With the NFL betting and college football just around the corner, sports enthusiasts are already looking ahead to the 2010 season, with an eye on how at least a few of the top teams in at both the school and professional levels will perform. One of the most popular conferences among online sports betting enthusiasts during the football year is the Big Ten, where hundreds of thousands of plays are made every month.

Leading the Big Ten in to the 2010 season is the Ohio State Buckeyes, which has 15 starters returning from the team that went 7-1 in conference play in 2009, and 11-2 overall. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor will once again be the key to this team’s success, as he aims to build on the 2800 total yards he gained throwing and rushing a year ago. The two-headed monster made up of Brandon Saine and Dan Herron at running back is arguably one of the best in the country, and while the Buckeyes should be able to move the ball on the ground, wide receiver Devier Posey keeps defenses honest with his big play capabilities. This season will be about more than just the returning stars however, as Ohio State brought in some of the top recruits in the country to help complete their roster. All the talent that this team has collected and developed over the past couple of years should keep them at the top of the Big Ten conference, with the real goal being the chase for a national title.

The NCAA college football betting team that the sports books have projected as having the best chance of challenging Ohio State for Big Ten seniority is the Iowa Hawkeyes, which return 14 starters of their own from a roster that went 11-2 overall, and finished just one game back of the Buckeyes in overall conference record. Quarterback Ricki Stanzi is back under center, which should keep the Hawkeyes’ offense rolling, while a strong defensive line that features defensive tackle Karl Klud and defensive end captain Adrian Clayborn will help Iowa take its game to the next level and challenge for top spot.

Penn State finished with the same record as the Hawkeyes both within the conference and overall, but their outlook heading in to 2010 is much dimmer given that the Nittany Lions lost close to half of their starting roster. True freshman Paul Jones is expected to start at quarterback when the bet on sports online games get underway, and will be tested by a deep group of defensive units at the top of the Big Ten. Rounding out the conference is Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Michigan State, each of which have odds available to win the national title, but without massive development from last season in several key areas don’t stand a chance to challenge Ohio State. Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota and Illinois will all be battling just to stay close to .500 during the regular season, and despite improvements, it could be another couple of years before any of them is ready to compete.

Super Bowl MVP odds are probably the best prop bet on play during the big game on Sunday, and this year’s list is headed by the most important players in the game, the quarterbacks. The men under center have won this award on 22 occasions, including this year’s favorite.

Super Bowl MVP odds – Sunday, February 7, 6:20 PM ET

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (-180)

Manning won this award four years ago when he led the Colts to a Super Bowl win over Chicago, and another win would put him up there with the all-time greats of the game. No one has control over their offense the way Manning does, and his pre-snap reads make him a danger no matter how much time on the clock, and no matter where the Colts are on the field.

Drew Brees, New Orleans (+260)

Brees finished second to Manning in the regular-season MVP race, but he was the spark of the No.1 offense in the league all season. Brees is the leader of this team, and even though he’s not a physical monster like Manning, Brees may be the most accurate quarterback in the league, and he can go deep, or work the underneath route. Also, his footwork in the pocket is very underrated.

Reggie Bush, New Orleans (+950)

Saints fans would love to see the Bush that was a one-man wrecking crew against Arizona in the NFC divisional round, as he broke two big runs for touchdowns, including a punt return late to seal the deal. Bush is probably the most electrifying player on either team, and his open-field ability is second to none, but he has to be more consistent if his Saints are going to overcome these bookmaker odds (bookmaker reviews).

Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis (+1500)

Garcon broke out in the AFC championship game against the New York Jets, catching a record 11 passes for 151 yards and a score. The Jets decided that they were going to take away Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, which left Garcon and Austin Collie to run wild through the secondary. If the Saints try a similar gameplan, Manning now has faith in his young receivers.

Darren Sharper, New Orleans (+2500)

The darkhorse of this race, Sharper tied for the league lead with nine picks, returning three for touchdowns, and then he’s been a force in the playoffs, recovering a fumble against Arizona, and making a team-high 11 tackles against Minnesota, along with countless blitzes of Brett Favre. He’ll have a big hand in their gameplan against Manning.

Super Bowl betting pick: The Colts should be able to come away with the win, and if they do, Manning will be the man to take them there.

New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts

Bodog Odds: Colts -6

Last week’s initial Super Bowl betting odds have surprisingly held steady in the first 60 hours since the Indianapolis Colts revealed (on Sunday) that defensive end Dwight Freeney had a third-degree low ankle sprain, which means a complete tear of the ligament in his right ankle. One would have expected the Colts – six-point favorites over the New Orleans Saints – to become a less convincing favorite, but that hasn’t yet happened. Let’s look at how this final installment of NFL betting picks shapes up.

What the Saints need to do to win

Play their very best game on offense. Yeah, one could say New Orleans will have to contain Peyton Manning, but the likelihood of that happening is low to nonexistent. This contest figures to be a shootout, especially now that Freeney – the best defensive player on the whole field – has been damaged. The Saints – equipped with a flotilla of fleet-footed flankers and other weapons coming out of the backfield – must simply throw a bunch of haymakers on the offensive side of the ball and force the Colts to land even more punches.

Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints were thoroughly contained for most of the NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings, particularly in the second half. An offense that stayed ahead of the NFC for most of the season got punished in the trenches by the physically superior Vikes. Limited to just 257 yards, the Saints struggled against Minnesota because their receivers generally couldn’t shake free from the Vikings’ corners. On the few occasions when Brees had an open man downfield, he normally air-mailed the pigskin and showed a little too much adrenaline. The only reason New Orleans scored 31 points was that the Saints started two second-half touchdown drives at the Minnesota 37 and (on another drive) the 7-yard line as well. Assuming that Manning doesn’t give the Saints a number of gift turnovers, Brees and teammate Reggie Bush will have to operate at the very height of their powers.

What the Colts need to do to win

Get first-rate cornerback play.

Dwight Freeney’s health is a huge worry for this team, but if there’s another major reason for the Colts to be nervous heading into Super Bowl XLIV, it’s the experience level of Indy’s cover corners. Jacob Lacey, a rookie from Oklahoma State, got toasted in the AFC Championship Game by New York Jets receiver Braylon Edwards. Indianapolis continuously surrendered big plays because its back line of defense got sucked toward the line of scrimmage by New York’s play fakes and disguised looks. Only when Peyton Manning gave the Colts a 10-point lead (27-17), thereby forcing the Jets to throw midway through the second half, did Indy manage to contain New York’s not-very-explosive offense. New Orleans’ offense, on the other hand, is truly scary. A wounded Freeney plus young corners should cause a little uneasiness in the Colts’ camp.

Indianapolis has an offense that should not be a source of concern. Manning is a thoroughly prepared on-field coach, as close as anything pro football has ever seen to a coordinator in a helmet and pads. It’s on defense where Super Bowl XLIV will be won or lost for the AFC champs. As long as Lacey and the rest of the back line don’t get burned deep, it will be hard to see how the NFC champions can outscore Manning.

Sportsbook Outlook & Pick

Indianapolis should still win this game with Peyton Manning, but the loss of Dwight Freeney certainly helps New Orleans to attack the Colts’ defense. Perhaps the spread is staying at six points because the Saints’ defense looked pedestrian against Minnesota, and because Manning is playing at such a high level. Those are good reasons to stick with the Colts. Nevertheless, it’s not an exaggeration to say that Freeney’s drastically reduced effectiveness will matter a great deal in this game. Indianapolis will need to generate a first-rate pass rush, and with Freeney being limited, New Orleans can double-team Robert Mathis and force the Colts to blitz. This will enable Drew Brees to make hot reads and involve Reggie Bush as a pass catcher coming out of the backfield. Before the Freeney injury, the Colts were a great bet giving six points. Now, there’s a good chance that the Saints might score that extra garbage touchdown needed to make this game 41-38, Indianapolis, instead of 41-31.

Bodog Reviews Picks: Saints +6

While everyone is gearing up to do their Super Bowl betting, it is time for some proposition picks. The Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints are expected to put up some big numbers, and that will have a big effect on betting lines and payouts. That being said there are some interesting prop bets to be taken advantage of.

Shockey vs Clark – Who will have more pass reception yards

Those looking for head-to-head Saints Colts betting will like this matchup. Jeremy Shockey and Dallas Clark are big time threats and integral parts in the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts offensive schemes. Shockey, while limited this post season by a nagging knee injury, will no doubt be in the line-up and putting himself on the line. He was on the sideline while his New York Giants won Super Bowl XLII after suffering an injury so you can bet he will not sit out another one. Finishing the season with 48 receptions and 569 yards he is a long-shot to outgain Clark. The Colts tight-end amassed 100 receptions for 1,106 yards and while slowed in his last game against the New York Jets, he should rebound against the much weaker Saints defence. In his two post season games this year Clark caught 11 passes and 94 yards, while below his average of over six receptions and nearly 70 a game it still better then Shockey’s four snags for 45 yards in the past two contests.

Pick: Dallas Clark

Total gross passing yards by Manning

In his two playoff games this season, Peyton Manning is averaging 311.5 yards a game including 377 yards against the top ranked Jets defence. In the regular season he threw for over 299 yards 10 different times and realistically did it over 14 weeks since he did not play complete games in the last two weeks. In a game against a notorious shoot out style team, in the Saints, the Colts quarterback should easily rack up big numbers again. New Orleans gave up 266 yards to a Kurt Warner/Matt Leinart combination and 310 to Brett Favre led offences that finished well back of the Colts. While thinking Manning will explode for 400 yards is not an obscene estimate, he put up 458 against Denver in the 2005 playoffs and has eight career games of over 400, it is highly unlikely.

Pick: 320+ yards

Touchdown passes by Brees

Drew Brees has been on fire this post season, averaging three touchdowns a game and should be looked upon as set to do it again. Even in the conference final against Minnesota when held to just 197 passing yards, he was able to find the end-zone. During the regular season, he threw for three or more touchdowns six different times and going up against a 14th ranked Indy pass defence, he should add another big number. In four of his five career playoff games Brees has thrown for two or more touchdowns, and while the Colts have only allowed two passing scores, their two games were against the 16^th and 29^th ranked teams in passing touchdowns. This game is pegged to be a shootout, that means touchdowns and with 34 of the Saints total 55 regular season touchdowns coming through the air, it is a good sports betting tip that the trend will continue.

Pick: 3+ Passing TD’s

Total Receptions by Reggie Wayne

Coming off a game that he was held to just three receptions, the experts at US Sportsbook Reviews know that Reggie Wayne will be looking to explode in the Super Bowl. Hauling in 100 receptions over the regular season and a playoff average of 5.1 receptions in 15 career playoff games, most of which as a second option behind Marvin Harrison, it is highly unlikely that he will put up two bad games in a row. Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter are not in the same calibre of cornerback as Darrelle Revis which points to Wayne having an easier time getting open and with a quarterback like Manning he will be found if open.  This all points to Wayne putting up numbers closer to his regular season average of six receptions a game.

Pick: 7+ receptions

The AFC and NFC champions have been decided, the Super Bowl odds are set, and all eyes are on Manning and Brees as they lead the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints into Miami.

There is, however, one last game before Super Bowl XLIV to occupy the legions of hungry football fans. The NFL has moved both the location and the time of their All-Star game to fill in the void left by two weeks of Super Bowl preparation. For the first time since 1980, the game will not be held in Honolulu. Instead the Pro Bowl finds itself at Land Shark Stadium in Miami on Sunday January 31^st, one week prior to the Super Bowl.

Rosters are now finalized, as many players have been pulling out with injuries, and two teams won’t be sending any players at all. With the Saints and Colts still alive, the AFC will lose Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark, among others.  The NFC meanwhile will be without seven Saints, including Drew Brees,  and safety Darren Sharper.

Many other key players have had to step out or decline an invitation due to injury, including Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, Stephen Jackson, Wes Welker, and Philip Rivers.

So who is playing?

Well, there will still be plenty of big stars on the field. Two key replacements come in on the NFC side that should give them the advantage.  Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb, taking the places of Brett Favre and Drew Brees, are two gunslingers who have always played under pressure in towns where they are expected win. They are more talented and accomplished than their AFC counterparts, Vince Young and David Garrard.  Aaron Rodgers will start for the NFC, going against Matt Schaub of the Houston Texans.

All three quarterbacks for the AFC  are replacing players who are cannot play and were not chosen initially.

The NFC also boasts a younger, and fast receiving core.  When youth comes a greater desire to play, impress, and generally show off.  Miles Austin, Desean Jackson, Sidney Rice, and Steve Smith of the Giants will all look for big plays. The running game often takes a backseat to the pitch and catch nature of the match.

The AFC wide outs meanwhile, contain several of the NFL’s more outspoken and controversial players. Brandon Marshall may have a tough time getting motivated when he has at times not geared up for a regular season tilt. Ochocinco meanwhile will care much more about on the field antics than making big plays.

Despite the ever changing rosters and the inability to quantify motivation, the Pro Bowl is not immune to sports betting. In fact, there is a good chance at great success in this all-star affair. Kickoff goes at 7:20 EST.

Betting Lines:

The AFC team is favored on the Super Bowl betting odds but the Pro Bowl is another story. The NFC has opened as the favourite by 2-3 points depending where you look, which looks like a good bet when you consider the Pro Bowl isn’t about who is the most talented, but who wants to play hard and show off.

The NFC has the more explosive players, the bigger arms, and some of the more care free players. Moreover, they have won three of the last four meetings by a combined 27 points. The one game they lost was by three points. The over/under sits around 58 points, and with this being the year of the quarterback, and with many defensive stars sitting out due to injury or the Super Bowl, this should be a high scoring affair.

Bookmaker Review Pick: NFC

The New York Jets have been the biggest surprise on the Super Bowl line this playoffs and not many people that were making their NFL picks thought that they would be here.

The Jets were one of the last teams into the playoffs and their head coach, Rex Ryan, actually thought his team was eliminated back in Week 15.

After a tough home loss to the Atlanta Falcons, in which the Jets were leading the entire way until the final drive of the game, Ryan stepped up to the podium and spoke in a very disappointing tone.

Ryan spoke of the fact that it’s too bad that the Jets were eliminated from the playoffs and he talked about how he would shift his focus towards next year.

But in fact, sportsbook odds makers knew that the Jets were not eliminated but they still had a glimmer of hope. That glimmer turned out to be a giant fissure because of the breaks the Jets would get in the coming weeks.

The Jets needed to win their final two games of the regular season and if they did, they would be in the postseason. As luck would have it, the Jets ended up facing two teams that had nothing to play for.

In Week 16, the Jets faced the very same Indianapolis Colts. The Colts were 14-0 at the time and had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC, so they rested their players in the second half. The Jets took advantage and won.

In Week 17, the Jets faced a Cincinnati Bengals squad that had little to gain, and they also won.

When you start to take a look at what the Jets have done down the stretch of the season, it’s hard not to be impressed. They have won eight of their last nine games and they have used the same formula in each one.

The Jets keep it simple: run the ball, don’t make mistakes and play defense. Considering they have the top-ranked defense and the No. 1 overall running game, their plans typically work.

On Sunday, they’ll face the Colts and all they’ll need is a turnover or two. The Jets played with the Colts really tight in the first half of Week 16 when the Colts were trying and now the Jets know what they have to do to win.

The game plan will be the same. Hang around and stay within striking distance and pounce once the Colts make a mistake.

US Sportsbook Review Pick: Jets +7.5

By: Aaron Fishman

When it comes to playoff football stats mean less and less. It is all about the matchups these two teams create. So before we get into Super Bowl Odds, let’s look at the game at hand: Vikings at Saints for the NFC crown.

Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints

Bookmaker Odds (Bookmaker Reviews): Saints -4

The Spread is currently set at Saints -4 with an over/under of 52.5. The Saints are getting a -205 and the Vikings a + 170 on the money line. Check out real-time updates to the sportsbook lines here:

These are the deciding Key Matchups for:

Bronze: New Orleans O-Line vs. Minnesota Pass Rush

Minnesota ate Dallas alive last week. Flozell Adams’ dirty tricks finally got the best of him and the karma police made him miss most of the game and completely ruined the pass protection of Tony Romo and the Cowboys’ chances. The Saints have kept Drew Brees upright most of the season allowing only 20 sacks. Vikings DE Ray Edwards had 3 sacks in the first half of the game, hurt his knee and played sparingly the rest of the way. He may not be able to give that same push, making Jared Allen and the Williams duo easier to handle. If they get the push, this game could echo the game last week. Should be an interesting matchup. – Edge: Minnesota

Silver:  Adrian Peterson vs. Fumblitis, Short Drives.

Peterson has had a down year plagued by fumbles in 2009. Fortunately for the Vikings, a down year for Peterson is still a Pro Bowl starting season. The Vikings cannot turn the ball over in this game if they want to win. Peterson has lost 6 fumbles and had only 63 yards on 26 carries last week. The Vikings would be wise to get Peterson going early. They should try to keep the ball away from Brees by running Peterson early and often. Favre has shown that he will audible out of a run at the drop of a hat. This will be a gun slingers paradise if old number 4 has his way, which is unlikely to be a winning strategy. –Edge:  Saints

Gold: Drew Brees vs. Vikings Secondary and LB’s in coverage

-The Vikings lost MLB E.J. Henderson near the end of the season; they are down to 3^rd stringer Jasper Brinkley.  The MLB is the most irreplaceable position on the defensive side of the field in the 4-3 scheme. This huge loss has gone unnoticed vs. the Cowboys but almost cost the Vikings the bye at the end of the season. Antoine Winfield is banged up and was torched by Bears WR Devin Aromashadou in week 16. Colston, Shockey an emerging Devery Henderson Reggie Bush and Lance Moore are going to give the Vikings fits in coverage if they cannot get a dominant pass rush. This is going to be the death of the Vikings. Poor play here could lead to a double digit victory for NOLA. –Edge:  Saints, big time

Prediction: Favre is going to want to show on the big stage that he is still great and will not play a game of ball control, which is a mistake for this matchup. I like the Saints Defense at home to keep Favre relatively at bay and Brees to lead the Saints to the Super Bowl.

NFL Picks: Saints 34, Vikings 20

AFC Wild Card Playoffs

Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts

5Dimes Odds (5Dimes Reviews): Colts -6.5

NFL Betting Total: 44

People examining the Super Bowl odds will be taking a good look at what they see from the Indianapolis Colts this weekend.

The Colts started the season with 14 straight wins but ended the year with two straight losses. The conversation has been non-stop about head coach Jim Caldwell’s decision to bench his starters instead of pushing for a perfect regular season. Now we’ll see if he truly made the right decision.

The Colts haven’t played in a serious game for about four weeks now and although you might be worried about rust with most teams, the Colts have been in this position many times. With Manning running the show, they are a perennial 10-win team and they are usually resting players down the stretch of the season. You can expect them to be able to crank it up a notch this week in practice and this Saturday at game time.

The Ravens would have loved to have the week off – especially given how many nagging injuries they have. Safety Ed Reed is nicked up, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is banged up and even quarterback Joe Flacco is nagged by a couple of injuries.

Flacco has hip and leg issues, which may be a real concern for this week. Last week, the Ravens were handed a win and Flacco didn’t have to do much. In that game, he was just four-of-10 for 34 yards an interception. Clearly, not his best day. But this week, the Colts are going to zone in on the Ravens running game and force them to throw the ball – if Flacco isn’t healthy, they aren’t going to win.

The Colts shutdown the Ravens running game in the first meeting as they held them to just 98 rushing yards. The Ravens will need more than that to get the job done on the road.

For the Colts offense, they have some great advantages at wide receiver as the Ravens have put two cornerbacks on injured reserve this year. The Colts have plenty of depth at the position and will exploit that matchup once again.

It’s too much to ask of the Ravens to go on the road two straight weeks and knock off the New England Patriots, then the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts will win comfortably this week.

NFL Betting Picks: Colts -6.5