana. He threw 4 INTs last week and looked rusty.

The Packers offense is averaging just 22.0 ppg (same as the Cowboys) but their defense has been solid (4th in the NFL, 17.0 ppg) and at home QB Aaron Rogers should have a decent game the Packers ball hawking secondary (12 INTs) should make life miserable for Kitna and ensure a Green Bay sports betting win.

Both of these teams got off to very strong starts but have been up and down since. With the Bengals losing to the 1-5 Browns there was plenty of soul searching going on during the team’s Week 6 Bye and the for the Falcons, who got blown out by Philly (31-17), they probably wished they had a Bye this week.

When the two teams meet it Week 7 we’ll get to see which team is really the biggest disappointment.

Kickoff for this Sunday matchup is set for 1:05 Eastern Time and sbg global opened with the Falcons s as a ???-point favorite with an over/under total at ???.

The Falcons should win this game as they’ll be playing at home and so far, have been the better team this year. At 4-2 things could be a lot worse. The offense ranks 12th in the NFL gambling action (21.7 ppg) and the defense is an impressive 5th in the league (16.8 ppg) despite getting lit up by Philly’s passing game in Week 6.

The Bengals are near as good statistically giving up 20.4 ppg game on defense while scoring just 20.0 ppg on offense.

QB Carson Palmer has been a basket case behind center this year with a 78.3 passer rating and 6 INTs in five games. Chad Ochocinco has been a no show and even with TO playing at a high level this offense is going nowhere fast.

The Falcons D should be able to contain what little passing threat the Bengals possess and the Matt Ryan led offense should be able to score at least 3 TDs and seal the deal. Michael Turner has up and down this season but against a Bengal’s defense that’s giving up 111 yards per game on the ground he should have a good day.

Look for the Falcons to win this sport betting matchup.

These have been two of the worst franchises in football over the past five years, but this year in what has been a very pleasant surprise for fans, both of these teams have far exceeded expectations and both still have a legitimate shot at the postseason.

Kickoff for this Sunday matchup is set for 1:05 Eastern Time and sbgglobal sportsbook opened with the Bucs as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under total at 38.

For the Rams this year has been dream come true. Through 6 games this team has already matched or exceeded its win total over most of the past half decade. Rookie QB Sam Bradford has been even better than club expected (226.2 yards per game, 7 TDs, 8 INTs). Granted, he’s far from perfect but he’s the main reason why this team is at .500. The team’s defense has also been impressive. It’s ranked 11h in the NFL betting odds allowing just 18.8 ppg and has 9 forced fumbles through 6 games.

The Bucs have been an even bigger success story with a winning record and one of the most promising young QBs in the league in Josh Freeman. Freeman won’t dazzle you so much with his stats but he makes smart decisions, can get first downs with his feet and his TD/INT ration of 6/3 is probably the best expression of his worth to this team.

Both offenses struggle in the running game and have various flaws but neither had a huge advantage over the other.

Where the two teams separate themselves is on the defensive side of the ball where St Louis has a big advantage. The Bucs defense ranks at 21st in the NFL (22.2 ppg). However, its pass defense has already grabbed 10 INTs this season and against INT prone Bradford (8 INTs) that’s a major advantage.

Still, the Rams defense is one of the best in the league and this team should win a close one in this sports betting matchup.

Kickoff for this Saturday matchup is set for 4:20 Eastern Time and sbg global sportsbook opened with the Vikings as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under total at 44.5.

But if any team can come from a 1-3 or a 1-4 record to reach the post season these would be two very strong candidates. After all these were two of the trendy picks in the NFL Gambling odds to win the Super Bowl heading into the 2010 season.

Without the deep threat of WR Sidney Rice the Vikings’ offense has struggled mightily. But with WR Randy Moss on board they have that threat again and this offense looks on the verge of being very potent once again, especially with the return of Percy Harvin.

The Cowboys offense will have its hands full trying to defend the Minnesota attack. Dallas ranks 12th in the NFL against both the run and the pass. Not all that impressive but in the top half of the league in both categories. However, where it matters most –on the scoreboard- this unit has struggled to keep opponents out of the end zone and is giving up 21.8 ppg. It’s also been terrible at creating TOs (just 2 INTs and 3 FFs). That will be a major issue against Minnesota which features the best running back in the game, Adrian Peterson (120.0 yards rushing per game), and dominate time of possession if the Cowboy’s defense can’t stop him.

On offense the Cowboys have an uphill battle as well against the 5th ranked defense in the NFL. Dallas has had trouble protecting Tony Romo from the blitz all season and in Minnesota he’ll face one of the best in the business.

The sports betting line is just 1.5 points but it’s hard to imagine the Cowboys coming close in this one if Favre is able to play at a reasonable level.