The Carolina Panthers and New York Giants are set to continue the 2012 NFL season, and as a part of our analysis of the Week 3 betting lines, we are taking a look at some of the best NFL props on the board for this crucial Thursday Night Football matchup.

Total Sacks Over/Under 4: We really don’t like betting these sack props all that often, but in this case, we are going to make an exception. The Panthers know that there is absolutely no threat of the Giants running the ball in this one, and that means that they can pin their ears back and go after QB Eli Manning, who is going to be without RB Ahmad Bradshaw, who is also an underrated pass blocker, T David Diehl, arguably his best offensive lineman, and WR Hakeem Nicks and WR Domenik Hixon, his No. 1 and No. 3 receivers. We’re never going to count out the New York defensive front from getting its sack or two either even though QB Cam Newton is one of the best escape artists that the game has to offer. This should be a nice game for the two defensive lines, though both offensive lines are going to be scratching their heads as to how they are going to end up getting the job done against these ferocious rushes. Total Sacks Over 4 (-130)

Eli Manning Over/Under 290.5 Passing Yards: Manning threw for 500+ yards last week, so this should be no problem, right? Maybe not so much. Again, both Nicks and Hixon are out of the fold, and the receivers aside from WR Victor Cruz that are available just aren’t all that great, to say the least. Manning will hopefully have a better chance of playing this game from ahead than from behind, though you never really know about that either. The Carolina defense is going to be amped up to try to defend the pass this time around, and the unit really did well against the New Orleans Saints five days ago. This one could be tough sledding for the younger Manning, as he has to face the facts that he is really going into battle in this one from an offensive standpoint, basically all by himself. Eli Manning Under 290.5 Passing Yards (-115)

Victor Cruz Over/Under 6 Receptions: This is definitely a donkey type of play, but we just don’t see any other options out there. Who’s going to be catching the ball from Manning on Thursday night? Martellus Bennett? Okay, he’ll have a few. Rueben Randle? Ramses Barden? Who are these guys? There’s just nothing out there for Manning to work with in this one, but at least he has a rapport built up with Cruz the likes that he just doesn’t have with anyone else out there. And yes, Carolina is going to know that that’s coming, and it is going to overload on Cruz’s side with defenders, but that won’t matter. Eli just has to be good enough to work the ball to his top receiver at least a dozen times in this one, and more often than not, those passes are going to be completed. Victor Cruz Over 6 Receptions (-150)

Will Eli Manning Throw an Interception?: Of course he will. This is Eli that we’re talking about. Last week, Manning had three picks in the first half, and this week, he is in even worse shape, knowing that he doesn’t have his best and most reliable receiver. Carolina doesn’t have the greatest secondary in the world, but it does have a unit that can get to the football when it is loose. Manning will make at least one mistake in this game amongst the 45-50 throws that he is probably going to be asked to make, and when he does, we’ll cash one of the easiest -220 tickets of our lives. Eli Manning To Throw an Interception (-220)

Brandon LaFell Over/Under 51.5 Receiving Yards: We’re used to it being boom or bust for LaFell, but it is clear this year that he is receiving some more attention from QB Cam Newton. The Giants’ secondary, along with its offensive line and the rest of its team, is all banged up right now as well, and if DB Prince Amukamara doesn’t end up playing, LaFell might be the man that ends up getting sprung deep down the field. The way that Newton throws the ball, it only takes one great shot down the field to get LaFell 50+ yards, and we think that that is exactly what is going to happen in this one. Brandon LaFell Over 51.5 Receiving Yards (-115)

New York Giants vs. Carolina Panthers NFL Props @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 9/20/12):
(Get a HUGE 50% Bonus at 5Dimes.eu When Using This Link)
Score in the First 6 Minutes of the Game -135
No Score in the First 6 Minutes of the Game +105

Giants Score First -120
Panthers Score First -110

First Score a Touchdown -190
First Score Not a Touchdown +155

Longest Touchdown of the Game Over 50.5 Yards -115
Longest Touchdown of the Game Under 50.5 Yards -115

Longest Field Goal of the Game Over 43.5 Yards -140
Longest Field Goal of the Game Under 43.5 Yards +110

Shortest Field Goal of the Game Over 25.5 Yards -130
Shortest Field Goal of the Game Under 25.5 Yards +100

Total Field Goals Made Over 3.5 +125
Total Field Goals Made Under 3.5 -155

Total Punts Over 9.5 +110
Total Punts Under 9.5 -140

Total Sacks Over 4 -130
Total Sacks Under 4 +100

Defensive or Special Teams Touchdown +140
Not a Defensive or Special Teams Touchdown -170

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

Eli Manning Longest Completion Over 37.5 Yards -115
Eli Manning Longest Completion Under 37.5 Yards -115

Eli Manning Passing Yards Over 290.5 -115
Eli Manning Passing Yards Under 290.5 -115

Eli Manning Total Touchdown Passes Over 1.5 -200
Eli Manning Total Touchdown Passes Under 1.5 +160

Eli Manning Throws an Interception -220
Eli Manning Doesn’t Throw an Interception +170

Andre Brown Total Rushing Yards on First Attempt Over 3.5 -110
Andre Brown Total Rushing Yards on First Attempt Under 3.5 -120

Victor Cruz Over 6 Receptions -150
Victor Cruz Under 6 Receptions +120

Victor Cruz Over 85.5 Receiving Yards -125
Victor Cruz Under 85.5 Receiving Yards -105

Victor Cruz Scores a Touchdown -115
Victor Cruz Doesn’t Score a Touchdown -115

Martellus Bennett Over 3.5 Receptions -160
Martellus Bennett Under 3.5 Receptions +130

Martellus Bennett Over 46.5 Receiving Yards -120
Martellus Bennett Under 46.5 Receiving Yards -110

Cam Newton Completions Over 20.5 -110
Cam Newton Completions Under 20.5 -120

Cam Newton Passing Yards Over 254.5 -115
Cam Newton Passing Yards Under 254.5 -115

Cam Newton Touchdown Passes Over 1.5 -125
Cam Newton Touchdown Passes Under 1.5 -105

Cam Newton Total Rushing Yards Over 47.5 -115
Cam Newton Total Rushing Yards Under 47.5 -115

Cam Newton Scores a Rushing Touchdown +110
Cam Newton Doesn’t Score a Rushing Touchdown -140

DeAngelo Williams Over 55.5 Rushing Yards -125
DeAngelo Williams Under 55.5 Rushing Yards -105

DeAngelo Williams Scores a Touchdown +115
DeAngelo Williams Doesn’t Score a Touchdown -145

Jonathan Stewart Over 10.5 Rushing Attempts -110
Jonathan Stewart Under 10.5 Rushing Attempts -120

Steve Smith Over 5.5 Receptions +100
Steve Smith Under 5.5 Receptions -130

Steve Smith Over 84.5 Receiving Yards -115
Steve Smith Under 84.5 Receiving Yards -115

Steve Smith Scores a Touchdown +140
Steve Smith Doesn’t Score a Touchdown -180

Brandon LaFell Over 3.5 Receptions -125
Brandon LaFell Under 3.5 Receptions -105

Brandon LaFell Over 51.5 Receiving Yards -115
Brandon LaFell Under 51.5 Receiving Yards -115

Greg Olsen Over 3.5 Receptions -120
Greg Olsen Under 3.5 Receptions -110

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears are set to continue the 2012 NFL season, and as a part of our analysis of the Week 2 betting lines, we are taking a look at some of the best NFL props on the board for the first game of the season.

Randall Cobb Yards On First Reception Over/Under 8.5: WR Greg Jennings is considered a 50/50 proposition to be able to play on Thursday night, and that might mean that we see more of Cobb playing out of the slot. This is one of the shiftiest players in the league, and often times, he is able to get loose from defenders and turn short looking passes into big time gains. That being said, that first look that he is going to have is almost certainly going to be a bubble screen type of play, as QB Aaron Rodgers looks to get his confidence back after having a woeful game last week against the San Francisco 49ers. We just don’t see how the former Kentucky Wildcat is going to have at least nine yards more often than not on his first touch of the football, and this also keeps us covered in the event that he doesn’t catch a pass. Randall Cobb Yards on First Reception Under 8.5 (-115)

Cedric Benson Rushing Yards on First Attempt Over/Under 3.5: Let’s be realistic here. This is a man that carried the ball for an average of right at 2.0 yards per carry last week, and Benson is a runner that really has never been “four yards and a cloud of dust” type of guy. Instead, he is just a guy who is going to barrel right into the line of scrimmage and see what happens with his blockers, and against this Chicago front, that probably isn’t going to go all that well. Look at it this way: Will Benson have more carries over or under four yards tonight? Until we see more out of the Green Bay offensive line, we have no choice but to think that the proper answer is ‘under’. Benson Rushing Yards on First Attempt Under 3.5 (-130)

Will Matt Forte Score a Touchdown?: This is a very, very tricky prop in which you have to be mighty careful. Sure, it seems immediately that Forte would of course get into the end zone, knowing that he is the featured back and will touch the ball at least 20 times over the course of the night. However, last week on the goal line, it was RB Michael Bush that snuck in from a yard out twice, not Forte. Yes, Forte did get his rushing touchdown, but that came from outside the five, not inside of it. That’s not a good sign here for him to score this time around. Sure, Forte could break one and get into the end zone that way, and it just doesn’t seem like it is nearly a slam dunk to have this happen. Forte To Not Score a Touchdown (-105)

Jay Cutler Over/Under 22.5 Completions: Alright Cutler, this is where the rubber is going to meet the road for you. You’ve spoken all about how you think that you are going to take advantage of the bump and run coverage that the Packers are going to send your way, and you think that you are going to tear that apart. We think otherwise. Green Bay is going to be sending the pressure Cutler’s way from start to finish over the course of this night, and that’s going to translate into a shady game for the Chicago quarterback. Asking a man on a team that wants to run the ball first to complete 23 passes against a team that is going to be out for blood just isn’t a great idea. Most will jump right towards the ‘over’ after last week, but we are going to take the road less travelled, which will probably also be the more profitable road over the long run. Cutler Under 22.5 Completions (-115)

Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers NFL Props @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 9/13/12):
(Get a HUGE 50% Bonus at 5Dimes.eu When Using This Link)
Score in the First 6 Minutes of the Game -120
No Score in the First 6 Minutes of the Game -110

Bears Score First +130
Packers Score First -160

First Score a Touchdown -200
First Score Not a Touchdown +160

Longest Touchdown of the Game Over 49.5 Yards -115
Longest Touchdown of the Game Under 49.5 Yards -115

Longest Field Goal of the Game Over 43.5 Yards -120
Longest Field Goal of the Game Under 43.5 Yards -110

Shortest Field Goal of the Game Over 25.5 Yards -125
Shortest Field Goal of the Game Under 25.5 Yards -105

Total Field Goals Made Over 3.5 +140
Total Field Goals Made Under 3.5 -170

Total Punts Over 10.5 +100
Total Punts Under 10.5 -130

Total Sacks Over 4.5 -130
Total Sacks Under 4.5 +100

Defensive or Special Teams Touchdown +140
Not a Defensive or Special Teams Touchdown -170

Jay Cutler Completions Over 22.5 -115
Jay Cutler Completions Under 22.5 -115

Jay Cutler Passing Yards Over 277.5 -115
Jay Cutler Passing Yards Under277.5 -115

Jay Cutler Total Touchdown Passes Over 1.5 -150
Jay Cutler Total Touchdown Passes Under 1.5 +120

Jay Cutler Throws an Interception -200
Jay Cutler Doesn’t Throw an Interception +160

Matt Forte Rushing Yards Over 82.5 -115
Matt Forte Rushing Yards Under 82.5 -115

Matt Forte Receptions Over 3.5 -130
Matt Forte Receptions Under 3.5 +100

Matt Forte Scores a Touchdown -125
Matt Forte Doesn’t Score a Touchdown -105

Brandon Marshall Receptions Over 6.5 -125
Brandon Marshall Receptions Under 6.5 -105

Brandon Marshall Receiving Yards Over 90.5 -115
Brandon Marshall Receiving Yards Under 90.5 -115

Brandon Marshall Scores a Touchdown -115
Brandon Marshall Doesn’t Score a Touchdown -115

Earl Bennett Receptions Over 3 -130
Earl Bennett Receptions Under 3 +100

Devin Hester Longest Reception Over 23.5 Yards -115
Devin Hester Longest Reception Under 23.5 Yards -115

Alshon Jeffrey Yards on First Reception Over 11.5 -115
Alshon Jeffrey Yards on First Reception Under 11.5 -115

Aaron Rodgers Completions Over 24.5 -130
Aaron Rodgers Completions Under 24.5 +100

Aaron Rodgers Passing Yards Over 302.5 -125
Aaron Rodgers Passing Yards Under 302.5 -105

Aaron Rodgers Touchdown Passes Over 2.5 +100
Aaron Rodgers Touchdown Passes Under 2.5 -130

Aaron Rodgers Throws an Interception -125
Aaron Rodgers Doesn’t Throw an Interception -105

Cedric Benson Yards on First Carry Over 3.5 +100
Cedric Benson Yards on First Carry Under 3.5 -130

Jordy Nelson Receptions Over 5 -140
Jordy Nelson Receptions Under 5 +110

Jordy Nelson Receiving Yards Over 70.5 -125
Jordy Nelson Receiving Yards Under 70.5 -105

Jordy Nelson Scores a Touchdown -110
Jordy Nelson Doesn’t Score a Touchdown -110

James Jones Receptions Over 3.5 -145
James Jones Receptions Under 3.5 +115

James Jones Scores a Touchdown +120
James Jones Doesn’t Score a Touchdown-150

Jermichael Finley Receptions Over 4.5 -160
Jermichael Finley Receptions Under 4.5 +130

Randall Cobb Yards on First Reception Over 8.5 -115
Randall Cobb Yards on First Reception Under 8.5 -115

As a part of our countdown to the 2012 NFL schedule, we here at Bankroll Sports are making our Top 10 list for the best head coaches in all of football. Join us as we break down the men that issue that X’s and O’s on a weekly basis on the sidelines of your favorite pro football teams!

1: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots: How can we argue with “The Hoodie?” He has won at least nine games in 11 consecutive seasons with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls and getting to two more. He came up just short of becoming the first coach to lead his team to a 19-0 mark, and he has a whopping 17 career victories in his postseason career. There’s no doubt that those terms are all good enough to make Belichick the top coach in our countdown of the Top 10 head coaches in the NFL.

2: Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers: Okay, maybe we should be giving Harbaugh a bit more time before calling him one of the best head coaches in the NFL, but we love what he did with the Niners last year. This was a man that pushed all of the right buttons at Stanford to take the Cardinal from a team that was a doormat in the Pac-12 to the verge of a National Championship, and now in just one year, he took the 49ers from a team that had a lot of talent but was never able to put it together to a team that was a play or two away from the Super Bowl. If Harbaugh isn’t the second best coach in the league right now, the argument could be made that he is right there in the discussion.

3: John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens: Oh, the sibling rivalry… This Harbaugh has had his Ravens in the playoffs just about every season since taking over, and that’s quite the task in the AFC North, where the games are brutal, and the competition is always fierce. QB Joe Flacco isn’t all that special of a quarterback, and to be able to win games with him as the quarterback of the team speaks volumes to what Harbaugh has been able to do with this team.

4: Tom Coughlin, New York Giants: We know that Coughlin isn’t liked amongst all of his players, but he has a pair of Super Bowl rings now, and that can’t go overlooked. Every time it seems like the G-Men are down and out of it, Coughlin figures out some way to get their heads to get back in the game, and the runs that these two Super Bowl teams have been able to go on have been epic. Remember that Coughlin not only beat the 18-0 Patriots, but he also beat the 15-1 Packers en route to his two rings. That has to put him in the Top 5 of our head coaches list.

5: Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers: McCarthy inherited a team on the rise and took it to prominence, winning the Super Bowl virtually right away. He was smart enough to surround himself with great assistants, and it is a real testament to his work that Joe Philbin is now with the Miami Dolphins and Dom Capers is considered one of the top candidates for a head coaching job for 2013. Again, this is a man with a Super Bowl ring, and there aren’t many out there that can say that.

6: John Fox, Denver Broncos: Any man that can figure out how to win a playoff game with QB Tim Tebow under center is a great coach in our eyes. Remember that this is also the man that brought the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl with Jake Delhomme under center. Fox is one of the brightest coaches in the game, and he was smart enough to take a pass happy team and make it a running club with the triple option quickly last year when the ship was sinking. Now, he has a new quarterback in Peyton Manning, and he has been able to make yet another philosophical shift. Fox is probably the most underrated coach in the NFL.

7: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers: Tomlin probably isn’t the greatest coach in the world, but what he definitely is, is a smart man. He kept his offensive philosophies intact at the beginning of his coaching tenure, taking over for the departed Bill Cowher, and he also retained DC Dick LeBeau. His next bright move? Getting rid of former OC Bruce Arians and replacing him with new OC Todd Haley. We really like what Tomlin has built here in Pittsburgh, and though the Steelers’ window of opportunity might be closing, there is no doubting that Tomlin is one of the Top 10 coaches in the NFL.

8: Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles: Reid might have never brought a Super Bowl to the City of Brotherly Love, and he very well could be fired at the end of this season, but we still think that he is valuable enough to be called one of the Top 10 coaches in the NFL. He has won at least 10 games eight times in 12 seasons, and he has been to the playoffs in nine of the 12 campaigns, going 10-9 in that stretch. Not everyone can win a Super Bowl, and of the coaches that haven’t that have been in this game for a long time, Reid is probably the best of the bunch.

9: Jeff Fisher, St. Louis Rams: Fisher put together a lot of mediocre seasons with the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans, but he also took a team that didn’t have much in the way of resources and turned it into a contender quite often. There is a reason that Fisher was one of the most highly sought after coaches in the league in the offseason, and it will show in due time in St. Louis.

10: Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers: It’s true that Rivera is just a 6-10 lifetime head coach, but he turned a god awful club into one of respectability last year. Now, the longtime assistant has a team that could make the playoffs behind the growing QB Cam Newton. There’s something brewing in Carolina, and whatever comes of it, we have to remember that it is Rivera that is behind it.

The countdown continues to the start of the NFL betting season, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are focusing in on the Top 10 quarterbacks for 2012 and which ones we would want to be leading the biggest drive of the game if our season was on the line.

1: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: Brees isn’t the biggest guy in the world, but he is one of the smartest quarterbacks that the game has to offer. The Purdue Boilermaker essentially revived football in the Bayou, bringing a Super Bowl to a city that had just been through absolute tragedy just a few years before with Hurricane Katrina. Not only is his bond with TE Jimmy Graham as good as the bond that any receiver has with his QB in the league, but Brees can also say that he is the only man in the league’s history to throw for 5,000 yards twice in a season.

2: Tom Brady, New England Patriots: It’s only going to take a few throws into the 2012 season before Brady has 40,000 passing yards for his career, and he ended last season at a nice round 300 TDs as well. Brady just keeps getting better with age, and he put together yet another impressive year in 2011, throwing for 5,235 yards and 39 TDs. He has a great crop of receivers, including the best tight end duo in football, and as long as all of that stays intact and he remains upright, Brady is one of the best in the biz.

3: Eli Manning, New York Giants: What really impresses us about Peyton’s little brother is that he has the moxie to be able to win regardless of his situation. Manning’s biggest throw of his career went to WR David Tyree, who was basically nothing more than an average fourth receiver on most teams. When he lost WR Plaxico Burress and WR Amani Toomer in the same season, all he did was go out and make a Pro Bowler out of Hakeem Nicks and a big time receiving out of Mario Manningham. Baby Manning might not have the longevity or the career numbers of his brother, but those two rings speak awfully, awfully loudly.

4: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: We really might be screwing Rodgers over here, as he probably should be higher up on the list than this. After all, he took a team with no running game and no defense whatsoever to a 15-1 record last season, and it wasn’t his fault that his defense could stop the Giants in the playoffs. Rodgers easily led the league in quarterback rating last year at 122.5, smashing the NFL record in the process, and he is deserving of being called one of the Top 5 quarterbacks in the NFL.

5: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers: Remember that this isn’t a fantasy football list. This is a list of quarterbacks that we would want leading our team in real games. Big Ben is as tough as they come, and assuming that his head is screwed on straight, there aren’t many quarterbacks that we would rather have down four with 80 yards to go. Roethlisberger is going to throw the ball more this year under new OC Todd Haley, and when he throws for upwards of 5,000 yards, it should be a reminder that the Steelers didn’t win two Super Bowls by accident under Roethlisberger’s direction.

6: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: We finally saw what Stafford was able to do when he was fully healthy. The former No. 1 overall pick threw for 5,038 yards and 41 TDs in 2012, and he proved that he can really lead a team. He chucked the ball a whopping 663 times last year, easily the most in the league, and he made up for a team that had no rushing game and no defense, just like the situation that Rodgers was in with the Pack. More importantly though, Stafford got the Lions to the playoffs, and the last man that was able to say that was Barry Sanders. If you’re in the same discussion with Barry, regardless of what the context is, you’ve done something truly special.

7: Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers: This can’t possibly all be Rivers’ fault. The Chargers have had all of the talent in the world over the course of the last six or seven years, yet they perennial underachieve even though Rivers puts up some amazing numbers. Remember that this is a man that has thrown for nearly 25,000 yards already in his career. Still, the lack of big wins in big games and the fact that he has never sniffed the Super Bowl keeps Rivers out of the Top 5, but there is no denying his skill and the fact that he is a legitimate Top 10 quarterback in this league.

8: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens: Mock Flacco if you must, but remember how many playoff wins that he has over the course of the last several years. It’s not like this is just a running team with RB Ray Rice either. Flacco threw the ball 542 times last year, and he had 3,610 yards through the air with 20 scores. Those are pedestrian numbers when you compare them to some of the other big names out there, but we have to remember that the Baltimore defense often shut down opposing offenses, giving Flacco the chance to hand the ball off more. He’s not a waste though, and we think that he is one of the Top 10 QBs in football.

9: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers: One year definitely doesn’t make a quarterback, but when it is the best year that a rookie has ever had in the league, it definitely is worth noting. Newton looks like a bigger, stronger Michael Vick on the field, and that’s why Newton is on this list and Vick isn’t. We still want to see whether Newton can win games that matter at this level like he did at Auburn, but we have more confidence in him than we do in some of the other quarterbacks that you might think should be in the Top 10.

10: Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts: Sure, we hear the complaints right now over Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, and Matt Schaub, but how many playoff wins do those quarterbacks have combined? Zero. Plus, we know that the Colts gave up on Peyton Manning when the opportunity arose to get Luck in the NFL Draft. Manning has too many risk concerns with his neck and he is at the end of his career. Luck is considered an absolutely can’t miss, once in a generation type of prospect, and though we haven’t seen him throw a pass yet at the NFL level in a game that counts, we know that he has the goods to get the job done, and we would expect nothing but a smashing success of a career from the Stanford product.

There are a number of big time rookies on the defensive side of the ball that have a lot of potential this year, and NFL betting fans are going to have a tough time sorting out who should win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Check out these NFL betting futures odds on which player will walk away with this illustrious defensive honor.

The top defensive player drafted this year was Morris Claiborne (Odds To Win Rookie of the Year: 6 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook). We know that Mo has a heck of a lot of talent; just ask his college coach, Les Miles. Claiborne has the potential to step right into the secondary of the Dallas Cowboys and make a big difference, especially knowing that he is already on a ‘D’ with some talent. That being said, it is usually awfully difficult for a rookie DB to come in and win the Rookie of the Year honors, knowing that interceptions don’t usually come as often as sacks, and certainly not as often as tackles. It would take a yeoman’s effort this year for Claiborne to win the Rookie of the Year honor.

And that’s why we think that the top linebacker that was taken in the NFL Draft, Luke Kuechly (Rookie of the Year Odds: 5 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook) could be the man that walks away with the honor. Kuechly was a tackling machine in college for the Boston College Eagles, and though we think that he was drafted a good 6-8 spots too high, we do have a real appreciation for what his new team, the Carolina Panthers are trying to do. The Panthers play a heck of a lot of defense, and teams usually try to run the ball down their throats with their weak defensive line. That’s how Kuechly set all sorts of records in college with tackles. He has a nose for the football, and when he gets going, there might not be a lineman in the league that can keep him from getting his hands in on the tackle on a running play up the gut. Don’t be all that shocked if Kuechly ends up with well over 100 tackles for the season, and if that turns out to be the case, he’ll be the Defensive Rookie of the Year.

We feel like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a great selection when they took Mark Barron (Top Rookie Safety To Win Rookie of the Year: 12 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook) with the sixth pick in the NFL Draft. Barron just knows how to win. He can come up and make tackles against the run, and he is a ball hawker in the secondary as well. Barron is the man that was picked by Head Coach Greg Schiano thanks to his leadership and his skills, and he could end up bringing that sense to the Tampa Bay secondary, just as John Lynch did when the Bucs were at their best in franchise history. We don’t know if those intangibles will end up helping Barron win the Rookie of the Year Award, but we definitely want to keep a close eye on his stats, which might be good enough at the end as well.

Defensive linemen this year might be a tad tough. We’d be willing to give a shot to Bruce Irvin (Defensive Rookie of the Year Betting Lines: 20 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook) of the Seattle Seahawks. We think that Irvin and Whitney Mercilus have the best chance to lead all rookies in sacks this year. Head Coach Pete Carroll has been looking for pass rushers for quite some time, and Irvin might be the man that is able to do that. A lot of these West Virginia defenders have proven to be vicious at the next level, and Irvin might be the next in line to really make an impact at the NFL level. Carroll, a defensive specialist, believes that picked the best pass rusher in this draft, and if that really is the case, this could be the Defensive Rookie of the Year at a very, very nice price.

Odds To Win Defensive Rookie of the Year @ WagerWeb Sportsbook (as of 7/26/12):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at WagerWeb When Using This Link)
Bruce Irvin20 to 1
Casey Hayward 15 to 1
Chandler Jones 8 to 1
Courtney Upshaw 10 to 1
Dont’a Hightower 10 to 1
Dontari Poe 15 to 1
Dre Kirkpatrick 10 to 1
Fletcher Cox 10 to 1
Harrison Smith 15 to 1
Janoris Jenkins 15 to 1
Jerel Worthy 25 to 1
Luke Kuechly 5 to 1
Mark Barron 12 to 1
Melvin Ingram 18 to 1
Michael Brockers 18 to 1
Morris Claiborne 6 to 1
Mychal Kendricks 15 to 1
Nick Perry 10 to 1
Quinton Coples 15 to 1
Stephon Gilmore 15 to 1

Another day, another Top 10 list for NFL betting fans to enjoy here at Bankroll Sports. Today, our countdown to the 2012 NFL season continues with a look at the Top 10 running backs in the NFL for the upcoming season.

1: Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens: The things that Rice does for the Ravens are out of this world. This is a man that has played just four seasons in the league and has started for just three full seasons, yet he already has over 6,600 total yards from scrimmage. Rice has at least 60 receptions and at least 250 carries in each of the last three years, and he has accounted for at least 1,775 yards from scrimmage per season in that time. Forget about the touchdowns; others can do that. But no back moves the ball up and down the field like Rice does, and that clearly makes him the most valuable running back in the league.

2: LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia, Eagles: McCoy does a lot of the same things for the Eagles that Rice does for the Ravens, except this is a man that has a nose for the end zone as well. The Pitt Panther is a surprisingly bruising back even though he is just 5’11” and 208 lbs. He had 1,309 rushing yards and 17 scores last year in just 15 games, and he is clearly one of the up and comers that this league has at the running back position.

3: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars: We’ve heard him referred to as a “Little Ball of Hate” and the “Human Bowling Ball,” but whatever you want to call him, MJD is the real deal. He led the league in rushing last year on a Jacksonville squad that literally had no offensive line and zip for a passing game. We think that Jones-Drew is absolutely right to be holding out, especially knowing that he has run the ball an average of 20.7 times per game over the course of the last three years, accounting for a whopping 4,321 yards and 28 scores on the ground with over 1,000 more yards as a receiver in that stretch. If not for his holdout and the fear of a “Chris Johnson-esque” drop off, we would definitely have MJD rated at No. 1.

4: Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans: There’s no way that Johnson can drop out of our Top 5. He had a bad season last year, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t one of the most feared backs in the league. It wasn’t a mistake that he had a 2,000-yard campaign two seasons ago. CJ2K is the real deal, and he’ll be back in the saddle this year as one of the best backs in the league now that he isn’t facing the pressure of living up to his new contract out of a holdout.

5: Matt Forte, Chicago Bears: Forte is another one of these running backs that does it on the ground and in the passing game. He was rewarded with a new contract in the offseason by the Bears, and it’s a good thing that they did that. This is a man that has accounted for an average of 103.6 total yards per game over the course of his four years in the Windy City. The Tulane product is coming off of an injury that cost him the final four games of last season, but we think that Forte is going to be primed and ready to go for a big time 2012.

6: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings: The only thing that is keeping All Day out of our Top 5 running backs is that ACL injury that he is coming off of that might cost him the very start of the season. Peterson is as talented of a back as there is, but we are just very cautious over this knee injury, one of the many knocks that he has suffered in his career.

7: Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders: Here is another man that is capable of being the best running back in football if given the opportunity to do so. Run DMC, just like Peterson, has all of the talent in the world, and he was leading the league in rushing last year before suffering what turned out to be a season-ending injury. Of course, there is a question as to whether it is McFadden or the Oakland offensive line that made him look that good, knowing that Michael Bush was able to step into the fold and do basically all of the same things that Run DMC was able to do in the second half of the season.

8: Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns: We might not see it this year, but Richardson is going to be every bit as good of a back as any on this list. He’s big, he’s strong, he can run between the tackles, and that speed burst that he was able to show when he got into space in college was no mistake; he’ll do the same thing at the NFL level. The only question is whether Richardson can really do this game in and game out in the NFL right away as a rookie on a team that is still atrocious. We think that he will.

9: Arian Foster, Houston Texans: Sure, we hear you. Foster had 1,200+ yards last season in a year that he was injured, and he is perennially one of the Top 5 picks in fantasy football. So how can he be down at No. 9 on our list of the Top 10 running backs in the league? The same reason that McFadden is down so low. When Foster was out of the fold, Ben Tate was able to really do some damage, and in the end, both guys almost ended up being 1,000-yard backs. We still aren’t all that convinced that Foster, who was an undrafted rookie just a few years ago, is the more talented of the two backs, but we do recognize that this Houston offensive line is the real deal and is the best unit in the league.

10: Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons: Ryan Mathews, Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore, Steven Jackson, and Willis McGahee all want to know why they aren’t on this list at all, but we think that Turner has proven over the years that he is worthy of being called a Top 10 back in the NFL. Last year, he was third in the league in rushing 1,340 yards. Remember that this is a man that is only 5’10”, but he does weigh 247 pounds. He started as a bit of a scat back behind LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego before coming to Atlanta, and since that point, he has been awesome. “The Burner” has averaged 20.2 carries for 89.5 yards and 0.85 touchdowns per game as a rusher over the course of the last four years, and short of Jones-Drew, no back can say that. Still, Turner isn’t a valuable blocker in the passing game, nor is he a great receiver, which is why he is down on this list against some of the other more versatile RBs in the NFL.

The wide receiver position in the NFL is one that has been growing quite a bit over the course of the last few years, as there are some legitimate stars that are really shining in this next generation. Here at Bankroll Sports, as a part of our countdown to the 2012 NFL season, we are taking a look at the Top 10 Wide Receivers in Football.

1: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions: Simply put, the Megatron is awesome. He led the league in receiving with 1,681 yards, and he found the end zone 16 times, tops amongst wide receivers. This is a talented specimen of a receiver that can burn you down the sidelines just as easily as he can go into traffic and catch a ball in a crowd or out-jump a DB in the end zone. Simply put Johnson is the best, and he is really the reason that Detroit has one of the most dynamic offenses in the league.

2: Andre Johnson, Houston Texans: The other Johnson really could stake a claim to being the best receiver in the league, but there definitely is a concern about injuries. AJ spent not just one, but two different stints out of the lineup last year with hamstring problems, and his groin has been acting up in the preseason. That being said, when Johnson is out there, there isn’t anything that he can’t do either. He put the nail in the coffin for the first playoff game in Texans history with his long touchdown catch against the Bengals in the playoffs, arguably the biggest play at this point in Houston’s brief history.

3: Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals: A future Hall of Famer, Fitzgerald has had a great career with the Cardinals. Last year was just another ho hum year for the former Pitt Panther, as he had 80 receptions, 1,411 yards, and eight TDs on a team that had nothing in the way of quarterback play. Fitzgerald was able to make both QB Kevin Kolb and QB John Skelton look good, and that’s hard to do. Can you imagine what he would be able to do if his team actually had a quarterback to count on that could get the ball down the field?

4: AJ Green, Cincinnati Bengals: This is going to be probably the most controversial selection for our Top 10 wide receivers in the NFL this year. Green had a great rookie campaign, catching 65 passes for 1,057 yards with seven TDs, and we think that he is in for even more progress this year. This is a receiver that has huge hands, something that is tremendously important in a West Coast offense. Yards after the catch are something that Green prides himself on, and he is big enough and strong enough to get those yards. Don’t be shocked if he is in for a 1,400-yard season in 2012.

5: Wes Welker, New England Patriots: Welker just keeps on producing at the wide receiver position, and he is the most fearless receiver in the league. A slot man by nature, Welker does a lot of the dirty work for a New England offense that doesn’t run the ball all that much. Four and five yard passes to Welker are the equivalent of the running game for the Pats, and that has been the case for years. Now all of a sudden, Welker has 650 career receptions for 7,226 yards, and he might one day be considered for the Hall of Fame.

6: Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers: It looked like Smith’s career was basically over a couple of years ago when he and the Panthers were at odds over the fact that the team just didn’t have a quarterback. However, things are better now that QB Cam Newton is playing on Tobacco Road, and Smith is a happy camper again. He had 1,394 yards in what amounted to be one of the better years of his career, and the lifelong Panther is now in the elite 10,000-yard club after his last campaign.

7: Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons: Sure, there is a lot of clamoring for sure that Julio Jones is the best receiver on the Falcons, but we just don’t see it yet. Yes, Jones stretches the field a lot further than White does, but if you want a receiver to run the proper route for you and make the solid catch, White is your guy. The UAB product has put together five straight seasons with at least 1,100 yards and at least 80 receptions, and there are few in the league that can say that. He’ll be a force once again in the Atlanta offense, which is turning into quite the aerial assault as the years go on.

8: Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints: There aren’t many receivers that have made more out of less than Colston has in his career. The Hofstra product never figured to catch on as a receiver in this league, yet he has figured out how to become a stalwart with his play in the slot. Colston isn’t quite a Wes Welker type, knowing that he often does his work up the seam and not in the short passing plays, but he is the man that QB Drew Brees turns to first in one of the most talented offenses in the league. Colston is surely one of the best 10 receivers that the NFL has to offer.

9: DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles: Jackson had an awful year in 2011, catching just 58 passes, but he also had 961 yards and four scores as well. D-Jax is one of the fastest receivers in the league, and he routinely figures out how to get behind defensive backs for huge plays. There will be plenty of games where Jackson has just a few looks at the football, but when QB Michael Vick uncorks one down the field, you can bet that more often than not, Jackson is going to catch up to it. If he ever figures out how to catch 100 passes in a season, he might be good for over 2,000 yards and 20 scores.

10: Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs: The yelling is going to come from Victor Cruz, Mike Wallace, Brandon Marshall, Hakeem Nicks, and perhaps Vincent Jackson that they should be on this list, but Bowe is the significantly better receiver in our eyes. This is a man that is a huge target by the end zone, and that is undeniable. The quarterbacks in Kansas City have been downright bad over the course of the last several years, but Bowe just keeps putting up his numbers and his scores. He’ll reach 5,000 yards in his career right off the bat in 2012, and that’s huge for a man that has only been in the league for five years.