The 2010 NFL schedule has been released and football bettors are already licking their lips at these eight potential money makers. Here are the biggest must-bet games of the upcoming NFL season.
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints (Week 1)
Spread if this game was today: Saints -4.5
Brett Favre skips training camp entirely, then Brad Childress drives to Mississippi, picks up Favre at his ranch and chauffeurs him to the Big Easy for opening day. Favre throws a few passes in warm-ups and pronounces himself ready.
The Saints find out right off the bat whether they are in it for the long term or last season was just serendipity. The Vikings once again borrow from their future in an attempt to get the Super Bowl with a quarterback whose eyes are always bigger than his stomach and whose season always ends with a throw he just shouldn’t have attempted.
New England Patriots at New York Jets (Week 2)
Spread if this game was today: Pick ’em
If Rex Ryan is ever going to pop a vein, it’s this week. Last season, the Jets took advantage of a rusty Tom Brady and young New England defense in the second half and earned a rare home victory over the Patriots.
After an off-season signing binge, the Jets will throw the kitchen sink at the Pats in an effort to overtake New England as the alpha dogs of the AFC East. New England won the division last season at 10-6 but the Jets gouged themselves at the dessert table when Indy and Cincy laid down for them in the final two games. NFL fans outside of New York and New England hate both teams and hope the game ends in a tie.
Tennessee Titans at New York Giants (Week 3)
Spread if this game was today: Giants -3
The Titans and Giants both ended up in pretty much the same place last season – Nowheresville – but took vastly different routes. Tennessee stunk things up in September and October, culminating in a 59-0 loss to New England, before turning over the buttered baton to New York.
The Giants then spit the bit in November and December when Eli Manning started limping around. By Week 3, the Titans will know if Vince Young is the real deal or last year’s strong finish was a no-lose dress rehearsal. Another underachieving season would make things a bit squirrelly for Tom Coughlin, who doesn’t wear well on a losing team.
Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles (Week 4)
Spread if this game was today: Eagles -2.5
So the Philadelphia fans who have never quite forgiven Donovan McNabb for being drafted by the Eagles get to see him again. If the Redskins are 2-1 and the Eagles 0-3 come kickoff on Oct. 3, wonder how they’ll feel then.
The guess here is that McNabb goes at Ellis Hobbs early and often. Philly can sell this season any way it wants [and word is no one in the organization is allowed to even whisper the word rebuilding], but the Eagles are going young this season. Philly has gone from Super Bowl contender to playoff contender in a few months.
Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints (Week 8)
Spread if this game was today: Saints -6.5
This is Ben Roethlisberger’s first game back, assuming a 6-game suspension, he is not traded and he somehow manages to keep his zipper pull tab closer to his belly button than to his knees. Big Ben on the loose in the French Quarter on Halloween night? Almost like spring break in Fort Lauderdale or Cancun.
Then again, the way the Steelers are stockpiling quarterbacks, who’s to say Roethlisberger even has the starting job at mid-season. If Pittsburgh starts fast – and the Steelers don’t have a back-breaking schedule – maybe Leftwich, Dixon or Batch can slam the door on Ben, something he is accustomed to doing to others.
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (Week 10)
Spread if this game was today: Cardinals -6
This game will have some juice if the quarterback-challenged NFC West results in the four-car pileup that many are predicting. Seattle was just plain worn out and stopped playing last season and Arizona is now a passing team without a decent passer. With no one here capable of winning more than 10 games, division games take on extra importance and things should still be up for grabs in mid-November.
Pete Carroll is giving it another go-round as a head coach and the Poodle re-enters the fray with a decent chance at stealing the division. Beating Zona twice would go a long way toward that goal.
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots (Week 11)
Spread if this game was today: Patriots -1.5
“Hello God? Bill Belichick here, but I guess you already knew that. Wondering if we can get some snow for Nov. 21. Eight to 10 inches in southeastern Massachusetts? Starting around 7 a.m. and continuing to about 7 p.m.?”
Think the Pats were happy to see this annual AFC track meet in Foxboro and not in an indoor stadium in flyover country?
Technicians install all sorts of wires in Bill Polian’s private box and film his reaction. New England brings out Tedy Bruschi and Ty Law at halftime to raise the hair on Peyton Manning’s neck. Pats again faced with a fourth-and-two in their own territory late in the game. This is a good as it gets.
San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals (Week 16)
Spread if this game was today: Chargers -2
Assuming the Chargers are still playing for something (division title, home-field edge) on the day after Christmas and the Bengals’ 2009 season wasn’t a fluke, this one has potential.
It will be the first game the Chargers play in cold weather (they finish at Denver) and it would be worth the price of admission to see Philip Rivers throw a few interceptions in sub-zero temps and start overturning sideline heaters.
Question: Is Dec. 26 too late for a Chad Ochocinco touchdown celebration with a Christmas motif?
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