AFCCG Media Picks

[shmessy]

NFL Picks - Straight Up - Week 20 - CBSSports.com
7 out of 8 writers pick Patriots (lone exception, of course, is Prisco)

 

[jmt57]

Almost all in Bristol are picking chalk. 12 out of 14 are taking the Pats (Tom Jackson - surprise! - goes w/Denver); only three are backing Arizona over Carolina.

NFL Picks and Predictions for Conference Championships - National Football League - ESPN


Fox Sports is more evenly split, 5-3 Pats (and 5-3 Carolina).
http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/nfl-expert-picks-2015-091015

Their computer model has the Patriots winning 56.2% of the time, while Car-Ariz is much closer (50.7%)
2015 NFL Predictions | 2015 Conference Championships


Looking at writers across the country - along with their winning percentages over the season - this site shows the Pats have a slight edge among the top prognosticators (while nearly all are picking Carolina).
2015 Conference Championship Expert NFL Picks Consensus Rankings
Many are taking Arizona against the spread:
Conference Champion Against the Spread Expert NFL Picks


Not surprisingly, the tally at 'Mile High Report' is 9-0 in favor of the Broncos:
NFL playoff predictions: Who's going to the dance?

7 out of 8 writers at NJ.com (affiliated w/12 NJ newspapers) are taking the Patriots:
NFL playoff predictions: Who's going to the dance?

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

I think most are in agreement the patriots are the better team... But better teams get beat all the time. Need to go out and play like the better team.. Being the better team on paper means jack ****. Lets go pats !

 

[shmessy]

Almost all in Bristol are picking chalk. 12 out of 14 are taking the Pats (Tom Jackson - surprise! - goes w/Denver); only three are backing Arizona over Carolina.

NFL Picks and Predictions for Conference Championships - National Football League - ESPN

The other one there who picked Denver is Seth Wickersham, who co authored the hit piece on the Patriots back in September with Dale Van Atta.

So, in effect, BOTH picks for Denver are personally motivated.

 

[sb1]

Hoge wanted to pick the Steelers.

 

[patsfanincleveland]

NFL Picks - Straight Up - Week 20 - CBSSports.com
7 out of 8 writers pick Patriots (lone exception, of course, is Prisco)

nflpickwatch.com has a great compilation of "expert" predictions.

 

[SVN]

Little surprised by the overwhelming pick for the pats. Odds are not in their favor whatever vegas may say. Road AFCCG is always a tough ask.

 

[FourierSeries]

Denver is the worst #1 seed in a long while. It shouldn't be a shock to anyone that NE is the overwhelming favorite. They're by far the better team.

I'm not concerned about lack of preparation or execution either.

 

[JMC00]

Denver is the worst #1 seed in a long while. It shouldn't be a shock to anyone that NE is the overwhelming favorite. They're by far the better team.

I'm not concerned about lack of preparation or execution either.

but but but all this over confidence by Patriots fans and the media that the Pats will win might hurt the Pats.

 

[JMC00]

Little surprised by the overwhelming pick for the pats. Odds are not in their favor whatever vegas may say. Road AFCCG is always a tough ask.

7 times in a conference championship has a home team been the underdog, they are 2-5 in those games. 1 of those losses was when Pittsburgh got beat by the Pats at home in the '04 AFCC

Team Game Finder Query Results | Pro-Football-Reference.com

So yes, the odds are in their favor.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Favoritism aside ... Patriots vs Panthers is the best Super Bowl matchup possible ...

Cardinals are a solid team but Cam Newton alone is a great Super Bowl story.

That being said the media would be all over the Panthers ... which would be great for us if we're there.

 

[patfanken]

Those early Steeler and Colt wins should be great lessons in why having so many picking us just shallow flattery. We may be the better team, and that's debatable, but that's why we love the game of football, because so often the "better team" is the one who gets beat.

Remember, if we get past Denver on Sunday, no matter who we play, will be considered by the " so called experts" as the "better team" and we will be on the OTHER side of the equation for 2 weeks. So much meaningless talk that will mean very little once the game starts.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Those early Steeler and Colt wins should be great lessons in why having so many picking us just shallow flattery. We may be the better team, and that's debatable, but that's why we love the game of football, because so often the "better team" is the one who gets beat.

Remember, if we get past Denver on Sunday, no matter who we play, will be considered by the " so called experts" as the "better team" and we will be on the OTHER side of the equation for 2 weeks. So much meaningless talk that will mean very little once the game starts.

Media picks, disrespect, trash talk. It all means zilch...it makes zero difference on the playing field. Rodney Harrison used to get riled up about how the Patriots had a chip on their shoulder. That's all well and good, but they won all those games for only one reason: they executed better.

 

[AGCSBill]

We all shall see around 6:30 PM Sunday who is right. Someone always is. Patriots are looking might good this time, though!

 

[everlong]

Remember, if we get past Denver on Sunday, no matter who we play, will be considered by the " so called experts" as the "better team" and we will be on the OTHER side of the equation for 2 weeks. So much meaningless talk that will mean very little once the game starts.

I do not think that holds true. All the talk I've heard is the two NFC teams are better than the two AFC teams. I think in the national media the NFC will be viewed as the favorites especially if it's Carolina.

For Vegas how the two games go down will figure into it greatly. Public perception usually goes as far back as the last game. If either conference game is a blowout that will affect the spread. assuming two reasonably close games I'd estimate Carolina would open -2.5 favorites vs the Pats and the Cardinals would be a pick em maybe the Pats open -1.

 

[BostonWolverine]

For Vegas how the two games go down will figure into it greatly. Public perception usually goes as far back as the last game. If either conference game is a blowout that will affect the spread. assuming two reasonably close games I'd estimate Carolina would open -2.5 favorites vs the Pats and the Cardinals would be a pick em maybe the Pats open -1.

One of the Vegas casinos has already released potential SB spreads. Pats would be favored by 1 over either Carolina or Ariz.

 

[JMC00]

My bookie says public is betting overwhelmingly for the Pats but the line hasn't moved because even though the sharp money guys think Pats are the better team they think the fix is in.

 

[oldrover]

My bookie says public is betting overwhelmingly for the Pats but the line hasn't moved because even though the sharp money guys think Pats are the better team they think the fix is in.

Is he Goodell's bookie too?

 

[FCB02062]

With these predictions, as is usually the case, "experts" are going off last week's games...this is often folly...

 

[DaBronxPats14]

All I ask for is to be as healthy as possible and if our key players are in I luv our chances against anyone. We saw what we're capable of last week vs Chiefs.