NFL Opening Lines, Injury Updates
Only three games remain in NFL betting season; this week’s NFC and AFC Championship Games and the Super Bowl in two weeks.
Here’s a look at the NFL opening lines and injury updates for this week’s conference finals action.
In the AFC, both favorites won last week to pit the No. 2 seeded Baltimore Ravens against the No. 1 seeded New England Patriots in New England. New England is currently as 7.5-point favorite at 5DIMES at home.
New England looked much better in its 45-10 win over Denver than Baltimore did in its 20-13 win over Houston. All four of Baltimore’s losses came on the road this season as the Ravens finished 4-4 SU and ATS away from home.
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The total in this game is currently set at 50.5. Baltimore’s Ed Reed suffered a minor ankle injury in last week’s win over Houston, but the veteran safety is expected to play Sunday.
In the NFC, both the No. 4 seeded New York Giants and the No. 2 seeded San Francisco 49ers pulled off outright upsets as betting underdogs last week and will meet this week in San Francisco.
San Francisco is a slight favorite this week at -2.5 at BETONLINE. Both teams enter this game having won four straight, but the Giants are 4-0 ATS over that stretch while San Francisco is 2-2 ATS. San Francisco is a perfect 9-0 SU and 8-0-1 ATS at home this season.
With two very strong defenses taking the field, the total is currently set at 42. San Francisco kick returner Ted Ginn Jr. is questionable with a leg injury.
If Ginn is healthy enough to return kicks Sunday, it would provide a big boost to San Francisco’s special teams as Ginn finished in the Top 5 in both punt and kickoff yardage per return this season.
When these two teams met in November in San Francisco, the 49ers came out on top 27-20 as a 4-point favorite.