Looking at the futures up right now for teams’ odds to take home the Super Bowl title, and it’s no surprise who the early favorites are. It’s really no surprise who the sleepers are, either. In the NFL, even with as much parody as there’s been the last few years, the cream of the crop still rises to the top of the league, the gamblers’ radar and the fantasy football draft charts. Our interest, however, lies squarely with the middle option – betting. If we’re betting, we have an open slate to choose whomever we want early, often and every week thereafter.
With some nfl betting you don’t care who the winner is, or at the very least you don’t care if they’re going to make the playoffs. You’re betting game-to-game, sometimes even solely on statistics. When the season starts, we’ll get into deeper discussions on these fine points, but for now, we do care who has the potential to take the title. And while we’ve already covered most of the favorites, I want to throw out a couple long shots for you.
The Atlanta Falcons. Look for a monster, monster year from Michael Turner. Last year’s fourth-round sleeper is this year’s top 5 pick, guaranteed. Outside of fantasy, he’s going to win games for the Falcons, by himself. I predict more consistency from him, as well, with a more level stat-line throughout the year. No Dominick Davis-itis for Turner. The Falcons are a 25/1 shot right now to win the Super Bowl, but here’s how I look at it. In the NFC, unless the Bears land Plaxico and Marshall, it’s truly anyone’s game. The were 11-5 last year, and there’s no reason they can’t be better in 2009. Matt Ryan to Michael Jenkins might not sound like a superstar hookup, but it’s enough to help put points on the board while the backs and the defense bring them through. Another year of playoff experience can only help them.
Any other long shots out there? How about the NFL odds of 65/1 for the Chiefs? Don’t shake your head, this team needs less than a handful of pieces and they’ll be there…who knows, maybe a few of those pieces are already in place and just haven’t had a chance to break out yet? Add Matt Cassel to the mix, and your potential for surprise shoots through the roof. OK, maybe the Super Bowl is reaching for a team that was 2-14 last year, but is the playoffs out of the question? I’ll throw one big “what if” out there. What if Larry Johnson returns to form? I’ll leave you with that.