Green Bay Packers (8/1) Record: 6-3. Seeing as the NFC is pretty weak, the Packers have a great chance of making it to the final game. Green Bay has looked inconsistent so far this year, but a lot of that can be attributed to injury. There’s no doubt that the Packers can play with any team –as shown by their shutout against the Jets- while it’s also reassuring that the Packers have been in every game this year (each loss has been by three points). The Packers do have trouble putting teams away, due to a lack of run game, but offer good value and are worth a look.
Atlanta Falcons (10/1) Record: 6-3. The Falcons have one of the scariest offenses in the league with Matt Ryan, Roddy White and Michael Turner. They have benefitted from a rather easy schedule so far, but three of their next four games are against teams with winning records, so the Falcons have the opportunity to prove themselves. Let’s not forget that this team was in the playoffs two years ago, and if it wasn’t for injuries, very well could have been last year.
New Orleans Saints (12/1) Record: 6-3. Have the Saints finally put it back together? Maybe not all the way, but the defending Super Bowl champions have looked much better in the past few weeks. The Saints need Reggie Bush or Pierre Thomas back from injury, because right now they rank 29th in the league in rushing. New Orleans doesn’t have another tough game until week 15, so they are in good shape to make the playoffs despite a slow start. The win against Pittsburg last week is just what this team needed.
Tennessee Titans (18/1) Record: 5-3. How much will Randy Moss help? With him it’s always hard to tell. But this we know for sure: Since starting 0-6 last year, the Titans have gone 13-5. At 18/1, the Titans offer great value, and now with Moss, they finally have the passing threat to go along with the great running attacks. The only problem here is that the AFC is filled with great teams, so there’s no guarantee of a playoff berth.
San Diego Chargers (14/1) Record: 4-5. The Chargers are prone to late season comebacks so don’t be surprised if they pull it off again this year. It is kind of amazing that, despite being 4-5 and 1.5 games behind the Chiefs, the Chargers are still the favorites to win the division. The Chargers gain the most yards on offense, while allowing the fewest on defense, so clearly they are doing something right. The Chargers still have five games at home remaining, and other than games against the Texans and Colts, have a relatively easy schedule. The Chargers are definitely worth a look.
Philadelphia Eagles (20/1) Record: 5-3. The Eagles have been all types of inconsistent this year, but showed that the can hang with anyone after beating the Colts. They followed an impressive win versus Atlanta with a blowout loss to Tennessee. The Eagles rank in the top 10 in scoring, yards, rushing, and passing, but rank 23rd in points allowed. The Eagles have a relatively tough schedule the rest of the way, but still have five divisional games remaining. How they do in the divisional games will determine whether or not this team plays in the postseason. The Eagles are worth a look, but they might not have the defense to carry them deep into the playoffs.
Overall: Hey, someone has to come out of the NFC, right? The Packers, Falcons, and Saints are the best bets because they seem like locks for the playoffs. The other three teams offer good value, but run a risk of not even making the playoffs.
You can view the super bowl odds for all teams and bet them at Bodog. Also if you are wagering on the NFL games this week be sure to check out Maddux’s NFL picks. The handicappers have been tearing up the spread for their clients in the 2010 season.
