Even before the start of the NFL Season, I enjoy betting football. Most people think you actually need a football season underway in order to bet football, which is not the case. Many sports betting services have what is known as futures betting, where you can bet on anything from Super Bowl winners to who the division champions are going to be, and even who is going to be the NFL MVP. We are going to look at the NFC West, breaking the division down and finding value in the NFC West Futures market.
NFC West Tale of the Tape
The defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals are thought to be the team to beat in this relatively thin division. Finishing 11-5, last season’s conference champions picked up Ohio St running back Chris “Beanie” Wells to play the role of feature running back. The Arizona Cardinals possess what is by far the deepest receiving core in the league, with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Bolden, and Steve Breaston. Defensively, the Cardinals came alive in the post season. Getting odds of 115, the Cardinals are the favorite to take down the weak NFC West.
A franchise in turmoil, the St. Louis Rams sit at odds of 700. Even in a division as weak as the NFC West, the St. Louis Rams are expected to sit on the bottom of the barrel, and surely they will not disappoint. The team is clearly in the rebuilding stages, but they needed too much work in both the offensive and defensive end of the ball to be competitive. This team is clearly at least a few years out.
The Seattle Seahawks command football betting odds of 210. Seattle has made some nice moves in the off-season to upgrade the talent pool. Defensively, Seattle grabbed up Aaron Currey to sure up the already tough defense. On offense, Seattle added fantasy stud Wide Receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh. Seattle were plagued with injuries the entire season, which was reflected in their 2008-2009 season record; I would not look to Seattle to emerge as division champion – though a distant second place is not out of the question.
The San Francisco 49ers presently command odds of 210. The Niners closed the season on a high note under motivator Mike Singletary. With Coach Singletary’s no nonsense approach and shaking things up, San Fran will be an improved squad, but I believe they are one year away from talking playoffs.
Overall, I foresee the best pick for the NFC West division champion being Arizona. Seattle and San Fran could prove to be formidable sleepers; however, the chalk is right in this Western Division.