2009 Preview

• As the season gets closer, here is a look ahead for the casual fans and football betting fans alike. So buckle up and let’s make a quick run the through the NFL upcoming season. Winners, losers and also-rans all have the same hopes as we head towards kick off.

  We thought a good place to start would be with the favorites, at least as seen by the football betting experts. It’s no surprise that those who choose winners for a living are choosing the New England Patriot’s to win it all. Tom Brady is back and healthy. After a successful season without their lead QB, it’s almost scary to think how good they might be with him back in the pocket again and still in his prime. (We might be saying that for another 10 yrs). Second in the polls are the Pittsburg Steelers, defending champs of last season. Same team, same fire makes this seem like an easy pick. But can Big Ben stay healthy?

  Next we have the New York Giants who won it all 2 years ago then found themselves knocked out by the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals. Plaxico Burress is gone and won’t be coming back, at least not for the Giants but that appears to be the only hole in this team. Will his absence affect the play of Eli Manning? The fourth choice by the football betting world is the Philadelphia Eagles and this one puzzles some fans. What makes this year their year? Donovan McNabb has a new contract and Brian Westbrook is expected to be fresh after his surgery but the NFC East is a monster of a division. Getting out of there alone is a tough chore for any of the four teams.

  Which leads us to the fifth pick according to the football betting forecasters and that team is the Dallas Cowboys. Last year many thought they would win it all but a predictable collapse in December brought the boys back down to earth. This season they have a healthy Felix Jones who they missed tremendously with an injury last year and no T.O. might make for a more comfortable Romo. If this team can stay healthy they will indeed have a shot at making a run to the finish, but like the battle that faces the Giants, Eagles and Redskins, the NFC East is a battle in itself that can often leave teams worn out.