Posted on by Michael Halpern

NFL Playoff Picks: Super Bowl

We finally made it! 21 long weeks of sitting on the couch every Sunday for 8-11 hours, eating all of our favorite fried foods and drinking our favorite alcohol, is finally about to pay off … by going to a huge party where there will be unlimited fried food and alcohol. Don’t question it. We deserve this.

I absolutely nailed my Championship Round picks by going 2-0, with spot on analysis. I would understand if you think I am some kind of betting savant. Because that means you probably simply didn’t read my other playoff picks columns. The perfect round brought my overall record to 5-4 (I tied the Broncos vs. Steelers game). The worst I can do is break even, but that is no fun. I want the glory.

Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers
Spread: CAR -5.5

Peyton Manning who? It is Cam Newton’s league now. Or at least it is for this season. But great defenses have a way of playing spoiler to fairy tale endings. And that is exactly what Denver has, the #1 ranked defense in the NFL. The one that turned the New England Patriots offensive line into a joke, leading to Bill Belichick firing his offensive line coach. But the challenge goes both ways. The Broncos will not be going after relatively stationary targets Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. Newton is bigger, stronger, and faster than many of the defensive ends and linebackers that will be chasing him. Newton vs. Denver’s front 7 will be a matchup that is truly fit for the biggest stage.

The Pick: Public money is pouring in on Carolina. The beat downs Carolina handed out to Seattle and Arizona are fresh in everyone’s mind. The memory of Denver getting crushed in the Super Bowl two years ago is also lingering. But this is not Peyton Manning’s Broncos like it was in 2014. This is a team with a dominant defense that has the ability to keep the Broncos in any game.

Take the Broncos plus the 5.5 points. This game is going to be a heavyweight slugfest, and I want the points.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com

Posted on by Michael Halpern

NFL Playoff Picks: Championship Round

The NFL Championship Round kicks off this Sunday, matching up the 1 vs. 2 seeds from each conference. I got back on track last week by going 2-1 in the Divisional Round, tying my Pittsburgh Steelers pick. That puts my overall record at 3-4, as I look to climb above the .500 mark.

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
Spread: NE -3

Denver: Brady vs. Manning! Kind of. Peyton Manning is a shell of his former self, but he still has the beautiful football mind to make enough plays to win. It will once again be Denver’s ground attack and #1 ranked defense that will need to carry this team.

New England: Tom Brady is still in top form, leading New England to the AFC Championship game for the 5th year in a row. By losing to the Miami Dolphins in Week 17, though, New England handed home field advantage to Denver. They will now be forced to fly cross-country, into the thin air of Denver, if they want to return to the Super Bowl.

The Pick: Take Denver plus the points. They are playing at home, have the best defense in football, and getting the 3 points is just gravy.

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers
Spread: Car -3

Carolina: People still do not get it. Carolina is the class of the NFL this season. They needed to play full throttle for only one half last week in order to beat the Seattle Seahawks. They are healthy, having fun, and it will take a herculean effort to beat them at home.

Arizona: If anybody is up to the challenge of taking Carolina down, it is Arizona. They have the #1 ranked offense and #5 ranked defense in the league. They are coming off a hard fought victory against the Green Bay Packers last week, in a game that became an instant classic. But Arizona will have to play much better this week if they plan on knocking Carolina off.

The Pick: Keep riding Carolina and be glad you only have to give 3 points.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com

Posted on by Michael Halpern

NFL Playoff Picks: Divisional Round, Day 2

Day 2 of the NFL Divisional Round kicks off this Sunday, matching up the 1 vs. 6 seeds from each conference. I am looking to bounce back after going 1-3 in the Wild Card Round.

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers
Spread: Car -1.5

Carolina: I have never seen a team that went 15-1 in the regular season, and a quarterback who accounted for 45 combined passing and rushing touchdowns, get such little respect. Carolina outscored their opponents by 192 points. That is 12 points per game. They are the Golden State Warriors of the NFL.

Seattle: Seattle successfully transitioned from a run first attack, to a passing attack this year. Or, in other words, the transition from it being Marshawn Lynch’s team, to Russell Wilson’s team, is complete. It will once again be their defense, though, that will be the key to their success.

The Pick: Take Carolina and gladly give the 1.5 points. Blair Walsh let Seattle off the hook last week, but they will not be so lucky again.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos
Spread: Den -7

Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh was all set to make a Super Bowl run before they started dropping like flies. First it was Le’Veon Bell. Then it was DeAngelo Williams. Now Antonio Brown has been ruled out for Sunday, and Big Ben’s effectiveness is in serious question with a shoulder injury. This is not your father’s Steel Curtain Steelers D, so the injuries on offense might be too much to overcome.

Denver: Denver has quarterback questions of their own, having just handed the reins back over to Peyton Manning in the 2nd half of the final game of their season. They will likely continue to rely on their run game to carry the offense. But it is their #1 ranked defense that has really been the backbone of this team all season, and will have to stymie Pittsburgh’s passing attack in order to advance.

The Pick: Take Pitt plus the 7 points. I think Denver will win this game, but do not have the offensive firepower to cover the spread.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com