The NFL can sometimes get lost in all of the March Madness betting, but there has been plenty of NFL offseason news to keep NFL fans busy.

The Cleveland Browns managed to make several moves in the past few days that did absolutely nothing to improve their team, or change the perception that they have a clue what they are doing. Mike Holgren brought in Seattle QB Seneca Wallace earlier in the week as the first move in the Holgren era with the Browns. The next day, the Browns released Derek Anderson. There is still no word on whether Wallace or Brady Quinn is the starting QB in Cleveland.

There has been rumblings in Philadelphia for weeks now that Donovan McNabb may be on the way out of the Eagles organization. This week the Eagles added more fuel to that fire when they picked up the option of Michael Vick and made Vick an Eagle for 2010. Now the only question that remains in Philadelphia is will they trade Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb. One of the rumors swirling around is that the Eagles know there is value for Vick and wanted to sign him so they could trade him rather than let him go and get nothing for him.

When Terrell Owens played in Buffalo for the 2009 season there was a lot of talk about his career potentially being over. This week the Cincinnati Bengals invited TO to their facility to talk about a possible future there. Marvin Lewis is a great coach, but it is still questionable as to whether or not he can handle TO and Chad Ochocinco together on the same team.

Pittsburgh Steeler fans will be seeing a little of the old days on the field in 2010 as the team brought back wide receiver Antwaan Randal-El. The Steelers have been very busy so far in the offseason signing safety Ryan Clark, offensive lineman Jonathan Scott and putting the franchise tag on kicker Jeff Reed.

With the Super Bowl odds up and a total set of 56.5, nobody is thinking that this year’s Super Bowl will be a defensive showdown. Even so, here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the two Super Bowl defenses:

Defensive Line:

Hard to argue in this case as the Indianapolis Colts have two Pro Bowlers on the edges while the New Orleans Saints really only have one good rusher.

The Colts have Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney while the Saints have Will Smith. The edge goes to the Colts in this battle.

Linebackers:

This one is a bit tougher to gauge. While the Saints have the best playmaker of the bunch, the Colts have the best trio.

The Saints have Jonathan Vilma, who is a playmaker and a Pro Bowler, but the Colts have Clint Session and Gary Brackett, which gives them the better threesome. Scott Shanle and Scott Fujita leave much to be desired in the Saints linebacking corps.

Secondary:

The edge in the secondary has to go to the Saints because of their Pro Bowlers. They have two (Darren Sharper and Roman Harper) while the Colts just have Antoine Bethea. The Saints also have the better cornerbacking crop while the Colts employ a couple of inexperienced players.

Overall:

Most betting tips say this is going to be an offensive showdown but the defense that can slow the other team down will win. In this category, the Saints have the edge.

Overcoming the 2010 Super Bowl odds would be a great story for the New York Jets, but the team that they beat to start a run to the playoffs, Indianapolis, will have revenge on their mind.

Jets vs Colts odds - Sunday, 6:40 PM ET

The Jets are 7.5-point underdogs in this contest, and they’ll need their running game to be at its best, because it’s a tough ask of rookie Mark Sanchez to beat the Colts on his own. The defense is a bit banged up as Shaun Ellis and Bart Scott limped through practice, and someone may need to step up in the front seven.

The Colts took their starters out with a 15-10 lead in their Week 16 meeting with the Jets before losing 29-15, and they’ll be out to avenge that loss. Peyton Manning had success against New York coach Rex Ryan’s defenses when Ryan was in Baltimore, and he’ll look to Dallas Clark a lot. No one on the Jets can guard Clark one-on-one, and he’ll need to have a big game as Reggie Wayne will be watched closely by New York’s Darelle Revis.

NFL picks: Indianapolis -7.5

NFL betting players are gearing up for a big weekend, so let’s jump right into this week’s divisional-playoff picks.

Cardinals vs Saints odds – Seven points is far too big of a spread for the Saints to have, even at home. The Cardinals are rolling behind Kurt Warner, and the Saints were awful to end the season. I’ll take Warner over Drew Brees, thank you very much. CARDINALS +7

Ravens vs Colts odds – The Baltimore defense looked very good against New England, but the Patriots were missing Wes Welker, who is a huge part of their offense. Peyton Manning and the Colts will be deadly, and it doesn’t hurt them that Joe Flacco is hobbling around with a hip problem. COLTS -6

Cowboys vs Vikings odds – In this highly-touted matchup between Minnesota’s Brett Favre and Dallas’ Tony Romo, I’ll take Favre’s experience. Look for Adrian Peterson to break out of his slump, as well. VIKINGS -2.5

Jets vs Chargers odds – The Jets are a good story, but a team with a rookie head coach in Rex Ryan, and a rookie quarterback in Mark Sanchez against a team that has won 11 in a row? No thank you. Anyone who gives out betting tips will tell you how much experience counts at this time of the year. CHARGERS -6

Super Bowl odds are against the New York Jets this weekend, and their star cornerback, Darelle Revis, was slighted in the Defensive Player of the Year award, losing to Green Bay’s Charles Woodson. But did the former Heisman winner deserve these accolades?

The answer is yes, and actually, you could have given it to either. Revis emerged as the best cover corner in the league, shutting down the best receivers in the league. The Jets were also the best in the league in pass defense, and obviously Revis had a huge part in that. But Woodson was tied for the NFL lead in picks with nine, and some say, “teams don’t throw at Revis”, and that’s a fair statement. But Woodson forced four fumbles, tackled very well, and he played multiple positions as the Packers switched from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense, and he showed that there is more to being a great secondary player than just coverage. Revis is a great cover corner, and he’ll be more well-rounded as he gets older. But for Woodson to have the season he did, under those conditions, and at age 33, no less, the Green Bay and former Michigan standout is very deserving of the award, and a reason while Green Bay will have some very good bookmaker odds (bookmaker reviews) next year.

Some NFL betting news to throw your way - do you think Michael Vick will play football in 2009? Sportsbook odds give it a big thumbs down as far as him playing in the NFL in 2009, but there is other opportunities, like the CFL.

Those who bet sports know that Vick has definitely paid his dues after two years in jail but will the NFL Commissionner, Roger Goodell, deem that to be enough time? Is Goodell above the law to punish Vick even further?

I wouldn’t put it past him but from an NFL betting standpoint, it would be good to see Vick around in the NFL. Think about it: Dan Orlovsky, Sage Rosenfels and Gus Frerotte all started at quarterback last season. So did J.T. O’Sullivan, and Shaun Hill, and Ken Dorsey. Vick is better than all of those quarterbacks and should get another chance. He’s just over 30 and those who bet sports know that for a quarterback, that’s not ancient. Give him a chance to get some money back.

I’ve been busy with the Daytona 500 line, and looking forward to March Madness betting, but I figured I’d pass this along to you guys since I saw it on the net. This is the Raiders new 50th season logo:

It still doesn’t change that JaMarcus Russell is overweight, and the franchise sucks, but the logo looks cool. Not sure if those who bet sports are going to care so much.

Super Bowl XLIII betting players who are going with Arizona must be a bit worried by Anquan Boldin’s argument with offensive coordinator Todd Haley in the second half of their 32-25 win over Philadelphia to go to the Super Bowl. If you missed it:

Now, everyone is saying “that’s just part of the game” and “emotion” and whatnot, but Boldin’s been angry with the Cardinals all season due to a contract dispute, and they need him 100% focused for this contest. Boldin’s ability to draw coverage underneath allows Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston to take their defender deep in one-on-one coverage. If the Cardinals want to overcome these Super Bowl XLIII betting odds, they need all of their weapons.

The AFC was as hard-hitting as we expected in this contest featuring the top two defenses in the NFL. Baltimore’s Joe Flacco finally showed his rookie inexperience, throwing three picks as the Pittsburgh Steelers advanced with a 23-14 victory, covering the 5.5-point NFL spread. Big plays also carried the Steelers to the Super Bowl, as Santonio Holmes caught a 65-yard touchdown pass, while Troy Polamalu’s 40-yard interception for a score late in the fourth quarter sealed the game for Pittsburgh.

Arizona overcame the NFL betting odds to beat Philadelphia 32-25 at home as 4-point underdogs, and the Cardinals are now headed to their first Super Bowl. The Arizona defense continued their improvement, forcing three turnovers from the Eagles, while Kurt Warner was amazing, going 21-of-28 for 279 yards and four touchdowns.

Super Bowl XLIII odds have come out, with the Steelers opening up as 7-point favorites to win their sixth Super Bowl, while Arizona are under no pressure at all as their fans are just ecstatic to be mentioned in the same sentence as “Super Bowl XLIII Betting“.