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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NFL/College Football News & Headlines Cycle:

• ESPN; Mark Sanchez to Start for Jets in Their Next Preseason Game
• NFL.com; Michael Vick Shows off Arm in First Practice w/ Eagles (Video)
• NY Daily News; Source Say Plexico Burress Faces Half-Season Ban
• National Football Post; Derrick Brooks Close To Signing With Saints
• SF Gate; Owner, John York Confident Niners & Crabtree Will Make Deal
• Fox Sports; Oakland Raiders Sign Cornerback, Ricky Manning Jr.

Blogisphere & Football Opinion/Entertainment Cycle:

• Cippin on Sports; AFC East Breakout Players in 2009
• Bankroll Sports; Our College Football Top 25 With Links To Others
• Frying Pan Sports; Lions Rookie QB Matthew Stafford is the Real Deal
• Bama Beat; Reviewing College football’s Rule Changes
• Josh Q. Public; My Top 5 Favorite Running Backs
• My Sports Rumors; Samkon Gado’s 77-Yard Touchdown Run (Video)
• Sporting News; Ranking The College Football Top 100 Teams
• Wiz of Odds; Reporter’s Notebooks (August 15, 2009)

2009 Fantasy Football Cycle:

• The Daily Blitz; Consensus Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
• RootZoo; Consensus Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
• Sharapova’s Thigh; Fantasy Football Pre-Draft Roundup
• Sports Overdose; 2009 Player Rankings: Quarterback
• America’s White Boy; 2009 Fantasy Football Sleepers
• Sports of Boston; Fantasy Focus: Schedule Talk
• Sportmeisters; Top 5 Fantasy Football Quarterback Sleepers
• Pro Football Fans; 2009 Player Rankings; Tight End, Defense, Kicker
• Armchair Association; 10 Commandments of Your Fantasy Football Draft

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As soon as week 17 concludes every year you can almost bet the following Monday morning will headline with NFL Coaches being fired after disappointing season. As the postseason is set to start this weekend, the rest of the NFL teams have already started planning ways to change. A number of coaches have been fired in the opening week following the season after failing to meet expectations. We take a look at the teams who are looking for a change for the 2009 season. Which coaches will be packing up their things and where will they be moving them to ring in the New Year?

The most obvious change that was bound to happen comes from the Detroit Lions main office. Lions coach Rod Marinelli was fired after the first 0-16 season in NFL history. The Detroit Lions had also lost the last 7 out of 8 games dating back to the 2007 season meaning they were a dismal 1-23 in their last 24 games. Marinelli was quoted to saying “You can’t go 0-16 and expect to keep your job.” The Lions made the change official Monday morning releasing Marinelli after 3 seasons in Detroit where he had an overall record of 10-38. The outlook for Detroit certainly must be better than before; I mean they can not get any worse literally. The Lions will get the first pick in the NFL draft and a few more selections from the Dallas trade with Roy Williams. Brian Billick looks to be a target for the Lions staff. Billick was the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens from 1999-2007 and winner of the 2000 Super Bowl over the New York Giants. While nothing is official, Billick is rumored to be the main focus for Detroit. Another popular name that has emerged is Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Garrett received a lot of criticism from Dallas offensive stars Tony Romo and Terrell Owens and a ticket out of town may be the best bet.

Another NFL coach to receive a pink slip Monday morning was Romeo Crennel of the Cleveland Browns. The Browns had a disappointing 4-12 season and losers of their last 6 games. Cleveland was an embarrassing 24-40 under Crennel in four seasons of play. The Browns also had lost at least 10 games in 3 of their 4 seasons under Crennel. Crennel had received a contract extension and the Browns seemed to be heading in the right direction after a 10-6 season. However, things got a lot worse this year and the Browns are now in search of a new man in charge. Cleveland has reported showing interest in a few promising names including New York Jets former coach Eric Mangini. Mangini was among the 3 coaches fired on what many are calling “Black Monday” for NFL head coaches. Mangini is reported to show interest in the position and the Browns will be scheduling an interview this week. Another prospect for the Cleveland owner Randy Lerner is the notable name of New England Patriots Vice-President Scott Pioli. Pioli might be the more sought after man considering owner Randy Lerner will be trying to go after what he calls “a huge change” in Cleveland. The Browns are moving fast with their coaching process and I expect something to be official in the next week.

New York Jets coach Eric Mangini was probably the least expect firing Monday. The Jets were on a very promising mid-season run where they looked like one of the best teams in the AFC. However, the wheels fell off for the Jets momentum and they would lose 4 of their last 5 games. QB Brett Farve publicly announced his dislike for some of Mangini’s actions this season and the disappointing downfall of events was enough to remove Mangini from office. The New York Jets along with the other 3 teams in search of coaches were said to have contacted former Steelers Super Bowl Champions Coach Bill Cowher. Cowher had denied both the Browns and Lions offers to talk, but will has accepted the invitation to at least talk it over with the Jets. Cowher would offer a huge improvement in the management department if the Jets were to manage to land him. New York is continuing its search with some names like Steve Spagnuolo and Marty Schottenheimer that are being thrown into the discussion.

Tuesday Morning Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan was fired becoming the 4th coach to be let go this week. Shanahan had an impressive 14 year tenure with the Denver Broncos including Back-to-Back Super Bowl Champions in 1997 and 1998. The decision came after the Broncos became the first ever team to lose a 3 game lead in a division in the final 3 weeks of the season highlighting a very disappointing season. However, Shanahan will very likely be a well sought after coach for teams around the NFL. There has already been rumors that Shanahan could end up in Dallas, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has stood firm behind his statement claiming Wade Phillips will be the coach next season. The Broncos have not claimed any favorable targets to fill Shanahan’s shoes at this time, but I’m sure we will understand a lot more in the coming days as the NFL coaching saga continues.

Many people expected Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips to be thrown into the fire as well, but the Cowboys have stood by Phillips claiming he will be their coach next season. Phillips and the Cowboys completely fell apart down the stretch, a trend that has plagued the Cowboys for the last decade. Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron was another coach on the hot seat, but the Bills report that Jauron will return as the coach next season. Jauron has led the Bills to 3 straight 9-7 seasons and many of the fans have been unhappy. Other names that left their respective offices this season included the San Francisco 49ers that fired offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Martz was the former offensive coach that led the explosive Rams offense to the 2002 Super Bowl. The Houston Texans fired nearly the entire defensive coaching management including defensive coordinator Richard Smith. The teams that make the playoffs you would expect to be in safe terms considering job security, but NFL owners have let coaches go before he have not performed well in the postseason. While I do not expect any of this year’s playoff class to be in jeopardy, the playoffs could provide some other unexpected changes in office.

The NFL playoff hunt is in full stride as teams are battling to get every victory possible. Every loss and every win is huge this time of the year because one game can make or break the entire team’s season. Take a look at what teams are in, who still has a chance, and what some need to do to be playing in the postseason. We break down the AFC playoff picture as the NFL season winds down:

Tennessee Titans (12-1) – The Titans have solidified their playoff hopes by clinching the AFC South this past weekend and also sealing a first round bye. Tennessee controls their destiny in the playoffs in trying to capture home field advantage. The Titans simply have to beat Pittsburgh in two weeks or win 2 of their last 3 games to rap up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They hold the best record in the NFL and look ready to make a deep playoff run.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) – Pittsburgh owns the 2^nd best record in the AFC at 10-3 and winner of 4 straight games. The Steelers have a huge game with Baltimore this Sunday. If Pittsburgh wins, they will clinch the AFC North and guarantee themselves a playoff position. Pittsburgh is in great shape, but has some tough games to close out the season. A win this weekend is a must considering they will battle Tennessee in two weeks. The Steelers would have to lose their last 3 games and then some other teams would have to finish strong for Pittsburgh to be kept out of the postseason.

Denver Broncos (8-5) – Denver has all but clinched the AFC West division. The Broncos just need to get one more victory or even a tie would seal the deal. Also, a loss from the San Diego Chargers in any of their last 3 games would officially put Denver into the playoffs. You can basically count the Broncos into the playoffs given the weakest division in the AFC. Due to that fact, the Broncos will most certainly be playing in the first week of the postseason and there are zero chances for them earning a bye.

New York Jets (8-5) – Two weeks ago the Jets looked to easily make the playoffs as they owned a two game lead in the AFC East. After losing two straight games to weak teams, New York finds themselves in a 3 way tie for the division with Miami and New England. The Jets will have the chance to greatly improve their odds when they take on Miami in the final week of the season. With a fairly easy schedule from here on out, New York must be thinking they have to win out to make the playoffs. If they lose two games, it might not be enough considering Baltimore and Indianapolis hold better records in the wildcard picture.

New England Patriots (8-5) – The Patriots could be in the best position to come out ahead of that 3 way dog fight in the AFC East. New England benefits because Miami and New York will play each other and one of those teams are sure to score a loss. New England has the chance to win the next 3 games if they can manage to pull off a victory over the Cardinals at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots other two games showcase struggling teams such as Buffalo and Oakland. Like the Jets, New England needs to run the table or at least win 2 out of 3 to have a shot.

Miami Dolphins (8-5) – Miami has a chance to make the playoffs? After only winning one game all last year, the Dolphins have a chance to win the division and make the playoffs. Sounds crazy, but Miami is actually playing the best football out of everyone in the AFC East. The Dolphins get New York in what seems to be the game that could decide who makes the postseason in the final week of the season. The Dolphins have San Francisco and Kansas City left on the schedule and there is definitely a possibility they could close out with 3 more wins. Miami has won 6 of their last 7 games and will need at 2 more, most likely 3.

Baltimore Ravens (9-4) – Baltimore will play in their biggest game of the season this Sunday when they basically play for the division championship. If the Ravens lose, Pittsburgh will clinch the AFC North. Still regardless of this weekend, Baltimore still has a good chance to make the playoffs. Their record ties with Indianapolis for the best teams for the wildcard spot. Baltimore has a tough road to get their through Pittsburgh, Dallas, and Jacksonville. If the Ravens can pull out two of those victories, they will be in.

Indianapolis Colts (9-4) – Do not count out the Colts. Peyton Manning has led a late season charge winning 6 straight games and Indianapolis is in the middle of the playoff battle despite being written off after a 3-4 start. The Colts get the Lions next week and one must consider that a win given that Detroit is still winless this season. Indianapolis can win 2 out of their last 3 games and make the playoffs through a wildcard position. Considering the way Peyton and the offense has come on in the 2^nd half on the season, the Colts could surprise some teams in the playoffs as well.

The following teams are completely eliminated from the AFC playoff picture: Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs

The following teams aren’t eliminated but have absolutley no chance: Buffalo Bills

Be sure to check back for the NFC breakdown in the next day or two…