Pittsburgh at Arizona (02/01/2009)

Picking Steelers over Baltimore was easy. Balt faced so many obstacles. But the Cards are peaking - have obliterated 3 favorites to get here. It makes you wonder how they lost 7 games this season.

The Wiz is going to come up with some gadgets to break the Steelers D. Pitt will be able to move on the Cards D but Ward will not be 100%. Tough call, but Warner should be the trump card here. Even when the Pats shut him down for a half in 2001, he still found a way to come back to tie in the 2nd half. Yeah, they lost, and it was a while back, but he takes that memory with him here. You can see what blitzing him has done in this years playoffs and he should continue to find ways to move the ball with his WR core. I'm leaning hard on the over but think AZ will prevail 27-24.

I currently switched from Sportsbook to the Greek.

The greek had suggested that I use a bank credit card, it’s a pay as you go credit card,  Which I though was pretty good. Until recently I tried to make a deposit into my bank card and the money was not credited to my account. bank had said that I had a negative balance and they took it out of the money I had just deposited. bank was blaming the Greek for making a force transaction and not collecting on a transaction from the previous week. The Greek said they would not make a transaction without the customer’s request.

 

After about 2 hours of going back and forth calling each company. I was finally told by the Greek that they can do nothing about it. Each one was blaming the other. The Greek finally called it a Glich! bank says that it will take 7 days and the Greek say it can take up to 30 days for bank to credit my card. They wasted a lot of my time and they could not help me.

 

Right now I have to wait for bank to release my funds so I cannot wager on the superbowl. The Greek is the most uncaring company that I have ever done business with they could care less about any of their customers. They don’t care about the bad press. I’m telling my friend not to use them and to cancel their accounts.

 

Figure I would share my unpleasant experiences at the Greek. A+ my ass!!!

 

DO NOT USE THE GREEK or bank!!!!

Lets see if Rooney made the right choice with selecting Mike Tomlin to be head coach a few years back,almost everyone here including wisenhunt thought the job was HIS...I like what Arizona has done this year but they have not went up against a D like this. I EXPECT they will not be able to run and will go away from it early,if that happens and they become 1 demensional Polamolu might be seeing the end zone again, and if Boldin meets Polamolu or Clark across the middle he may get flashbacks from his injury in the JETS game...Also Lets not forget this week the STEELERS left alot of points on the field against BALTI, a dropped wide open TD by Limus Sweed, and a misplay of the clock before HALF, they should have just kicked the field goal, and that was against a BALTI DEFENSE ...Pittsburghs Offense, and offensive line is starting to play well and there D SPEAKS FOR ITSELF...the line AGAIN is high for a reason,  1 more time                             STEELERS  lets get six steelcity

Hey, nice call on the game Homer!

This one is easy pick!  Arizona on the ml for me.  All we hear about is the Steelers D blah, blah, blah!  I don't think they can slow down the Cards offense yet I do think the Cards can shut down the Steelers weak offense.  Take the Cards on the ml while they're still worthwhile!

why is everyone on the over? The big thing that goes with superbowls and bowl games...

1) The team defenses have plenty of tiem to prepare much better than the team offenses...its much easier to prepare for offensive film than defensive...

just like many bowl games in college the high overs usually dont come close because the defense gets pumped up every play and are much more prepared than the teams offense....

2)  Plus when a team is winneing in a very important game they start wasting clock and being conservative.

 

i really see this game close the first half....then a little more scoring in the second...

probably something like a 24-16 game..

does anybody see this game as being similiar to the Raiders Buccs Superbowl....

Raiders had a young fresh qb.... Rich Gannon (notice the sarcasm) who had an mvp season.... they had the best wideout of all time (Jerry Rice even though he was passed his prime)... they had another good wideout to compliment him, (Porter)... and a decent running back (forgot his name).... but a HIGH powered offense that put up numbers the whole season....

against a team that didn't really have a great offense.... but relied on their defense to create turnovers and force Gannon side-arm into mistakes..... and just played controled football and beat up on the Raiders lol... actually that superbowl loss was the downfall of that team.... they still havn't recovered from it....

I see a similiar type game....

Steelers have gameplaned against Peyton Manning throughout the years, and have come thru against them in the post-season.... I dont' see much of a difference here.....

wasn't it cool watching that trick play with Fitz against the Eagles.... did anyone have a flashback to when Big Ben did that against Seattle in the Superbowl....

that's all Wisenhunt.... even though I think having a former coach going against his former team is a big edge, Warner will fuck it up lol....

does anybody see this game as being similiar to the Raiders Buccs Superbowl....

Raiders had a young fresh qb.... Rich Gannon (notice the sarcasm) who had an mvp season.... they had the best wideout of all time (Jerry Rice even though he was passed his prime)... they had another good wideout to compliment him, (Porter)... and a decent running back (forgot his name).... but a HIGH powered offense that put up numbers the whole season....

against a team that didn't really have a great offense.... but relied on their defense to create turnovers and force Gannon side-arm into mistakes..... and just played controled football and beat up on the Raiders lol... actually that superbowl loss was the downfall of that team.... they still havn't recovered from it....

I see a similiar type game....

Steelers have gameplaned against Peyton Manning throughout the years, and have come thru against them in the post-season.... I dont' see much of a difference here.....

wasn't it cool watching that trick play with Fitz against the Eagles.... did anyone have a flashback to when Big Ben did that against Seattle in the Superbowl....

that's all Wisenhunt.... even though I think having a former coach going against his former team is a big edge, Warner will fuck it up lol....

 

Steelers Roll

GL TO ALL

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent point....as always.  There is just one lil element missing or to add to this logic.  Tampa V Raiders in Jan 2003 was more than great D v Great Offense.  I don't know if you remember, but the day after the SB win for Tampa it was revealed that Jon Gruden played the role of Gannon during Tampa's practices.  Also, Oakland's coach at the time (Bill Callahan, may you rot in coaching hell you bastard for fucking up Nebraska, and I'm an OU fan and I'm still pissed at that)  didn't take the time to change the signals....probably because he didn't think he would be facing Jon Gruden in the SB just 1 season removed from Gruden leaving Oakland.  Basically not only did Tampa have a dominant D, but they had the added bonus of knowing alot about Oakland's qb count.  the Tampa Dline basically knew when the snap was going to occur. 

There is an errie similarity with Grimes and Whisenhunt both cumming from Pitt.  maybe AZ has the advantage with not one, but 2 former assistants (and who is to say Ken Whisenhunt isn't going to proven to be a better coach than Mike Tomlin? I would take him over Tomlin myself)  going against their old team in the SB just what 2 years after they left.  I have a feeling this game is going to make Pitt backers very very nervous.   Personally, I think this is one of the hardest SBs to handicap in a long time.  I thought all of the New England SBs were pretty easy to handicap.  I knew New England could cover +17 (I still can't believe they were big time dogs in that game) against St. Louis in Jan 2002. also, I knew there was know way the Giants were getting blown out +14.  Slap yourself for the dumbass you are/WERE if you bet NE -14 against NY last SB. 

 

Basically, don't be shocked if Arizona just straight up wins.  again, too many people both credible and otherwise are picking AZ. 

 

 

 

Once the Stillers shut down the Cards running game which they will early, #13 will be running for his life and puting up picks and putting down fumbles. Stillers by 10+

 

I think this will be a close game. 14-17,21-24,21-28. Leaning on Zona +7.5 (Hook)

This match will be similar to SB 2007 - then, CHI was also the best Defense...

God loves ARI

Nice points by everyone, my lean is toward an Arizona cover (ML maybe, but iffy since most Az money is on the ML, so a middle is a very possible outcome, especially since no middles have hit this entire playoff season yet).  Also like the under, I just don't see a high-scoring game - Pitt will pay plenty of attention to Fitzgerald, but it will open up other short passing lanes.  Both coaches want this game badly so expect conservatism after halfime.

 

Pitt / over would seem to be the favored play, after watching Pitt cover and over both San Diego and Baltimore, so that is the play to avoid.  Takes me back to the "unlikely" Az/under play, since nobody also expects that to happen 2 years in a row.

 

I think the last 2 Favorite/Over SBs were the Balty/Giants game that looked like F/U in the hype, then the Bucs/Raiders game - thankfully, Barret Robins went AWOL and pointed the bettors to the TB side.

 

In 3 Super Bowls showcasing Warner and Roethlisberger to date, over was the consensus all 3 times, and under was the result every time.  Warner will not air it out long as much unless he gets in a hole early, give him credit for having been there before.

 

Also, as of a couple days ago, Warner to win MVP was roughly equivalent to the Arizona ML, so why risk money there when the ML play gives you the entire Cardinal team instead of just one player to get you a winning bet.  On the flipside of that, Big Ben at +175 is a much lower risk on a Pitt win than laying 250 on the ML to win the same 100, seems too easy to take that bet, outside of taking Parker or Holmes, unless people think Hines Ward will be a big factor.

 

Some good comments above about drawing similarities to prior SBs, how about that Rams/Titans game 8 or 9 years ago?  Everyone expected it to come down to Ram Offense vs Titans Defense, and it came down to the opposite.  If that happens again, the Cardinals will be nursing a lead late and trying to keep the Pitt offense from scoring to win, therefore a Pitt cover would become highly unlikely at -7, unless you get another Polamalu INT on the succeding comeback attempt drive - not saying it wont happen, Polamalu is All-World, just like Fitzgerald.

 

I just think the NFL wants to see the Cards win, but I am taking the cover as best play, then under, then Cards ML, in that order.  Whisenhunt's staff has a plain to contain Big Ben in the pocket, his time as OC in their Super Bowl win gives him a slight advantage in this grudge match.

 

Bookies still licking their wounds from last year's Giants win, so an Arizona cover probably makes them the most money.  That, and Pitt is 7-0 their last 7 playoff games ATS, having covered Jax in a first-round loss last season, I do not expect them to cover this next one.  Both teams are perfect against the spread so far this postseason, a rarity.  I don't expect a dead heat, if that happens the bookies will all cry.

 

Good arguments to take both sides here, hope it is an entertaining game and the commercials are funny.

 

GL everyone.

Kurt Warner out doors.....

 

vs.

 

Kurt Warner in a dome....

 

 

well if they were playing eachother I would say that Kurt Warner in a dome would win.... didn't he start his career in arena football?

that being said.....

 

they beat Philly in a dome, but lost outdoors.....

 

they beat Carolina outdoors, and lost outdoors.......

 

they beat ATL in a dome

 

they beat Seattle outdoors (close game)... and beat them in a dome

 

lost to NE outdoors

 

lost to MINN in a dome

 

beat STL outdoors, and in a dome

 

lost to the Giants in the dome

 

should have lost to SF in the dome, but won outdoors

 

beat DALLAS in the dome....

 

beat Buffalo in the dome....

 

lost to the JETS outdoors

 

lost to Washington outdoors

 

beat Miami in the dome....