NFL training camps open today. The regular season begins in little over a month. Today I’m going to cover divisional odds favorites and tell you if I agree with the sportsbooks. Some are heavier favorites than others, and some are dead heats.
NFC East Eagles +135
This is
one of the harder divisions to pick because the top three teams will be very
close this season. Last season the Cowboys, Giants and
Eagles were all pretty close to winning the division. The Eagles couldn’t get
over their bad start, and the Cowboys fell apart at the end. This season the
talented Eagles are the favorites, and I think the fact that you can get + odds on them to win the division is great. I think they should be closer to
even money. I’m not sure if I’m ready to make it official yet, but the Eagles
are clearly the best team on paper in the NFC East.
NFC North Packers -320
The
Lions and Bears are both around +500, which looks about right. However, I don’t
think the Packers are going to run away with this division like they did last season.
The Lions are still good, and the Bears have just become a lot better in a very
short amount of time. I wouldn’t recommend laying -320 with the Pack, even
though they should still be considered the heavy favorites.
NFC South Falcons +115
This is just
one number from one shop, but the Saints are right behind them at +120. I doubt
Atlanta’s ability to win this division a lot. I don’t care how much the Saints
are going to miss their head coach. They still have one of, if not the best, offenses in the NFC. That isn’t going to change. Like I said, most sportsbooks
I’ve looked still have the Saints as favorites . However, before the
Bountygate scandal, the Saints were closer to where the Packers are in NFL
preseason future odds.
NFC West 49ers -250
There
are no surprises here, considering this division tends to be rather mediocre every season. The Niners are a great team, and they have gotten a lot better
this offseason. If you follow me, you know I trash both West divisions, but the
Niners are the one west coast contender. The 'Hawks and Cards will both be
better this season, but the Rams are two easy wins, and if you want a pretty
sure season bet, the 49ers chalking it up to win the NFC West is a good bet.
AFC East Patriots -500
I’ll
make this short and sweet; the Patriots run away with this division. Times one
billion.
AFC North Ravens +125/Steelers
+125
There is
a two way odds tie at the top of the AFC North future odds. Although at this
point I have to give the Ravens the edge in the preseason, I don’t think the
Ravens are a great team. They do rank above the Steelers in AFC odds, but they
are tied in Super Bowl odds with the Steelers. I’m going to say the Ravens,
just because they have the better defense, but the Steelers have a lot of
offensive upside, so this could very well go either way.
AFC South Texans -600
I don’t
mean to completely write off the Titans, because I think they have a chance to
be good. That is, of course, if Kenny Britt can get his head out of his ass.
However, the Texans will Hulk smash this division like you’ve never seen. I’m
predicting a 13-win season for the Texans in 2012.
AFC West Broncos +155
Peyton
Manning joining this division seriously improves it if in fact he is healthy. However,
it is still one of the worst divisions in football. According to the
sportsbooks, San Diego is right behind Denver in the future odds, but they
always find a way to screw things up. Plus, San Diego wasn’t even man enough to
let Norv Turner go. If Manning stays healthy, it’s Denver’s to lose. However,
if Peyton goes down, who the hell knows what is going to happen in this one,
because the Raiders and Chiefs aren’t that far behind. This is anyone’s ball
game. Lay off!