Tuesday, July 31, 2012

2012 AFC North Odds & Prediction

The next NFL division we want to focus in as part of an on-going series is the AFC North. This division has been dominated by Pittsburgh and Baltimore in recent years but do not forget that Cincinnati actually won the North in 2009 and made it into the playoffs last season as a wildcard.

The Bengals are more than capable of making this a three-way race again this season, but my team to watch is the Steelers. I actually like this team to win the AFC this season as it is due for another deep run in the postseason.

The following is a link to my complete preview for all four teams in the AFC North in an article that was previously posted on Bang the Book


2012 AFC North Odds & Prediction

Sunday, July 29, 2012

2012 AFC East Odds & Prediction

Training camp is underway for all 32 NFL teams and the start of the preseason is right around the corner with next Sunday's Hall of Fame Game. Starting in the AFC with the East, I will be posting my preview and predictions for all eight NFL Divisions over the next few weeks, saving the best for last with a much more detailed look at the NFC East.

The following is a link to my preview for the AFC East that was previously posted on Bang the Book.

2012 AFC East Odds & Prediction

Friday, July 27, 2012

NFL 2012 Player Props – Most Rushing Yards

Eagles' running back LeSean McCoy had a break-through season in 2011 with 1,309 yards rushing which was the fourth-most in the NFL. He comes into this season as one of Sportsbook's top-five favorites to claim this year's NFL rushing title.

My personal opinion is that Andy Reid realizes he overused McCoy last season running the ball with 273 carries. Expect him to temper this number a bit this year in an effort to preserve his All-Pro back's health.

McCoy is a huge threat catching the ball out of the backfield and the perfect back to execute the Eagles heavily used screen game, so while his rushing yards will probably go down, look for the three-year veteran's receiving stats to clolsey resemble the 78 catches for 592 yards that he posted in 2010.

The following is a closer look at a few of the other contenders to win this season's NFL rushing title in an article that was previously posted on Bang the Book.

NFL 2012 Player Props – Most Rushing Yards

Saturday, July 21, 2012

NFL 2012 Player Props – Most Passing Yards

Before the start of every NFL season many of the sportsbooks in the gaming industry will offer wagering odds for a number of team and individual player propositions otherwise known as 'prop bets'.

The first one of these props that we want to take a more in-depth look at is which quarterback will throw for the most yards in the regular season. Last year, New Orleans Saints' signal-caller Drew Brees not only passed for the most yards with 5,476, he broke Dan Marino's previous single-season record of 5,084. The amazing thing about last season is that New England's Tom Brady threw for 5,235 yards and the Lions' Matthew Stafford put-up 5,038 passing yards to finish second and third.

The following is a link to an article that was previously posted on Bang the Book that takes a closer look at a few of the contenders to claim top honors this season along with their current odds as provided by Sportsbook.ag

NFL 2012 Player Props – Most Passing Yards

Friday, July 13, 2012

NFC 2012 Win Totals Preview and Predictions

Last week we took a closer look at the projected win totals for the AFC for the 2012 regular season so now it is time to turn our attention to the real heart of the matter; the NFC.

The Green Bay Packers have been opened as 13/2 favorites along with New England to win Super Bowl XLVII and 10/3 favorites to win the NFC. Their projected win total for the season is 12 games. With probably the best quarterback in the NFL along with a wealth of supporting talent on both sides of the ball, it would be hard to make a case against the Packers winning 13 or 14 games as well as the conference and Super Bowl. Throw in the motivation factor after last season's disappointing loss to New York at home in the Divisional Round of the playoffs after finishing the regular season 15-1 and you have all the makings of another championship run for Green Bay.

Lurking in the wings are our beloved birds. The Eagles have the second-highest projected win total in the NFC at 10.5. Last year I predicted a 12-4 finish and was way off base but I am sticking my neck out again this year with a prediction of at least 11 wins. This team fully realizes that it has not lived up to its potential and that all the pieces are in place for a championship run of its own.

Much of Philly's chances will hinge on Michael Vick's ability to return to the form that earned him the starting role (and fat contract) in the first place. Part of that form includes taking much better care of the ball as well as taking care of his health. Vick has to realize he is no use to the team if he is not in the starting line-up.

The other key factor to an 11+ win season is a much more consistent defense. Juan Castillo took the brunt of the heat last season as a first-year inexperienced defensive coordinator and for good reason. This unit had all the talent it needed but it lacked leadership and a true sense of team work. The fact that they have had an entire offseason to work out the bugs should ultimately produce a much more cohesive and effective product on the field. Do not be surprised if the defense ends up carrying this team over a few rough spots during the year.

The following is a link to an article that was originally posted on Bang the Book that covers all 16 NFC team's projected win total for this season along with my 'over' or 'under' prediction.


2012 NFC Wins Totals Preview and Predictions

Friday, July 6, 2012

AFC 2012 Win Totals Previews and Predictions

As expected, the New England Patriots have the highest projected win total in the AFC for the 2012 season at 12.5. This stands to reason considering they are a prohibitive -500 favorite to win the AFC East and a solid +200 favorite to win the conference.

I believe that the Patriots are going to win their division although at their current odds it is not worth the risk to wager on it. I also have some issues with their odds to win the AFC given the simple fact that the last team that lost a Super Bowl one season and made it back to the Super Bowl the next year was all the way back in 1994, when the Buffalo Bills made four straight trips to the title game but failed to come away with a single win.

The following is a link to an article that was previously posted on Bang the Book that takes a look at the projected win total for all 16 teams in the AFC along with my prediction on the 'over/under' for each one.


AFC 2012 Win Totals Previews and Predictions