Sports fans do not worry, the 2009 NFL Football Season will be here in just a couple of weeks. If you may have taken the summer off from the betting world or just ready for football season you are not alone. Anticipation for the upcoming football season is at an all time high because there are so many big stories heading into 2009. Tom Brady makes his return under center in New England, the ongoing saga in Dallas, and Jay Cutler becoming the new quarterback in Chicago are just a few of the headlines. It is safe to say the 2009 NFL season will be one that will be fun to watch. The NFL training camps are only about two weeks away as we begin to learn a little bit more about the teams and what to expect. We have examined all the off-season transactions and draft selections and are ready to take advantage of all available betting lines. As we transition our focus to football we look forward to bringing you the best betting strategies on hand. The season odds are most favorable before the teams take the field and we will try to pinpoint the best prop bets available for 2009 NFL Season.

Prop Bet #1 – Winning the AFC North Division (Click here for AFC Divisional Odds)

Baltimore Ravens +320
Cincinnati Bengals +800
Cleveland Browns +900
Pittsburgh Steelers -225

The Pittsburgh Steelers dominated this division a year ago on route to winning their record 6th Super Bowl. The Steelers will again be big favorites to win the division over the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers beat the Ravens on 3 different occasions last season. Pittsburgh 3 wins may consider that they just blew down the division. However, the two regular season games were decided by a combined 7 points including an overtime game in the first meeting. The Steelers then battled in another great football game with Baltimore in the AFC Championship beating the Ravens by 9 points. We expect things to shape out differently in 2009. While this is still a two horse race in the division, we like Baltimore to extract some revenge. The Ravens passing attack improved tremendously in 2008 behind young quarterback Joe Flacco. Baltimore consistently tested the deep ball towards the end of the season proving how much trust they had in their young quarterback. Baltimore is anticipating another promising season. Both teams have the most dominating defenses in the league. Last season Pittsburgh come up with big plays at the right times mainly from WR Hines Ward. We expect the road will be more difficult as it always is when defending a Super Bowl winning season. Add to the fact, Baltimore won the last 6 out of 9 in the series before last season and the Ravens should be primed for the upset. Take advantage of Baltimore’s profitable pre-season odds and consider a wager.

Pick – Baltimore Ravens +320

Prop Bet #2 – Odds to win the AFC Championship

Notables:
Baltimore Ravens +900
Indianapolis Colts +650
New England Patriots +350
Pittsburgh Steelers +450
San Diego Chargers +650
Tennessee Titans +900

The AFC will sport a load of talent in 2009. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the defending Super Bowl Champions. The Indianapolis Colts won their last 9 games of the regular season and many are promising them to have a breakout season. Tennessee got off to a perfect 10-0 start before faltering down the stretch. San Diego came on strong during the playoffs and Baltimore is an up and coming contender as well. However, the team that has dominated the last decade will be amongst the biggest favorites and rightfully so. The Patriots had a perfect regular season at 16-0 in 2007 in what people will remember as one of the greatest teams ever. New England lost their superstar quarterback Tom Brady last year and the team struggled to return to dominance. However, many people were surprised to see how good the Patriots could contend with an inexperienced quarterback. New England finished 11-5, but this season promises to be much better with Brady back under center. Randy Moss and Wes Welker both eclipsed the 1,000 yard plateau in 2008 and we believe they will have even bigger season in 2009. Not a big surprise of a pick, but this team has the potential to flirt with their 2007 undefeated status. The Patriots return to dominance will be felt in 2009.

Pick – New England Patriots +350

Prop Bet # 3 – Who will have the most regular season passing yards?

The top 3 quarterbacks in terms of passing yards in 2008 were Jay Cutler, Kurt Warner, and Drew Brees. Brees dominated in nearly all passing statistics throwing for an amazing 5,000 plus yards in the New Orleans pass happy offense. Brees also led the league in passing touchdowns with 34 scores as well. Jay Cutler and Kurt Warner were both very impressive as both starts threw for over 4,500 yards. Warner will again be a threat as he has two of the most talented receivers in the game in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. However, it is unlikely the veteran quarterback can reach those impressive numbers again as age is should start taking a toll. Cutler is now in Chicago and that is anything but a 4500 yard passing type of offense. Meaning the only other contenders would be Phillip Rivers and Peyton Manning who both barely eclipsed the 4,000 yard barrier. Drew Brees should be just as big a threat in 2009. Backed by a solid offensive front, the pass happy offense will go to the air early and often. Do not be surprised to see very similar numbers from the Saints biggest star in 2009.

Pick – Drew Brees +250

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The Division Playoff Round is out of the picture along with yet another exciting and crazy weekend of football leaving us with NFL’s version of the final four. Championship weekend is among us as we have a pair of games to determine both the NFC and AFC Titles and more importantly decide who will be playing in this year’s Super Bowl. Amazingly the NFC will be hosted by the #5 and #6 seeded teams in the Title game for the first time in history when the Arizona Cardinals host the Philadelphia Eagles. The AFC match-up will be a colossal rematch between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens dominated the majority of the game earlier this year, but Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a game winning drive late in the 4^th quarter to steal the victory. Take a look at what to watch for during Championship weekend.

NFC Championship

Philadelphia Eagles (11-6-1) at Arizona Cardinals (11-7)

The Arizona Cardinals have been the biggest surprise this postseason. The Cardinals started off the year strong, but were nearly written off for dead losing their last 4 of 6 games of the regular season. However, the Cardinals would find the spark that would need to ignite their electrifying air assault. The Cardinals blew out the Carolina Panthers last week 33-13 a team that many people thought were the best in the NFC heading into the playoffs Arizona will host their first playoff game this weekend since 1947 and will become the final NFC team to host at least one home playoff game. Kurt Warner has looked solid finding targets Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Boldin missed last week’s game and his status for the NFC Championship game is unknown. Larry Fitzgerald has been spectacular to say the least. Averaging 130 yards per game in the playoffs receiving with a pair of touchdowns, Fitzgerald has been uncontrollable for opposing secondary. The Cardinals will match up well again this week when they lead a high power offense against a brutal Philadelphia defense. The Eagles defense has been superb especially in the trenches. The best way to attack the Philadelphia defense if there is any is to try and pick apart the secondary. Warner and company will attempt to shock the world once again and earn a bid to the Super Bowl when they host the Eagles on Sunday.

Philadelphia has looked scary good during the playoffs and knocked off the defending Super Bowl Champions last week 23-11. The Eagles are flying high since their 5-5-1 start this season equaling 6 victories in their last 7 games. Philadelphia is getting it done on the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles have not allowed over 14 points in 6 straight games and only allowing 10.8 points per contest during that stretch. The Eagles may have surprised many with their victory over the Giants, but I knew if New York did not make some plays through the air that they would be in for a long day. The Eagles have opened up as 3 point favorites over the Cardinals and they will have to withstand a strong passing game that was 2^nd best in the NFL this season averaging 292 yards per game. The Eagles let some Giants receivers get open last week, but New York failed to make the big plays. The Eagles secondary will have to be solid this weekend to slow down the Arizona passing game. Philadelphia QB Donovan McNabb has been wonderful since being benched in week 12 for not performing up to par. Since that time, McNabb has averaged 240 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and only 4 picks. McNabb has the offense back to performing the way they should have been all year. Michael Westbrook is a big time playmaker that had a big 71 yard screen pass that lifted the Eagles over Minnesota in the first week of the playoffs. Westbrook was not very effective last week, but his presence alone is a big play threat for the Eagles offense. The Eagles made a Super Bowl appearance in 2005. McNabb and Westbrook will look to lead the Eagles back with a win over the Cardinals.

AFC Championship

Baltimore Ravens (13-5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (13-4)

The first meeting between these teams this season was a wonderful defensive football game and the re-match has all the makings to be very similar. In the first meeting, Santonio Holmes caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 43 seconds left to get the victory over the Ravens 13-9. The Steelers have been nearly untouchable in the latter part of the year winning 7 of their last 8 games against some of the best teams in the NFL. Pittsburgh had a convincing performance last week when they man-handled the San Diego Chargers 35-24. Pittsburgh has one of the best defenses to ever step on an NFL field. The Steelers rank 1^st, 1^st, 2^nd, and 1^st in all 4 major defensive categories. Pittsburgh’s success is based around the performance of the defense because before last week the offense had really not been that good. The Steelers offense only averages 21 points per game along with 312 yards of total offense that both rank in the bottom half of the NFL. However when you have defense as talented as this unit, like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens proved that alone can be enough to win a Super Bowl. The Steelers looked like more of an offensive team last week, but that could be due to a poor San Diego defense as well. Still Pittsburgh is playing very well. Willie Parker leads the way on the ground and had a big performance against the Chargers. When Parker is effective on the ground, the Steelers are nearly impossible to defeat. Parker racked up 146 yards and 2 touchdowns last week and will get a load of carries this weekend for certain. Pittsburgh has yet to lose a game this season when Parker rushes for at least 50 yards or more. The Steelers defense will certainly be stout, but will the Pittsburgh offense be strong enough to hold off the Ravens for a second time?

I said before the playoffs started the Baltimore Ravens looked like the best prepared team to really make a strong run at a Super Bowl. The Ravens have really matured on the offensive side of the ball and the defense is a very tough unit. Baltimore has played better than anyone in the 2^nd half of the season winning 11 of their last 13 games. In the last 8 games, Baltimore is only allowing 10.2 points per game. If you throw out the Cowboys high scoring game, the Ravens are only allowing an amazing 8 points per contest. On top of that, the Baltimore offense has really come around late in the year. Rookie QB Joe Flacco is throwing more passes and controlling the ball well. The Ravens ground game has been solid this season as well behind the legs of Le’Ron McClain and Willis McGahee. Both running backs will share carries and they have both shown the can be effective backs. Baltimore was shut down by the Pittsburgh offense in their last meeting only putting up 202 total yards. The offense should have a bit more confidence this time around and it will be interesting to see if they can get the job done. The turnovers will be a key category in this game. Last meeting, both teams have two turnovers a piece and it will be very crucial for each team to hold onto the ball in a field position type ball game. Look for this ball game to possibly be another very low scored game controlled by defense.

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…