The official kickoff of the 2010 regular season won't occur until Sept. 9 but NFL betting already is underway at sportsbooks around the globe. In fact, operators of some sportsbooks not only have future book prices available for the Super Bowl, the AFC and NFC Championships, and each of the league's eight divisions, but over/under numbers for each team's regular season victories and points scored, as well. There also are odds on each team's chances of making the playoffs and where each team will finish within its own division. And if that isn't enough to quench your NFL betting thirst, some truly ambitious sportsbooks even are offering odds on which gridiron star will win the league's Most Valuable Player award.
But most of the wagering interest this summer will be on which team will win Super Bowl XLV in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Feb. 6, 2011. Not surprisingly, the two teams that battled it out in the last Super Bowl, New Orleans and Indianapolis, once again are favored to get back to the NFL Championship game. But it's the Colts, who lost to the Saints, 31-17, in Super Bowl XLIV, who opened as a modest 8/1 favorite. New Orleans is next in line at odds of 9/1, closely followed by San Diego and Dallas, each at 10/1. The Cowboys would have a big advantage if they reached the Super Bowl since it will be played on their home field.
New England, 12/1, the New York Jets, 13/1, Green Bay, 14/1, Minnesota, 14/1, Baltimore, 16/1, Philadelphia, 18/1 and Pittsburgh, 20/1, all are contenders.
For the most part, a team's odds of winning its conference are half its Super Bowl price and that's true for Indianapolis, 4/1, San Diego, 5/1 and New England, 6/1, in the AFC, as well as New Orleans, 9/2, Dallas, 5/1, and Green Bay and Minnesota, each 7/1, in the NFC.
Two of the divisions are extremely tight with New England, 11/8, a slight favorite over New York, 3/2, in the AFC East, and Green Bay, 5/4, narrowly ahead of Minnesota, 3/2, in the NFC North. Baltimore, 10/11, Indianapolis, 2/3, San Diego, 2/5, and New Orleans, 8/13 are odds-on choices to win respective division titles in the AFC North, AFC South, AFC West and NFC South while Dallas, 6/5, and San Francisco, 11/10, are less solid choices in the respective NFC East and NFC West divisions.
Of course, a team doesn't have to win its division to qualify for the NFL post-season, a fact sportsbooks have recognized with a proposition on each team's chances of making the playoffs. For example, while the Jets are only the second choice within their own division, nevertheless New York is an 8/11 favorite to earn a spot in the playoffs. Doubters can take even money that the Jets are on the sideline come playoff time.
Just as compelling are futures on where each team will finish within its own division. Looking at the Jets, again, New York is 3/2 to win the AFC East, 13/8 to finish second, 5/2 to wind up third, and 14/1 to end up last. There are prices for all 32 NFL teams to finish first, second, third or fourth in their divisions.
The race for NFL Most Valuable Player again is dominated by quarterbacks, hardly a surprise since signal-callers have won 18 of the last 25 MVP trophies. The Colts' Peyton Manning, a four-time winner and the reigning two-time defending MVP, opened as the 7/1 favorite to cop the hardware. Saints QB Drew Brees is the 8/1 second choice with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, the winner of the award in 2007, offered at odds of 9/1. Chargers QB Philip Rivers is held at 10/1 with the Packers' Aaron Rodgers and the Cowboys' Tony Romo each at 12/1 and the Vikings' Brett Favre, a three-time winner with Green Bay, listed at 14/1.
Titans rushing champion Chris Johnson is the first running back on the MVP future book board at odds of 20/1.
A handful of enterprising sportsbooks even have future book prices on which players will pass for the most yards, accumulate the most receiving yardage, notch the most rushing touchdowns, have the most rushing yards and earn the most sacks. There also are futures on which players will be voted offensive and defensive rookies-of-the-year.
Clearly, while kickoff may be months away, NFL betting already has taken its first snap.
This article was written by Luken Karel for http://www.thegreek.com. The Greek Sportsbook & Casino is host to one of the top online sportsbooks offering college football betting and sports betting on NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and all other major sports. The Greek is a must have sports betting and entertainment portal with one of the largest wagering menus available online. Article reproductions must include a link pointing to http://www.thegreek.com
