Football…overload…brain…can’t…take it….AAARRRGH!

Phew! Now that my head is done exploding, let’s talk more football betting. It doesn’t get much better than this wee. As if the bowl game lines weren’t enough, NFL playoff betting kicks off too. I don’t know about you, but I’m devoting my entire weekend to the offshore sportsbook, a flatscreen TV and lots of potato skins. This is the life.

Here are my NFL playoff picks for the Wild Card round:

ATLANTA FALCONS (-2) VS ARIZONA CARDINALS

You’d be filthy rich if you bet online at the beginning of the year that these two squads would both make the playoffs. Possible-MVP quarterback Kurt Warner matches up against official-Offensive Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan. Hmm…ridiculous Arizona passing game? Check. Ridiculous Atlanta running game? Check. Yeah, this one will be a shootout.

LOGICAL PICK: The Falcons…they’re a more balanced team, and they beat real opponents this year, unlike the pretender Cards.

ILLOGICAL PICK: The Cards, because MIchael Turner will fumble at the goal line when he sees Brenda Warner’s haircut in the pressbox.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-1.5) VS SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

The sneaky Colts, who won nine straight to end the season, visit the sneakier Chargers, who were 4-8 four weeks ago and won out to steal the AFC West from Denver. I’m not saying the Chargers are a pretender, but online sports betting fans have to realize that San Diego has the league’s worst pass defense…and that D now faces Peyton Manning. Plus the Colts’ D is more underrated than Anne Hathaway.

LOGICAL PICK: Indy…is anyone picking the Chargers?

ILLOGICAL PICK: San Diego…if LT finds a time machine just before pre-game warmups.

BALTIMORE RAVENS (-3) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS

You didn’t bet online on Favre and the Jets last week, did ya?  The Dolphins are for real. The weirdest part of it all is that their offense is carrying the load, not their defense. They can actually move the ball. Baltimore is a tall order for them, though. They’re like the New Jersey Devils of football, always maintaining that tough, D-first mentality.

LOGICAL PICK: Baltimore…they have a QB now! Even though he looks like he just stepped off the set of Deliverance.

ILLOGICAL PICK: Still Baltimore…maybe a one-yard pass will prove too taxing for Pennington’s arm. Just kidding. I love you, Chad!

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (-3) VS MINNESOTA VIKINGS

My first reaction: “What? Sportsbok odds favor Philly by three on the road?” But I looked closer…defense defines both teams’ personalities, but Minny hasn’t been so hot against the pass. And any Any Reid-coached team will always be a pass-first unit. Factor in the Eagles trouncing of the Cowboys last Sunday and I think they can handle AP and co.

LOGICAL PICK: Eagles…they’re just a bit more well-rounded.

ILLOGICAL PICK: Vikings…because they’ll probably loose simply because I’m picking them. They do that to you.

Happy NFL playoff betting!

There are nine bowls up for action at your offshore sportsbook, but you can fit in at least three while you’re out reading to orphans on those days (reading to orphans, right?). There are the top three to check out.

LSU vs Georgia Tech odds have the Yellow Jackets as 4.5-point favorites in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, and their option offense is fun to watch, but LSU probably won’t think so. The game formerly known as the Peach bowl kicks off on New Year’s Eve at 7:30 PM ET.

Rose Bowl betting has USC as an 8.5-point favorite to win their third straight Rose Bowl, but Penn State opened as 10-point underdogs, meaning sportsbooks realized they were a bit harsh with the Big Ten champions. The “Grandaddy of Them All” kicks off at 4:30 on New Year’s Day.

The Orange Bowl ends New Year’s Day on a high with Cincinnati coming in as 2.5-point NCAA football betting favorites over Virginia Tech. The Bearcats like to air it out, while the Hokies are one of the best defenses in the nation. Tune it at 8:00 PM ET on January 1st to see who wins this battle.

Whether you’re an NFL betting fan or an Eagles fan, Saturday was painful to watch. Donovan McNabb, once one of the most dynamic pivots in the game, looked beaten down, almost old, as he underthrew receivers all day long in Philly’s ugly 10-3 loss to Washington.

Amazingly, sportsbook odds favor the Eagles by 1.5 at home to Dallas in this weekend’s crucial Cowboys vs Eagles line. What do you think, NFL betting fans? Can you really bet online on the Eagles with Brian Westbrook so hobbled? My gut says, despite Tony Romo’s propensity to choke, that Sunday will be McNabb’s last game as an Eagle — that Dallas will pressure him all day and force him into some bad throws en route to ousting Philly from playoff contention.

For now, though, let’s focus on the good. Let’s kick back and watch McNabb do what he does best – plug Chunky Soup with his mom. Methinks he aggravted his sports hernia working that crane.

At worst, the Miami Hurricanes have turned their program around under Randy Shannon and could potentially be a nice sleeper in the ACC next year. At best, they could be among the teams to beat in the ACC if they can pull off an upset since they are an underdog according to Emerald Bowl odds.

The Hurricanes are made up of freshmen and by qualifying for a bowl game, get an extra month’s worth of practice. That’s pretty valuable for one of the youngest, most inexperienced teams in the nation.

Whether they can actually eke out a win in this Miami vs California matchup is another story. Emerald Bowl betting odds have the Golden Bears favored by seven points. The game is going to be played in San Francisco, which is another edge for the Golden Bears.

Even head coach Shannon isn’t particularly experienced as a coach, so Cal will have an edge on the sidelines as well. Look for the Hurricanes to gain some experience but don’t expect a win here with two freshmen quarterbacks leading the way.

Emerald Bowl betting pick: California -7

Any NFL betting fan knows lots of players have fought for headlines this season. Some are positive — Brees and Warner’s yardage-record chase, the phenomenal offensive rookie class — and some are negative — Mr. Burress’ gun adventures, for example.

Why is it, then, that DeMarcus Ware’s monster year seems so overlooked? He sits at 19 sacks with two games to go, leaving him three behind Michael Strahan’s single-season record. Will he do it? It’s an intriguing NFL odds proposition for anyone looking to bet online.

Online sports betting aside, all I know is that it takes a brave man to hang in the pocket with a guy like Ware rushing him. D-linemen have a special mentality. Don’t believe me? Look at the Jags’ John Henderson’s pre-game ritual. Terrifying!

Is there anyone in the history of the Heisman that looks less like a football player than Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford?

Anyway, Bradford kept Florida’s Tim Tebow from becoming only the second player in college history to win two Heismans, even though Tebow had the most first-places vote among he, Bradford and Texas pivot Colt McCoy, who came in second. Tebow is sure to use this as motivation when his Gators face Bradford’s Sooners as 3-point BCS championship betting favorites on January 8th.

It’s the word no one wants to hear. An online sports betting fan’s worst nightmare.

Push.

When looking at the NFL spreads, some fans thought Drew Brees and the Saints would carve up a suspect Bears secondary en route to a victory.  Other savvy folks figured the three-point favorite Bears would prevail at home in the cold. Well, the Bears did it. But they did it by exactly three points. Ouch.

But NFL betting fans should dust themselves off and get back on their horses. Maybe watching Barry Sanders jr. run through some fellow high school freshman can cheer you up:

As far as real life reasons to watch the Saints vs Bears matchup, there aren’t a whole lot. There is, of course, the whole Drew Brees chasing Dan Marino’s passing record thing. Outside of that, the Saints are practically done as far as playoff hopes go while the Bears still have a lot to play for. That’s why we have sportsbook odds, because gambling makes anything interesting.

The ‘Aints are 6-1 at home and 1-5 away from their warm, cozy dome. That’s bad news because they are on the road this week in the frigid temperature at Soldier Field.

Look for the Bears to be very physical with the ‘Aints. The ‘Aints have a lot of receivers that have the dropsies, which won’t help matters out in the cold.

Saints vs Bears betting pick: Bears -3

Giants vs Cowboys Odds: Cowboys -3

Sportsbook odds have the Cowboys favored even though they have the worse record. Keep an eye on the injury report as the Giants might rest Brandon Jacobs this week. The Cowboys are desperate for a win and this is virtually their season. If they lose, they are probably out of the playoffs. Look for the Cowboys to get a key win and steer towards the playoffs.

Giants vs Cowboys Pick: Cowboys -3

Browns vs Eagles odds:

On one hand, you have a team that is mailing it in. That would be the Browns. They also have tuned out their head coach and are down to their third-string quarterback. That’s on top of the fact that they weren’t very good to begin with. Now they have to head to Philadelphia to play on Monday Night Football for the third time this season. Look for them to get their first loss on National television against one of the hottest teams in the league. Good luck.

Browns vs Eagles Pick: Eagles -14

Although Week 14 isn’t even done yet, it’s not too early to examine the early sportsbook odds posted up on the Thursday night contest.

The Saints vs Bears matchup will happen on Thursday Night Football on the NFL Network.

The Bears are a three-point favorite and it makes sense. If you look at the NFC South division, as a whole, the entire division is 23-2 at home and just 10-15 on the road. The Saints are the perfect example: they are 6-1 at home and 1-5 on the road. Sportsbook odds have the Bears as the Northbet favored by three for a reason. The Saints will have a lot of problems outdoors at Soldier Field in December.