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.

Heading into the 2011 NFL betting season, all eyes will be on the AFC East division, as fans and experts alike wonder if one of the four teams can finally win a Super Bowl. Last season, the New England Patriots and New York Jets, put together some of the best games in the breeders cup betting season, only to fall short in the playoffs. With improvements to the Bills and a step back for the Dolphins, things look to be the same in this legendary division. Here is a preview of the AFC East.

If the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills have any aspirations of contending for the AFC East crown in 2011, both teams will have to invest in a quarterback. Since Drew Bledsoe left Buffalo in the middle of the decade, the Bills have had a quarterback carousel, which has resulted in the team missing out on the playoffs. Currently, Buffalo is using former Cincinnati Bengals back up Ryan Fitzpatrick as their go to guy. While Fitzpatrick has a good arm, he isn’t a starter that can actually carry a team to the playoffs. In an ideal world, the Bills would somehow be able to attract a veteran pivot such as Donovan McNabb or Vince Young to play for their team.

Speaking of Donovan McNabb, there has been plenty of speculation this offseason, that McNabb will take over for Chad Henne as the every day starter for the Miami Dolphins. Over the last couple of years, Henne has gone from the backup to the starter, which in turn has led to poor results for the rest of the team. A Bet Online scam? Not likely. For the most part, the Dolphins are built with a veteran core, and they need a veteran quarterback such as McNabb to help get them over the edge.

Some might say that betting on futures for an NFL season that might not even happen is a fool’s errand. Others might say assessing teams before free agency even takes place is a waste of time.

These people just aren’t any fun.

The sports calendar is moving into its worst stretch as the NBA and NHL finals are wrapping up and MLB is settling into its dull, predictable mid-season. So why not make the off-season bearable by wasting a bit of money on Super Bowl long shot bets?

Here’s a few teams that could be worth your money, and a few sucker bets to avoid. All odds are from VegasInsider.com, current as of June 9, 2011.

Smart money – Chicago Bears (15-1)

It’s tough to say something nice about a team with Jay Cutler behind centre, but the fact remains that this is a fairly young team that advanced (with a little luck) to the NFC Championship Game, losing by only one score to the eventual Super Bowl-winning Packers despite third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie taking over in the third quarter.

First-round pick Gabe Carimi should help Matt Forte return to his rookie form, when he rushed over 1,200 years, and the defence should be tough again.

They’ll have a tough time winning the NFC North crown with the Packers around, but a Wild Card is definitely possible, and strong defence can really bolster a playoff run.

Sucker bet – Dallas Cowboys (10-1)

“America’s Team” is a sucker bet every year. Their irritating, inexplicable, and unfailing popularity makes them the ultimate “public” team, drawing plenty of attention in Vegas from uninformed fans who don’t know any better.

They were a terrible team in 2010; they’ll be an OK team in 2011. They should be Lombardi long shots. Avoid at all costs.

Smart money – Philadelphia Eagles (12-1)

The Eagles had a thrilling 2010 season, as Michael Vick emerged as the top story in NFL news with his incredible comeback season. This is now his team from Day 1, so Philly shouldn’t have to deal with the tumult of a quarterback change again. A Kevin Kolb trade should reap rewards that will only make them better, and the NFC East doesn’t look particularly challenging in 2011. This could be the year Andy Reid gets over the hump.

Smart money – St. Louis Rams (50-1)

With 2010 Offensive Rookie of the Year Sam Bradford under centre, the Rams were a markedly improved team last season, narrowly missing the playoffs at 7-9. They play in the worst division in the NFL, if not in all of professional sports, and have to be considered the favourites to finish atop with the division title. If Bradford can take his game up a notch or two in his sophomore season, the Rams could have a miracle run in them. At 50-1, it’d certainly be a fun ride while it lasted.

Sucker bet – San Diego Chargers (9-1)

Take this from someone who’s followed this team closely since 2002: they will get your hopes up every offseason then break your heart time and again. Until Norv Turner is run out of town, or these odds creep up into the 18-1 or 20-1 range, stay away.

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 proclaimed Indianapolis as the favorite to win professional football’s biggest prize, but they’ll have their hands full on Saturday when they host a dangerous and hungry Baltimore team.

Ravens vs Colts betting – Saturday, January 16, 8:15 PM ET

The Ravens had three sacks and forced four turnovers in a 33-14 dismantling of New England on the road, and Ray Rice also had a big day, rushing for 159 yards and a pair of scores. Joe Flacco wasn’t called upon much, and he’s been bothered by a hip injury.

The Colts lost their last two after deciding to sit their starters, but Peyton Manning still won his fourth MVP award in a landslide. Manning has continued to put up big numbers while losing some of his weapons, along with a subpar running game. The defense has also been bit by injury, particularly on the corners.

Indianapolis is a 6.5-point favorite in this contest, and they’ve won seven in a row over the Ravens, including a 17-15 victory in Week 10 in Baltimore. The Colts need to shore up their run defense to keep Rice under wraps, but their main priority is Manning. If they can keep their leader on his feet, the Colts always have a chance. After a week of rest, take the Colts this weekend.

Bookmakers odds (bookmaker reviews) pick: Indianapolis -6.5

Super Bowl XLIII betting is taking up most of the NFL attention nowadays, but leave it to the Dallas Cowboys to make sure they aren’t forgotten this offseason. Already, Pacman Jones has been released under allegations of yet another shooting, we’ve had Troy Aikman calling out Tony Romo for going on a vacation before a playoff loss last season, and now, Michael Irvin will be the host of a reality show that gives one person a chance to win a spot on the Cowboys’ roster.

This is the LAST thing the Cowboys need, which is more cameras and more attention. The locker room is a mess, and it all started in the preseason when Dallas was featured in the “Hard Knocks” series. Now they want more cameras? I’ll only think this is a great idea if Emmitt Smith is Irvin’s co-host. There should actually be a Super Bowl XLIII betting prop to see how many mistakes Smith makes on Super Bowl Sunday’s pregame show.

A small break in the Super Bowl XLIII betting action to talk about the NFL draft, to be held on April 25 and 26 in its usual home of New York City. This draft will not have the name recognition of recent years, as most of the high-profile quarterbacks chose to stay in school.

Georgia’s Matthew Stafford and USC’s Mark Sanchez are generally expected to be the first two quarterbacks picked, but they lucked out as Heisman-winning Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, former Heisman winner Tim Tebow and Texas’ Colt McCoy returned to school for glory (any more glory for Tebow and he may explode, but that’s another story). The first three Northbet.com teams (Detroit, St. Louis and Kansas City) all need a new quarterback badly, and after the success of Matt Ryan in Atlanta and Joe Flacco in Baltimore, teams will probably be more accepting to pick a pivot with their first-round pick.

It’s not like any of those three teams will have good Super Bowl betting odds next season, but it’s a start, right?

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.