The NFL season begins this week so now seems a good time to focus on the outright markets for each division and the Conferences in the hope of landing a few punts just after the New Year is seen in.
We’ll preview both conferences separately and in this one we’ll focus on the NFC where sides like Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals are among those fancied to be heading to Houston for the big game in February.
NFC East
We’ll start with the division which bookmakers feel is the most open division. As it goes so do I. New York Giants are the marginal favourites ahead of Dallas Cowboys and then Washington Redskins. There isn’t a lot of love for the Philadelphia Eagles either with the odds compilers nor myself.
Dallas Cowboys are the interesting side in this division. The have the offensive line and the running game to do really well not to mention the defence but the mixed signals about the severity of quarterback Tony Romo’s injury puts me off getting behind them. If Romo is out mid-long term Mark Sanchez isn’t the man to get it done for us.
New York Giants will probably throw for a lot of yards this year. That is assuming that Eli Manning finds some protection and there in is the issue with them. He got flattened game after game last year and I’m not sure that has been addressed.
That leaves us with a young but very good quality Washington Redskins side who are going in the right direction. They have the two things you need in this league now. They have a quarter back who is solid and reliable and they have a pass rush but the weapons around Kirk Cousins are very good. They have excellent receivers and tight ends and given they boast the best defence in the division with the addition of Josh Norman we think they are overpriced at 3/1.
NFC North
On paper the North is all about the Green Bay Packers and that is very much how we see it. Minnesota Vikings are rated to be their closest challengers while if the odds are correct Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears are purely making up the numbers.
Chicago look like they need another season or two before they can be competitive again and there isn’t much we like about Detroit now that Megatron has retired so we’ll pass them over pretty quickly. Prior to the Teddy Bridgewater injury Minnesota could have been a value play but his injury changes all of that and as such we don’t see anything troubling the Packers but they’re priced accordingly.
NFC South
Like in the North there is a strong and unopposable favourite in the South and that comes in the form of the beaten Super Bowl team last year Carolina Panthers. New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be looking to stop them but we can’t see past the Panthers for this division once again.
NFC West
This could be the most competitive division in the NFC. Seattle Seahawks are the favourites to win it but with Marshawn Lynch retiring they might be worth opposing. Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and the now relocated Los Angeles Rams will be the teams looking to deny them.
The Seahawks have a habit of beginning seasons slowly and I’m not sure they can get away with that this season. I like the Arizona Cardinals who found a new lease of life for Larry Fitzgerald last season and who in David Johnson and John Brown have a couple of very dynamic offensive players. They are well balanced on defence as well and should take a lot of beating if they keep Carson Palmer fit and upright.
NFC Conference
With Washington tipped by us as potential winners of their division it means they would have a home game in the playoffs and if they were to win that they would be one match away from delivering a nice pay out at a decent price so although Green Bay, Seattle, Arizona and Carolina are all worthy favourites it is quite possible that Washington get into a position from which to deliver so we’ll have a small punt on them outright too.
Tips
Back Washington Redskins to win NFC East for a 3/10 stake at 4.00 with Bwin
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Back Arizona Cardinals to win NFC West for a 4/10 stake at 2.50 with Ladbrokes
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Back Washington Redskins to win NFC (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with William Hill
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