Our US Open predictions and free picks for the women’s bracket continue this week, as the US Open betting action gets set to get underway next week in Flushing, NY!

2011 US Open Odds, Picks & Info
2011 US Open Dates: Monday, August 29 – Sunday, September 11
2011 US Open Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York
2011 US Open Favorite: Serena Williams (+160)
Defending US Open Ladies Champion: Kim Clijsters
2011 US Open TV Coverage – Network: Tennis Network, NBC

It’s ironic to think that the woman who is the favorite this year by a country mile at the US Open isn’t even ranked in the Top 25 in the bracket. However, we all know that Serena Williams (Current US Open Odds: 1.60 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) is going to be the force to be reckoned with. Williams is only No. 28 in the bracket thanks to the fact that she hasn’t played a heck of a lot of tennis of late, but with three US Open titles to her credit and a slew of other finals, many of which were lost to her sister, there is no doubt that this is the player that no one wants to mess around with.

With women’s tennis so far out of tilt over these last few years, without any truly dominating players, we are at the point that we are content taking underdogs and seeing how things work out. The woman that really catches our eye in spite of the fact that she really has never played all that well on hard courts is Na Li (US Open Lines: 22 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The Chinese standout played in the final at Wimbledon this year, which came just one major tournament after claiming her first ever Grand Slam title at the French Open. Li is already 29 years old, but she has definitely blossomed this year into one of the top players in the world and definitely should not be forgotten, especially at this type of a price.

List Of Past Ladies US Open Champions (Since 2000)
2010 US Open Winner: Kim Clijsters
2009 US Open Winner: Kim Clijsters
2008 US Open Winner: Serena Williams
2007 US Open Winner: Justine Henin
2006 US Open Winner: Maria Sharapova
2005 US Open Winner: Kim Clijsters
2004 US Open Winner: Svetlana Kuznetsova
2003 US Open Winner: Justine Henin
2002 US Open Winner: Serena Williams
2001 US Open Winner: Venus Williams
2000 US Open Winner: Venus Williams

She really hasn’t panned out as one of the best top seeds in women’s tennis this year, especially at majors, but the time is definitely coming for Caroline Wozniacki (Odds to Win the US Open: 17 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) to make a name for herself at the Grand Slam level. She’s won plenty of secondary events over the course of the last few years, but she has never gotten all the way through the biggest events of her career. Is this her day? We tend to think that there is at least a 1 in 17 chance of the Dane getting the job done.

US Open Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/24/11):
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Serena Williams 1.60 to 1
Maria Sharapova 6.50 to 1
Petra Kvitova 11 to 1
Victoria Azarenka 12 to 1
Caroline Wozniacki 17 to 1
Vera Zvonareva 21 to 1
Na Li 22 to 1
Sabine Lisicki 32 to 1
Andrea Petkovic 42 to 1
Agnieszka Radwanska 42 to 1
Samatha Stosur 44 to 1
Marion Bartoli 55 to 1
Jelena Jankovic 60 to 1
Venus Williams 65 to 1
Svetlana Kuznetsova 90 to 1
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 90 to 1
Daniela Hantuchova 90 to 1
Ana Ivanovic 95 to 1
Francesca Schiavone 120 to 1
Dominika Cibulkova 150 to 1
Julia Goerges 190 to 1
Yanina Wickmayer 190 to 1
Shuai Peng 200 to 1
Nadia Petrova 200 to 1
Flavia Pennetta 250 to 1
Roberta Vinci 260 to 1
Lucie Safarova 270 to 1
Jarmila Gajdosova 300 to 1
Maria Kirilenko 385 to 1
Shahar Peer 450 to 1
Bethanie Mattek Sands 500 to 1
Kaia Kanepi 500 to 1
Elena Vesnina 500 to 1
Ekaterina Makarova 500 to1
Tamira Paszek 500 to 1
Petra Cetkovska 500 to 1
Irina Camelia Begu 500 to 1
Tsvetana Pironkova 500 to 1
Lucie Hradecka 500 to 1
Gisela Dulko 500 to 1
Simona Halep 500 to 1
Bojana Jovanovski 500 to 1
Jelena Dokic 590 to 1
Anabel Medina Garrigues 1,000 to 1
Sara Errani 1,000 to 1
Klara Zakopalova 1,000 to 1
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 1,000 to 1
Polona Hercog 1,000 to 1
Rebecca Marino 1,000 to 1
Iveta Benesova 1,000 to 1
Lourdes Dominguez Lino 1,000 to 1
Alexandra Dulgheru 1,000 to 1
Ayumi Morita 1,000 to 1
Ksenia Pervak 1,000 to 1
Kimiko Date Krumm 1,000 to 1
Elena Baltacha 1,000 to 1
Monica Niculescu 1,000 to 1
Sofia Arvidsson 1,000 to 1
Pauline Parmentier 1,000 to 1
Johanna Larsson 1,000 to 1
Sania Mirza 1,000 to 1
Vera Dushevina 1,000 to 1

This Saturday night is fight night at the HSBC Arena in the Rio de Janeiro, and we have some of the best MMA picks in the world as we dissect the UFC 134 live odds!

2011 UFC 134, Picks & Info
UFC 134 Date: Saturday, August 27th, 2011, 9:00 ET
UFC 134 Location: HSBC Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
UFC 134 Main Event: Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami
UFC 134 Live TV Coverage – Network: Pay-Per-View

The Middleweight Championship will be on the line on Saturday night when Brazilian Anderson Silva essentially plays host to a stingy challenger, Yushin Okami. Okami is 26-5 in his MMA career, and he has really come through a tough set of middleweights to reach this fight. The Japanese wonder took care of Mark Munoz and Nate Marquardt in back to back fights, the latter of which was one of the best fights in UFC 122. Okami has never challenged for a belt like this in his career, and he certainly has his work cut out for him.

Okami actually does have a win in his career against Silva back in 2006 in Honolulu, but the win came via DQ. Silva hasn’t lost a fight since that point (14-0), and he has been the Middleweight champ since taking the belt from Rich Franklin in October 2006. Only two of his fights have even gone the distance in this stretch, and both ended in unanimous decisions in favor of the champ.

The undercard, to no surprise, features a slew of Brazilians that will have the crowd on their side against others. Americans Forrest Griffin and Brendan Schaub will have their work cut out for them against Mauricio Rua and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira respectively.

The Rua fight is of particular note, knowing that he is badly trying to get back on top in the Light Heavyweight Division after losing two of his last three fights and ceding his belt to Jon Jones. Griffin already has one win in his career against Rua, coming via a rear naked choke submission back in 2007. Griffin has fought some of the best in the business in his time, beating the likes of Tito Ortiz, Rich Franklin, Rua, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Don’t be shocked if he pulls off another big victory in this one in Brazil.

Current 2011 UFC 134 Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook) (as of 8/23/11):
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Yushin Okami +400
Anderson Silva -500
Over/Under 4.5 Rounds (Over +135)

Forrest Griffin +195
Mauricio Rua -235
Over/Under 2.5 Rounds (Over -130)

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +195
Brendan Schaub -235
Over/Under 2.5 Rounds (Over +100)

Ross Pearson +245
Edson Barboza -290
Over/Under 2.5 Rounds (Over -135)

Stanislav Nedkov +175
Luiz Cane -225

Spencer Fisher +180
Thiago Tavares -240

Dan Miller +190
Rousimar Palhares -270

Current 2011 UFC 134 Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook) (as of 8/23/11):
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Yushin Okami +395
Anderson Silva -475

Forrest Griffin +185
Mauricio Rua -225

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +195
Brendan Schaub -235

Ross Pearson +240
Edson Barboza -300

The Big 10 (err… Big 12?) definitely has a new look to it this season with the addition of the Cornhuskers into the fold. But will they be able to make the big time impact that everyone is looking for in this conference? One, and potentially two bids will be on the line on October 1st when Big Red tries to make its first Big 10 statement in Camp Randall against the Badgers.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Picks & Info
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Date: Saturday, October 1st
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Spread: Wisconsin Badgers -2.5

Nebraska thinks that it can be a National Championship contender this year, but it is clear that this is the biggest test on the slate. Remember that this could be the first of two meetings against Wisky on the season, as there is a very possible date for these two in the first Big 10 Championship Game as well. QB Taylor Martinez did great against the Washington Huskies in the first go around of those two teams last season, but when push came to shove, U-Dub got the best of him and the Huskers in the Holiday Bowl. Cause for concern? Head Coach Bo Pelini is going to hope that a defense that ranked No. 10 in the nation last year at 308.2 yards per game can keep things going in spite of the fact that over the last two seasons, the team has lost some absolute studs on this side of the ball in DT Ndamukong Suh and DB Prince Amukamara.

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Wisconsin Badgers Past Games (Since 1995)
None

The Badgers are going to look a whole heck of a lot like they did last year. We know that RB John Clay is no longer in the fold, but the two men that shined last season in his absence, RB Montee Ball and RB James White are still here in Madison. Those three helped Wisconsin to the No. 11 rushing offense in the land at 247.1 yards per game, and they did so without the use of a mobile quarterback bolstering the yardage totals. This year, QB Russell Wilson at least brings a level of athleticism to the fold, but he also gives Head Coach Bret Bielema the best signal caller that he has had in his short time at Wisconsin since taking over for the famed Barry Alvarez. This is going to be the fifth straight home game to start the season, and if Wisconsin can get past this one, it should be a Top 5 team in the nation and be 6-0 going into games against Michigan State and Ohio State on the road in back to back weeks.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/23/11):
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Nebraska Cornhuskers (+2.5) @ Wisconsin Badgers

NASCAR betting fans: We’re back with another fantastic race this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, as 43 of the best drivers in the world look to make for great Pure Michigan 400 picks!

2011 Pure Michigan 400 Odds, Picks & Info
2011 Pure Michigan 400 Date: Sunday, August 21st, 2011
2011 Pure Michigan 400 Green Flag Time: 1:16 ET
2011 Pure Michigan 400 Location: Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI
2011 Pure Michigan 400 Favorite: Carl Edwards (+725)
Defending Pure Michigan 400 Champion: Kevin Harvick
2011 Pure Michigan 400 TV Coverage – Network: ESPN

Michigan International Speedway definitely brings out the best that a number of drivers have. It’s no wonder why Denny Hamlin (Current Pure Michigan 400 Odds: 8.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) is licking his chops about returning to this track. He won at the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 just eight weeks ago, marking his fourth Top 3 finish in his last five tries at this track. Hamlin has a history of just dominating a few tracks in his history, and this is no exception. Here and Martinsville are where he really tends to just take advantage of the rest of this field. Many think that he is going to be the last driver in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and it’s pretty clear that just one more victory is going to get the job done for him this year.

List Of Past Pure Michigan 400 Champions (Since 2000)
2010 Pure Michigan 400 Winner: Kevin Harvick
2009 Pure Michigan 400 Winner: Brian Vickers
2008 Pure Michigan 400 Winner: Carl Edwards
2007 Pure Michigan 400 Winner: Kurt Busch
2006 Pure Michigan 400 Winner: Matt Kenseth
2005 Pure Michigan 400 Winner: Jeremy Mayfield
2004 Pure Michigan 400 Winner: Greg Biffle
2003 Pure Michigan 400 Winner: Ryan Newman
2002 Pure Michigan 400 Winner: Dale Jarrett
2001 Pure Michigan 400 Winner: Sterling Marlin
2000 Pure Michigan 400 Winner: Rusty Wallace

Keep a very close eye on the co-leader of the Sprint Cup standing as well, Carl Edwards (Pure Michigan 400 Lines: 7.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Sure, we know that Edwards hasn’t won a race (All-Star Race excluded) since way back in March, but if you look at his history on this track, you know that he is definitely going to be a star to watch. Edwards has finished in the Top 10 at Michigan International Speedway 12 times in his 14 career races, and he has a pair of ‘W’s to boot. Roush Racing has a ton of great results on this track, and Edwards, as the captain of the ship for Jack Roush, knows that he has the best chance of making it to the Winner’s Circle on Sunday of this bunch.

If you want to go off of the board just a bit to find a winner for this race, what about Brad Keselowski (Odds to Win the Pure Michigan 400: 30 to 1 at JustBet Sportsbook)? Many thought that Keselowski was going to be the rabbit in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, but last week, he nearly snared his third victory of the season at the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, finishing in second place. There are a lot of drivers that are rooting like heck for Keselowski to get into the Top 10 so he’s not a factor for a Wild Card, but he has quite the ways to go to get that far. Don’t be shocked if he makes out well again this week in Brooklyn, MI, and he could factor into the equation down the stretch.

Pure Michigan 400 Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/18/11):
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Jimmie Johnson 7.25 to 1
Carl Edwards 7.50 to 1
Denny Hamlin 8.50 to 1
Kyle Busch 8.50 to 1
Matt Kenseth 9 to 1
Jeff Gordon 9.50 to 1
Kurt Busch 9.50 to 1
Kevin Harvick 13 to 1
Tony Stewart 13 to 1
Greg Biffle 20 to 1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 27 to 1
Brad Keselowski 27 to 1
Kasey Kahne 33 to 1
Clint Bowyer 34 to 1
David Ragan 38 to 1
Joey Logano 38 to 1
Ryan Newman 38 to 1
Juan Pablo Montoya 44 to 1
Jeff Burton 44 to 1
Martin Truex Jr. 45 to 1
Paul Menard 48 to 1
Mark Martin 55 to 1
David Reutimann 55 to 1
Brian Vickers 55 to 1
Jamie McMurray 66 to 1

Pure Michigan 400 Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 8/18/11):
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Carl Edwards 7 to 1
Jimmie Johnson 7 to 1
Denny Hamlin 8 to 1
Kyle Busch 8 to 1
Jeff Gordon 9 to 1
Matt Kenseth 10 to 1
Kevin Harvick 12 to 1
Tony Stewart 12 to 1
Greg Biffle 18 to 1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 25 to 1
Brad Keselowski 30 to 1
Kasey Kahne 30 to 1
David Ragan 35 to 1
Clint Bowyer 35 to 1
Joey Logano 35 to 1
Ryan Newman 35 to 1
Juan Pablo Montoya 40 to 1
Jeff Burton 40 to 1
Martin Truex Jr. 45 to 1
Paul Menard 45 to 1
Mark Martin 50 to 1
David Reutimann 50 to 1
Brian Bickers 50 to 1
Jamie McMurray 60 to 1
Kurt Busch 9 to 1
Field 30 to 1

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Week 2 of the 2011 NFL campaign is going to get underway this weekend. Below you will find the current list of 2011 Week 2 NFL lines and spreads along with a breakdown of the Week 2 NFL odds. Be sure to check out the free NFL picks from the expert handicappers at Bankroll Sports this week…

It was definitely an interesting week of football on the Week 1 NFLX lines, as there were a number of big time blow outs, something that is not characteristic this early in the year. The New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers posted two of the biggest blowouts, winning games by 35 and 25 points respectively and posting dominating outings on both sides of the ball. QB Tom Brady didn’t suit for the Pats last week, nor did most of his first team offensive friends. Tampa Bay is at home on Thursday though, and that is good enough for the oddsmakers to make it a 2.5 point favorite.

A dozen home teams won last week, and this week, there are a slew of hosts that are favorites on the NFL Week 2 lines. This week, there are four teams that are favored by at least six points at home, including the Green Bay Packers (vs. the Arizona Cardinals), Baltimore Ravens (vs. the Kansas City Chiefs), Miami Dolphins (vs. the Carolina Panthers), and the New York Jets (vs. the Cincinnati Bengals).

Once again this week, there is only one team that is favored on the road. Last week, the Bucs pulled off a 25-0 romp over the Chiefs as we mentioned before as road favorites, and this week, the NFL odds are calling for a big win for the Washington Redskins over the Indianapolis Colts. Without QB Peyton Manning taking snaps, Indy was destroyed last week by the up and coming St. Louis Rams 33-10, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see similar this week, especially with Washington coming off of that 16-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the home opener.

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‘Totals’ are all across the board this week as well. The lowest number of the bunch is the 32.5 on the board between the Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens. These two offenses combined for just two field goals in Week 1 of the preseason, and both field goals were scored by Baltimore. Now, both head coaches are going to try to get their acts together and get some TDs on the board. This might seem like an overreaction by the oddsmakers, but they kept the ‘totals’ in both of their first two preseason games relatively low as well, so this low of a number isn’t a surprise.

The highest ‘total’ is the 37.5 between the Pack and the Cardinals. Arizona’s first team offense struggled against the Oakland Raiders last week, but in the end, the team was good for 24 points. Green Bay had the exact opposite problem, putting up 17 points with the first teamers on the field and scoring absolutely nothing with the second team out there. The key is that both of these defenses are coming off of bad weeks in which they allowed teams to score in the mid-20s, which is why this ‘total’ is so much higher than most of the rest.

There is a nationally televised game every single night this week in the preseason NFL betting action. The Philadelphia Eagles are three point underdogs to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the battle of Pennsylvania on Thursday night on Fox. On Friday, Fox has a southern style showdown between the Atlanta Falcons and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags are three point favorites. The NFL Network is going to showcase Saturday’s Houston Texans as 1.5 point favorites at home against the New Orleans Saints. Sunday Night Football on NBC debuts this week with the Dallas Cowboys at -1 on the NFL Week 2 odds against the San Diego Chargers. Things wrap up on Monday Night Football with the duel in the Meadowlands between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, where the hosts are 4.5 point favorites.

2011 NFL Football Week 2 Lines @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 8/16/11):
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401 New England Patriots +2.5
402 Tampa Bay Buccaneers -2.5
Over/Under 36.5

403 Philadelphia Eagles +3
404 Pittsburgh Steelers -3
Over/Under 33.5

405 Washington Redskins -5.5
406 Indianapolis Colts +5.5
Over/Under 34

407 Detroit Lions +2.5
408 Cleveland Browns -2.5
Over/Under 36.5

409 Carolina Panthers +6
410 Miami Dolphins -6
Over/Under 34

411 Kansas City Chiefs +6.5
412 Baltimore Ravens -6.5
Over/Under 32.5

413 Arizona Cardinals +6
414 Green Bay Packers -6
Over/Under 37.5

415 Atlanta Falcons +3
416 Jacksonville Jaguars -3
Over/Under 36

417 Tennessee Titans +3.5
418 St. Louis Rams -3.5
Over/Under 36

419 New Orleans Saints +1.5
420 Houston Texans -1.5
Over/Under 37

421 Oakland Raiders +3
422 San Francisco 49ers -3
Over/Under 34

423 Buffalo Bills +4
424 Denver Broncos -4
Over/Under 36.5

425 Minnesota Vikings +3
426 Seattle Seahawks -3
Over/Under 35

427 Cincinnati Bengals +6.5
428 New York Jets -6.5
Over/Under 35.5

429 San Diego Chargers +1
430 Dallas Cowboys -1
Over/Under 37

431 Chicago Bears +4.5
432 New York Giants -4.5
Over/Under 34.5

The Hogs and the Razorbacks seemingly always put on a great show, and it never seems to matter what the records are between the two. Upsets happen in this series all the time, but this year, the winner of this one might be well on their way to the SEC Championship Game, while the loser is likely going to end up in a situation where it has no chance to get into the BCS.

Arkansas Razorbacks @ LSU Tigers Picks & Info
Arkansas Razorbacks @ LSU Tigers Date: Friday, November 25th
Arkansas Razorbacks @ LSU Tigers Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
Arkansas Razorbacks @ LSU Tigers Spread: LSU Tigers -8

The Hogs really got some bad news this week when they learned that RB Knile Davis was likely out for the season. If he doesn’t end up playing in this one, it could be a rough go for the Razorbacks. Davis accounted for 1,322 rushing yards and 13 scores last season, and he averaged 6.5 yards per carry. WE just don’t have the confidence that QB Tyler Wilson is going to be able to get the job done. If Ryan Mallett were still here in Fayetteville, we’d feel a lot different. The Arkansas defense under Head Coach Bobby Petrino definitely has a lot of work to do, though this should be a much easier challenge than most others will be in the SEC.

Arkansas Razorbacks vs. LSU Tigers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Arkansas 31 – LSU 23
2009: LSU 33 – Arkansas 30
2008: Arkansas 31 – LSU 30
2007: Arkansas 50 – LSU 48
2006: LSU 31 – Arkansas 26
2005: LSU 19 – Arkansas 17
2004: LSU 43 – Arkansas 14
2003: LSU 55 – Arkansas 24
2002: Arkansas 21 – LSU 20
2001: LSU 41 – Arkansas 38
2000: Arkansas 14 – LSU 3
1999: LSU 35 – Arkansas 10
1998: Arkansas 41 – LSU 14
1997: LSU 31 – Arkansas 21
1996: LSU 17 – Arkansas 7
1995: LSU 28 – Arkansas 0

The Bayou Bengals have just a heard of potential tripping points this year on the schedule, but this is the last building block towards an SEC title. The Hogs have done their share of keeping LSU out of the SEC Championship Game and the National Championship Game in recent years, and Head Coach Les Miles and company hope to avoid a similar fate this season. The trouble is going to come with an offense that was only able to put up 23 points last year against a rather questionable Arkansas defense. QB Jordan Jefferson has yet another year under his belt, but he just hasn’t shown signs of improvement. If the ‘O’ doesn’t get more production than it did last year in Fayetteville, don’t think for one second that the Bayou Bengals are getting out of this one so easily.

Arkansas Razorbacks @ LSU Tigers Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/15/11):
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Arkansas Razorbacks (+8) @ LSU Tigers

The NFC West was one of the worst divisions is football last season, as all four teams finished below .500. This year, there has been a ton of change from top to bottom, and it could make handicapping the NFC West odds incredibly difficult.

The favorites of the bunch this year are the St. Louis Rams (Current NFC West Odds: 1.85 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook), who are just two years removed from having the worst record in football. St. Louis could have won the division title last year at 8-8, but it failed to do so on the last week of the season. QB Sam Bradford is already the best signal caller in this division bar none, and it is clear that Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo has the goods to do some tremendous damage. The Rams aren’t a Super Bowl team quite yet, but they are definitely heading in the right direction and could be a postseason team with a division title.

A change at head coach is only the beginning of the flipping around for the San Francisco 49ers (NFC West Lines: 1.85 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). This is the third straight season in which they were really supposed to be the breakout team, and only time will tell whether new Head Coach Jim Harbaugh will pay dividends for the squad. QB Alex Smith is going to have a new weapon to play with in WR Brayton Edwards, but the real key is the defense for this squad, which massively underachieved a season ago.

Watch out for the new look Arizona Cardinals (Odds to Win the NFC West: 4.50 to 1 at JustBet Sportsbook) in 2011. Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt just didn’t have a quarterback to work with last year, and he remedied that situation by taking QB Kevin Kolb from the Philadelphia Eagles. We tend to believe that Kolb can play, as he really did look good in his limited action with the Eagles over the last few seasons. This is a team with the talent to win it all, but after badly being outperformed by virtually everyone in the division a year ago, we can’t blame the skeptics who are calling for this to be a last place team once again this season.

The team with the biggest change is the Seattle Seahawks (2011 NFC West Odds: 6 to 1 at JustBet Sportsbook). It’s not often that a team sneaks into the playoffs with a losing record, but this was the case for the Seahawks last year. QB Matt Hasselbeck and QB Charlie Whitehurst were able to get this team into the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs, but it just wasn’t good enough for either man to end up with the starting signal caller job this year. Hasselbeck was let go and is now a member of the Tennessee Titans, while Whitehurst is apparently just going to be stuck with backup duties. QB Tarvaris Jackson never really got a fair shot with the Minnesota Vikings, but now that he has taken his trade to Seattle, he’ll have a chance to shine.

2011 NFC West Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC West
Arizona Cardinals 3.50 to 1
San Francisco 49ers 1.85 to 1
Seattle Seahawks 4.25 to 1
St. Louis Rams 1.85 to 1

Odds To Win Super Bowl
Arizona Cardinals 65 to 1
San Francisco 49ers 52 to 1
Seattle Seahawks 85 to 1
St. Louis Rams 45 to 1

NFC West Super Bowl Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC West Division
Arizona Cardinals 4.50 to 1
San Francisco 49ers 1 to 1.10
Seattle Seahawks 6 to 1
St. Louis Rams 1.50 to 1

Super Bowl 46 Odds
Arizona Cardinals 70 to 1
San Francisco 49ers 42 to 1
Seattle Seahawks 95 to 1
St. Louis Rams 40 to 1

NFC West Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win The NFC West
Arizona Cardinals 3.50 to 1
San Francisco 49ers 1.75 to 1
Seattle Seahawks 5 to 1
St. Louis Rams 1.75 to 1

NFC West Odds To Win the Super Bowl
Arizona Cardinals 75 to 1
San Francisco 49ers 40 to 1
Seattle Seahawks 65 to 1
St. Louis Rams 40 to 1

NFL Betting Odds @ BoDog Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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NFC West Odds
Arizona Cardinals 2.75 to 1
San Francisco 49ers 1.85 to 1
Seattle Seahawks 5 to 1
St. Louis Rams 1.85 to 1

Super Bowl Odds
Arizona Cardinals 60 to 1
San Francisco 49ers 45 to 1
Seattle Seahawks 75 to 1
St. Louis Rams 45 to 1