AFC & NFC Championship Vegas Point Spreads & Predictions

New York Jets (40.5) at Indianapolis Colts (-7.5)

Sunday, January 24, 3 PM EST

After playing in one of the biggest games in pro football history in Super Bowl III, the Jets and Colts will once again meet for a championship on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Both teams have reached this point behind a rookie head coach. New York has gone a step further by also riding a rookie signal-caller in 2009. While Jets head coach Rex Ryan has had to manage games with Mark Sanchez at quarterback, Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell has had the luxury of watching MVP quarterback Peyton Manning from the sidelines this season. The Colts (2nd in NFL in passing offense) will attempt to go after the top total, scoring and passing defense in the league.

While Indianapolis will rely on its air game, New York will counter with the top rushing offense in the NFL. There was some controversy surrounding the matchup between the clubs in week 16 in Indianapolis. With a 14-0 record, the Colts were just two wins away from a perfect regular season. In an unpopular move, Manning was pulled from the game midway through the third quarter with his club ahead by five points. The Jets took advantage of his absence to rally for a 29-15 victory. While New York is a loose and confident squad, the Colts are poised to survive in the far more important rematch behind a superior quarterback and the home edge.

Jets vs. Colts 2010 AFC Championship Prediction: Colts 21 – Jets 17 

Minnesota Vikings (53) at New Orleans Saints (-3.5)

Sunday, January 24, 6:30 PM EST

The Superdome will be in a frenzy on Sunday night when the Saints get to host an NFC title game for the first time in franchise history. There will be plenty of attention on the quarterbacks in this battle of the top two seeds in the NFC. Minnesota’s Brett Favre was second in NFL quarterback rating to Saints signal-caller Drew Brees during the regular season. The elite quarterbacks combined to fire seven touchdown passes without an interception in last weekend’s Divisional playoffs. Both clubs can also move the ball on the ground. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is the second leading rusher in the conference while the Saints have several viable options in the backfield. Each squad also has a home run threat on offense.Reggie Bush of New Orleans and Percy Harvin of Minnesota are two of the most explosive players in the league.

On defense, the Vikings have a slight edge but an improved Saints stop unit plays with a lot more energy at home. In contrast, Minnesota struggled on the road to close the regular season with three straight defeats. While Favre won his lone Super Bowl in New Orleans 13 years ago, the long-suffering Saints fans can sense that something special is about to happen in a city that has faced some hardships in recent years. In a shootout, Brees outguns Favre to delight the home partisans on Sunday evening.

Vikings vs. Saints 2010 NFC Championship Prediction: Saints 30, Vikings 27

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