GAME INFO:
Indianapolis Colts vs. San Diego Chargers

Game Date/Time: Sat, Jan 3, 2009 8:00 pm EST

Location: Qualcomm Stadium, California
TV: NBC

THE TEAMS AGAINST THE SPREAD (ATS)
The Colts are 9-7 ATS overall, 4-4 ATS away, 1-1 ATS as the underdog and 0-0 as an away underdog in 2008

The Chargers are 11-5 ATS overall, 7-1 ATS at home, 8-3 ATS as the favorite and 6-1 as home favorite this season

THE LINE
The Colts are favorite by 1 point (but that spread can be different based on individual casino and betting parlor lines)
The Over/Under is 51 points

THE PREVIEW
The Colts are 9-1 in there in last 10 games and Peyton Manning is considered by many experts to be in the front running for MVP. The Chargers are a mere 5-5 over their last 10 games but beat up the Denver Broncos last week by a score of 52-21 tp knock the Broncos out of the playoffs that ended Mike Shanahan’s coaching career in Denver.
In a matchup earlier in week 12, the Colts beat the Chargers in San Diego by a score of 23-20

THE PREDICTION
Indianapolis Colts 35 San Diego Chargers 28
Indianapolis is a very dangerous team. Peyton Manning is completely healthy and they have won their last 9 in a row. One big statistic is the fact that over the last three years the Colts are 4-1 this season and 10-3 in the last three seasons when the spread is +3 to -3. The Chargers are 1-3 this year when the spread is +3 to -3.
Peyton Manning will have time to throw the ball against a sackless defense. And even Phillip Rivers won’t be able to match the points put up by the Colts.

Take Peyton Manning and the Colts in a high scoring affair.

NOTE: thenflthisweek.com has a record of 9-1-1 in their last ATS picks of the regular season.

Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers has agreed to a long term contract with the Green Bay Packers. This just one year after the Green Bay Packers said good bye to, arguably their best quarterback ever, Bret Favre.

According to Skysports on Nov 1, 2008, Aaron Rodgers was back was taken with the 24th pick of the 2005 draft and backed up Brett Favre during his first three seasons at Lambeau Field.

He became the starter this season following Favre’s on-off retirement and eventual trade to the New York Jets.

And the 24-year-old has impressed so far, throwing for 1,668 yards and 12 touchdowns while leading the Packers to a 4-3 record.

“We try to be proactive in our discussions with current players and we felt like this was an appropriate time to try and come to an agreement with Aaron,” said Green Bay’s general manager Ted Thompson.

“This is good for the organisation and the players and we will continue this approach as we move forward.”

Terms of the deal, which ties Rodgers to the Packers until the end of the 2014 season, were not publically disclosed, although NFL.com reported it was worth $65m - with $20m guaranteed - over the six years.

Let’s face it - the Green Bay Packers have a steady quarterback to take the team into the future. Aaron has shown his maturity by being respectful and humble, in light of the Bret Favre fiasco at the beginning of the season.

The best of luck to him!