NFL Betting - 2009-10 Playoff Picture Taking Shape
Dec 7th, 2009 by admin
If you bet on the Patriots for the win over the weekend, you were extremely disappointed. The Miami Dolphins were able hold them off 22-21, beating the spread and ruining many sports bettors’ hopes of some easy money. The result: the sad sacked Pats continue to lead the AFC East, but with the worst record of all AFC division leaders: 7-5. The Dolphins’ victory moves them into second in the AFC East at 6-6.
The rest of the AFC is a little more self assured: The Colts clinched the AFC South last weekend with their spotless 12-0 record. Up in the AFC North, the Bengals are leading the pack with a 9-3 record, a great triumph for their team, who weren’t given much attention during the outset of this season. Out in the AFC West, the San Diego Chargers have silently crept into 1st place with a decent 9-3 record, despite a few missteps early on in the 2009-10 season.
Over in the NFC, a similar pattern is developing, although it should be noted that divisional competition is a bit tighter. The NFC East is led by both the Phillie Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, each sporting a 8-4 record. The Arizona Cardinals managed to scrap their way into 1st in the NFC West with their victory over the Vikings this weekend. They share an 8-4 record like their counterparts in the NFC East. The rest of the NFC West is weak: second place is held by the 49ers with a 5-7 standing.
The real competition is in the NFC North and South. Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings held on to their 1st place position in the NFC North over the weekend with a 10-2 record, despite a loss to the AZ Cardinals. Meanwhile, down south, people are bowing to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, who remain undefeated with a 12-0 record, clinching their division in the process. Some sports pundits are already tapping the Saints for Super Bowl honors, but we think that is a bit premature.
We’ll need one more week of action to see if any team clinches a playoff position or wildcard placement. Obviously, the two candidates in this category are the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, who can literally play the rest of the season out using their 2nd string, so that veterans and the big stars can be rested for the post season.
Tonight’s Monday Night Football contest should be fun: the Baltimore Ravens, who seem to run hot or cold against the Green Bay Packers. A win for either team is crucial, perhaps more so for the Packers: if they can topple the Ravens, they’ll not only hold their second place position in the AFC North, but also fall in lockstep with the Cardinals at 8-4, demonstrating a lot of potential for the playoffs this season.
What are good NFL bets at this point? Super Bowl futures are popular, but are not going to pay a lot at this point. The sportbooks are older and wiser (after getting pummeled throughout October) and bets on Super Bowl 44 contenders will pay out a modest sum of money, unless you bet earlier in the season. Other than that, the NFC/AFC divisional playoffs should be fun to watch, especially if there is an underdog that emerges. It’s easy to focus on the top dogs with spotless records, but remember, they have to maintain their records and momentum if they want a place in the big game.
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