Aktuelle News! » T BET: PATRIOTS, 31-21No. 3 Green Bay

Very nice job, Colts. Sorry we are not more impressed.Yes, Pro Picks has looked down on Indianapolis in these playoffs, twice picking against the Colts and looking foolish.Have we smartened up as Andrew Luck takes the AFC South champions to Foxborough to meet the AFC East winners, the Patriots?Read on.New England (No. 2 in AP Pro32) is a seven-point favourite over Indianapolis (No. 8 in AP Pro32), which seems a bit low. Not only did the Patriots rout the Colts in Indy this season, but other than the Ravens, hardly anyone puts a scare into them at Gillette Stadium.But the oddsmakers have noticed several things about both teams:—Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is playing at a very high level, perhaps the best of his three pro seasons — and that is saying plenty.—Indys defence has shown up bigtime in the post-season, discovering a pass rush, blanketing receivers (cornerback Vontae Davis has been superb) and making big plays.—The offensive line, considered a weak spot for most of 2014, appears to be coming together at just the right time.—Joe Flacco often had his way with New Englands secondary last week.—The Patriots showed plenty of gumption by rallying twice from 14-point holes. But they twice fell into 14-point holes.—New England couldnt run at all against Baltimore and stopped trying.All of that said, we leave the final words on Sundays late game to Patriots coach Bill Belichick, not someone to care about point spreads.I dont take anything for granted from anybody, Belichick says. Its a one-game season. They have a lot of good players; they have a lot of good coaches. Theyre working just as hard as we are. We have to find some way to outperform them. I think thats the message for all of us.Message received.BEST BET: PATRIOTS, 31-21No. 3 Green Bay (plus 7) at No. 1 SeattleThe NFC finalists also met during the regular season and it was lopsided, too. Seattle romped 36-16 in the 2014 kickoff game.Both sides went through some trials and tribulations the rest of the way, and not much emphasis should be placed on that opening result. Green Bay, in particular, is a different team, its defence more efficient with an improved pass rush, and its running game well-established after early struggles. Aaron Rodgers has gotten some diversity from his receiving group, especially with the emergence of Davante Adams and Andrew Quarless as a third and fourth target.Most problematic, of course, is All-Pro Rodgers sore calf. He clearly was restricted in the second half against Dallas last weekend — and the Cowboys dont come close to presenting the defensive challenge the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks bring.Indeed, Seattles D is looking just as imposing now as it was a year ago.Were playing for each other, I think thats the biggest thing, All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman says. Guys are playing selfless: There arent any egos, there arent any agendas, and guys just want to do whatever it takes to win. If that means making a tackle, then make the tackle; if that means catching the football, were going to catch the football. Guys are playing for one another, they dont care about stats, nor do they care about anything else.They care about another trip to the big game, and theyll get it.SEAHAWKS, 23-20___2014 RECORD: Against spread: This week (2-2); Season (130-122-5). Straight up: This week (3-1); Season (174-88-1)Best Bet: 7-12 against spread, 11-8 straight up.Upset special: 9-9 against spread, 7-11 straight up.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL NORFOLK, Va. -- Plans were for a leisurely trip back to St. Johns, and then to spend the remainder of the week resting and watching from a distance while Providence and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton settle the issue of which team would be the opponent in the American Hockey League Eastern Conference final. But Andre Petersson scored a power-play goal from near the blue line at 13:10 of overtime Tuesday to give the Norfolk Admirals a 3-2 win over the IceCaps in Game 5 of their semifinal, and those plans-- beyond the trip home-- were scuttled for St. Johns. The IceCaps still lead the series 3-2, but Norfolk will be on the same plane and will play at St. Johns in Game 6 of the best-of-seven series on Friday. Game 7, if necessary, would be on Saturday. "We wanted to end it tonight," said St. Johns centre Eric ODell, who scored both of the IceCaps goals after scoring twice on Monday as well. His goal at 17:02 of the third period tied the game 2-2 to force the overtime. "It happens in playoff hockey," said ODell, who is with St. Johns because its affiliate Winnipeg did not make the NHL playoffs. He spent two months with the Jets, who sent him back when their season ended. "It will be nice to get the (fourth) win in front of the home crowd." Norfolk took a 2-1 lead in the opening seconds of the third period when 18-year-old Shea Theodore skated in on the St. Johns net, then put on enough speed to find a clear path and backhand a shot past goalie Michael Hutchinson. Theodore, a defenseman who played junior hockey for Seattle of the Western Hockey League after being Anaheims No. 1 choice in the 2013 draft, took a puck off the left-wing wall and skated in slowly. Theodore turned IceCaps defendeer Will ONeill around in the faceoff circle, accelerated and beat the defense to the right side of the crease before shooting.dddddddddddd "I think I had one or two similar goals to that in junior," said Theodore. "I think instincts maybe sneaked in a little bit and I just got one past his blocker side. I think when I first got here, I would have panicked and shot the puck. I finally held it this time and a lane opened up." His goal broke a 1-1 tie fashioned in the opening period. After ODells first goal gave St. Johns an early 1-0 lead, Norfolk seemed to tie things with an apparent goal by Petersson at 16:01 of the opening period. But the goal was waved off because the Admirals were caught with an extra player on the ice and assessed a penalty. It was served by Zach Stortini, and Norfolk was taxed by a St. Johns power play, which was killed. The final blow to that man advantage came when Admiral winger Max Friberg tipped away a shot by Josh Morrissey, like Theodore, a high-scoring 18-year-old defenseman in the WHL, for Prince Albert. The loose puck slipped back toward centre ice, where Stortini left the penalty box in time to take it in and send it to Friberg, dashing down the ice. Fribergs shot from the right wing faceoff circle was stopped by Hutchinson but bounced high into the air and came down behind the goalie and skittered into the net to tie things 1-1 at 18:11. Thiessen made 36 saves while Hutchinson turned away 34-of-37 shots in defeat. So work remains for St. Johns. "Were real happy with two wins here," ODell said of victories in Games 3 and 4 in Norfolk after splitting two games in St. Johns. "Now well go back home and finish it there." ' ' '