Handicapping The Variables - Articles contributes by Sportsbetting.com

Handicapping The Variables There are a host of different words in the English language with more than one meaning so it would only make sense that under the term 'variable,' the dictionary offers close to a dozen different references.

As the final week of the NFL regular season approaches, bettors may just as well add 'inconsistent' or 'unpredictable' to the roster too, because no matter how good something worked handicapping the games during the past four months, it might not work here!

The No. 1 variable that most cappers face when looking at the Week 17 card is starting players, or more specifically, how long will the starters last. For some teams, the strategic "sitting game" started early and for anyone that liked Tampa to roll into the Bay Area last week and steamroll the 49ers, Jon Gruden's decision to bench most of his playmakers for the second-half probably didn't go over that well.

49er faithful (and from someone that has attended games live at Monster Park, believe me, they are fading), were treated to the team's second two-game winning streak of the year and for them, the best part is that with the season ending this Sunday there is no chance whatsoever that they'll suffer through the encore of the Niners' first streak of the year (eight-straight losses).

One team that won't be resting anyone this week is the Cleveland Browns. The Dog Pound will be rocking as Cleveland tries to grab its first playoff spot in five years with a win over the visiting 49ers. Factor in the early body-clock start for San Fran (it will feel like a 10:00 AM kick-off for the San Fran players) with the frigid temperature, plus the fact that the warm-weather guests are coming off back-to-back-back home games, and Cleveland fans have to feel very good about their chances. But before laying more than five-to-one odds on Derek Anderson and his crew, let's take a quick look from another perspective, keeping in mind that six months ago most people had no idea who Derek Anderson was.

First of all, there is no such thing as a "sure thing" in the world of sports betting, as I'm sure most can attest. Secondly, Cleveland (currently -10.5 at SPORTSBETTING.COM) has not once been favored by this many points since re-entering the league in 1999. They've been a double-digit dog 14 times in that era, losing all 14 games straight-up, but laying this many points is unfamiliar territory for the Browns to say the least. The last thing worth pointing out is a little scenario that took place in Denver exactly 365 days prior to this matchup between the Niners and Browns. Without going into too much detail, let's just say that the Broncos (-10) simply needed to beat the visiting 49ers and Denver was on their way to the dance. Final score: San Fran 26, Denver 23.

The biggest favorite on the card this week is the New England Patriots (no surprise), but the intriguing part of this matchup involves the Pats perfect record. It's all but impossible to spend anytime following the NFL on TV without having to endure the endless media parade that surrounds Bill Belichick and the Brady Brunch, and the consensus seems to be that they are playing this game to win. As much as New York would like to play spoiler this weekend, the Giants have got a much more important game in their sights just seven days later and it sounds like they're almost ready to mail this one in. Pride could play a part, but New York's playoff record in the past two years (0-2 SU) probably has Tom Coughlin keeping his ponies in the stable.

Emotion can be another variable worth factoring into the equation in the final week of the regular season and that can mean anything from the Miami Dolphins playing hard out of fear since their new boss, Bill Parcells, will be watching, to a more sentimental type, like the ones felt last week in St. Louis or Buffalo.

While it is true that emotion can play a part in sport, superior skill is usually going to prevail over the course of an entire game and all we have to do for proof is add up last week's scores.

Miami, St. Louis and Buffalo (or "Team Pride" as we'll refer to them here): 52

Pittsburgh, New York and New England (aka "Team Talent"): 107

Even with the pointspreads included, that's a 25 point win for the skill side.

Good luck, season's greetings and enjoy the run to the playoffs.

Visit SPORTSBETTING.COM for free contests, great bonuses and all the NCAA Bowl and NFL lines.

Sports Calendars	Sports Memorabilia	Sports Posters
Sports T-Shirts	Sports Hats	Sports Banners