Even MLB betting players will be thinking about the upcoming NFL football season, as sports betting lines have been released after the conclusion of the lockout, and it should be no surprise that a familiar duo will battle for the AFC North Crown.

Pittsburgh (+100): The Steelers came up just short against Green Bay in the Super Bowl and they should be in the mix again; only off-field distractions should be able to slow down the Steelers, and they need to focus on avoiding fines (yes, you, James Harrison) and just play hard-nosed football.

Baltimore (+120): The Ravens are perennial bridesmaids to the Steelers in the division, and they may not have the ammunition to get past them this year. The health of safety Ed Reed is always a question, but the bigger worry is whether quarterback Joe Flacco can make the jump to the next level, like Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger.

Cleveland (+700): The Browns are on the ascent with new head coach Pat Shurmur, who did excellent work with St. Louis pivot Sam Bradford and will be asked to the same with Colt McCoy, who will come into camp as the starter. But Cleveland is still very young, and that’s tough to overcome in this division.

Cincinnati (+1200): Oh, the Bengals; they won’t trade Carson Palmer, who has threatened to retire, and that means they need another quarterback because rookie Andy Dalton isn’t ready yet. It looks like yet another rebuilding year in Ohio, so it would be best to avoid the Bengals when you bet on sports this year.

Sports Betting Pick: Pittsburgh +100

NFL betting lines handicappers are beginning to grow impatient with the NFL and their players unions as the two sides appear to be dragging out the current labor dispute, just because they can. Heading into the 2011 sports betting NFL campaign, one of the most intriguing divisions, will be the AFC South. Here is a preview.

Last season, many fans and experts alike would argue that the Indianapolis Colts amidst all of their injuries were incredibly lucky to get into the playoffs as the AFC South division winner. With rumors that Peyton Manning won’t be ready for the start of the regular season, perennial underachievers the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars should be able to steal the divisional crown. Tennessee will round out the division, as they look to rebuild after the Jeff Fisher and Vince Young era.

Despite missing Peyton Manning for the start of the regular season, the Indianapolis Colts enter 2011 as the favorites to win the South. This belief by the bookies signals to football handicappers, that the bookies expect Indianapolis to pick up a competent backup quarterback. Last year, when the Colts put Manning’s backup in games, it was pretty terrible. If they go with the same backup tandem as last year, the Colts could find themselves rebuilding next offseason.

Heading into 2011, the Houston Texans anthem will be the Elvis song “It’s Now Or Never”, as the Texans have suffered from chronic choking disease long enough. Houston is one of those teams that has all the tools to take the next step, but just can’t seal the deal. However, by bringing in Wade Philips to coordinate the defense, the Texans have the opportunity to turn things around in a similar way to Philips old team, the 2004 San Diego Chargers.

With the end of the seemingly interminable NFL lockout finally in sight, agents and GMs are gearing up for what should be a wild and fast-moving free agency period. Even if the lockout were to end tomorrow, teams would only have a couple of weeks before the opening of training camp to fill out their rosters, so league front offices will have to act quick.

Although the final details of the new CBA have yet to be hashed out, rumours are already beginning to swirl about who will end up where. Here’s an update on some of the newsworthy names that will be on the market.

Nnamdi Asomugha, CB – Rumoured landing spots: Houston, Philadelphia, Green Bay

The former Raiders cornerback is one of the best at his position and unquestionably the best free agent available. He’s never reached the playoffs in his eight seasons in the NFL, so many expect him to make the jump to a contending team like the Packers or the Eagles. Detroit was once in the hunt, but the shutdown cover man will likely command a price too high for the up-and-coming Lions.

Keep an eye on the Texans, who desperately need to improve their pass coverage, and, as usual, seem to be on the brink of making a playoff run instead of lingering in the middle of the NFL standings. Asomugha would be a massive upgrade for Gary Kubiak’s squad.

Plaxico Burress, WR – Rumoured landing spots: Philadelphia, Chicago
It’s been two-and-a-half years since the enigmatic Burress caught a pass in the NFL, but now that he’s a free man again, receiver-hungry teams are certainly going to give him a look. At 33, he’s certainly not same guy he was in 2007, but he’s a player with rare size and athleticism for his position and can draw a lot of defensive attention.
The Bears have been mentioned as a potential landing spot given their lack of a true No. 1 receiver, but that’s mostly been unsubstantiated rumour. Michael Vick, the model for post-prison success, has campaigned for the Eagles to give Burress a shot, and he’d be an interesting weapon on an already-potent offence dominated by smaller, quick receivers.

Sidney Rice, WR – Rumoured landing spots: Cleveland, New England, Washington

Rice had a breakout season in 2009, becoming Brett Favre’s go-to target and amassing over 1,300 yards and eight scores, but he missed most of the Vikings disappointing 2010 season due to a hip injury. The Vikings look set to move on and build a new pass offence around first-round pick Christian Ponder, so Rice will likely be wearing a new jersey in 2011.

He’s been linked to the Patriots, who haven’t had a true number-one receiving option since Randy Moss imploded, the Redskins, who need to pay immense money to at least one free agent every summer, and Cleveland, who have a young receiving corps with a lot of potential.

DeAngelo Williams, RB – Rumoured landing spots: Denver, Miami
It wasn’t that long ago that Williams was one of the best young running backs in football. He racked up 1,515 yards in 2008 and over 1,100 in 2009 despite splitting carries with first-round pick Jonathan Stewart. He’s missed 13 games over the past two seasons due to injury, so it’s unlikely the rebuilding Panthers will franchise them, rolling the dice with the equally-injury prone Stewart as their running back of the future.
The Dolphins will be in need of a back with the likely departures of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, and new Broncos head coach John Fox was Williams’ coach in Carolina and desperately wants to upgrade the running game in Denver.

Reggie Bush, RB – Rumoured landing spots: Miami, St. Louis, New England, Tampa Bay

Bush hasn’t lived up to the hype that his USC highlight reel generated, never becoming more than a part-time player in New Orleans. His agent and the Saints front office are currently working on re-negotiating his contract, and it’s likely the Saints will just come to the conclusion that they don’t want him back at his current cap figure and release or trade him.

If they do, there will be plenty of teams in the hunt – as disappointing as he has been, he’s still a dynamic situational playmaker and returner. The Dolphins might try to pair him with second-round pick Daniel Thomas behind Chad Henne, but could move to a young team in need of more weapons, such as the Rams and Bucs.

The NFL betting lines for the NFC West are calling for a close race, which it should be, but like last year you won’t find a lot of quality throughout the division and a .500 record should win it, which is slightly better than Seattle’s 7-9 mark from last season.

San Francisco (+100): The 49ers have a new coach in Jim Harbaugh, but he says Alex Smith is still the quarterback. If they can lure another free agent out west (Carson Palmer? Kevin Kolb?), the 49ers can win the division, because they have the best defense in the West.

Arizona (+275): The Cardinals also have quarterback problems, and coach Ken Whisenhunt is fighting for his job, so it’s going to be an interesting year in the desert. Arizona needs a quarterback to not only boost their sports betting odds, but also to persuade receiver Larry Fitzgerald to stay around.

St. Louis (+275): The Rams are a young up-and-coming team, and like Seattle they may back into the division title. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur left to coach Cleveland, and he was instrumental in Sam Bradford’s successful rookie season. The defense is improving, and if that unit skips a year of development, they could stun everyone.

Seattle (+550): The Seahawks have to carry over the momentum of their upset win over New Orleans in last year’s playoffs to next season, but Matt Hasselbeck is still the quarterback, and the defense is still one of the worst in the league, maybe worse than Arizona. Pete Carroll has some work to do, so stay away from Seattle’s odds when you bet on sports this fall.
Sports Betting Pick: St. Louis +275

NFL betting lines enthusiasts are praying that the NFL and its players union get their acts together and figure out an agreement to make the 2011 regular season a reality. Heading into the 2011 sports betting offseason, many football handicappers were expecting a lot of change in the NFC East. What was once known as the toughest division in all of football, pretty much crumbled last season, as only the Philadelphia Eagles qualified for the playoffs. Here is a preview of the NFC East.

The 2010 season was a great one for the Philadelphia Eagles, as under second string quarterback Michael Vick; the team was able to dominate the entire NFL. Last year, the Eagles were expected to rebuild, after moving out several veterans, while letting a few younger players take the helm. When original Eagles starter Kevin Kolb fell to injury, the Michael Vick show, which had disappeared for a few years (went to prison) returned to help guide the Eagles to an 11 and five record. What was perhaps most impressive about Vick’s re-emergence in 2010, was that he put up just as impressive numbers throwing the ball as he did rushing. With hopes of adding pieces to the defensive secondary, Philadelphia should once again be the NFC East Champion.

On the other hand, 2010 was supposed to be the Dallas Cowboys year to win the Super Bowl. Cowboy’s owner Jerry Jones put up a ton of money to build a new stadium and host the 2011 Super Bowl. However, Dallas jumped out to an awful start, and would finish the season six and 10 missing the playoffs. It wasn’t all bad for America’s team in 2010, as the Cowboys finished on a three game winning streak, and put up the best offensive numbers in the second half of the season.

It’s refreshing that taking a look at the NFL’s best receivers now reveals a group of hard-nosed, committed football players instead of the mercurial divas of the Terrell Owens-Randy Moss Era. (It’s pretty amazing that neither of those guys is even amongst the top-15 players at their position anymore). It’s a fairly young group, too, featuring plenty of up-and-coming talents.
1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals – Fitzgerald had what felt like a down year (by his standards) in 2010, but still put up 90 catches and over 1,137 yards. His six scores tied a career-low, but that was with the likes of Derek Anderson, John Skelton, and somebody named Max Hall throwing the ball. Fitzgerald is still one of the strongest, toughest, and smartest receivers in football, and his hand strength is unmatched. It looks like he’ll be stuck in the bottom of the NFL standings with the Cards, but he’s still only 27. He’ll still have chances to perform in the post-season.
2. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans – Even more of a tough, no-nonsense player than Fitzgerald, the only (slight) knock on Johnson has been his habit of getting nicked up a bit. He doesn’t miss many games, but often is hampered by nagging injuries. When he’s at 100%, though, he’s a terrifying matchup. He has deep speed, strong hands, great size, and can make plays after the catch. He should go over 10,000 career yards in 2011, provided the season isn’t shortened.
3. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons – After two middling seasons to start his career, White has blossomed into one of the steadiest receivers in football. He caught 115 passes last season – a huge number for a guy who entered the league as more of a vertical, big-play threat. With Julio Jones on the other side of the field in 2011, he should have even more room to operate.
4. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers – Jennings first emerged as Brett Favre’s go-to deep threat, but has really developed into a true No.1 option for Aaron Rodgers. He has great speed and runs good up-field routes.
5. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions – In terms of pure talent, Megatron is probably the best pass-catcher in the game. He’s enormous, fast, and powerful, and can jump out of the stadium. He’s been held back by small injuries, the lack of a reliable quarterback, and a one-dimensional Lions offence. If Matt Stafford can stay healthy and Detroit can develop some semblance of a running game, he could top this list in the near future. Or, if the whole football thing doesn’t pan out, he’d make one hell of a WWE heavyweight.
6. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles – He may never catch 75 passes in a season, but he doesn’t need to. The best run-after-catch threat in football, Jackson averaged 22.5 yards per reception, a ridiculous number for a starting receiver. He’s one of the most dangerous offensive players in the game, and can give defensive coordinators nightmares.
7. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts – At 32, Wayne is on the downside of his career, but remains one of the most polished and productive players in the league. Like Marvin Harrison before him, he’s completely dialled in with Peyton Manning on every play.
8. Brandon Lloyd, Denver Broncos – For a while it seemed like he’d be best remembered for one legendary catch while playing for San Francisco, bouncing around the league while his production waned. Then, after catching all of 8 passes in 2009, he exploded for nearly 1,500 receiving yards with Kyle Orton passing the ball. If he can approach that performance again in 2011, he’ll have to be considered amongst the elite.
9. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs – Bowe seemed to be on the verge of a breakout year after amassing 1,022 yards as a sophomore in 2008, but ran afoul of the league’s steroid policy in 2009 and really seemed to decline. He bounced back last season and re-established himself as one of the best red-zone receivers around.
10. Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers – Arguably the fastest player in the NFL, Wallace is as good a deep threat as Ben Roethlisberger has ever had. Hines Ward is the de facto top receiver in Pittsburgh, but the guy that defensive coordinators plan for is the speedy third-year player out of Ole Miss.