Super Bowl 2015: AFC, NFC Title Odds, Predictions on Paths to NFL Championship
Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks vs. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots vs. Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.
You better savor these conference championship clashes, because the NFL will be gone for the offseason in a mere three games.
One of those four star quarterbacks will eventually take home the Lombardi Trophy as a Super Bowl champion, but we have to get there first with two conference title games.
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Here is a look at some critical information for each contest. Point spreads are courtesy of Odds Shark as of Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
| Matchup | Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots | Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks |
| Date | Sunday Jan. 18 | Sunday, Jan. 18 |
| Time | 6:40 p.m. ET | 3:05 p.m. ET |
| TV | CBS | Fox |
| Spread | NE -6.5 | SEA -7.5 |
| Predicted Winner | Patriots | Seahawks |
AFC Prediction: New England Goes Back to the Ground Game
It wasn’t a misprint on the box score: The New England Patriots really did finish with a measly 14 rushing yards against the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round. However, that was largely by design, because New England understood that the Ravens were fourth in the league against the run but 23rd against the pass and orchestrated the game plan accordingly.
That won’t be the case against an Indianapolis Colts team that was 18th against the run this season and struggled to keep New England’s ground game in check in a Week 11 loss.
Bleacher Report’s Will Carroll noted that the Indianapolis defense could have more trouble in the AFC Championship Game:
Andrew Luck is 0-3 against the Patriots over his career largely because his defense has failed to stop the run. The Patriots gashed the Colts for 234 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground in last year’s Divisional Round Game and racked up 246 rushing yards in this season's matchup.
New England’s rushing attack keeps Luck and his NFL-leading 40 touchdown passes on the sidelines and has proven to be the best way to beat the Colts in these head-to-head showdowns.
ESPN Stats & Info believe the Colts' defense will go a long way toward determining the outcome of this game, if their past performances are any indication:
What’s more, Indianapolis can’t stack the box against New England, or Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski will make it pay dearly. Look for another big day on the ground for the Patriots.
NFC Prediction: Seattle’s Defense Makes Life Miserable on Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers had trouble moving around in the pocket against the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round because of his calf injury. That figures to be a problem again in the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks.
While his performance in that Cowboys game was nothing short of incredible (316 passing yards and three touchdowns), things will be different in front of the “12th man” at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Even when Rodgers was healthy, he and his team lost 36-16 in the season opener in the Pacific Northwest.
He only threw for 189 yards, one touchdown and one interception in that game and was sacked three times. One of those sacks led to a fumble and safety; it felt like something of a message from the ferocious Seattle defense.
The Seahawks have won 25 of their last 27 at home largely thanks to that defense and allowed a measly 39 points in their final six regular-season contests. No unit is playing better football than this group; that won’t change against a limited Rodgers.
Plus, there is the Richard Sherman factor for Green Bay to worry about. Rodgers didn’t even throw in Sherman's direction in the last game, which would theoretically wipe out one of Green Bay’s star receivers on any given play, be it Jordy Nelson or Randall Cobb. Whoever lines up opposite Sherman is not getting the ball.
Tight end Andrew Quarless addressed that concern, according to STATS LLC (via ESPN.com): "I don't think anybody's intimidated. I mean he's a great player. Their secondary is definitely a great secondary. You've got to give them their respect. But you know the whole 'Legion of Boom'—we'll see."
Green Bay could turn to running back Eddie Lacy, who has run for at least 97 yards in six of the last seven games, but even he only managed 34 rushing yards against the Seahawks’ dominant defense the last time out.
The Carolina Panthers finished with 132 rushing yards in the Divisional Round at Seattle, but it didn’t make a difference at all. They still needed a garbage-time touchdown to lose by only 14 points.
As great as Rodgers is, even with an injury, asking him to beat the league’s best defense on the road with an ailing calf is just too much. Get ready for another Super Bowl appearance for the Seahawks.
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