NFL Betting: NFC North Preseason Review and Regular Season Preview

The NFL oddsmakers were planning on the triumphant return of the veteran and the odds to win the NFC North haven't changed that much, but perhaps they should be reading into some of what these four teams were up to in the preseason and adjusting accordingly.

Green Bay Packers Favorites in the NFC North

It's amazing what one game, even in the preseason can do to change the perception of a team. The third preseason betting contest of the year for the Green Bay Packers against the Indianapolis Colts did just that. It's not that the Pack took down the Colts (after all, doesn't everyone do that in the preseason?), but it was how they did it. Green Bay put a tremendous 59-24 whooping on the defending AFC champs and looked fantastic in doing so.

The Packers averaged 26.5 points and 406.0 yards per game in the preseason and allowed a very respectable 17.3 PPG on the other side of the ball. It is also clear that if QB Aaron Rodgers plays this well in the regular season (41-of-53, 470 yds, 6 TDs, 0 INTs), Green Bay is going to be impossible to beat.

That's why this team is now an odds on favorite to win the NFC North at 5Dimes, as the Pack currently sit at minus 120.

Four Quarterbacks Were Too Many for Vikings When No. 4 Came to Town

Poor Sage Rosenfels knew that he was probably out the door no matter what he did in the preseason after Favre landed once again in Minneapolis. In spite of the fact that he threw for 402 yards and four scores without an INT, all team highs, Rosenfels was sent to the New York Giants this week, leaving Favre, Tarvaris Jackson, and Joe Webb as the team's three QBs.

If you take away Rosenfels' production, the three remaining quarterbacks only combined to complete 46-of-83 passing for 451 yards with three scores (all of which were thrown by Webb) and three picks (two of which were thrown by Favre).

There has to at least be a tad bit of concern about the running game as well, as neither rookie Toby Gerhart nor starter Adrian Peterson were able to average more than 3.4 YPC.

Minnesota was once the favorite to win the NFC North, but NFL betting fans have pushed it down to a plus 180 second choice at 5Dimes Sportsbook.

Choke Time in Chi-Town for the Bears?

No wins. 52 points. Just over 1,000 total yards offense.

Uh-oh.

It may only be the preseason, but the handwriting is on the wall that head coach Lovie Smith is in his dying weeks as the man in charge of the Chicago Bears. Chicago was absolutely embarrassed in the preseason, going winless and failing to score more than 17 points in any of its four exhibitions.

We probably shouldn't be overly surprised that QB Jay Cutler looked awful once again either. He only completed 51.4 percent of his passes and threw two picks in the equivalent of probably about a game and a quarter's worth of action.

The bottom line: This isn't going to cut it. This is a team that is absolutely not ready to take on the best in the NFL this year, and the Bears are deservedly just the third choice at plus 585 to win the NFC North coming into the year.

Detroit Lions the dog

Save a 23-7 loss at the outset of the preseason, the Detroit Lions looked fantastic in their exhibitions this year, going 3-0 SU and ATS. The defense certainly had a number of moments that reminded you that this was still one of the worst defensive teams in the league last year, but the offense is starting to show signs that perhaps times are starting to change in the Motor City.

Give QB Matt Stafford a heck of a lot of credit. He completed 71.2 percent of his passes for 353 yards and three scores against two picks in the preseason. Rookie RB Jahvid Best averaged a whopping 8.6 YPC as well and looked explosive every time he touched the pigskin.

Are the Lions really there yet? Probably not. However, it isn't fair to call this team a whopping plus 2250 underdog to win the NFC North at this point.