| Perry Perspective: January 6th, 2005
Weather in play as Wild Card factor
by Perry of
BetWWTS
Talk to anyone in the Deep South and they'lltell you: when there's a freak winter storm, cities practicallyshut down.
People stock up on groceries and become terrifiedto venture outside lest they get hypothermia.
People in the north chuckle at such reactionssince snow and freezing temperatures are endured, day-in and day-out,throughout the dreary winter months.
There is no denying that is takes time to acclimatizeto the cold, and for this reason, there is a common belief thatNFL teams based in the North have an advantage over teams fromthe South at this time of year.
As evidence, people point to success the NewEngland Patriots have had up in Foxboro where games are oftenaccompanied by snow storms and frigid temps.
There's also the old theory about the Miami Dolphins,who many say have difficulty beating northern teams during inthe winter months. The fact that they haven't won the Super Bowlsince 1974 is somewhat telling.
At the same time, there are many who argue thatwinter weather is of little consequence in the NFL, and that it'sof equal disadvantage to both teams.
That said, it's hard to imagine the players fromJacksonville are looking forward to the weather that's in storefor this Saturday night when they will face the Patriots in theAFC Wild Card at Gillette Stadium (8 p.m. ET, ABC).
Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-30s,but could dip as low as 19 degrees. There is also expected tobe a slight breeze that could make things feels even chillier.Fortunately for the Jags, there is a zero percent chance of precipitation.
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Not surprisingly, the Jags scoff at the notionof being at a disadvantage weather-wise and point to their 20-14win in Cleveland on Dec. 4. On that day, the temperature was 28degrees dipping to 15 with the wind chill.
There was also the game last December at LambeauField, where they beat Brett Favre and the Packers 28-25. On thatday it was 12 degrees on the frozen tundra with a wind chill thatmade it feel like minus-3.
"I don't think the weather will bother us," Jacksonvillequarterback Byron Leftwich told reporters this week. "It was 10degrees in Green Bay. It cannot possibly get any colder than that,because at some point your body can't feel it. At some point,your whole body gets numb.
"Under 15 degrees, it doesn't matter if it is10 degrees or -5 degrees, because it's cold."
Leftwich makes a good point, but bear in mindthe Jags are not facing the Packers or the Browns, they're facingthe defending Super Bowl champions.
The Patriots have won nine straight playoff games,which is tied for the NFL record. They've also won their lastseven playoff games at home, including their past three at GilletteStadium.
The Patriots, who have recorded a 30-6 all-timerecord at Gillette Stadium, are listed as 7.5-point favoritesfor Saturday's game.
The Pats are 10-6 SU overall, 5-3 SU at home,and 8-8 ATS this season; the Jaguars are 12-4 SU overall, 6-2SU on the road, and 9-5-2 ATS. The total for the game has beenpegged at just 37. Yet both teams have seen most of their gamesgo over the posted total this year. The Pats are 9-6-1 on theOVER/UNDER; the Jags are 10-5-1.
The Ultimatecapper Pick: Play New England in a 7 point teaser with another game you like.
Another team that will be venturing into colderclimes this weekend will be the Carolina Panthers. The Pantherswill be in New Jersey to take on the New York Giants in the NFCWild Card (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX).
The weather at Giants Stadium won't be as coldas in Foxboro, but it will certainly be colder than what Carolinais used to. Temps could dip into the 30s with winds gusting upto 19 mph. The probability of precipitation is 30 percent.
The Panthers haven't played a cold weather gamesince Nov. 27 when they beat the Bills 13-9 in Buffalo. Temperatureon that day was a cool 41 degrees.
Because of the colder temps in East Rutherford,the field turf surface of Giants Stadium is expected to be hardercome game time, something that might also favor the home team.
The Giants are listed as 2.5-point home favoritesand the total has been set at 43. New York is 11-5 SU overall,8-1 SU at home, and 10-5-1 ATS this season; the Panthers are 11-5SU overall, 6-2 SU on the road, and 9-7 ATS.
The Ultimatecapper Pick: Play the NYG in a 7 point teaser with another team you like.
Other Wild Card Games:
Washington at Tampa Bay (Saturday, 4:30 p.m.ET, ABC)
The Bucs (11-5 SU, 8-8 ATS) are listed as 2.5-pointhome favorites versus the Redskins (10-6 SU, 9-6-1 ATS) in theother NFC Wild Card. The total is set at 37.
The Bucs are 6-2 SU at home this season; theSkins are 4-4 SU on the road.
The Ultimatecapper Pick: Play the Washington Redskins in a 7 point teaser with another team you like.
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati (Sunday, 4:30 p.m.ET, CBS)
The Steelers (11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS) are 3-point roadfavorites versus the Bengals (11-5 SU, 8-7-1 ATS) in the otherAFC Wild Card. The total is set at 46, the highest total amongall four Wild Card games.
The Steelers are 4-1 ATS as road favorites thisseason; the Bengals are 0-1 as home dogs. These two teams havefaced each other twice this year with both clubs getting winson the road as underdogs.
The Ultimatecapper Pick: Despite Pitt being hot and Cinci being a bit cold, we like teasing the Bengals with a 7 point teaser along with another game that you like.
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