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

Last season’s NFC North had a heck of a lot more downs than ups, but in the end, two of its teams were playing for all of the marbles in the conference. Will things be the same this year? Our NFL betting breakdown of the NFC North odds will show you the way.

We know that the Green Bay Packers (Current NFC North Odds: 1 to 1.85 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) are once again going to be the team with all of the hype around them because of the fact that they are the defending Super Bowl champs. The Pack really return the mass majority of their team from a season ago, and they get back both RB Ryan Grant and TE Jermichael Finley, two key pieces to the puzzle who were injured for the majority of the season. Last year, Green Bay had a ton of hype around it and really failed to live up to that hype… that is, until the very end of the regular season when all of a sudden, there wasn’t a team out there that had a shot of beating it. We’ll see how it translates this year and whether the Packers are really deserving of being the biggest chalks in the conference.

The Chicago Bears (NFC North Lines: 4.50 to 1 at BoDog Sportsbook) are the bunch with all of the question marks this year. QB Jay Cutler and Head Coach Lovie Smith both know that this is a season where they have to perform admirably. No, that doesn’t mean that Chicago has to get back to the NFC Championship Game, but at least it has to show some heart and at least compete for a playoff spot. There’s no doubt that this is a squad taking a step backwards this upcoming season, as no one expects it to even make the postseason. However, if they can get their defense going and Cutler remembers what color his team is wearing, the Bears could be a viable team.

The team that many are expecting to make big time strides this year is the Detroit Lions (Odds to Win the NFC North: 5.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The combination of DT Ndamukong Suh and DT Nick Fairley on the inside is going to be incredibly fun to watch, but the real question is going to be whether QB Matt Stafford can for one stay healthy, and secondly take some big time strides towards leading a playoff team. We’ve seen the potential in the former No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and we know that he has some great pieces to the puzzle around him, but there is a question as to whether or not it is all going to come together when it needs to in these tight divisional games.

The intriguing side this season if the team can get any quarterback play is the Minnesota Vikings (2011 NFC North Odds: 12 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). It was only two years ago that this team was in the NFC Championship Game and just a matter of a few yards away from having a shot to go the Super Bowl. However, QB Brett Favre reverted from a man who played like an MVP to one who played like he was 40 years old, and that parlayed with injuries and the loss of the Metrodome due to inclement weather really finished off the spirit of the team. The Vikes are going to rebuild around QB Christian Ponder in the future, but adding QB Donovan McNabb this year could be just what the doctor ordered. RB Adrian Peterson is one of the best in the league, and though talents like WR Sidney Rice and DT Pat Williams have moved on, there is still plenty of playoff type talent in here. We may be getting a fantastic price on Minnesota on the NFL betting lines this year.

2011 NFL Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC North
Chicago Bears 3.25 to 1
Detroit Lions 5.50 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 1.85
Minnesota Vikings 12 to 1

Odds To Win The 2012 Super Bowl
Chicago Bears 25 to 1
Detroit Lions 45 to 1
Green Bay Packers 8.45 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 42 to 1

NFC North Super Bowl Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC North Division
Chicago Bears 4.50 to 1
Detroit Lions 4.50 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 3
Minnesota Vikings 9.50 to 1

Super Bowl 46 Odds
Chicago Bears 25 to 1
Detroit Lions 35 to 1
Green Bay Packers 3.50 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 35 to 1

NFC North Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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2011 NFC North Odds
Chicago Bears 4 to 1
Detroit Lions 5 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 2
Minnesota Vikings 10 to 1

NFC North Odds To Win the Super Bowl
Chicago Bears 25 to 1
Detroit Lions 45 to 1
Green Bay Packers 5 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 40 to 1

NFL Betting Odds @ BoDog Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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NFC North Odds
Chicago Bears 4.50 to 1
Detroit Lions 5 to 1
Green Bay Packers 1 to 1.90
Minnesota Vikings 7.50 to 1

Super Bowl Odds
Chicago Bears 28 to 1
Detroit Lions 30 to 1
Green Bay Packers 7 to 1
Minnesota Vikings 35 to 1

The NFC East odds are expected to be some of the toughest in the NFL this year, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’re keying in all four teams to make our pro football picks to make the NFL playoffs.

The team du jour right now in the NFC East is the Philadelphia Eagles (Current NFC East Odds: 1.10 to 1 at Oddsmaker Sportsbook). The Eagles are definitely a significantly more talented defense this year with the additions of DBs Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha, but there is definitely a question or two about the other side of the ball. QB Michael Vick had as good of a season as any signal caller could have asked for both running and throwing, but if anything happens to him, the team is stuck with QB Vince Young instead of the traded QB Kevin Kolb.

We know that the Dallas Cowboys (NFC East Lines: 4 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) have to be an improved team this season. This was a team that was devastated by the new salary cap rules, but losing out on players like WR Roy Williams just doesn’t match what the team is going to be getting back with QB Tony Romo. Head Coach Jason Garrett had this team rolling at the end of last season, and we think that this could be the most dangerous team on the board this year in the NFC East.

Don’t forget about the New York Giants (Odds to Win the NFC East: 3.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The G-Men always seem to have a solid team, and this year should be no exception. Losing rookie DB Prince Amukamara to a broken foot will hurt, but Head Coach Tom Coughlin still has a stout unit in his defensive front seven, and he definitely has the talent offensively with QB Eli Manning, RB Ahmad Bradshaw, WR Steve Smith, and company.

Bringing up the rear of the division this year will be the Washington Redskins (2011 NFC East Odds: 20 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Washington has a mess with its position players, as there just isn’t enough talent at wide receiver and running back to help out whomever is going to be playing quarterback. Head Coach Mike Shanahan knows that he has a lot of work to do on this team in a relatively short period of time before Owner Daniel Snyder gets frustrated, and we just don’t think that the combo of QB Rex Grossman and QB John Beck is going to put fear in anyone’s eyes. The Skins should be in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes this year as one of the worst teams in the league.

2011 NFL Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC East
Dallas Cowboys 4 to 1
New York Giants 3.50 to 1
Philadelphia Eagles 1 to 1.55
Washington Redskins 25 to 1

Odds To Win Super Bowl
Dallas Cowboys 16 to 1
New York Giants 30 to 1
Philadelphia Eagles 10 to 1
Washington Redskins 85 to 1

NFC East Super Bowl Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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Odds To Win NFC East Division
Dallas Cowboys 2.55 to 1
New York Giants 2.35 to 1
Philadelphia Eagles 1 to 1.55
Washington Redskins 25 to 1

Super Bowl 46 Odds
Dallas Cowboys 16 to 1
New York Giants 18 to 1
Philadelphia Eagles 6.50 to 1
Washington Redskins 55 to 1

NFC East Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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2011 NFC East Odds
Dallas Cowboys 2.40 to 1
New York Giants 2.80 to 1
Philadelphia Eagles 1.10 to 1
Washington Redskins 12 to 1

NFC East Odds To Win the Super Bowl
Dallas Cowboys 15 to 1
New York Giants 18 to 1
Philadelphia Eagles 8 to 1
Washington Redskins 55 to 1

NFL Betting Odds @ BoDog Sportsbook (as of 8/10/11):
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NFC East Odds
Dallas Cowboys 3 to 1
New York Giants 3 to 1
Philadelphia Eagles 1 to 1.40
Washington Redskins 20 to 1

Super Bowl Odds
Dallas Cowboys 18 to 1
New York Giants 25 to 1
Philadelphia Eagles 7 to 1
Washington Redskins 100 to 1

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What? Brett Favre? How in the hell does this guy’s name keep coming up? Yes, No. 4 in going to inevitably be in the broadcast his share of times, as he was the man that was perceived to have built this Green Bay Packers franchise. However, if QB Aaron Rodgers can pull this one off, he will have the same number of titles under his belt that the great No. 4 did in his entire time in Title Town. For the last of our daily Super Bowl prop picks, we’ll take a look at the prop odds for how many times the name “Brett Favre” is uttered during the biggest game of the year.

First off, we have to remember that this is Fox with coverage of the game, meaning Joe Buck and Troy Aikman and their man crushes on Favre are ridiculous. Ok, so one would figure that we would have to go ‘over’ 2.5 mentions of Favre’s name for the big one this week, right?

Not so fast, my friends. Let’s read the rules of this one a little bit closer, as this is always the key to these Superbowl props. This isn’t for mentions of Favre’s name in the coverage leading up to the game or during the postgame interviews or anything like that. Buck, Aikman, or any of the other Fox television stars have to mention Favre’s name at least three times from the kickoff of the ball through the final whistle of the game to make this one a winner.

It’s also not just the mentioning of “Favre.” Not “Brett.” Not “No. 4.” Nothing like that. The announcers have to refer to him as “Brett Favre.”

Now, we’ve already spoken about this man crush thing, but we know that there are going to be plenty of other topics of conversation that can come up over the course of this game. Even though we know that this was the year that Favre will reportedly go off into the sunset, we don’t think that he is worthy of having his full name mentioned at least three times during the telecast of the biggest game of the year, a game that he never had a chance of getting into with his Minnesota Vikings this year.

Free Super Bowl Picks: Under 2.5 Mentions of the name “Brett Favre” +150 at BetUS Sportsbook

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Super Bowl betting action is just mere days away, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are continuing our look at all of the great props that are on the board for you to sink your teeth into. Today, we look at why we believe there will be a TD of at least 44 yards that gets scored in the biggest game of the year to help you beat the Super Bowl lines.

When push really comes to shove, there always seems to be some trickeration in these big time games. In Pittsburgh’s two Super Bowls, we not only saw WR Antwaan Randle El throw a TD pass to WR Hines Ward against the Seattle Seahawks, but we also saw LB James Harrison end up with one of the longest returns in the history of the league when, at the end of the first half, he scored a TD against the Arizona Cardinals. Last year, the New Orleans Saints beat the Superbowl betting lines thanks to that pick six by DB Tracey Porter. We also saw WR Devin Hester return a kick for a TD against the Indianapolis Colts right off the bat in the Super Bowl a few years ago.

We already know that we have two defenses that not only know how to turn teams over, but to take the ball all the way to the house as well. DB Tramon Williams has already done it once in these playoffs for a 70 yard score, while we know that men like S Troy Polamalu, Harrison, and the sorts all know how to scoop and score.

Offensively, QB Ben Roethlisberger isn’t afraid to uncork the long balls, especially to WR Mike Wallace, who will be the fastest player on the field at all times. QB Aaron Rodgers has four different receivers that he utilizes, all of which know what it takes to have a 50-60 yard play without batting an eyelash. WR Greg Jennings, his favorite target, is a fantastic man at running after the catch, and if he can shake just one tackle on a play in which the Steelers send just one too many men at Rodgers, it could be all over.

The only thing we really have working against us is that neither of these running backs are really home run threats. There isn’t a back in the world that we consider a home run threat against the Pittsburgh defense, and the only time that RB Rashard Mendenhall rumbled for that long of a play all season long was on the game winning score against the Atlanta Falcons in OT in Week 1.

Still, it seems like we should be beating the Super Bowl XLV odds in this one with ease, as there should be at least one really long score that makes us a winner.

Free Super Bowl Picks: Longest Touchdown Over 43.5 Yards -115 at BetUS Sportsbook

Every now and again, making Super Bowl picks requires doing a little bit of thinking outside of the box. The Pittsburgh Steelers know that QB Aaron Rodgers does that Championship Belt celebration on his touchdowns and during big plays over the course of the game. Hollywood Sportsbook is offering a very interesting Superbowl prop in the biggest game of the year whether or not there will be a player on the Steelers that will imitate the leader of the Green Bay Packers at any point during this game.

Let’s be real, here. There is absolutely better than a 50/50 chance that this happens at some point. The oddsmakers weren’t all that specific in this one, as all the rules state is that the celebration must clearly be shown on TV during the game or a live picture of the Super Bowl. This doesn’t mean that it has to be after a touchdown, and it can appear during any point of the duel.

Think about this for a second. LB James Harrison comes off of the edge and gets a huge sack or forces a fumble. You don’t think for one second, especially if the Steelers have already allowed a TD or if the game is getting to be out of hand that Harrison wouldn’t be the smart guy to mock Rodgers with his own celebratory move? Think again. In fact, save perhaps the relatively mild mannered Troy Polamalu, there isn’t a player on this defense that we can think of that wouldn’t at least think about doing this Championship Belt celebration at least once if he can do something that negatively affects Rodgers.

Now, let’s go to the offensive side of the ball. WR Hines Ward has never really been known as a player that has the greatest of tempers, and it is clear that he is going to be out to make enemies, not friends in this Super Bowl betting affair. If he hauls in a huge catch or scores a TD, he is a great candidate to pull off this stunt as well. QB Ben Roethlisberger has never been known to shy away from a situation like this either, and we could see him stealing it as well.

The bottom line here is that there are just too many opportunities for Pittsburgh to pounce on poor Rodgers to pass on. Someone, at some point during these three and a half hours, is going to make the move, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see that old Championship Belt flashed several times over the course of the game. We tend to think that this is a mortal lock, and it’s not often that we say that at even money.

Free Super Bowl Picks: Steeler Player to Do the Aaron Rodgers Championship Belt Celebration (+100) at Hollywood Sportsbook

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The Green Bay Packers have suddenly found their running game just in time for this great run to the Super Bowl. However, are they good enough to rush for a TD against one of the impenetrable defenses in the league this year, that of the Pittsburgh Steelers? We take a look at the Super Bowl props today for whether the Pack can get the job done on the ground or not.
Six TDs. That’s all that the Steelers have given up on the ground all season long in 18 games. Just that alone suggests that we should make our Super Bowl picks on the ‘no’, especially knowing that they are conceding right around 63 yards per game this year on the ground.

Green Bay did have 11 TDs this year on the ground and have added four more on the ground in the playoffs. From that perspective, one would think that they would have a great chance, especially at -105 Super Bowl odds, to be able to get into the end zone on the ground, even just one time.

The biggest fear that we have about betting the ‘no’ is the fact that this was a team that was remarkable on 3rd and 4th and 1 situations this year, and if the Pack get down tight near the end zone, RB John Kuhn has a very high success rate. We’re also mildly afraid of QB Aaron Rodgers taking off and running, something that has already netted 12 carries, 56 yards, and two TDs thus far in the playoffs.

However, when push comes to shove, we just don’t see it happening. RB James Starks hasn’t had a run in the playoffs of longer than 27 yards, and he certainly isn’t busting a long one against the Steelers unless there is just a total breakdown of assignments. We don’t really figure the Pack to get more than 2-3 TDs in this game in all likelihood, and the prospects of one coming on the ground just doesn’t look all that great.

Free Super Bowl Picks: No Green Bay Rushing Touchdown -125 at BetUS Sportsbook