As always, the teams in the NFC East are going to have a lot of pressure on them this year to succeed. The Super Bowl champs are in this division, and there are three other teams that think that they can pull off the same task this year as well. The odds to win the NFC East are always tight, and that should lead to a great year of football once again in what is seemingly always one of the most competitive foursomes in the game.

Of course, it isn’t the defending Super Bowl champs, but the Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East Betting Odds: 1.40 to 1 5Dimes Sportsbook) are the NFC East favorites this year. The so-called “Dream Team” was a bit of a nightmare last year, though hindsight being 20/20.  Losses to teams like the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers weren’t nearly as bad as they seemed to be at the time. The Eagles are still very talented and are extremely fast. The combo of QB Michael Vick, WR Jeremy Maclin, and WR DeSean Jackson is clearly the fastest in the league, and RB LeSean McCoy is most certainly not a slacker either. The defense seems to be more prepared now than it was at the outset of the year to dominate, and that could go a long way in helping out Vick as well. In the end though, it is going to be up to No. 7 to take care of the football. If he does that, the Eagles will win this division. If he doesn’t, it could be another year of missing the playoffs and the last year for Head Coach Andy Reid on the sidelines in the City of Brotherly Love.

Second in line is the team that won the Super Bowl last year, the New York Giants (NFC East Betting Lines: 2.05 to 1 5Dimes Sportsbook). QB Eli Manning has definitely proven that he is an elite quarterback worthy of being called Peyton’s baby brother, though this year, he is going to be given a bit of a tougher task with WR Mario Manningham now in San Francisco. The ground game isn’t the greatest, but it is serviceable with RB Ahmad Bradshaw. It is the pass rush that really makes the team though, and Head Coach Tom Coughlin has been preaching that over the course of his entire tenure in the Big Apple. The question is whether there is a Super Bowl letdown coming for Big Blue, though. It happened a few years ago, and it could happen again in 2012.

As always, there is a heck of a lot of pressure on the Dallas Cowboys (2012 Odds To Win AFC East: 2.65 to 1 @ SportBet Sportsbook). QB Tony Romo is always under a microscope, and that isn’t going to be an exception this year. He puts up great numbers thanks to the fact that he has a remarkable set of receivers, but perhaps he deserves more credit. No one had ever heard of WR Miles Austin before Romo put him on the map, and when both he and WR Dez Bryant were hurt last year, it was WR Laurent Robinson that suddenly became a hero. On the ground, it was supposed to be RB Felix Jones that carried the load, but instead, RB DeMarco Murray came out of nowhere to be one of the most punishing backs in the league. Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan was figured to be one of the hot head coaching candidates available in this past offseason, but after an atrocious year on the sidelines managing the Dallas defense, no one bit on Rex’s brother. It could be a make or break season both for Ryan and for Head Coach Jason Garrett, as more seasons of missing the playoffs won’t sit well with owner and GM Jerry Jones.

We give all the credit in the world to the Washington Redskins (NFL Betting Lines in the NFC East: 11.20 to 1 5Dimes Sportsbook). Last year, they weren’t a bad team, though they weren’t exactly a fantastic one either. Young defensive players like LB Ryan Kerrigan and LB Brian Orakpo stepped up in a big time way, and there was enough talent at the skill positions to put some points on the board. Keep a close eye on TE Fred Davis this year as a potential top tight end in the league. What was missing was a quarterback. Washington had a good draft slot at No. 4, and it knew that it had to put together a great package to move up to No. 2 to take QB Robert Griffin III. And that’s exactly what the Redskins did. They got the job done, and now, they have the man that they hope will right the ship. We saw some rookie quarterbacks play well last year and get their teams to show big time improvement like QB Cam Newton with the Carolina Panthers and QB Andy Dalton with the Cincinnati Bengals, and if Griffin can do that with the Redskins, this might suddenly become a fun team to keep track of on a weekly basis.

NFC East Gambling Lines @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/3/12):
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Philadelphia Eagles Win NFC East +140
Field Wins NFC East -170

New York Giants Win NFC East +205
Field Wins NFC East -265

Dallas Cowboys Win NFC East +265
Field Wins NFC East -355

Washington Redskins Win NFC East +1120
Field Wins NFC East -1740

The NFC South division has been an up and down division, and it is one that is full of drama over the course of the last few years, and this year should be no exception on the NFL betting lines. Join our expert NFL handicappers, as we try to beat the odds to win the NFC South in 2012.

Last year, the Atlanta Falcons (Odds To Win NFC South Division: 1.14 to 1 @ 5 Dimes Sportsbook) basically went all-in with the NFL Draft, moving way up to take WR Julio Jones to complement WR Roddy White in a very talented offense. QB Matt Ryan had a great year, and both Jones and White per incredibly productive. That being said, the defense just wasn’t good enough, and the pieces to the puzzle weren’t added to make this team a legit Super Bowl contender in our eyes. This is still quite a good team though, and this is a deserving team to be in the playoffs. We just don’t think that there is a deep run to the Super Bowl coming, and we aren’t so sure that Atlanta should be the favorite on the odds to win the NFC South.

It has understandably been a heck of an offseason New Orleans Saints (2012 NFC South Odds: 1.35 to 1 @ 5 Dimes Sportsbook), and we can definitely sympathize with NFL betting fans that just don’t want to take their chances on a team that has had so much going on. Missing out on LB Jonathan Vilma for the year will hurt, as will not having DE Will Smith for a month. However, we think that the rest of the punishments for New Orleans, including the year-long suspension for Head Coach Sean Peyton are overblown. We are far more concerned about the fact that QB Drew Brees still doesn’t have that contract that he so badly wants to make him a Saint for the rest of his career, as that could linger. Losing OL Carl Nicks is going to hurt as well. Still, New Orleans’ offense is out of this world, and it isn’t going to take Peyton for that to keep up. TE Jimmy Graham should be in for another record-breaking type of season in 2012, and Brees should once again at least flirt with the idea of getting to 5,000 passing yards.

We think that it is very interesting to see what the Carolina Panthers (2012 NFC South Odds: 6 to 1 @ 5 Dimes Sportsbook) can do this year. The offense clearly came together with QB Cam Newton calling the shots. Newton had the best statistical season that a rookie quarterback has ever assembled. WR Steve Smith once again looks like one of the top speed burning receivers in the league. The pressure came off of both RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Neither had a great year, but combined, they had a fantastic campaign. Now, the next task for Head Coach Ron Rivera is to build up a defense that was the Achilles heel of the team. Can Carolina get there? Probably not quite yet, but this is definitely a team that is going to be a pain for the rest of the league when it can get its act together on both sides of the ball.

There aren’t many teams that we think can come from the longest NFL odds on the board to win a division, but we are at least cautioning that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Odds To Win NFC South: 16 to 1 @ 5 Dimes Sportsbook) could be good enough to get the job done. Remember that this was a team that just two years ago finished with 10 wins and just missed the playoffs. Tampa Bay has a new head coach in Greg Schiano, and he is going to bring a level of toughness that just wasn’t there with the youthful and exuberant Raheem Morris. The first thing that the Bucs did in the offseason, was bring in some proven leaders, WR Vincent Jackson and OL Carl Nicks, and then they drafted a true winner in S Mark Barron and a tough, hard-nosed runner in RB Doug Martin. This isn’t a team that is going to lose 10 games in a row like it did to end last season. Tampa Bay can be a legitimate winner this season, and we expect to see good things from the up and coming QB Josh Freeman. If he can limit turnovers and Schiano can get a good, solid rushing attack, whether it be from Martin or RB LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay will have the defensive intensity to be a pain to the rest of the NFC South.

2012 Odds to win the NFC South @ 5 Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/3/12):
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Atlanta Falcons Win NFC South +114 (1.14 to 1)
Field Wins NFC South -144

New Orleans Saints Win NFC South +135 (1.35 to 1)
Field Wins NFC South -165

Carolina Panthers Win NFC South +600 (6 to 1)
Field Wins NFC South -900

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Win NFC South +1600 (16 to 1)
Field Wins NFC South -2500

The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys are set to get started with the 2012 NFL season, and as a part of our analysis of the Week 1 betting lines, we are taking a look at some of the best NFL props on the board for the first game of the season.

Total Sacks Over/Under 4.5: On one glance, this prop should be really easy, right? After all, Jason Pierre-Paul should be good for a sack, as should DeMarcus Ware, and there are sure to be others that can get in on the action. Neither offensive line is all that great in pass coverage either, plus there was a game in which there were eight sacks between these teams just last year. Easy over, right? Not so fast. Over the course of the last six regular season games played between these two teams, three of the games featured no more than two sacks, and five of the six had four sacks or fewer. This is an easy one to get suckered into, but we aren’t buying it one bit. Dallas/New York Under 4.5 Sacks (+105)

Ahmad Bradshaw Over/Under 2.5 Receptions: Once upon a time, Bradshaw made for a good check down option for QB Eli Manning when he was under pressure. What we are seeing as time goes by though, is that Manning is getting more confident in his arm, and he is able to make throws down the field in the face of adversity. Parlay in there the fact that Bradshaw could be spending some more time on the bench with RB David Wilson cutting into his PT, and the feeling that we have is that there are just going to be fewer opportunities for the New York starting tailback to get the ball in his hands. We would be surprised to see him get three targets, let alone catch three balls. Bradshaw Under 2.5 Receptions (+100)

Tony Romo Over/Under 280.5 Passing Yards: This one is pretty cut and dry for us. Last year, Romo averaged just 261.5 passing yards per game, and he has never averaged more than 280 yards per game in a single season. He is going up against a New York defense that has held down its last six foes, one of which was QB Aaron Rodgers and one of which was QB Tom Brady to just 14.0 points per game. Romo also has averaged just 248.8 passing yards per game in his career against the G-Men, though it should be noted that one of those games was cut short because of a collarbone injury that he suffered. Take that game out, and the number is still 271.3 yards per game. Still, significantly more often than not, Romo is going to fail to reach this passing plateau, and we plan on taking full advantage of it. Romo Under 280.5 Passing Yards

Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants NFL Props @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 9/5/12):
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Score in First 6 ½ Minutes -140
No Score in First 6 ½ Minutes +110

Cowboys Score First +110
Giants Score First -140

First Score a Touchdown -170
First Score Not a Touchdown +140

Longest TD Over 44.5 Yards -115
Longest TD Under 44.5 Yards -115

Longest Field Goal Over 43.5 Yards -130
Longest Field Goal Under 43.5 Yards +100

Total Sacks Over 4.5 -135
Total Sacks Under 4.5 +105

Tony Romo Over 22.5 Completions -140
Tony Romo Under 22.5 Completions +110

Tony Romo Over 280.5 Passing Yards -115
Tony Romo Under 280.5 Passing Yards -115

Tony Romo Over 1.5 TD Passes -145
Tony Romo Under 1.5 TD Passes +115

Tony Romo Throws an INT -160
Tony Romo Doesn’t Throw an INT +130

DeMarco Murray Over 76.5 Rushing Yards -115
DeMarco Murray Under 76.5 Rushing Yards -115

DeMarco Murray Scores a TD +140
DeMarco Murray Doesn’t Score a TD -180

Felix Jones Over 3.5 Yards on First Rush -125
Felix Jones Under 3.5 Yards on First Rush -105

Dez Bryant Over 11.5 Yards on First Reception -110
Dez Bryan Under 11.5 Yards on First Reception -120

Eli Manning Over 23.5 Completions -115
Eli Manning Under 23.5 Completions -115

Eli Manning Over 297.5 Passing Yards -115
Eli Manning Under 297.5 Passing Yards -115

Eli Manning Over 1.5 TD Passes -180
Eli Manning Under 1.5 TD Passes +140

Eli Manning Throws an INT -185
Eli Manning Doesn’t Throw an INT +145

Ahmad Bradshaw Rushing Yards Over 65.5 -115
Ahmad Bradshaw Rushing Yards Under 65.5 -115

Ahmad Bradshaw Scores a TD +110
Ahmad Bradshaw Doesn’t Score a TD -140

Ahmad Bradshaw Over 2.5 Receptions -130
Ahmad Bradshaw Under 2.5 Receptions +100

Victor Cruz Over 5.5 Receptions +100
Victor Cruz Under 5.5 Receptions -130

Victor Cruz Over 90.5 Receiving Yards -115
Victor Cruz Under 90.5 Receiving Yards -115

Victor Cruz Scores a TD +115
Victor Cruz Doesn’t Score a TD -145