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NFL Betting - AFC East by Tim Furious
It came as no surprise that the New England Patriots won the AFC East in the 2009 NFL betting season, but sudden rushes from within the division have painted Tom Brady in to a grizzly corner. Not only will the Patriots not have Wes Welker in their starting lineup at full speed, they'll have to sweat the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
The NFL Divisional Futures betting odds to win the AFC East has given no clear cut favorite as this division becomes staggeringly competitive. That being said, there is still one very obvious longshot. You can probably guess who that is.
New England Patriots (+130 To Win AFC East)
At the end of the day, it's hard to argue the pedigree of the New England Patriots. Bill Belichik is still one of the best in the game, and you simply can't argue against Tom Brady in the pocket. The +130 odds they're receiving slightly edge the pesky Jets, but most of that is based on past success.
What's plaguing the Patriots this year (aside from Welker's injury) has more to do with contact negotiations gone bad. Randy Moss wants some financial security for his future and isn't getting it, but he isn't going to be the biggest headache. Logan Mankins, their star guard on the offensive line, has demanded a trade virtually out of nowhere.
As if things couldn't get worse for Tom Brady - his best receiver is hurt, his star receiver is whining about a contract and the guy who has protected his pretty face for over six NFL seasons might vanish in to thin air. The Patriots may be the star of the AFC East, but things certainly aren't as bright as they used to be.
New York Jets (+140 To Win AFC East)
The dwindling fate of New England has given rise to the Jets as +140 favorites to win the division. Unlike the Patriots, the Jets are showing tons of poise and promise in the off-season. The only thing overshadowing the team is a contract war with Darrelle Revis, who will get paid. That's nothing to worry about.
The Jets have tons of weapons on both sides of the ball. David Harris is a linebacking machine, and cutting off the rear end of Kris Jenkins will make his life so much easier. Braylon Edwards and Jericho Cotchery should form one of the better tandems in the league at receiver.
There is, however, one thing that concerns me about the Jets, and neither have to do with Dirty Sanchez. Thomas Jones, a bulldozing veteran tailback, released so the team didn't have to pay him $3-million this season. What's strange is that Jones was still wildly productive last season with 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns.
His replacement is LaDanian Tomlinson. Didn't they see this guy average 2.0 yards per carry against them in the playoffs?? How did the scouts miss this?
Still, even with LT2 in the fold, the Jets have thrown themselves into the capable hands of Shonn Greene. It will be a long season for Greene, who will be without Jones and also without third-down weapon Leon Washington, now in Seattle.
If the old mantra of "defense wins championships" reigns true in 2010, the Jets are the best bet on the NFL Futures board for the upcoming football betting season.
Miami Dolphins (+300 To Win AFC East)
The hardest team to properly grade in the division is actually the Miami Dolphins. Second-year quarterback Chad Henne looked superb down the stretch and, with some experience under his belt, he is ready for a dogfight. Throwing to Brandon Marshall will surely help capitalize on Henne's canon arm.
The backfield of Miami will be as dangerous as ever, especially with Ricky Williams returning to his Pro Bowl form and Ronnie Brown healing from a bum knee. Miami was fourth in the league in rushing last year with 139.4 yards per game and were the best rushing team before Brown was injured.
The Dolphins caused a ruckus on the road by going 5-3 ATS away from South Beach, and they could very well stand to give the Jets and Pats serious fits in the standings this coming year too. If you like longshots, this is as safe as it gets in NFL futures betting.
Buffalo Bills (+2500 To Win AFC East)
Yikes. It's not like Buffalo had any reason to be excited about the 2010 season, even with C.J. Spiller arriving in town through the 2010 NFL Draft. Now Chan Gailey is at the helm, and anyone from Dallas or Kansas City will tell you how much of a dink this guy is with the headphones on. Gailey is 18-14 SU as an NFL head coach, but hasn't been the main man in over a decade. Everybody who bets on NFL football knows their money isn't safe with Chan Gailey.
Curtesy of BetUS.com |
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