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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Last season, the NFC South was one of those rare divisions that had three teams finish with at least 10 wins. Will things be as competitive this year? Check out the odds to win the NFC South in 2011!

The defending champs of the division are the Atlanta Falcons (Current NFC South Odds: 1.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Head Coach Mike Smith really had his team playing well last season, particularly at the Georgia Dome. It’s going to be hard to top this team once again this year, especially with this offense having yet another year to gel together. QB Matt Ryan, WR Roddy White, RB Michael Turner, and TE Tony Gonzalez were already strong as it is, but now, adding WR Julio Jones to the mix is almost not even fair. The questions that come up about this team are regarding its toughness. We saw a very weak team against the Saints and the Green Bay Packers at the end of last season, and if that doesn’t improve, this is going to be a tough division to try to win.

Instead, the team that might have the upper hand is the New Orleans Saints (NFC South Lines: 1.30 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The Super Bowl champs from two years ago snuck up on no one last season, though it did still have a rock solid year. Many were shocked to see QB Drew Brees and company bounced from the first round of the playoffs by the pitiful NFC West champs, the Seattle Seahawks. RB Reggie Bush is on the short list of players that have departed this team, but now, RB Mark Ingram should be able to carry the load as a rookie along with a hopefully healthy RB Pierre Thomas. Brees just refuses to lose on a regular basis, and we know that the Saints will be marching on the playoffs once again this year in some capacity.

Last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Odds to Win the NFC South: 3.50 to 1 at JustBet Sportsbook) put on a grand show and should have made the playoffs with 10 wins. It wasn’t quite enough down the stretch, but it was still a fantastic season for a team that had incredibly low expectations. QB Josh Freeman had a great season last year in his first full year running the team, and Head Coach Raheem Morris and company have a lot of good pieces to build around. We’re just puzzled why the Bucs didn’t try to make some free agent signings with their oodles of salary cap space this year, and we are afraid that they are going to take a step backwards and not be a postseason factor.

Historically in the NFC South, you have teams go from worst to first all the time. This year though, won’t be a year in which that happens. The Carolina Panthers (2011 NFC South Odds: 25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) do have a bit of a future to look forward to with QB Cam Newton running the show, but this isn’t the year that the team is going to be out of the gutter in this division. There’s no way that Carolina is going to be the worst team in the league this season, as the talent of Newton and RBs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams should be good enough for a few wins, but four or five victories won’t win this division by a longshot.

2011 NFL Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC South
Atlanta Falcons 1.25 to 1
Carolina Panthers 25 to 1
New Orleans Saints 1.25 to 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4.50 to 1

Odds To Win Super Bowl
Atlanta Falcons 16 to 1
Carolina Panthers 125 to 1
New Orleans Saints 16 to 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 45 to 1

NFC South Super Bowl Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC South Division
Atlanta Falcons 1.10 to 1
Carolina Panthers 25 to 1
New Orleans Saints 1 to 1.10
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 to 1

Super Bowl 46 Odds
Atlanta Falcons 14 to 1
Carolina Panthers 150 to 1
New Orleans Saints 10 to 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 to 1

NFC South Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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2011 NFC South Odds
Atlanta Falcons 1.20 to 1
Carolina Panthers 25 to 1
New Orleans Saints 1.30 to 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 to 1

NFC South Team Odds To Win the Super Bowl
Atlanta Falcons 14 to 1
Carolina Panthers 150 to 1
New Orleans Saints 15 to 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 to 1

NFL Betting Odds @ BoDog Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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NFC South Odds
Atlanta Falcons 1.20 to 1
Carolina Panthers 20 to 1
New Orleans Saints 1.30 to 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4.50 to 1

Super Bowl Odds
Atlanta Falcons 15 to 1
Carolina Panthers 125 to 1
New Orleans Saints 16 to 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 to 1

While most of the world focuses on the new start of the Major League Baseball season and the NBA playoffs, the guys of the grid iron are hard at work during the off-season. Nearly two weeks after teams wrapped up the 2009 NFL Draft, teams are now holding the customary mini-camp and other off-season festivities. Betus.com has officially released the new odds to win the NFC Championship following the draft and we will take a look at some teams to consider in 2010. Take advantage of off-season odds at our sponsored sports books and consider placing a wager for next year’s Super Bowl contender. We break down who to watch out for in the NFC in 2010 and will follow up with a breakdown of the AFC during the middle of the week.

NFC East

Odds to win the NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys +300
New York Giants +150
Philadelphia Eagles +160
Washington Redskins +700

The NFC East is possibly the most unpredictable conference of all-time. Last year all four teams had legitimate chances to win the division throughout the season. The Giants were the most consistent team finishing with a record of 12-4. However, New York really faltered down the stretch after Plaxico Burress was apart of the off the field trouble. The Giants either never got back focused mentally or suffered offensively from not having Burress. The Giants lost 4 of their last 5 games of the season due to the flat offense. New York is a team with a lot of question marks heading into 2010. Could Hakeem Nicks be the spark they need back at wide out to get the offense rolling again? One thing is for sure is that the Giants defense did play solid all year and should be a force again in 2010. Philadelphia caught fire during the 2nd half of the season after Donovan McNabb was benched for the first time in his career. The Eagles defense was another strong unit that played very well. The question this year will be again surrounding the offense and quite possibly McNabb. Will the veteran quarterback have his act together early or will he show more signs of inconsistency? The Eagles top pick Jeremy Maclin could make an immediate impact especially if he gets the chance to help out the special teams. Philadelphia has strong possibility to be strong again as they fell one game short of the Super Bowl last season losing to Arizona. The Dallas Cowboys landed a lot of depth through the off-season, but there are still a lot of question marks in the air. How will the defense play and will the offense be better or worse after Terrell Owens? The Cowboys definitely have the ability to be a front runner, but they late season stumbles have become an unwanted tradition. Washington first round pick Brian Orakpo has a bright future in the NFL. The Redskins simply had problems moving the ball last season and will need more explosiveness. The defense like the rest of the division had its bright spots, but the offense still needs some work. Clinton Portis had strong start to the season running the ball, but that dwindled away towards the end of the year. The Redskins were 5-1 when Portis reached the 100 yard mark and 3-9 when he was held to less than 100 yards.

Pick – Philadelphia +160

NFC North

Odds to win the NFC North:
Chicago Bears +200
Detroit Lions +1500
Green Bay Packers +160
Minnesota Vikings +150

The NFC North is another division that could be wide open in 2010. The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers are both moving in the right direction with their franchises, but how long will it take them to truly get there? The Bears landed a big fish during the off-season with Jay Cutler. Cutler should finally end all the question marks behind center and put the focus on another aspect of the field. The offense lacks the playmakers needed for them to be among the best in the NFC, but things could see an upswing with Cutler at quarterback. The Packers made some moves to fill the defensive side of the ball with the 2009 draft. The Packers were on the verge of having a great year last season. In their 10 losses, 7 of those defeats came by less than 4 points. Turn just half of those around and Green Bay would have been in the playoffs easily. With most of the offense returning and some more depth on defense, look for Green Bay to turn some losses into wins this time around. In this division, 10-6 could win the division again. Minnesota won the North last year behind the legs of Adrian Peterson. Peterson posted 1760 yards on the year and Minnesota developed into an offensive threat during the closing weeks. Percy Harvin could add to the explosiveness or could become a let down as well. The Vikings main concern may be behind center. Gus Frerotte threw 15 picks last season and Tarvaris Jackson just has not been what they have hoped. However, the Vikings will still grind out some wins through a talented running game and a defense that matured at the end of the year. As far as Detroit is concerned, do we really have to consider them for winning the division? The question for this team is how many games they will win this year. Better days are ahead for the Lions, but 2010 would be a success with as little as 4 victories.

Pick – Green Bay +160

NFC South

Odds to win the NFC South:
Atlanta Falcons +180
Carolina Panthers +200
New Orleans Saints +180
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +600

The Carolina Panthers closed out the 2009 regular season out very strong led by one of the best running back duos in the league. DeAngelo Williams had 1515 yards for the season while Jonathan Stewart added 836 yards as well and the two combined for 28 touchdowns. Carolina went out on a limb to draft Everette Brown as Julius Peppers made it public that he was exploring options out of Carolina. The offense will be another similar Panthers offense with Steve Smith at wide out and strong rushing attack. However, Jake Delhomme still has not convinced anyone that he is a true winner. Also, the Panthers will have to defend their NFC South crown from some talented up and coming teams. The New Orleans Saints could be one of the surprise stories this season. The Saints offense is a lot like the Cardinals offense that shined in 2009. However, New Orleans had one of the worse defenses in the league last year that allowed 24.6 points per game. The Saints drafted Malcom Jenkins in the first round that could start from day one in the weak secondary. If the Saints defense could just come together and improve, New Orleans offense could have the Saints marching again. Atlanta will be looking for superstar sophomore quarterback Matt Ryan to lead the Falcons back to the playoffs. The Falcons possess a solid balanced passing and rushing attack that keeps defenses on their hills. If Ryan can continue to impress the world, there is not much reason to bet against the Falcons as they are solid in all aspects of the field. Tampa Bay has finished at 9-7 the past two seasons and mediocrity appears to be the future. The Buccaneers drafted Josh Freeman with their first round pick who they hope can be the Matt Ryan type lottery pick. However, Freeman will need time to develop and nothing looks to immediately impact the struggling offense.

Pick – Atlanta +180

NFC West

Odds to win the NFC Wtst:
Arizona Cardinals +140
San Francisco 49ers +260
Seattle Seahawks +180
St Louis Rams +800

The Arizona Cardinals were the biggest surprise story of 2009. Kurt Warner return to the main stage was a great feel good story, but for the possibly Hall of Fame quarterback it will be another work in progress in 2010. The Cardinals had 3 receivers to reach the 1,000 yard plateau in that impressive offense last season. If Kurt Warner could just hook up with Larry Fitzgerald like they did in the playoffs that could be enough to win the division. After all, the Cardinals won the NFC West last season with only a 9-7 record. The St. Louis Rams completely fell apart last year as they lost their last 10 games of the season. The Rams drafted Jason Smith at the number 2 overall pick to try and help Steven Jackson at running back. Unfortunately, the Rams defense gave up 29 points per game last season which was among the leagues 2nd worse defense. The Rams just have not made enough changes to see a big difference this fall. Seattle sported another weak defense in 2009 that gave up 24.5 points per game. However, Aaron Curry was the best defensive pick in the draft and should give some help in the heart of that defense. The offense needs some playmakers as well before they can contend with the rest of the NFC. However, the Seahawks may have what it takes already to contend in this division. San Francisco actually finished the year fairly well despite only having a 7-9 record for the year. The 49ers lost 6 straight games through the middle of the season, but did finish winning 5 of their last 7. Michael Crabtree should add excitement at wide receiver and Glen Coffee is a downhill runner who may be very under rated. The 49ers could just focus on the NFC West wins and make some noise in the division race next season.

Pick – Arizona/San Francisco