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Super Bowl Picks

If you are like the majority of the American population, you are going to need quality Super Bowl picks because you are going to be placing wagers on the game.  The handicappers at our site do more than just put out the winner, they also analyze props, the total, quarters, halftimes, and everything else you are going to be looking for.  If there is something you are interested in then we will do our best to give you a solid opinion on the wager.

Of course when finding out whose Super Bowl picks you want to go with, we recommend you view the past results page to see who has been hot both in the playoffs and the NFL regular season.  We have a lot of quality handicappers here on the site who you can go with, and we really don’t believe that there is a bad choice.  Another factor to consider is that there is only one right side to the game, so if you just want a winner a majority of our guys are most likely going to be on one side of the game.

We have also find a quality place to find more information in order to make your own Super Bowl
picks.  If you want betting information and details on the game there is no better place to turn than Sports Free Picks, but there are other sites that specialize in the big game at the end, and might have a
few more details than we do.

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Finish the week of NFL betting off with our Ravens Broncos predictions. Both of these teams have been playing well lately and will want to prove themselves in front of the national audience.

Sometimes bringing in a veteran quarterback to try and make a playoff run now instead of building for the future isn’t a good idea. Just ask the Raiders how it worked out for them this season. However, it’s been working out for the Baltimore Ravens. Steve McNair, a three-time Pro Bowler and former league MVP, has stepped right in and has become the offensive leader of the Ravens. The Ravens are off to a 4-0 start for the first time in franchise history. The defense is definitely a huge part of the Ravens early success, but McNair has led the Ravens on consecutive game winning drives to keep them unbeaten.

Baltimore’s defense has been dominant. The Ravens’ defense is second in the NFL in total yards giving up just 219.0 yards per game and first against the run relinquishing just 63.2 on the ground. Denver’s defense has gone under the radar, but the Broncos have also been successful in keeping opponents out of their end zone. Denver’s defense went 11 straight quarters without allowing a touchdown before New England broke through with one two weeks ago. I’m expecting the Broncos “D” to have success against the Ravens’ offense as the Blackbirds don’t have the most high-powered attack.

Where the defense has been strong for Denver this season the offense has been lacking. The Broncos were among the top offenses in the NFL last season, but this year they are averaging just 12 points per game. I’m expecting a very physical, low scoring game this Monday night.

Another factor we can’t discount is that Denver is coming off of a bye week. This always goes one of two ways. Either the Broncos will be fresh and anxious to get back on the football field or they will be sluggish and out of rhythm. Since the offense is yet to find any rhythm, I don’t really see the off-week hurting them.

The Rocky Mountain air could be a factor as well. Its normal effect is the fatigue of Denver’s opponents.

Both defenses will be solid so this one comes down to which offense can perform better. The better offensive performance will depend largely on which offense takes better care of the football. We personally feel like Denver has the edge in this game with the home-field and the week off. Baltimore is coming off a battle with the Chargers so our Ravens Broncos predictions are to take Denver -3.5

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Our Steelers Chargers predictions are going to highlight the Sunday NFL card. This is a tough match-up for the Super Bowl champs as they head into San Diego to face a team that has dreams of winning their own title.

The Chargers got their first loss of the season last week when the Ravens staged a late 4th quarter comeback. They are going to have to get back on track against a tough opponent in the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The faithful were up in arms about Marty-ball in the Baltimore loss, but you have to like the fact that they are off to a 2-1 start with Philip Rivers at the helm. They are currently sitting atop the AFC West in a tie with the Denver Broncos and a win over the Steelers would do wonders for this team’s confidence.
How well is LT going to do this week? He is the leading yards per game rusher in the NFL, but he’s going up against the Steelers 4th-ranked rush defense. He might need some help from Rivers who has led the Charger offense to 26.7 points per game. He is completing 68% of his passes for a QB rating of 96.9, but he’s not throwing the ball very often.
Defensively the Chargers are ranked 2nd-defensively at 7.7 points per game, and Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t gotten the Steelers offense on track at all so far. He has lost his two starts this season and a loss here would put Pittsburgh at 1-3 to start the year. We will see if that bye week was enough to get Big Ben on track, we think it was and our Steelers Chargers predictions show Pitt taking advantage of the 3.5 points and winning 21-17.

2007 Super Bowl Predictions

As fall starts rolling around many people ask for 2007 Super Bowl predictions. We asked the guys at Bodog who set some of the odds what their thoughts are on the NFL season and who they think will be competing in the big game at the end of the year. Here are their thoughts.

Certainties in the NFC: Michael Vick will swerve around the field like Mel Gibson in a Lexus; Terrell Owens will put up and never shut up; Brett Favre will be adored by just about everyone until he hangs up his No. 4 for good. The large uncertainty for the conference, though, remains its capacity to deliver a Super Bowl winner.

The NFC nabbed every Super Bowl from 1985-1997, but only two since. Whether the Seahawks or Panthers - the teams considered the best non-AFC squads in football - can rise from contender to champion is at issue as training camps open. Here’s a primer on the preseason in the Conference of Runnerups:

NFC East - 2007 Superbowl Predictions - Training camp is merely an annual warmup for the T.O. Show. What kind of ratings it gets in the Bill Parcells index is the key to the Dallas Cowboys’ preseason and regular season. Sure, Owens burned Aaron Glenn on the opening day of camp and yeah, everyone in Big D is saying all the right things. But it’s July. The fact remains T.O. isn’t a good teammate and, in his own words, he’s no hero, so why the Cowboys are 10/1 to win it all is a head scratcher - especially considering the strength of the division.

Last year, the Panthers were the team that was going to emerge after a playoff-less season and go to the Super Bowl. Entering the 2006 training camp, the Washington Redskins have been pegged by some prognosticators as the team to beat in the NFC. There’s lots to like, yet there’s also one glaring feature to Joe Gibbs’s squad that bettors and observers aren’t paying enough attention to: Mark Brunell is old. Like bad-knees-and-shoulder old. After Brunell, it gets dicey with former first-round pick Jason Campbell. If Brunell, 35, goes down, then the additions of receivers Antwaan Randle El and Brandon Lloyd won’t mean much. Teams will stack the box against Clinton Portis, likely shoving the Redskins down the ranks of this highly competitive division.

Keep an eye on Eli Manning in camp - and the media will give you plenty of looks. Peyton’s kid brother enters his third season in the NFL with a chance to lift his game and his team to another level. He needs to be more patient in the pocket, limit his mistakes, and think of Tiki Barber less as a safety valve and more as his best option. The Giants will score and with the addition of safety Will Demps in the offseason, they’ll be tougher on defense.

The Philadelphia Eagles will enjoy life without T.O. off the field; on it, he’s kind of a good weapon to have. Donovan McNabb is going to struggle to deliver the ball and to keep this team from sinking into rebuilding mode.

NFC North - 2007 Superbowl Predictions - Brett Favre’s career will be an ugly finish. Try not to watch. The Green Bay Packers should’ve been honest with him two years ago, when they decided they weren’t going to reload for another championship run with Favre. They should’ve dealt him to a place where a Super Bowl was possible.

On the flip side of the Favre situation is Jon Kitna. Here’s a good guy who took a backseat to a golden boy in Carson Palmer and handled the demotion like, well, a man. Kitna mentored Palmer, kept his mouth shut (something not all players in Cincinnati have done) and waited for a chance. The Lions have searched a long time for a quarterback with some moxy and character. They’ve got one now. Expect Kitna to beat out Josh McCown easily in camp, then watch for some of the baseball Tigers’ mojo to slide over from Comerica Park to Ford Field.

In Chicago, Lovie Smith and the Bears aim to keep the feel-good story of the NFL going. They also want to get Cedric Benson started this training camp. Don’t count on it. Something about the way he’s approached his career has to make you wonder if Benson the pro running back is going to have a shorter run than Benson the TV show.

In Minnesota, Brad Johnson showed he can handle an offense better than Daunte Culpepper. Adding Chester Taylor helps, too. The Vikes, though, have lots of holes to work on this preseason.

NFC South - 2007 Superbowl Predictions - Cadillac Williams tailed off during his rookie season, which could be attributed to stamina. In the offseason, he’s been a workout machine, diligently practicing pass-catching and blocking. He won’t be taking third downs off this training camp. What the Bucs will implement is a Jon Gruden game plan: control the ball, keep the game low scoring, let your defense secure victory in the fourth quarter.

Cadillac Williams is ready to elevate the Bucs.Cadillac Williams is ready to elevate the Bucs. (AI Wire photo).

Tampa Bay’s top competition for the division will, of course, come from Carolina, where the Keyshawn Johnson-Steve Smith tandem is supposed to go great guns. Smith may be the best receiver in the game; Keyshawn, though, is on a fast fade. He’s a possession receiver, but can’t get down the field like Muhsin Muhammad (who had a career year two seasons ago when Jake Delhomme needed an option after Smith was hurt).

Smith was carted off the field on Day 1 of camp and everyone knows hamstring injuries are like Deion Sanders - they keep coming back worse than before. If Johnson becomes Delhomme’s No. 1 option, it’s bad news in Carolina. Their running attack threatens to be below average unless rookie DeAngelo Williams blows up in camp (DeShaun Foster has been injured too often to be relied upon).

One year, Michael Vick’s going to put it all together and the Falcons will get to the Super Bowl. When that year will be is the question and why the Dirty Birds are a clean 28/1 long shot to win it all this year, despite the addition of defensive end John Abraham.

Under Sean Payton, New Orleans wants to be the Indianapolis Colts. The Saints are going to find out soon that Drew Brees isn’t Peyton Manning and Reggie Bush isn’t as sure-handed as Edgerrin James (yet).

NFC West - 2007 Superbowl Predictions - Shaun Alexander has a $62-million deal and Matt Hasselbeck has another neat weapon in Nate Burleson. The Seahawks, who also added Julian Peterson on defense, are 9/1 in the Bodog Sportsbook to win the Super Bowl. During training camp, the conference favorites figure to fine tune and work on staying healthy (and out of Pioneer Square, Ken Hamlin).

The biggest name to enter the division is the Edge, who gives Dennis Green’s Arizona Cardinals a legitimate superstar in the backfield to go along with two potential superstars on the outside (Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin). Finding a scheme to protect the quarterback, either Kurt Warner or rookie Matt Leinart, is the issue for camp.

Alex Smith goes through some more tough lessons in San Francisco while St. Louis fans and fantasy football geeks will keep a keen eye on the Rams and the tactics of incumbent coach Scott Linehan.

2006 Week3 NFL Picks

It’s time to go over our week 3 NFL picks. If you are ready to get after it this weekend and make some money with your NFL betting then take the advice offered on this page.
Coming off a 2-1 week, we are pretty sure about this week’s sports picks. There are a few games this week that just have to scratch your head about. This will be one incredible week of football, so let’s get right to it.

Chicago -4.5 @ Minnesota

Are you kidding me? The Vikings are the most overrated team in the NFL. They beat a pathetic offense in Washington, then only win by the grace of one of the most idiotic plays of the decade. Carolina fumbles away the game and suddenly Minny is 2-0. Give me a break!

The Bears are vastly superior on both sides of the ball and we are taking them big time this week! Think about this: Chicago creamed the Lions in Week 2 without an interception or defensive touchdown. Now that is a well-rounded club! Take the Bears and lay the points.

Baltimore -7.5 @ Cleveland

Not that we are looking to give up more points, but I would have taken the Ravens if they were 10-point favorites here. The Browns’ offensive line is banged up, their running game is non-existent and Charlie Frye has looked sub par thus far.

Baltimore is 2-0 despite not getting a 100-yard game from Jamal Lewis. Add in the fact that Steve McNair only threw for 143 yards in Week 2 and you have a team that can play even better. This is a major mismatch. Take the Ravens and lay the points.

Denver +7 @ New England

The Broncos have not allowed a defensive touchdown yet this season yet are only 1-1. Their pass offense has been terrible to say the least. But, the ground attack has been good. Denver beat New England in the postseason a few months ago and should be get another strong defensive performance from Al Wilson and company.

New England is 2-0 despite a couple of bad quarters in each game. Tom Brady has been missing a playmaking WR thus far. However, the tandem of Maroney and Dillon on the ground has been stellar. Look for this game to be close. Unless Chad Jackson or any other WR steps up and performs at a high level, it will be close. Take the Broncos and the points.

Last Week: 2-1
Overall: 3-3

2006 Week3 Fantasy NFL

If you are looking for help in week 3 of Fantasy NFL football then take a look at what we have below. The real key though is that BetUS is using these pick groups as a way for bettors to wager on the action. If you are a fantasy guru then you could make big money every weekend with your NFL picks.

It’s week three in the NFL and the process of separating the Angelina Jolies from the Rosie O’Donnells begins. With three matchups of 2-0 teams and four matchups of 0-2 teams, we will get a clearer picture of who the real contenders and pretenders are. You can find the below great fantasy football matchups in the Futures/Props section.

Group 1

Peyton Manning
Rudi Johnson
Anquan Boldin

vs

Carson Palmer
Shaun Alexander
Chad Johnson

Chad Johnson got his clock cleaned last week, suffered a concussion and barely realized that he was on planet Earth during a brief post-game interview. Still, he is going up against the Steelers this coming week, who he passionately hates. Peyton Manning is also in tough this week against Jacksonville. He only threw two touchdowns against them in two games last season.

Pick: Peyton Manning, Rudi Johnson, Anquan Boldin

Group 2

Michael Vick
Tiki Barber
Plaxico Burress

vs

Drew Brees
Ronnie Brown
Marvin Harrison

Plaxico Burress is shining after his walk-off 31-yard touchdown reception in Philadelphia last week and he takes his sparkling 19.4 yards-per-reception, along with Tiki Barber, into Seattle this week. Drew Brees has shown his critics that he his shoulder has sufficiently healed and he will provide the first test for the Atlanta Falcons defense this season. Ronnie Brown should break out of his two-week slump as he squares off with Tennessee at home.

Pick: Drew Brees, Ronnie Brown, Marvin Harrison

Group 3

Eli Manning
Chester Taylor
Reggie Wayne

vs

Matt Hasselbeck
Warrick Dunn
Santana Moss

Manning Jr. takes his Giants on the road to face another top-flight NFC contender this week as they lock up with Matt Hasselbeck and the Seahawks. Chester Taylor has had a lot of carries in the first two weeks of the season but he has only found the end zone once and likely won’t find it again versus the stout Bears defense this week. Santana Moss, along with the whole Redskins’ offense, has been non-existent so far but nothing cures that ailment like a meeting with the Houston Texans.

Pick: Matt Hasselbeck, Warrick Dunn, Santana Moss

Group 4

Kurt Warner
Edgerrin James
Larry Fitzgerald

vs

Marc Bulger
Steven Jackson
Torry Holt

This is an early battle for second place in the NFC West and has all the mixings of another high scoring affair. Arizona is back at home and should regain its offensive confidence while St. Louis should fair better this week against a soft Cardinals’ defense. The last three meetings have averaged just over 44 points on the scoreboard.

Pick: Kurt Warner, Edgerrin James, Larry Fitzgerald

Other match ups:

Group 5

Quarterbacks
Peyton Manning
Carson Palmer
Donovan McNabb
Kurt Warner

Group 6

Tight Ends
Todd Heap
L.J. Smith
Randy McMichael
Heath Miller

Pick: Rudi Johnson

2006 Week2 Favorites

In Week 2, favorites once again took it to the sportsbooks. It was bad news for the books but good news for the general public, and the guys from Nine are here to explain what this meant for everyone is a little more detail.

It is no secret that the general public loves playing favorites, and last Sunday, 11 of the 15 chalk teams covered…and most of ‘em were easy winners. The lines were a blessing in disguise, as there were six favorites of eight or more points and four of the five laying double digits covered.

“I had guys hitting 10-team parlays for fun!” said Rockwell, Client Relations Director for Nine, a leading Sportsbook based in San Jose, Costa Rica. “It’s a big hit for sure but what the heck, at least the players are happy.”

There isn’t much thought into betting favorites, as most people tend to take the approach of not betting a team unless they think that team can win the game outright. Well, when the Texans, Raiders, Browns and Titans are all getting nearly two touchdowns, it simply is not enough.

Houston was at Indy, a place where the Texans have lost all four meetings, with three of those coming by at least 14 points each. The Raiders? Well, they’re the Raiders. Anyone can line up against them and cover. Cleveland simply can’t score, so the opposition doesn’t have to tally too many more points than the spread itself. And as for Tennessee. This is a club playing quarterback shuffle, which leads to inconsistency. Even “bettor” for the public, it leads to making money by betting against the Titans.

Think about the other double-digit dog, the Kansas City Chiefs, who were in Denver playing a tough divisional opponent that got smoked the week before. Still, KC was getting 11 ½-points and ended up being the one double-digit dog that covered.

Everybody’s pockets are lined a little thicker now, but the weekend is just days away. One team is a double-digit favorite, the Miami Dolphins. Early eyes are wondering how that is possible but then realize that the Fish are playing the Titans. This could be the game that gets Daunte Culpepper back on track. There are five other games with spreads hovering around a touchdown.

If last week was any indication, it doesn’t matter how many points you’re laying. The favorites were winning in blowout fashion. The chalk is always easier to pick, and another big week for bettors is just around the corner.

2006 Patriots Wide Receivers

Who are the 2006 Patriots wide receivers? You might not recognize anyone since they have been missing their top parts from a year ago. Bryan Leonard is here to break down some of the off-season moves and to figure out what is left of the puzzle.

The Patriots made an interesting trade this summer, sending WR Bethel Johnson to the Saints for DT Jonathon Sullivan. It was a swap of disappointments but was a bit curious from the Patriots standpoint as they had already lost several wide outs to free agency, Deion Branch was holding out, and the team was thin at wide receiver. Bill Belichick later pointed out that in his estimation, potential run stuffing linemen have more value, and are tougher to find, than wide receivers.

I bring this up because of a simple winning formula, both straight up and against the number, in football: The ability (or inability) to stop the run. Simply put, if a team has success running the football, they won’t need to pass much. Taken a step further, a successful running game makes the passing game that much more effective. In addition, a run of 3 or 4 yards on first down creates a better success ratio on offense with numerous second-and-sixes, as opposed to too many second-and-9 or 10s.

Let’s look back a year ago at the worst run defenses in the NFL. Those teams were the Texans, Bills, Browns, Jets, Rams, Saints, Falcons, Raiders, Lions, Packers and Titans. None made the playoffs or had a winning record. Houston, the worst team against the run, also had the worst record in the league (2-14), and a losing spread mark.

In addition, only ONE of those teams had a winning record against the spread! Several of those teams had some of the most abysmal spread marks in 2005, like the Jets (6-10 ATS), the Rams (5-11 ATS), the Saints (5-9-2 ATS), the Raiders (5-11 ATS), the Packers (5-10-1 ATS) and the Titans (6-10 ATS).

The bottom two teams, the Bills and Texans, allowed a whopping 4.5 yards per carry, while two others (Falcons and Rams) allowed 4.7 yards per attempt! That is some poor tackling! Last month Falcons coach Jim Mora asked management to help shore up the run defense and they immediately signed free agent nose tackle Grady Jackson. So what happened in the opener? Jackson already paid big dividends as Atlanta stuffed the Carolina running game in a 20-6 upset.

It’s also an important element in the college game. On Saturday, I gave out Rutgers, a team playing at home against Illinois. One reason for this was run defense, or lack thereof, from Illinois and coach Ron Zook. I noted in my pregame analysis, ”Illinois was outscored on average 40-17 last fall. Illinois allowed 5.5 yards per carry last year, the worst mark in all of division 1-A football. Good old number 119 out of 119. We don’t see a whole lot of improvement. Last week Rutgers ran all over a North Carolina defense that permitted a full 2 yards less that Illinois per attempt on the ground a year ago.

“The Scarlet Knights completely dominated the line when they had the ball. Out of all the games we watched last week we came away more impressed with Rutgers than any other. A great running game with Raymell Rice and the always popular Brian Leonard make the Scarlet Knights a play on team this year. If you have one team that can’t stop the run and another that excels at it we have what you refer to as a mismatch.”

So what happened? Rutgers had close to a 3-to-1 edge in total yards and an edge in rushing 166-60. Rice ran for 107 yards averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Oh, and the Scarlet Knights easily got the money in a 33-0 rout. Looking for mismatches is a key way to identify spread covers and examining run defense is one way to find them.

2006 NFL Preseason Week1

The 2006 NFL Preseason week 1 is now in the bag and Ben Burns from Vegas Experts has taken a look and given us his recap. If you are looking to bet on the NFL preseason this year, then take a look at picking up one of his packages today.
The 2006 preseason has gotten off to a profitable start for ‘under’ bettors. In fact, 12 of the first 16 games have dipped below the number. ‘Underdogs’ had a 9-6-1 ‘against the spread’ advantage .

A few early observations and statistics appear below.

Scoring

With 12 of 16 games falling below the ‘total’ its no surprise that the first 17 games averaged only 31.94 points. A closer look shows that only three games surpassed the 40-point mark and that only one game finished above 50 points.

Notable Performances

- Maybe the Texans should have taken him with the first pick? Reggie Bush ran for 44 yards on his second carry. He finished with six rushes for 59 yards.

- Donovan McNabb appears fully recovered. In two brief appearances he has completed 10 of 12 (83%) passes for 107 yards.

- Jay Cutler, the 11th overall pick, had a solid debut for Denver. Cutler completed 16 of 22 passes for 192 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

- Steve McNair was sharp in his first game as a Raven. McNair completed four of five passes.

- Maybe the Cowboys’ backup situation isn’t too bad afterall. Tony Romo was 19 of 25 for 235 yards.

- Philip Rivers went 15 of 21 throwing for 16–first half yards and leading the Chargers to two touchdowns.

- Drew Brees looked a bit rusty at first but settled down to complete five of nine passes for 60 yards.

- Vince Young connected on just four of 11 pass attempts. In Young’s defense, he had a 50-yard pass dropped and he also rushed for 28 yards. He also left the game with a mild ankle sprain.

- Billy Volek was relatively solid in completing four of seven passes for 55 yards.

- Brett Favre struggled in a five for 10 outing. However, Aaron Rodgers was decent, going nine of 11 for 124 yards.

- Although he played just one series, Dante Culpepper said he ‘felt great.’ Culpepper completed one of two passes for just two yards.

- The Raiders may be 2-0 but new quarterback Aaron Brooks has yet to find his rhythm. Backups Walter and Tuiasosopo have been mediocre, at best.

New Coaches Are Winners…Barely

Teams with new head coaches were 6-5 ’straight up’ and 6-5 ATS. Note that in a couple of cases, like last night’s Raiders/Vikings game, there were two new coaches facing each other.

Is this the year of the NFC?

In recent baseball seasons, the American League has dominated the National League. The same can be said in football, where the American Football Conference (AFC) has dominated the National Football Conference (NFC) throughout the new millennium. However, if Week 1 preseason results mean anything (and I’m not saying that they do) this could be the year that the NFC returns to its winning ways. Despite the AFC representative winning both the Sunday and Monday games, the NFC still held a decided overall edge. NFC teams are currently 11-6 while teams from the AFC are just 6-11. I’ll keep an eye on this trend during the next three weeks of the exhibition season.

2006 NFL Offseason

We are now less than two months away from the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio that opens up the Preseason NFL schedule. That said there is no better time than now to take a look at some of the winners from this year’s draft and off-season in order to get a head start on your NFL football picks this season. A full recap of the draft is not necessary here as that information is available everywhere. The goal to accomplish here is to take a look at some of the teams that did so much that we may see some real betting value with those teams. That will be the case for not only the regular season but also the upcoming preseason. That’s because the preseason is when many of the new players get their biggest number of reps on the field.

AFC East - The Patriots picked up the running back that many feel was second only to Reggie Bush when they grabbed Laurence Maroney. The fact that the Patriots also got the top receiver in the draft in Chad Jackson plus a solid tight end in David Thomas means this was a very strong draft for the Pats. Note also that tight end Garrett Mills was highly productive in College and could end up being a pleasant surprise. The Patriots addressed offense much more than usual in this year’s draft and landed some playmakers.
AFC North – It looks like the Ravens will end up with former Titans QB Steve McNair. That is a key acquisition as the Baltimore quarterback situation has been a question mark for years. Now the Ravens have reunited McNair with his favorite target in WR Derrick Mason. With TE Todd Heap the Ravens offense already looks much more potent with McNair under center. As for the defense, the drafting of defensive tackle Haloti Ngata means a lot as he is huge and can clog up the middle. That will open things up for LB Ray Lewis and increase his playmaking abilities.

AFC South – The Jaguars added some playmaking ability with RB Maurice Drew and TE Mercedes Lewis. Those two UCLA Bruins will help the offense as QB Byron Leftwich can add Lewis to Matt Jones and Reggie Williams as great targets for his passes. The Jaguars also added to their defense with acquiring linebacker Nick Greisen and drafting another LB Clint Ingram. Neither are Arrington but those two should produce.

AFC West – The Broncos acquisition of WR Javon Walker was a huge pickup. Then drafting QB Jay Cutler was super as it will continue to push QB Jake Plummer who has improved during his time at Denver but certainly can’t rest on his past accomplishments. Many feel Cutler was the most polished quarterback available in this year’s draft and the Broncos added to their offense greatly with Cutler and Walker.

NFC East - The Eagles draft was not “sexy” in terms of big name players at the skill positions but I loved it. Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid believes games are won in the trenches and there is a lot of truth to that. The Eagles drafted linemen with their first four picks and they added some excellent talent for the trenches. Everything went wrong for the Eagles last season with the “T.O. situation” and a rash of injuries. Rest assured there is still a lot of talent on this roster and it was only the season before that they were in the Super Bowl. Look for a bounce back year in Philadelphia.

NFC North – The Lions did a great job of addressing their needs in this year’s draft. They picked up some defense with their first two picks of the draft and that was an excellent move as the offense already has a lot of skill at the playmaking positions. Now that they can put the Joey Harrington saga behind them the Lions offense will be ready to go. Adding safety Daniel Bullocks and LB Ernie Sims in the draft will further solidify this team.

NFC South – A very strong division with the Falcons, Panthers, and Buccaneers. But also keep an eye on the Saints this season. QB Drew Brees is fired up about showing the Chargers what they let get away. RB Reggie Bush is ready to make fans in the city of Houston get very sick as they come to realize what the Texans passed up on. New Coach Sean Payton has plenty to work with in New Orleans as the Saints also picked up Center Jeff Faine and defensive tackle Hollis Thomas in off-season acquisitions. After the Hurricane took so much away from the city of New Orleans in ’05, look for the Saints to be the “feel good” success story of the ‘06 NFL season.

NFC West – The Cardinals. Keep an eye on the Cardinals. They drafted QB Matt Leinart, G Duece Lutui, and TE Leonard Pope. They acquired RB Edgerrin James from the Colts. This team already had a ton of talent at the WR position and now they have added some key personnel to make Arizona a formidable team in this division. The new stadium will also help motivate the Cardinals and look for a very strong season led by Coach Dennis Green.

Keep an eye on all the teams above as we feel they may provide some nice wagering opportunities in the upcoming NFL season. Note that these opportunities may come up as soon as the the NFL Preseason. It will all be getting started in less than two months. As always, best of luck…..ProCappers Team

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