With the 2007-2008 NFL season upon us, predictions about eventual division leaders, lucky wildcards and Super Bowl favorites, are in full swing.
While we all know the true power conference of the NFL will be the AFC, with its New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers, with a sports bettor’s eye , the NFC looks even more interesting in the sense that it may be the conference where most betting value will be generated.
Let’s see about the NFC East first: The Philadelphia Eagles are the team set to dominate this division. Not only do they have Donovan McNabb as their QB, (which should already mean a lot in a league where having a good QB makes all the difference) but with Andy Reid calling the play, they should cruise to the division title no problems at all. Heck, they may even secure home field advantage for the conference playoffs.
The Washington Redskins will be the surprise team of the division. Their antics may take them as far as clinching a last wildcard spot. The QB position - where most problems occur for weaker teams – is filled by Jason Campbell, who might just turn into a great asset for the team as the season progresses, and the defense looks in good shape too with Sean Taylor and LaRon Landry.
The Cowboys are a team that tends to be overrated in more ways than one. I’m not sure whether their defense, their running backs or Tony Romo are up to the task of finally pulling a struggling team out of the ditch. One thing is certain though, head coach Wade Philips is not the man for the job.
The cellar-dwellers of the division, the New York Giants, don’t really have anything going for them. Their only hope for staying clear of a disaster, is Eli Manning, but there’s not really much to say about this team. They’re pretty seriously messed up.
The NFC North title will be fiercely contested by the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions. The Lions might just surprise everyone and take the division title, because they look in very good shape in every respect. Shaun Cody is set to improve, but the ace the Lions have up their sleeves, is head coach Mike Martz.
The Bears, on the other hand, have already exposed their defensive weaknesses last year, and their defensive line took a further blow by the loss of Ron Rivera. They will make it to the playoffs, but that’s about as much as we can expect of them, this year.
The Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings are the strugglers of this division. Between the two of them, the Vikings are the team that is more likely to become really ugly as the season wears on. While the Packers at least have a decent QB in Brett Favre, The Vikings have absolutely nothing working for them.
Driven on by young, ambitious and fame-hungry coaching, the San Francisco 49ers will bag the division title in NFC West. Frank Gore looks better than ever, and big things are expected of QB Alex Smith. If the defense manage to improve on last year’s performance, the 49ers are sure winners.
Second place in the division will be left for the Arizona Cardinals to fight it out with the Seattle Seahawks. It could be bad news for the Hawks though, as Arizona is increasingly looking like a very solid team. Lack of strength in the offensive-line could cost them dearly though.
The Saint-Louis Rams are the paradox of the League. They appear to have all pieces in place, yet they simply lack the attitude a winner needs. If they lose Marc Bulger, count them out for good.
NFC South is where the Conference Super Bowl representative will come from. The New Orleans Saints will dominate this division, with the Buccaneers and Panthers left to fight over the remains. The Atlanta Falcons won’t even land a blow. This team seems to be in an utter disarray.
