Football betting players are anxiously awaiting the beginning of the season, and today’s preview focuses on the NFC South, which will be a hotly-contested division by two, probably three, teams in the division, while the cellar-dwelling team will go through a rebuilding season.
New Orleans is the favorite with NFL odds of +165, and Drew Brees returns to lead the league’s most explosive offense. Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey and Reggie Bush need to stay healthy to give Brees some support. The problem was on defense, where the Saints were 23rd in the NFL. Darren Sharper, Jabari Greer and first-round pick Malcom Jenkins should improve the secondary, which could boost the Saints in the eyes of your handicapping software.
Atlanta is next at +175, and the Falcons got another target for Matt Ryan as Tony Gonzalez joins the club from Kansas City. Michael Turner will be out to show that last year’s 1,700-yard season was no fluke. The Falcons lost a couple of important players from a defensive group that was 24th in the league, and this could be the only stumbling block for Atlanta.
Carolina could be a decent sleeper in your football picks with odds of +220, and they re-upped quarterback Jake Delhomme, even after a five-pick performance in the playoffs. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are one of the top running-back duos in the league, and Steve Smith may be the best pound-for-pound receiver going. Julius Peppers returns to lead from his defensive-end position, and the Panthers may have the best defense in the division, which could cause an upset or two along the way.
Tampa Bay brings up the rear at +700, and the Buccaneers have a new head coach in the league in Raheem Morris, and longtime defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin is also gone. Byron Leftwich seems to be holding the starter’s role until rookie Josh Freeman is ready, while Antonio Bryant and new acquisitions Kellen Winslow and Derrick Ward will aid in the rebuilding process. It’ll be interesting to see how the Bucs, long known as one of the best defensive teams in the league, respond to a new coach as Jim Bates takes over for Kiffin. Until they get an identity under Morris, stay away from Tampa Bay while doing your online betting.
