The playoff push will be the main topic in the AFC on Monday Night Football this week, as the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans are going to be fighting it out with their postseason hopes on the line. The Texans probably need this one to have any chance of making it to the second season, while Baltimore at least has a little bit of leeway. Our NFL prop picks for MNF are always ready to go here at Bankroll Sports, and this Monday night is no exception!

Joe Flacco Over/Under 261.5 Passing Yards
We wouldn’t necessarily care what the name was on the front or the back of the jersey in this one. The mass majority of quarterbacks are going to be throwing for at least 262 yards against this Houston secondary no matter how much of a blowout the game really turns out to be. Save a three INT game for Glover Quin against arguably the worst starting quarterback the NFL has seen in years, QB Rusty Smith, the Texans have had absolutely no luck stopping anyone. Head Coach John Harbaugh has made a more concerted effort at throwing the ball this year to take some of the pressure off of RB Ray Rice and the running game. The offensive line is going to be able to let Flacco just stand in the pocket and pick apart this horrendous secondary, and there should be absolutely no doubt that he goes Over 261.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Monday Night Football.

Anquan Boldin Over/Under 66.5 Receiving Yards
You know where we’re going with this one. All of the receiving options are particularly strong in this game for the Ravens, and this is probably the best of the bunch. ‘Quan is going to be matched up with Quin the majority of the game, and he is clearly the weakest link in that Houston secondary. Truth be told, Boldin has only gone past this number five times this season, and three of those five came in the first four games of the year. However, these secondaries that he has been going against haven’t been nearly as bad as the one that he is going to be facing on Monday. We tend to believe that this could be a career day for the former Florida State Seminole. Boldin should fly Over 66.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Matt Schaub Over/Under 245.5 Passing Yards
Things really haven’t gone all that well for the Texans’ signal caller this year, as he doesn’t have the types of numbers that warrant him being a Pro Bowler this year as many suggested at the start of the season. Still, this is probably going to be a situation in which this team has to play from behind virtually the entire way, just as we saw last Thursday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. Though this Baltimore defense is only allowing 208.0 yards per game through the air, we have to remember that sack yardage does not count against us in this one. There have also been some dreadful passing games run up against these Ravens, including those of the Pittsburgh Steelers (twice), that of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and that of the Cleveland Browns. This is a great spot, especially in the second half, for Schaub to go soaring Over 245.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Ravens.

Will Arian Foster Score a Touchdown?
Last week, we backed Foster on this prop on Thursday Night Football, and we are going to be utilizing him once again. Of the 33 offensive touchdowns that the Texans have scored this year, Foster has found pay dirt 15 times, virtually every other touchdown. He has touched the ball 296 times already this season and is clearly the goal line back as well. The only issue that we have here is if the Ravens just find a way to really shut the Texans down all together. But, seeing how this game is at home and that Houston is prone to scoring at least 20 points or so here, there is no reason to believe that Foster won’t get the job done and put six on the board at least once. He has scored at least one TD in eight of the team’s 12 games this year, giving us a great percentage on a very easy prop. Foster Will Score a Touchdown (-125 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

First place in the AFC North is going to be on the line on Sunday Night Football when the Baltimore Ravens face the Pittsburgh Steelers. You can bet when these two teams meet up with one another that fireworks are going to fly, so don’t miss out on the action! Check out our NFL prop picks for this Sunday Night Football encounter.

Rashard Mendenhall Over/Under 77.5 Rushing Yards
This is going to be one of the more interesting NFL prop picks this weekend, as Mendenhall probably doesn’t match up all that well against the Baltimore defense. However, the Steelers’ top back is in a great situation for this prop because he is probably going to tote the rock at least 20-25 times, if not more, especially considering the fact that QB Ben Roethlisberger is dealing with a broken foot. Mendenhall has carried the ball at least 22 times in three of his last four overall, and if he does that again, he really should be able to get to this type of a total. We have to be careful, because the Steelers’ back does only have five games this year above that number, but we tend to believe that this will be game No. 6. Mendenhall will go Over 77.5 Rushing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Sunday Night Football.

Joe Flacco Over/Under 21.5 Completions
“Joe Cool” completed 24 passes the last time that these two teams met, and he is probably going to be called upon quite a few times in this one. The Steelers are just impossible to run against, and Head Coach John Harbaugh isn’t a dummy. Flacco has completed at least 71 percent of his passes in three of his last four games, and he completed 65 percent against the Steelers on the road. Baltimore quite often uses the pass as an extension of the running game, using short passes to RB Ray Rice and flanker screens that are nothing more than long handoffs. This is also going to be the way to get men like LB James Harrison off of Flacco’s back. The deep game will be there, but we don’t believe that the Ravens are going to have the desire to use it all that often. Back Flacco going Over 21.5 Completions (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Ray Rice Over/Under 100.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards
Rice is the type of running back that can find a way to get his yards in this game, but this is just that tough of a situation that we aren’t so sure about. We know that Rice isn’t going to beat us on the ground in all likelihood, as the Steelers are allowing just 64 rushing yards per game. The man from Rutgers isn’t going to be an exception to that rule, especially in a situation where RB Willis McGahee will take some of his career. If Rice is going to beat us, he’s going to do so in the passing game, and if he is doing that, we are capitalizing on our QB Joe Flacco completions prop. Rice doesn’t often take passes a long way, so we aren’t worried about taking that screen pass 50 yards. When push comes to shove, Rice should stay Under 100.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) in this battle against the Steelers.

Ray Lewis Over/Under 8.5 Tackles + Assists
We don’t normally play these types of props, but this seems to be the right time to back a linebacker to go past his total. We know that Lewis is the heart and soul of this defense, and he usually turns it up even one more notch when playing at home, particularly in big time games like this one. With QB Ben Roethlisberger in some trouble with his foot, we’ve already established that RB Rashard Mendenhall is going to get his carries. Pittsburgh usually doesn’t get all that cute, as most of its carries are right up the gut. That’s where Mr. Ray Lewis is waiting, and he usually doesn’t make mistakes. Lewis had nine tackles in that first game, and he should have no problem going Over 8.5 Tackles + Assists (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

The NFL makes its first appearance on Thursday Night Football on the NFL Network this weekend, and there is a doozy of a game that we have to look forward to. The Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons both are tied atop their respective conferences and have the best records in the NFL at 6-2 apiece. Both teams know that the winner will be by itself in first place in its division, while the loser is slipping back either into a tie out of first place. Check out some of the Thursday Night Football props for one of the biggest nationally televised NFL betting affairs of the season!

Joe Flacco Over/Under 255.5 Passing Yards
This Atlanta secondary is clearly the Achilles heel of the squad this year, as it ranks just No. 26 in the league and is allowing well over 250 yards per game. Flacco is on pace to throw for over 4,000 yards this year, and we all know that he has a dangerous crop of receivers that is only getting healthier with WR Donte Stallworth eligible to come back to the fray this week. HC Jon Harbaugh certainly isn’t an idiot. He knows what he has to do to get the job done against this black and red defense, and if that means putting the ball in the air 35-40 times, then so be it. We have no reservations that Flacco is going Over 255.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Thursday Night Football.

Will Ed Reed Intercept a Pass?
This isn’t a prop that requires much in the way of explanation. The bottom line here is that there is no way that Reed is really intercepting a pass in more than one out of three games that he plays in for the life of his career. Sure, we know that he has three picks in his first two games back in the lineup after recovering from his offseason surgery, but those came against a man that started the year as a backup quarterback (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and one that has now been demoted to a backup quarterback (Chad Henne). Needless to say, QB Matt Ryan is going to do a better job of protecting the pigskin than these two more often than not. If Reed beats us, he beats us. However, we’ll certainly take our chances that he does Not Intercept a Pass (-200 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Matt Ryan Over/Under 1.5 Touchdown Passes
In order for you to throw for two TDs in a game, your team has to score two TDs, right? Sure, Matty Ice and the gang have a high flying offense, and yes, with 13 TD passes in just eight games, we feel like we’re playing with a little bit of fire here with Ryan. However, the Baltimore defense is coming off of a superlative effort against the Miami Dolphins in which it allowed just ten points, and more importantly, just one touchdown. Just like Reed, if Ryan beats us, more power to him. However, we’ll take our chances that more often than not, he’ll end up throwing for Under 1.5 Touchdown Passes (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Michael Jenkins Over/Under 45.5 Receiving Yards
This is the one man that we really like offensively against the Ravens stout ‘D’, and the reason for that is that we aren’t so sure that Baltimore is going to pay all that much attention to where he is on a regular basis. The former Ohio State Buckeye has only been back in the fold three weeks, and he has watched, as 21 balls have traveled his way over those three games. Jenkins is clearly a man that can break some big gainers, and with him getting his feet back underneath him, we have no reason to believe that Flacco won’t force some balls in there to him, and the former Delaware Blue Hen might look for him on some deep routes against the aggressive defense on the other side of the ball as well. Go with Jenkins Over 42.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

NFL football betting fans will get their first taste of Monday Night Football action tonight! The Kansas City Chiefs will take on the San Diego Chargers in the nightcap, but in the main course, the Baltimore Ravens will face the New York Jets. Check out these prop picks for the first Monday of the year.

Ray Rice Over 80.5 Yards
Even though the Ravens are probably going to have more of a chance of focusing in on the passing game now that WR TJ Houshmanzadeh and WR Anquan Boldin are in the fray, that doesn’t mean that Rice isn’t going to be a dominating force this year. Without DL Calvin Pace in the lineup, the big boys up front are going to be thinner than normal for the Jets. Conventional wisdom suggests that New York, who had one of the best rush defenses in the NFL last year, would be able to shut Rice down. We tend to think otherwise. Rice Over 80.5 yards carries (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) is the choice for this prop.

Will Mark Sanchez Throw a TD or INT First?
The oddsmakers did a nice job making this line to try to throw you off. On one hand, it is clear that Sanchez threw more INTs than TDs last year. On the other, Baltimore is going to be crushed in the secondary with injuries. However, we still look at a guy like Ed Reed and the depth in that front seven and wonder how Sanchez is going to be finding ways to find the end zone either on the ground or through the air. That being said, the only team that can pressure a quarterback more than Baltimore might be the team on the other side of the field. If the Ravens can get to Sanchez as we expect, especially right up the middle in what could be a relatively shaky center of the Jets offensive line, Sanchez could be prone to multiple INTs in this one. Go with Sanchez to throw an INT first (-110 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Longest TD of the Game Over/Under 43.5 Yards
Neither one of these offenses has the same type of firepower that they did last year on offense in terms of explosive plays, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t think there will be a long touchdown at any point over the course of this game. Remember that we have both special teams and defensive tuddies that count in here as well. Javier Arenas is going to want to make a great impression on his new team on kick and punt returns, and he was one of the most prolific returners in the history of college football. LaDainian Tomlinson is gone, but both RBs Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles are potential home run hitters for the Bolts. We also know that new OC Charlie Weis is going to do the best he can to stretch the field and get some confidence in a relatively weak crop of receivers. We already know that his QB Matt Cassel certainly has the arm to make this work. At some point, there is bound to be at least one score that goes Over 43.5 yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Antonio Gates Over/Under 74.5 Receiving Yards
The bottom line here is that QB Philip Rivers is just more comfortable throwing the ball to his massive tight end than he is anywhere else, especially with WR Vincent Jackson still holding out. Yes, there will be plenty of dump offs to Mathews and Sproles out of the backfield, and WR Malcom Floyd might be in for a big day as well, but unless the Chiefs are going to use Eric Berry to shadow Gates the entire game, there could be a ton of holes in the middle of this defense. Look for HC Norv Turner to find ways to get Gates in some open space, even if that means lining him up at wide receiver from time to time. He’ll get at least ten looks in this game, and if that’s the case, he’ll come down with at least seven of the ten and easily fly past this number. Gates will well exceed Over 74.5 yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

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The 2009 NFL Football Season is in some cases upside down from the way the league looked in 2008. The Tennessee Titans who started their 2008 season a perfect 10-0 remain winless at 0-3. The same can be said for the Carolina Panthers who were tied with the Giants for best regular season record in the NFC just one year ago. At least the Panthers are just 2-0, but are pretty sizeable underdogs entering tomorrow night’s battle with Dallas. Still, if you look at some of the teams in the league who would have thought the Jets at this time appear to be the best team in the AFC East over the Patriots and San Francisco sits a top the NFC West at a perfect 3-0.

It just goes to show that no matter how much preseason predictions and reviews that nothing truly matters until teams actually step onto the gridiron. While the season is definitely going to have its twist and turns throughout the remaining 13 weeks of the regular season, we are going to break down some of the teams that may have a shot at the 2010 Super Bowl based what we have seen thus far in the year. Keep in mind that you will have teams that get cold and hot, and things will definitely change. However, it’s hard to pass up the chance to catch the Super Bowl odds while they are at their most profitable. Take a second to look at a few teams who are considered to be 2010 Super Bowl Champion contenders.

#5. New Orleans Saints – 9 to 1 (@ BetUS)

The New Orleans Saints quick 3-0 start may be a surprise to some, but if you paid attention to our preseason predictions we had the Saints to win the NFC South due to their potent offense. Well the season has a long way to go, but so far Drew Brees is proving us right. The Saints are 3-0 including an impressive win over Philadelphia in that stretch. Brees already has 9 touchdowns in just 3 games and is completing 70% of his passes while owning the highest quarterback rating in the league at 118.1. The Saints offense which is averaging 40 points per game remains one of the most prolific passing attacks in the NFL. Last season the Saints were extremely good on offense, but the defense was just as horrible giving up 25 points per game. The Saints defense definitely will not be the strong point of the team. However if they can have more similar performances like they did last Sunday holding Buffalo to 7 points and 243 total yards, then they are going to be extremely difficult to beat.

#4. Minnesota Vikings – 12 to 1 (@ BetUS)

Lets just first start off by saying “wow” to another Brett Farve classic last week. If you missed it, Farve threw a 50 yard laser from the 40 yard line to the back of the end zone finding WR Greg Lewis with 2 seconds to go lifting the Vikings over the 49ers in what has to be the play of the year by season’s end. Farve is the reason the Vikings could contend by the end of the season if he can stay healthy. The reason is not that he is the most important player on the field because that role goes to Adrian Peterson, but because he can make the plays when needed with his arm. The Vikings have struggled to find a quarterback that could move the ball without giving up 17 interceptions as they did in 2008. Farve has thrown just 1 pick this year even though he has thrown more than any other quarterback in his career. However, do not expect to see a lot of picks thrown by the 40 year old this year. The Vikings will keep the work load on running back Adrian Peterson who is undoubtedly the best rusher in the NFL fresh off a 1,760 yard season in 2008. The Vikings won the NFC North with all the troubles in the passing game last year. Imagine if they get consistency in the passing game and the defense continues to improve.

#3. New England Patriots – 8 to 1 (@ Oddsmaker)

First off let’s go ahead and state that the Patriots have looked absolutely nothing like a Super Bowl caliber team thus far this season. However, it’s hard to think a team this talented will not explode back to the dominating team that has ruled the NFL over the last decade. Tom Brady got off to a rusty start and perhaps has not looked as sharp as normal, but that can be expected following a knee injury. However, the offense has too many weapons to be contained. Sure, the New York Jets are playing well but the Patriots remain favorites to win the Super Bowl. New England bounced back last week beating up on the Atlanta Falcons 26-10 which should indicate even when they are not playing their best they are still among the best in the league. Brady has not been on target when the deep throws and the offense has yet to get the production needed from Wes Welker. However once those few misfires start sparking again, the Patriots are going to be tough to beat in the latter part of the season.

#2. Baltimore Ravens – 9 to 1 (@ BetUS)

It may be difficult to judge just how good the Ravens are considering they have yet to play any team with a winning record from 2008. However, we still have some high praises for this team. It all starts with the defense which is again among tops in the league. The Ravens defense ranked 2nd overall just a season ago and they could be well on their way to another strong year. We predicted the Ravens to pull of the upset over Pittsburgh in the preseason and they are going to have every opportunity. The reason the Ravens may be destined for more success in 2009 is due to the offense that has matured into a productive unit. QB Joe Flacco threw for a career high 342 yards in last week’s blowout over Cleveland 34-3. Flacco has looked sharp in just his 2nd year in the league and as a result 4 different wide receivers are already over 100 yards receiving. Add to the fact, Ray Rice and Willis McGahee are coming along nicely in the backfield and this team is going to be as dangerous as any in the AFC. The Ravens offense has slowly but consistently improved and they are going to be solid this season. As long as the defense does not fade, the Ravens could easily make a run at the AFC Championship.

#1. Indianapolis Colts – 12 to 1 (@ BetUS)

These odds are very inviting with the Colts sitting as +1200 to win the Super Bowl. Manning has been red hot in the opening games throwing over 300 yards in each contest. The Colts blew out the defending NFC Champions last week in Arizona 31-10. The Colts defense is playing extremely well holding opponents to just 15 points per game thus far in the season. The Colts defense will play a huge factor in the Colts success, but as of now everything seems to be on track. If Manning stays on fire, the Colts return to glory may be inevitable. Still, they are going to need Joseph Addai or rookie Donald Brown to get the running game going. The Colts are going to face some situations where they need their running backs to pick up first downs so it is imperative the rushing game come out of extinction. If that happens, there is not any other team in the league playing better right now.

Honorable Mention –

I’m sure some may wonder why the New York Giants are not on the list even though they may be Super Bowl contenders. The Giants are receiving 7 to 1 odds to win the Super Bowl and off to a solid 3-0 start. However, the Giants still are a concern because they way they fall apart last year. The Giants barely escaped a Washington team that was beaten by Detroit last week and hit a game winning field goal in their win over Dallas who many would consider as a bit over rated. QB Eli Manning has played well but that is nothing new for the Giants early in the year. Their biggest challenge is a lot like their biggest foes the Dallas Cowboys. The question is how will the team hold up later in the year? The big play threat at the receiver position is still in question. Steve Smith has played well and so has the emergence of Mario Manningham. However, it will be interesting to see how those young guys hold up. If they get better and do not fade, the Giants will be right in the mix. If not then it will be another disappointing story like the 2008 season.

Current odds to win the Super Bowl From BetUS (as of 9/29/09)
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The NFL preseason football action is set to officially get under way Thursday as teams prepare for the upcoming season. Over the next few weeks we will continue to evaluate the team’s talent levels and what to expect for this year’s football season. However, teams will not completely show everything they have until the first week of the season in mid September. Until that point in time, you can find all kinds of preseason betting odds at sports books like BetUS Sportsbook (100% Bonus When Using This Link). There are tons of betting lines from individual odds, win totals, division finishes, playoff odds, and more. We take a look at all the preseason betting activity and encourage you to take advantage of all these betting opportunities as well. Take a look at some free prop bet picks for the upcoming weeks prior to the start of the 2009 NFL season.

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Prop Bet #1 – Total Touchdown Passes (Brees vs. Roethlisberger)

Drew Brees -7 ½ (-120)
Ben Roethlisberger +7 ½ (-120)

The odds on this particular prop bet are surprisingly profitable. Drew Brees led the NFL in touchdown passes in 2008 with 34 scores. Ben Roethlisberger was able to put up 17 touchdowns for the Super Bowl Champions. In retrospect, both quarterbacks had solid seasons behind center. Roethlisberger is not going to put up 30 plus touchdowns given the Steelers old school style of football and that is why he has a 7 ½ touchdown cushion for this match-up. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints on the other hand have a lethal passing offense that rarely runs the ball for success. The Saints should be another big threat in the NFL this season on offense and Brees is certain to put up solid numbers again. However, don’t expect Roethlisberger to be able to contend despite the 7 ½ cushion. Outside of the breakout year in 2007, Roethlisberger has failed to put up over 20 touchdowns since coming into the league in 2004. The Steelers have too much faith in their defense to become a pass happy offense and that is the reason that Drew Brees will easily cover this match-up.

Pick: Drew Brees -7 ½

Prop Bet #2 – Dallas Cowboys Team Total Sacks in 2009

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As our expert handicappers continue to prepare for the upcoming football season, my fellow Bankoll Sports bloggers and staff writers will continue to find the best preseason odds and picks for all your football props and futures.  And, we will continue to offer up our picks.  My colleges have already broken down the conference previews and given you full explanations of what you might expect to see from the NFL in 2009. However, we will now take this a step further and make our over/under picks for how many wins some of these teams will accomplish this season, taking advantage of the odds that some of these books (including; Superbook / 50% cash signup bonus using this link & BetUS Sportsbook – 100% match play bonus when using this link) have posted.  As always, the Bankroll Sports website continue to bring to you free football picks picks that are sure to beef up your bankroll for the 2009 post season. 

You also can get the premium football picks from our expert handicapping team for the entire (regular & post) season along with every baseball release for the rest of the (regular & post) season for just $349.95 by checking out our 2009 Football Season Special Promo.  This is the lowest price in 15 years that our bosses have put on their complete football season special.  It’s also the earliest that they have ever offered this early bird season special as it includes all of our expert handicappers’ baseball releases for the entire second half of the season.  This is, by far, the best offer you are going to find for our complete football package.

Check our what the writers and I have come up with for our 2009 NFL team win totals.

Free Pick #1: New Orleans Saints

Over 9 Wins -115
Under 9 Wins -115

The New Orleans Saints return the NFL’s best offense from 2008. Drew Brees racked up over 5,000 yards to lead the best passing attack in the NFL. The Saints offense will again be among the best in the NFL this season, but they still have concerns on defense. The defense ranked in the bottom 7 in scoring defense last season allowing nearly 25 points per game. However, the defense should be much improved this season. Defensive ends, Charles Grant (triceps) and Will Smith (hernia) both played with injuries last year and the Saints struggled to get and pressure at all on the quarterback. Both of these key players should be healthy heading into the season, making the defensive front stronger. Also, the secondary will get the addition of Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins. Despite not having any experience, Jenkins will play immediately. The Saints also added CB Jabari Greer from Buffalo to their secondary that gave up 221 yards per game. New Orleans may not have one of the best defenses this season, but they should be highly improved. Even with the horrible defense in 2008, the Saints were a factor in nearly every game. Their 8-8 record can be a bit misleading considering 6 of those losses were by 5 points or less. Expect some things to fall their way this year and watch for a breakout season from the highly talented New Orleans Saints.

Pick – Over 9 Wins

Free Pick #2: Chicago Bears

Over 8 ½ Wins -140
Under 8 ½ Wins +110

Basically if you are going to try and get me to believe the Bears will win less games than they did in 2008 I would love to hear your explanation. Chicago landed one of the best young quarterbacks in the game over the off season in Jay Cutler. The problems that have plagued the Bears for the last few years are finally over behind center. Sure, the Bears may not have any big play-maker at wide out like most experts like to say or is that argument legit? Devin Hester has tremendous speed but we have never been able to see how effective his speed is because there has not been a quarterback that could hit him down field. Cutler can make all the throws on the field including the bombs down field so we will really get to see what the receiving core can do. Plus there are some talented young receivers in the stable as well. The Bears defense is popularly known for being strong every year. The defense did not have the season expected on paper in 2008, but a lot of that could be blamed on the offense which gave up 27 turnovers. There is just no way the Bears will be worse than last season with Cutler behind center. In fact they should be focusing more on the winning the NFC North than having to worry about improving their record.

Pick – Over 8 1/2

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Free Pick #3: Detroit Lions

Over 4 ½ -125
Under 4 ½ -105

This line maybe a sucker bet, but I will bite. The Detroit Lions will definitely be improved behind new coach Jim Schwartz. The Lions loaded up on talent during the NFL draft landing the number 1 overall pick with quarterback Matthew Stafford and also grabbing tight end Brandon Pettigrew late in the first round. However, they still have the worse offensive line in football and they are not going to be able to protect Stafford. The offensive line gave up 52 sacks in 2008 and they have yet to sign the first player that could turn that around. Plus the biggest problem last season was not only the offense, but perhaps even bigger the problem lie on the defensive side of the ball. The Lions allowed 404 yards per game last season by far the worse in the league. Detroit also ranked dead last in scoring defense allowing 32 points per game. The Lions added some players on defense like cornerbacks Phillip Buchanon (Tampa Bay) and Anthony Henry (Dallas). Detroit also drafted Louis Delmas (Western Michigan) to add support in the weak secondary. However, these players are not the ones that will turn things around. They still have major issues up front and stopping the run. I believe the Lions win a few games, but 5 wins may be a bit too optimistic.

Pick – Under 4 ½

Free Pick #4: Baltimore Ravens

Over 8 ½ -175
Under 8 ½ +145

The odds on this line may not be the most profitable, but I believe this bet is probably the best of them all. I had the Ravens to upset the Steelers this season in the AFC North despite getting beat 3 times by the Steelers in 2008. The Ravens defense ranked 2nd in nearly every category behind Pittsburgh last season. They may have some aging veterans on that side of the ball, but I would expect no less than a top 3 defense again this season. Rookie Joe Flacco had a tremendous season behind center and it will be interesting to see if he can continue to progress. Flacco really controlled the ball well towards the end of the season and you could also see the confidence building behind Flacco through the play calling. The Ravens attempted a good bit of deep balls towards the end of the season and I’m guessing they will attempt even more early this season. WR Derrick Mason is one of the best in the league even though he may not get the credit he deserves. LeRon McClain led the team in rushing with 902 yards in 2008. However, McClain will be making the move to fullback this season. Willis McGahee and Ray Rice will get the bulk of the carries in the backfield. However, having McClain in the back field as well should give defenses extra concern in the running game. The Ravens may become a much bigger offensive force this season and that is one reason I predicting them to take down the AFC North. The defense would have to fall apart and the offense become motionless for the Ravens to be held under 9 wins.

Pick – Over 8 ½

Free Pick #5 (Best Bet): Carolina Panthers

Over 8 ½ -105
Under 8 ½ -125

I have the Carolina Panthers listed as a team that could really be in some serious trouble this season. Do not get me wrong, they do have some talented personnel that can perform. However, they are a team with a lot of issues. One of these issues is quarterback Jake Delhomme. I have believed Delhomme has held this team back for years. My theory was backed up in the playoffs last year against Arizona when he threw 5 interceptions. If it wasn’t for the playmaking ability of Steve Smith, the passing game in Carolina would be non-existent. The Panthers strength last season was the ground attack led by Jonathon Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. The two combined for nearly 2300 yards as one of the best duos in the league. The offensive line should get a lot of that credit for the strong running attack. Carolina will have another strong front five again this season. However, the offensive line will have very little depth heading into this season, meaning if the big guys start going down, then so will the running game. Another reason the unit maybe heading for destruction in 2009, is their very poor run defense. The rush defense allowed over 120 yards per game ranking in the bottom of the NFL. Star defensive end Julius Peppers signed a one year deal even though it was obvious he wanted out of town. However, the Panthers franchised Peppers for a one year deal worth just under 17 million. Rookie Everette Brown will be the long term replacement for Peppers, but it will take him a while before he is terrorizing quarterbacks and turning heads. The defensive front could really take a step back this season which is a bad combination with the already shaky secondary. Those combinations on offense and defense will just be too much for the team to overcome this season. History shows that the NFC South usually flip flops every season. The Panthers may have won the division in 2008, but do not be surprised if they are at the bottom of the NFC South in 2009.

Pick – Under 8 ½