AFC Championship Game Spread Picks; 2011 NFL Playoffs Predictions

After going 6-2 in my Wild Card round picks , and 5-3 in my Divisional round playoff picks (Spreads and O/U), I look to keep the hot picks coming with the NFC Championship game and the AFC Championship game. Here are my NFC Championship game picks. (All spreads are taken from Yahoo! Sports Odds taken from the top betting sites on the Internet)

See my picks for the NFC Championship Game Here

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5) vs. New York Jets 38.5 O/U
Many seem to overlook the Jets week 15 22-17 win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh and the fact that they just beat the Patriots in New England. The Steelers come in favored by three points after making a great comeback against the Baltimore Ravens.

Notes on the Jets from Last Week:
The Jets were dominant against the Patriots and forced New England to play their game and did not let them control the tempo. Sanchez made big plays when he needed them and made no major mistakes despite completing only 16 passes. Greene and Tomlinson were a little above average but everyone stepped up when they needed to against the best team in the NFL.

Notes on the Steelers from Last Week:
Steelers showed they could comeback after being down by 14 against one of the very best defenses in the league. The Steelers carried the ball 31 times and only average 2.3 yards per carry. Roethlisberger went 19/32 for 226 yards, and 2 touchdowns. The Steelers held the Ravens to only 35 yards rushing and 125 yards passing.

Prediction: New York Jets 24-20 (Jets +3.5) OVER 38.5
Explanation: The Jets have the 6th best passing defense and they proved last week that they can win without putting on a brilliant rushing performance. The Steelers have the very best rushing defense in the NFL so Sanchez will have to limit mistakes to 0. The Jets defense has shown that they can stop a clutch quarterback in Tom Brady. The Jets are also third in rushing yards allowed, which will help to complicate both aspects of the Steelers offense. The special teams edge also goes to the Jets with Brad Smith being an electric return man.