The sports betting sites are lighting up like Christmas trees with people that want in on this week’s NFL divisional playoff action. As we all saw last week in Denver, there is no such thing as a sure bet in the NFL playoffs. Anything can happen and any team can win. The key is to have a good system in place that allows you to pick winners as opposed to picking teams using your gut feeling.

New Orleans Saints (-3 ½) @ San Francisco 49ers

Even the price per head sports experts are hesitant to say that the juggernaut that is the New Orleans Saints’ offense is capable of rolling over the San Francisco 49ers’ defense. San Francisco is a well-coached and confident football team. But the Saints are developing a habit of winning games by wide margins. The discipline of the 49ers is what will serve the team well in this game.

Pick: San Francisco 49ers

Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots (-13 ½)

During the regular season, it was expected that the Patriots would stop the Broncos’ winning streak and that is exactly what happened. In the playoffs, it is expected that the New England Patriots will stop the Broncos’ newest winning streak. The only betonline scam that bettors are looking to avoid is taking the Patriots and then having the Broncos cover the spread. Ain’t gonna happen.

Pick: New England Patriots

Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens (-9)

The Ravens are a team that wins big games and the Texans are new to this whole playoff thing. It will be experience and an active defensive secondary that will win this game for the Baltimore Ravens.

Pick: Baltimore Ravens

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers (-9)

The NFC is so much stronger on both sides of the ball than the AFC and the Packers are the best of the pack in the NFC. The Giants have a lot to be proud of this year, but this is as far as New York goes in  the playoffs.

Pick: Green Bay Packers

Few would have projected that for the team’s first trip to the postseason, the Houston Texans would be looking to end a three-game losing streak. However, despite losing their final three games of the NFL regular season the Texans were able to clinch the AFC South division, and with it home field advantage as they get ready to host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card round this Saturday.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans (-3)

Saturday, 1:00 PM ET

The biggest problem for Houston may be that its players aren’t showing the same compete level, but that should change once they reach Reliant Stadium this weekend. The Texans lost consecutive games against the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans by a combined four points, but should do better with their starters back in. It’s ironic that Houston’s last win came against the Bengals back in mid-December, a 20-19 road win in which rookie TJ Yates threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Cincinnati lost that game, and all six of their contests as sports betting underdogs against teams that made the playoffs this year. Capitalizing on a relatively soft schedule and winning games that they were expected to win led the Bengals in to the postseason, but they should get a rude awakening on the road against one of those six playoff teams that they couldn’t beat during the year as three-point underdogs according to the pay head bookies.

NFL Betting Pick: Houston Texans - 3

The betting sites will be buzzing with football action this weekend as all of the teams wind up the 2011 regular season. Some of the games will have a significant impact on the playoff rankings for the post-season, while the other games won’t get nearly as much attention from the price per head bookie experts. Here is a quick look at the games that will really count in week 17.

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants (-3)

This one is for the NFC East title. The winner takes it all and the loser hopes that for a wild card spot. The Cowboys are relatively healthy coming into this game but the Giants carry all of the momentum. This will be a fun game to watch unless you are a Cowboys’ fan.

Pick: New York Giants

Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots (-13 ½)

With a win in this game the Patriots will secure home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs and avenge one of the more embarrassing losses of the season. But the Patriots and the NFL betting public will have to be very careful with this game. The Bills have been pushovers for most of the second-half of the season, but the Bills’ defense got its groove back a little in week 16 when it beat on Tim Tebow and the Broncos.

Pick: (without points) New England Patriots

(with points) Buffalo Bills

San Diego Chargers @ Oakland Raiders (-3)

If the Raiders win this game then it still has a shot at the AFC West title if the Broncos lose to the Kansas City Chiefs. But the Raiders need this game to stay in the AFC playoff hunt in general and, after a miraculous win in Kansas City in week 16, the Raiders are ready to put the final nail in Norv Turner’s San Diego coaching coffin.

Pick: Oakland Raiders

With the majority of the media attention focused on the battle between the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders in the AFC West, as well as the New York Jets fight to go three-for-three in playoff qualification under head coach Rex Ryan, the Tennessee Titans’ fight for a wild card spot has barely gotten any attention. The Titans could be on the verge of falling out of contention nearly as quietly as they fought to keep their hopes alive early on as they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday, one week after allowing the Indianapolis Colts to clinch their first win of the NFL season.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans (-7.5)

Sunday, 1:00 PM ET

The Titans blew the perfect opportunity to keep pace with the Jets and Cincinnati Bengals in pursuit of the final AFC wild card spot, and will have to win against the Jaguars and then at the Houston Texans in their season finale to have a shot. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threw two interceptions against the Colts before rookie Jake Locker took over, and it’s likely the 2011 first round pick will start the remainder of the way. The sports betting odds have Tennessee listed as 7.5-point favorites according to the pay head bookies, but unless Locker can elevate his game and get a bigger contribution from a rushing attack that ranks 31^st in the league, the Titans will have trouble covering such a big number even if they do come out on top in the end.

NFL Betting Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars + 7.5