The sports betting world has put a lot of tags on quarterback Peyton Manning. Some have called him the greatest quarterback to ever play while others go so far as to call him the greatest player in the history of the league. After being released Wednesday by the Colts, Peyton Manning has earned the newest tag of greatest free agent in NFL history. People will disagree about things like March Madness spreads and whether or not Peyton Manning is the greatest free agent ever. But one thing is for sure, Manning will have a lot of teams interested in his services for the 2012 season.

New York Jets
The top contender, at least in popular opinion, for Peyton Manning’s services is the New York Jets. The price per head bookie experts have not seen the improvement in Mark Sanchez that they need to see to consider the Jets a Super Bowl contender. The Jets are a good team that already has the pieces in place to welcome a quarterback like Manning. But the talk is that bringing in Manning would mean parting with Sanchez and it is unclear if the Jets are ready to do that yet.

Oakland Raiders
The Raiders are another team that could be a quarterback away from contending for the Super Bowl. A sportsbook review of the Raiders’ roster shows a solid running game and good deep threat receivers. The thing that the Raiders lack is a strong offensive line. But if Manning goes to Oakland, fans can expect the Raiders to make instant and significant changes to the offensive line to accommodate their new start quarterback.

Arizona Cardinals
When Donovan McNabb was released by the Washington Redskins, the Cardinals were a top contender to get McNabb. The Kevin Kolb experiment can already be called a bust in Arizona and superstar wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is not going to be in Arizona forever. The Cardinals do not have the potent offense and powerful defense that it had when Kurt Warner was there, but a quarterback like Manning would make a huge difference.

Cleveland Browns
For some reason, there is a lot of talk coming out of Cleveland that the Browns are going to draft a quarterback in the first round of the draft. Since LeBron James is not coming back to Cleveland during the NBA trade deadline 2012, the Cleveland sports fans turn their attention to the Browns’ quarterback position. The Browns lack the developed talent a quarterback like Manning would need to be successful. This is compounded by the rumors that star running back Peyton Hillis is either going to join the CIA or be released by the Browns because Hillis is difficult to do business with. Cleveland is a nice thought, but it is definitely one of the outside candidates.

Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings have a decent offensive line and a powerful defense. The problem with the Vikings is that it is not know when, or if, running back Adrian Peterson will return and who is going to be the deep threat at wide receiver. But even then, the Vikings have an interesting mix of talent that could be brought together by a veteran leader like Peyton Manning.

Sports betting experts know how important the draft is to the success of NFL teams. In 2011, the Carolina Panthers drafted quarterback Cam Newton first overall and now there is talk of the Panthers being a playoff contender. But it is not just the players that get drafted who make a difference. Just as some of the players who changed teams at the NHL trade deadline 2012 will help their new teams to make playoff runs, players who get traded or sign with new teams in the NFL will also help their new teams to take on the look of a playoff contender.

As the draft gets closer, there is a lot of buzz about players involved in the top of the draft classes and some of the free agents that could be making a move to a new team. As you keep a close eye on the March Madness spreads, you should also be watching the NFL headlines to see how you are going to bet when the season starts in September.

The Peyton Manning Saga
Most NFL fans know that Indianapolis Colts’ owner Jim Irsay cannot have it both ways. He cannot draft quarterback Andrew Luck first overall and then keep Peyton Manning. In an ideal world, that scenario may be possible. But the Colts are not going to pay first round money to Luck and then also pay Peyton Manning a $28 million roster bonus to act as a mentor. Irsay is unnecessarily dragging this process out and most people expect Irsay to cut ties with Manning even though Irsay insists he wants to sign the future hall of fame quarterback.

The team that keeps coming up in the rumors of where Manning will go is the New York Jets. Fans in New York are growing tired of the excuses the team is giving as to why Mark Sanchez cannot carry the team to a Super Bowl. The price per head bookie experts suspect that, with the Jets missing the playoffs in 2011 and Sanchez showing little signs of improvement, the Jets may be interested in making the move to bring in Manning when the Colts let him go.

Or Will it Be Andrew Luck?
Both Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III did drills at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine, but neither of the quarterbacks threw at all. But a betonline.com review of the performance of each quarterback in the athletic drills shows that Andrew Luck may not be the default number one pick overall. Robert Griffin III was extremely impressive in the speed, long jump, high jump and strength drills. If RG3 can put on an impressive pro day later this month, then many scouts feel that he could give Luck a run for his money on being the Colts’ pick when the draft opens in April.

None of the NFL general managers have spoken publicly about their potential change of heart after the combine. But many general managers have said anonymously that RG3 was extremely impressive at the combine and is considered to be a much better athlete than Luck. The only question is whether RG3 is a better quarterback than Luck.

The sports betting world is focusing on March Madness betting and the NHL trade deadline 2012. But football fans know that, with the NFL combine starting this week and the draft coming up in April, that the opening of training camp is not that far off. Many football fans are still recovering from the shock of watching the New York Giants, and not the Green Bay Packers, defeat the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLVI. Some of the more experienced bettors will tell you that they are not surprised and some will even boast that they saw the upset coming in pre-season.

Rather than wondering who will be the Cinderella team to watch for Super Bowl XLVII, lets take a look at the teams with the best shots at being the upset favorite and the odds they currently carry.

Philadelphia Eagles (Super Bowl XLVII odds: 12 to 1)
Is it possible that the Eagles can turn its disastrous 2011 season around and become a Super Bowl contender in 2012? Yes, it is very possible. The Eagles was not a “dream team” in 2011. It was a team that picked up some very talented players to fill very key roles. But there were still a lot of holes in the Eagles’ lineup which lead to disappointment. If Philly can re-sign DeSean Jackson and pick up some good offensive linemen in free agency, then this could be a team to deal with.

Cincinnati Bengals (Super Bowl XLVII odds: 40 to 1)
When the price per head sportsbook experts look at the Cincinnati Bengals, it is hard to find holes in the way the team approaches the game. It looks to most observers that the Bengals are one wide receiver and one more year of experience away from being a real contender. The Cincinnati defense was a top 10 defense in 2011 and the offense was extremely young. With some playoff experience under their belts and head coach Marvin Lewis keeping his young team focused, this Bengals squad could start to become a Super Bowl contender.

Kansas City Chiefs (Super Bowl XLVII odds: 50 to 1)
Players and assistant coaches try not to publicly demean a former head coach after that head coach was fired. But things were so bad in Kansas City under Todd Haley that even new head coach Romeo Crennel, who was an assistant under Haley, has hinted that things were not running so smoothly when Haley was in charge. A sportsbook review of the Chiefs’ season shows a team that lost one of its starting running backs and then its quarterback fairly early in the season. The team gave up on Haley and fell short of its playoff aspirations. It will not fall short with Crennel at the controls.

Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XLVII odds: 60 to 1)
Yes the Redskins did not have any real starting running backs and yes the Redskins did not have any real NFL quarterbacks. But the Redskins have a defense that can compete with almost any team in the league. With some well-placed moves in the draft and in free agency, the Redskins could become a contender sooner than most people think.

The sports betting websites are more focused on betting March Madness games than anything else right now, but football fans are already looking forward to 2012. Some teams were a huge disappointment in 2011 and made a lot of headlines for the wrong reasons. But there were teams that made moves or shows signs of improvement that made fans in some NFL cities look forward in anticipation to what could happen in 2012.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers now have its first-ever real franchise quarterback in Cam Newton. Now Carolina just needs to build a team around Newton. The offense needs another deep threat receiver to take some pressure off of Steve Smith. It would also be nice to get a running game for the 2012 season as well. The defense needs a few upgrades in the defensive secondary if the team really wants to compete. It would take a lot more to make the Panthers a Super Bowl contender, but it will not take much to move Carolina back into being an 8-8 team.

St. Louis Cardinals

The price per head sports experts cannot ignore the potential in St. Louis any longer. The common perception is that the team with the number two overall pick in the draft is still a long way from being a contender. But the Rams were upstarts in 2010 and fell back to Earth in 2011. With new head coach Jeff Fisher in place and a second overall pick that will probably become wide receiver Justin Blackmon, the Rams could be on its way to significant improvement.

Washington Redskins

In the days of the Roman Empire, someone was assigned to follow famous generals around and whisper “remember thou art mortal” in their ears to remind the generals that they were all mortal compared to the emperor. A betonline.com review of the Redskins’ 2011 season would create the expectation that owner Daniel Snyder has hired an assistant coach whose job is to follow head coach Mike Shanahan around saying “remember we need a quarterback.” All the Redskins need to be competitive in 2012 is a good quarterback. The team needs much more if it wants to be a contender, but it to be competitive it just needs a quarterback.

Oakland Raiders

There is just too much good to say about the Raiders to believe that the team will stumble again in 2012. The 2011 season was a bet online scam for the Raiders because the team lost its starting running back and starting quarterback early in the season. It will be interesting to see if Oakland gives the starting job back to Jason Campbell or if Carson Palmer gets to keep the number one spot. With a good quarterback in place and running back Darren McFadden healthy, the Raiders can be a factor in a weak AFC West.

Kansas City Chiefs

Once Romeo Crennel replaced Todd Haley as the Chiefs’ head coach, the rumors about Haley’s poor coaching methods started to come out of Kansas City like a huge release of bad gas. Crennel gives the Chiefs confidence and a chance to win. If Kansas City can stay healthy, it could also be an AFC West contender in 2012.

The sports betting world is getting ready for free agency in the NFL in the hopes that some big moves are made with some significant players. There are a few names that pop up in the NFL free agency market for 2012 that create the NFL’s own version of betting March Madness. Some teams would like to retain their free agents and other teams are looking to improve their odds of making it to Super Bowl XLVII by making the right pick-ups. Let’s take a look at the top free agents for 2012 and where they could wind up before the 2012 training camps open.

Peyton Manning – QB
Peyton Manning just signed a brand new deal and is years away from being a free agent. But with questions still swirling around about Manning’s ability to play with his neck injury and the inevitability of the Indianapolis Colts choosing quarterback Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in the draft, Manning’s future with the Colts is done. The Colts will not have two extremely high-priced quarterbacks on its roster. Some people are speculating that, if Manning can play, then he will go to New York where the Jets are ready to give up on Mark Sanchez. The Colts are trying to avoid paying Manning a $28 million roster bonus that is due and that seems to be the thing that will trigger the deal. If Manning demands his bonus, then he will either be traded or cut.

Matt Forte – RB
The price per head bookie experts expect certain free agents to stay with their teams. Quarterback Drew Brees is not leaving New Orleans and running back Ray Rice is not leaving Baltimore. But Matt Forte may be out of Chicago if the Bears do not hit him with the franchise tag. The stock in running backs has dropped a lot in the last few years. But teams like the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins may be very interested in talking to the current Bears running back.

Jermichael Finley – TE
The Green Bay Packers have developed a revolving door policy on tight ends. A bodog review of the last few tight ends to play in Green Bay shows that when it came time to really pay up, the Packers let them leave. That may be the case again with Finley. Teams such as the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and maybe even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers all need tight ends and may be interested in Finley.

DeSean Jackson – WR
There is so much speculation about DeSean Jackson’s future that even the soccer blog writers are trying to keep up. Jackson made it very clear that he was unhappy with how the Eagles treated him in last year’s off-season and he had asked to be traded. But the Eagles know that they need Jackson, so do not be surprised if Philadelphia throws the franchise tag on Jackson and then negotiates a multi-year deal with the star receiver.

The sports betting world has seen its fair share of professional sports teams that seem to be on the verge of greatness only to have it all crumble at their feet. It is frustrating for the players, the owners and the fans. There are only two teams involved in the Super Bowl betting each year, and the Super Bowl XLVI participants have one expected and one unexpected entry.

Not many people are surprised that the New England Patriots are in the Super Bowl again. Despite having the worst defense in football, the Patriots still have head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, which makes the Pats better than most teams. But the New York Giants are a surprise entry. This is the second year in a row where the NFC Super Bowl representative won its playoff spot in the last game of the regular season and went on to play in the big game. New York fans are interested to see if the Giants can repeat the success that the Packers had last year.

The price per head bookie experts are watching a few teams that seemed to be on the rise but have suddenly taken a fall this season. These teams need to show some improvement in 2012 or jobs will be lost and changes will be made.

San Diego Chargers
For some inexplicable reason, the San Diego Chargers have retained the services of head coach Norv Turner and expect Turner and quarterback Philip Rivers to turn San Diego around next season. It is difficult to believe that Turner would be able to survive another disappointing season in San Diego. The Chargers have to start winning in 2012 or Turner may not make it to Thanksgiving.

Green Bay Packers
A sportsbook review of the Packers’ divisional playoff game against the New York Giants shows a Packers team that made a lot of mistakes and played a poor game. The Packers went into that game with a great offense but a suspect defense. The loss in the 2011 playoffs was a bombshell for the Packers. The Packers had a lot of swagger going into that game that seemed to disappear when the game was over. If the Packers can take 2012 seriously, then it can rebound. If the Pack decides to take another season for granted, then head coach Mike McCarthy could be gone.

Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have been riding on the arm of quarterback Matt Ryan for three years now. The NFL scores that the Falcons have posted have been despite a terrible defense. Ryan needed to be heroic in 2010 because the defense continually put him in tough situations late in games. In 2011, Ryan cracked under the pressure and the Falcons lost to the Giants in the wild card round of the playoffs. There will already be changes in Atlanta with Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez probably retiring before next season. But the Falcons need a defense or 2012 could be the last year for a lot of people in Atlanta.

The sports betting experts are putting their systems together and getting ready for Super Bowl XLVI and the different kinds of challenges it offers. As each bettor puts together their numbers and makes their picks, the players that will be involved in the game are obviously a prime concern. The quarterbacks, Tom Brady for the Patriots and Eli Manning for the Giants, are getting a lot of deserved attention. Manning has been one of the most accurate passers in playoff history and Brady is a three-time Super Bowl champion. But there are other players that the price per head sports experts are keeping an eye on to see how they will affect the outcome of Super Bowl XLVI.

Jason Pierre-Paul – DE– New York Giants

Jason Pierre-Paul is an extremely fast and powerful defensive end that no offensive line has really been able to handle in these playoffs so far. The Super Bowl odds would be much different if Pierre-Paul was not able to play this game because he makes the Giants’ defense effective. Pierre-Paul only has a half-sack in these playoffs, but the confusion he causes has allowed Justin Tuck to get one and a half sacks in the playoffs and has allowed players like outside linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka to get pressure on the quarterback as well. Pierre-Paul has been dominating and can change the tide of any game he plays in.

Aaron Hernandez – TE – New England Patriots

It is easy to heap all of the praise for the New England tight ends on Rob Gronkowski because he tends to make the big plays. But if it were not for the presence of Aaron Hernandez, then teams could double team Gronk and take him out of the picture. All of the sportsbook reviews of the Patriots’ offense include Hernandez as an important part of the equation because Hernandez is another big, strong tight end that can play deep routes just as good as he can play underneath.

Victor Cruz – WR – New York Giants

It would not be a betonline scam to suggest that the Patriots’ defense is going to be in trouble when it comes to covering Victor Cruz. The Patriots have a defensive secondary that has been under siege all season long. The combination of Eli Manning to Victor Cruz has been going deep all season and there is no reason to expect that the duo will let up in the Super Bowl. With the ability of Cruz to catch the deep ball and the poor coverage habits of the Patriots’ secondary, it could be Cruz that burns the Patriots all day long.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis – RB – New England Patriots

In his four-year career to this point, BenJarvus Green-Ellis has never fumbled the football. He was limited this season by injuries, but based on his performance in playoffs so far, he looks to be completely healthy. Green-Ellis is the kind of running back that could chew up clock time and keep the Giants’ offense on the sidelines where it can do no damage.

The online betting websites are taking action for the upcoming AFC and NFC championship games that will be taking place Sunday. Before you place your bets, you should spend some time analyzing the keys to each of the games and determine which team enters into your Super Bowl betting picture and which teams just do not have what it takes.

AFC Championship: Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots (-7)
The Baltimore Ravens picked an odd time to start questioning the team’s quarterback. First, Joe Flacco himself made statements to the media that questioned people’s perception of him and how he plays. Then pro bowl safety Ed Reed questioned Flacco’s abilities and called out the entire offense in a radio interview earlier in the week. That is bad timing because the Ravens need its offense to be clicking on all cylinders if it wants to win in Foxboro. The Baltimore defense may think that it can win the championship on its own, but without offensive points on the board the Ravens are going nowhere.

When you talk about the New England Patriots, it is inevitable that you talk about quarterback Tom Brady. But it would be a betonline scam to look past the Patriots’ 31st ranked defense entering this AFC Championship game. The Baltimore Ravens’ defense is not the Denver Broncos. Brady and the Pats’ offense will not have carte-blanche over the Ravens like they did over the Broncos. The only question is whether the Ravens’ offense has enough to bowl over the 31st ranked defense in the league. If the Ravens play this one right, then it could be in its second Super Bowl.
Pick: Baltimore Ravens

NFC Championship: New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers (-2)
The New York Giants are a difficult team to predict. The key to winning this game for New York is to protect the football and cause turnovers. The bookie software has the 49ers as slight favorites, but that is only because no one really knows what to expect from New York. The Giants appear to be as healthy as it can be going into the NFC Championship game and the Giants’ defense definitely has the players that can make plays on defense. The Giants need to make sure that quarterback Eli Manning does not give the ball away and that the New York defense does not give the 49ers’ offense any room to move.

For the 49ers, it is all about consistency. The 49ers post winning NFL scores because its offense and its defense are excellent at staying with the game plan. The 49ers offense is good on the line of scrimmage, at the linebacker level and in the defensive secondary. On offense, quarterback Alex Smith showed that he can make plays when he needs to, but it is unlikely that the 49ers will call on Smith to carry the game in the NFC Championship. More than likely, the 49ers will do what it has been doing all year which is run the ball and then ask Smith to get the ball downfield without turning it over. It is something Smith has done all season and something that he is very good at.

Pick: San Francisco 49ers

The online betting experts know that the NFC is filled with quality quarterbacks and many of them have made the cut into the divisional round of the playoffs. The top NFC teams seem to have taken the approach of bypassing good defense and relying on a high-scoring offense to win games. It flies in the face of the old saying that defense wins championships, but it has also been extremely effective. Lets see what we can find out about the four quarterbacks competing in the NFC divisional playoffs.

Eli Manning – New York Giants
The previous two seasons have been frustrating for the New York Giants because they had not made the playoffs primarily due to the poor play of quarterback Eli Manning. Down the stretch, Manning gave up more turnovers than any other NFC quarterback. But this season was different. According to the price per head sports experts, Manning had thrown 15 fourth quarter touchdowns in the regular season to set a new NFL record. Eli Manning threw for 4,933 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2011, but he also threw 16 interceptions. However, Eli was a clutch player at the times when his team really needed him. When Eli is effective, the Giants are a very dangerous football team.

Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees is now the most prolific single-season passer in the history of the NFL. Brees’ 5,476 passing yards smashed the old record set almost 20 years ago by Dan Marino. While Brees’ arm makes the Saints a dangerous team, the price per head sportsbook experts point out that Brees does have a decent running game to fall back on. But if it comes down to an offensive shootout in the playoffs, there are few NFL gunslingers better equipped to compete in a foot race than Drew Brees. Considering that the Saints have one of the worst defenses in the NFC playoffs right now, Brees may have to get involved in a couple of shootouts to get the Saints to the Super Bowl.

Green Bay Packers
Drew Brees may have had the best numbers this season, but Aaron Rodgers of the Packers is the league MVP. The Packers have almost no running game to speak of. When Green Bay wins a game, and it won all but one this season, it is due to Aaron Rodgers. But a 5 dimes review of recent events in the news shows that Rodgers and his offensive coordinator Joe Philbin enter the playoffs with heavy hearts after the death of Philbin’s 21-year-old-son. Football can be an emotional game, and this could be something that weighs on the minds of each Packers player as they line up for the game against the Giants. Unfortunately, the Giants will show no mercy. We will get to see how well Rodgers performs under several different kinds of pressure in the same game.

Alex Smith – San Francisco 49ers
It would be a betonline scam to talk about Alex Smith and not give almost full credit for his success to his new head coach Jim Harbaugh. Smith is an effective game manager that can move the offense up and down the field. But he does not have that field vision to take over a game if the 49ers get behind. If the San Francisco defense starts falling behind to the New Orleans offense, do not look to Alex Smith to bring the 49ers back in the game.

The NFL playoffs are ready to get underway and the NFL betting lines are open for business. There are some teams that fans are interested to see and other teams that are expected to skate through the wild card round. When you spend some time looking at each game in detail, you realize that nothing is set in stone. The price per head sports experts have set the odds and now it is time to see who will come out on top in this weekend’s wild card action.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans (-3)
The line on this game has not moved since it was set earlier in the week. This is the first time that the Houston Texans have made the playoffs in franchise history, so it is an exciting time for the football fans in Houston. But the Texans enter this game without their starting quarterback Matt Schaub and defensive star Mario Williams. The defense has been able to compensate somewhat for Williams’ absence, but the offense is struggling without Schaub. With third-string quarterback TJ Yates ready to start his first NFL playoff game, things do not look good for the Texans.

The Bengals are healthy and the rookie duo of quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver AJ Green are ready to score points in Houston. The price per head bookmaking experts are looking at the Cincinnati defense to be the key to this game. With the Houston passing game struggling, the Bengals’ defense will be called on to shut down Houston running back Arian Foster.
Pick: Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints (-10 ½)
Of all the teams that the Detroit Lions could have drawn in the first round of the playoffs, it had to be the New Orleans Saints. A bodog review of the second half of the season shows that the Saints ran the board and went 8-0 in its last eight games. In the process, quarterback Drew Brees set the single-season passing record and the New Orleans’ offense was lighting up scoreboards all over the NFL.

The Lions are young and confident. But this Saints team may be too much for the Detroit squad to handle. Detroit is definitely an up and coming team and this playoff experience will be valuable to them.
Pick: New Orleans Saints

Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants (-3)
NFL fans in New York watched the Giants rise to the challenge and win the NFC East. Now they want to see the Giants rise to the challenge and beat the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have a huge uphill battle as it is a dome team that is not only playing a playoff game on the road in a stadium without a dome, but it is playing that game in New York where the weather is probably going to be cold and unbearable. The Giants probably do not have enough talent to get to the NFC championship game, but it definitely has enough to pull off this victory.
Pick: New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers (-9) @ Denver Broncos
Teams have learned that you need an active defensive secondary and fast linebackers to completely shut down Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos’ offense. The Steelers have everything it needs to beat the Broncos in Denver. The Pittsburgh offense is battered with the loss of running back Rashard Mendenhall and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s bad ankle that will severely limit his mobility. But all of that probably will not matter in this game.
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers