NFL Betting blog

[Linux]

All pretty much the same minus the Seahawks, look better fit though

[LeKnave]

Report on NFL.com today that the Colts are seriously considering drafting RG3 instead of Luck.

they asked him to work out for them earlier, he flat out declined. rofl.

[Tal]

As a bills fan, it's hard to get excited about the draft. I really hope we get some more options in the offence, where we looked so limited in the second half of last season. It didn't take the opposition long to work out where it was going! Seems like we're prob keeping faith with our Harvard QB but I'm not convinced beefing up the OL will make much of a difference.

Any views on this?

[TightEnd]

With Mario Williams alongside Dareus upfront then the D looks in good shape, as it needs to be going against Brady twice a year

Fred Jackson provides the running game, and what they really need is either

a) a real difference maker at receiver to keep defenses honest, allowing Jackson not to have to rush against 8 man fronts

if that can't be got

b) more quality on the OL to keep the running game good and them in contention in games

Candidate in the draft for option a) is



or




for option b) Riley Reiff and Cordy Glenn, David DeCastro, Jonathan Martin

 

[Tal]

We made a number of good picks last year in both the draft and free agency and found ourselves doing comically well against some highly astute offences (winning at Gillette a particular highlight!). But like you say it's about offering an alternative and we looked weak out wide last year.

The AL East is a pretty unforgiving place!

[bobby1]

Next season's schedules are announced tonight

[bobby1]

Did you get a chance to look thru the schedules Rich, any initial thoughts?

[TightEnd]

Did you get a chance to look thru the schedules Rich, any initial thoughts?

Only from my teams point of view

The NFC east has it mighty tough this year. Not only is it always a division that's tough but RG3 is coming into it and the rotation of other divisions on the schedule gives them NFC South and AFC North

So, an NFC East team like Dallas has to knock off enough games against Giants/Eagles and Skins and then beat enough of the Ravens, Steelers, Bengals, Panthers, Saints etc to  win a wild card if they can't win the division

very tough given Bengals and Panthers are on upswings

[bobby1]

Did you get a chance to look thru the schedules Rich, any initial thoughts?

Only from my teams point of view

The NFC east has it mighty tough this year. Not only is it always a division that's tough but RG3 is coming into it and the rotation of other divisions on the schedule gives them NFC South and AFC North

So, an NFC East team like Dallas has to knock off enough games against Giants/Eagles and Skins and then beat enough of the Ravens, Steelers, Bengals, Panthers, Saints etc to  win a wild card if they can't win the division

very tough given Bengals and Panthers are on upswings

Yes, and as usual hardly any firm has moved a price. Check out Denver's first half season, Manning is going to have some work beating all those play off contenders, with Oakland being their only game in that stretch against a team that might  be billed as easier.

[TightEnd]

My initial thoughts are the easiest schedules belong to

NFC North they get the 49ers division and the Texans division

Whilst you would expect the 49ers to be very strong, and the Texans, in those two division you also have games against teams who are not ready to compete yet. Seattle, Arizona, Colts, Jags etc

The Vikes aren't ready either.

Unfortunately all of the Packers, Lions and Bears should be very competitive

but if you say one will win the division and one stands a better chance on the way the schedule looks alone of getting one of the Conference wildcards then you have a back up when it comes to superbowl betting

The value in those three is the Bears. Cutler back, can run all day with Forte, should draft a WR to go alongside Brandon Marshall..the D is always competitive and the weather from November outdoors at Soldier field onwards keeps the games against the high scoring teams close

Mike Martz has also gone too. Big positive

What you also have is the bears finishing 3rd in the division  last year, so they get the 3rd placed teams in the Conf Cowboys and Panthers

Detroit get Eagles and Atlanta

GB get the Giants and the Saints

Packers 13/2 (appalling value)

Detroit 20/1 (ok)

Bears 33/1 (interesting)

by the way the 49ers are interesting at 16-1 too. Going to be even better this year

[bobby1]

I actually think that San Fran and Houston were ul to get the NFC North, the tricky thing for laying purposes is that unlike say Denver, Houston actually get a nice start to the season so will prob be shorter than they are now. San Fran start off with a couple of easy looking games in their first 6 or 7 but they are surrounded with games against strong teams too, so it could be the opposite in that they will be bigger then than they are now.

To give a the best example of that is New England

They start the season with

Tennessee
Arizona
Baltimore
Buffalo
Denver
Seattle
Jets
St Loius
Buffalo
Indiy

Its hard to see how they can trade bigger than they are now unless Brady gets injured.

[77dave]

Arguably the easiest schedule in the league and with some good additions already on board as tighty says the Bears must be great value at 33-1, back early and green out.

The schedule starts off quickly, with Chicago playing their first two games against the Colts and the Green Bay Packers -- which host the Bears in the first of the five prime-time games -- over a span of four days. The Bears play host to the Houston Texans on a Sunday night in Week 10 for the second-to-last prime-time outing.

While the schedule appears somewhat soft on the surface, considering Chicago's upcoming opponents combined in 2011 for a record of 126-130 (.492), the sequence of the contests might make things more difficult. On a schedule featuring just four 2011 postseason participants (Lions, 49ers, Texans and Packers), the Bears face Green Bay on the road in Week 2 for a Sept. 13 Thursday night matchup before hosting the St. Louis Rams in Week 3, followed by the outing against the Cowboys on Oct. 1.

Chicago's 2012 home opponents combined for a winning percentage of .430 in 2011, which qualifies as the league's easiest home schedule on paper. But the NFL seemed to counter that by putting together a challenging road schedule for the Bears, based on the .555 winning percentage in 2011 of the team's road opponents, which is considered the league's fourth most difficult road schedule.

The Bears play their last two contests on the road on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 at Arizona and Detroit.

[TightEnd]

NFL Draft on Thursday

Begins with Round 1, live here on ESPN

A final attempt at the first round, ignoring trades

Anything over 8 of 32 in the rightspot is good

trying to get 20+ names correct

    Indianapolis (2-14) Andrew Luck QB
    Washington - from St. Louis (2-14) RG3 QB
    Minnesota (3-13) Matt Kalil OL
    Cleveland (4-12) Trent Richardson RB
    Tampa Bay (4-12) Morris Claiborne CB
    St. Louis - from Washington (5-11) Fletcher Cox DT
    Jacksonville (5-11) Justin Blackmon WR
    Miami (6-10) Ryan Tannehill QB
    Carolina (6-10) Luke Kuechly LB
    Buffalo (6-10) Michael Floyd WR
    Kansas City (7-9) David De Castro OG
    Seattle (7-9) Quinton Coples DE
    Arizona (8-8) Riley Reiff OT
    Dallas (8-8) Mark barron S
    Philadelphia (8-8) Michael Brockers DT
    New York Jets (8-8) Chandler Jones DE
    Cincinnati - from Oakland (8-8) Stephen Gilmore CB
    San Diego (8-8) Whitney Mercilus OLB
    Chicago (8-8) Kendall Wright, WR
    Tennessee (9-7) Dontari Poe NT
    Cincinnati* (9-7) Courtney Upshaw DE
    Cleveland - from Atlanta* (10-6) Brandon Weeden QB
    Detroit* (10-6) Cordy Glenn G
    Pittsburgh* (12-4) Donta Hightower ILB
    Denver* (8-8) Jerel Worthy DT
    Houston* (10-6) Stephen Hill WR
    New England - from New Orleans* (13-3) Shea McLellin OLB
    Green Bay* (15-1) Nick Perry OLB
    Baltimore* (12-4) Peter Konz C
    San Francisco* (13-3) Coby Fleener TE
    New England* (13-3) Harrison Smith S
    New York Giants* (9-7) Doug Martin RB


The real fun will be trades

Something like Cleveland trading up if Tannehill falls, or Chargers jumping up to get Barron

If you've never watched it live, its great fun. Mostly for the Jets fans in NY Radio City booing an unpopular pick of theirs, or picks selected by their rivals

[bobby1]

going to look forward to following these Rich, how many draft comps have you entered this year?

[TightEnd]

going to look forward to following these Rich, how many draft comps have you entered this year?

Just a couple, just for fun

Ourlads and Football Outsiders are the best sites I find