2011 NFL Pro Bowl
AFC vs. NFC, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI
Sunday, January 30, 2011, 7:00 pm EST, TV: FOX
Opening Line: NFC -1
Current Line: NFC -1
Opening Total: 63
Current Total: 62.5
Money Line: NFC -115 / AFC -105
The 2011 NFL Pro Bowl returns to Hawaii on Sunday when the AFC All-Stars square off against the top NFC players who are not injured or playing in the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl was played in Miami a year ago at the same site of the Super Bowl, taking a break from 30 straight years in Honolulu. This will be the second consecutive year the game is played before the league’s championship game, with the NFC sitting as a slim 1-point favorite against the AFC.
The two teams with the best record in each conference during the regular season did not make it to the Super Bowl, so New England’s Bill Belichick is coaching the AFC squad while Atlanta’s Mike Smith is his NFC counterpart. Belichick would seem to have a major advantage here as a three-time Super Bowl champion and because many of the AFC players who are not current or former members of the Patriots will finally have an opportunity to play for him.
The AFC will also feature 23 of the 35 first-time Pro Bowlers, including Houston Texans running back Arian Foster and Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, who each led the NFL in yardage at their particular position. In addition, New England quarterback Tom Brady will not play for his coach and will be replaced by a player who started one year for Belichick – Kansas City’s Matt Cassel. San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers will start in place of Brady.
The NFC All-Stars are led by players who were steamrolled by the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs, giving them a nice consolation prize. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick leads that group following an extremely disappointing end to the year, losing to the Packers in the postseason opener after dropping the last two games of the regular season. Several of Smith’s Falcons should also see a significant amount of playing time on the offensive side of the ball, including quarterback Matt Ryan, running back Michael Turner and wide receiver Roddy White.
Scoring has been the name of this game over the past 11 years, with the OVER cashing nine times during that stretch. The winner has scored at least 30 points in 10 of the last 11 games, and the AFC has a slide 6-5 edge over that period to tie the all-time series at 20 games apiece. Last year’s game saw Houston quarterback Matt Schaub earn MVP honors after leading the AFC to a 41-34 victory. Schaub completed 13 of 17 passes for 189 yards with two touchdowns in a game that featured six scores through the air combined by both teams.
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