Home-field value to get put to test

When the NFL postseason kicks off today, the value of the home field will be tested.

Since 1990, when the 12-team playoff format began, home teams have won at a solid 69 percent clip, posting a 124-56 record. Yet this week, the visitors are favored in all four games.

Does this indicate the race to Tampa, Fla., for the Super Bowl is wide open, or does it merely mean the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants and Carolina Panthers are licking their chops waiting for weaker opponents to pay them a visit?

Or are times changing?

Home playoff teams posted a winning record each year from 1990 through the 2005 postseason, but two of the past three years the road teams have swung the ledger their way.

Last season, visiting teams went 6-4 in the playoffs, with the Giants never unpacking their bags until they won the Super Bowl.

The Arizona Cardinals host the Atlanta Falcons in today's postseason opener. The Cardinals finally woke up in their regular-season finale to record a win over lowly Seattle. Since winning the NFC West several weeks ago, the Cardinals had showed little interest in being competitive. But that final win shouldn't be taken lightly.

The Falcons, 1-point favorites over the Cardinals, have been one of the surprise stories of the NFL season.

Atlanta owner Arthur Blank hit a big trifecta with the acquisition of running back Michael Turner in free agency and quarterback Matt Ryan in the draft and the hiring of Mike Smith as coach.

Today's game features contrasting styles that can be hard to handicap. The total is 501/2. The Falcons feature offensive balance, and the Cardinals are more than willing to throw the ball about 50 times.

Las Vegas Sports Consultants odds director Tony Sinisi said the oddsmakers have found this game confounding. "The Falcons and Cardinals are both sailing in uncharted waters. How they'll react is anybody's guess," he said.

Most people think the best game of the weekend will be played tonight in San Diego, where the Colts are 1-point favorites over the Chargers.

Indianapolis has played inspired football following a sluggish start, having won nine straight games. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning won league Most Valuable Player honors for his efforts this season. The Chargers are playing with house money and some passion, finally.

Sinisi said the line tells the story. It's possible this game goes off as a pick'em.

"You can make a solid case for both sides. Indy is playing as well as anybody, but the Chargers have had decent success against Manning," Sinisi said. "A banged-up San Diego team beat him on the road in the playoffs last year."

The teams staged a memorable battle in San Diego in late November. The Colts won 23-20 on a 51-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal as time expired. Chargers coach Norv Turner brutally mismanaged the clock during that defeat.

On Sunday, two upstarts in the AFC knock heads in the first round as Baltimore is a favorite at Miami. The line is fluctuating between 3 and 31/2.

The game features a standout rookie quarterback, the Ravens' Joe Flacco, against the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington.

In mid-October, the Ravens won 27-13 in Miami, limiting the Dolphins to 71 rushing yards. The rematch might come down to Pennington needing to beat the Baltimore defense through the air, and that might be asking too much.

LVSC oddsmaker Jason Been is anticipating support at the betting windows for the road favorite.

"This number has gone through the key number of 3, and I can see it going even higher before kickoff," Been said. "Baltimore is the better team and has battled through a much tougher schedule than the Dolphins."

The Philadelphia Eagles, like the Chargers, had the stars align properly just to make the playoffs. Most bettors are infatuated with the last thing they witnessed -- Philadelphia's beatdown of Dallas -- and have made the Eagles 3-point favorites at Minnesota.

If the formula for winning in the postseason is to run and stop the run, the Eagles face a daunting task against the Vikings, who rely on running back Adrian Peterson and a strong run defense.

"The line certainly reinforces the fact that the betting public in many instances has a short-term memory, and that's definitely the case here," Sinisi said.

Brian Blessing, project manager for Las Vegas Sports Consultants, can be reached at bblessing@lvsc.com. Listen to the LVSC oddsmakers on "Sportsbook Radio" at 4 p.m. weekdays on Fox Sports Radio (920 AM). Visit vegassportsconnect.com for more odds information.