NFL Betting - Can Panthers Win NFC South
2008 NFL odds:
- Can the favored Tampa Bay Buccaneers repeat as champs?
- Are the New Orleans Saints ready to be consistent?
- Can the Carolina Panthers contend if they are healthy?
So you're a sports betting fan looking at laying some action down on the winner of the NFC South division; what's the best direction the online sports betting community should head? In three of the last four years, the team that finished last in the division has won it the following season. Does that mean the Atlanta Falcons are a smart pick in 2008?
There has been plenty of action on the New Orleans Saints already. They are listed as the favorite at +110, but New Orleans has many unanswered questions. Their defense is upgraded talent-wise with first-round pick Sedrick Ellis and free agent linebacker Jonathan Vilma, but the holdovers have to perform better.
Ends Will Smith and Charles Grant combined for just 6.5 sacks last year. They also have a number of key players returning from major surgery. Vilma, already the team's top linebacker, had major knee surgery and missed the second half of last year; shutdown cornerback Mike McKenzie tore his ACL; and Grant is recovering from a leg injury and was also indicted for manslaughter (the case is unresolved at this point). Offensively, the Saints need running back Deuce McAllister to come back strong as well. He, too, is recovering from an ACL injury and the running game went horribly awry without him. The Saints must run the ball effectively because their offense became too predictable late last season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers return as the reigning champs, but they are far from a lock to repeat. They beat up on their weak division last year (5-1 in the NFC South), which was essentially the difference between themselves and the rest of the pack. Their odds to win the division are +190, which doesn't offer too much value for sports bettors.
The Bucs are old at key positions on offense (quarterback Jeff Garcia is 38, wide receiver Joey Galloway is 36) and as the season wore on last year, it was clear Tampa was fairly limited on offense. As a unit, they are very solid but unspectacular, which will hinder them on the road against quality opponents.
The Carolina Panthers offer the most value at +225. For starters, they helped the offensive line and running game with two first-round picks, tackle Jeff Otah and running back Jonathan Stewart. They also found some secondary options in the passing game by signing wideout D.J. Hackett and Muhsin Muhammad, who should be a reliable options.
Defensively, the Panthers need Julius Peppers to wake up. He averaged more than 10 sacks per season over his first five years but had only 2.5 last year. Without putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, Carolina's defense was shredded. That won't happen again this year.
Finally, the last team in this group has the longest odds: the Atlanta Falcons. They are listed as a +1100 underdog to win the South and you have to have some real guts to pick them.
They are rebuilding with a new quarterback, first-round pick Matt Ryan, and he won't have much help around him. The defense is also nothing special; the Falcons should be one of the worst teams in the division, if not the entire NFL.
Odds
New Orleans Saints +110
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +190
Carolina Panthers +225
Atlanta Falcons +1100
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Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions?
