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The NFC South will prove to be not too exciting this season. Some of the marquee games of 2009 within the division are Week 8 when the Saints host the Falcons and again in Week in 14 when these teams meet up in Atlanta. Here I breakdown the teams to exposing their strengths, weakness’ and odds to win their division.

The Atlanta Falcons +175

Coming off a strong 2008 season, the Falcons have found their franchise QB in Matt Ryan. The acquisition of TE Tony Gonzalez will give Ryan a favorite target along with WR Roddy White. White set the Falcons record for yards from receptions in a single season and has had two straight 1,000-yard years. Combined with a strong running game from RB Michael Turner, Atlanta will have a formidable offense in 2009. The defense is another story. With the loss of many key players including LB Keith Brooking and CB Domonique Foxworth, it will take a year for a new defensive squad to gel. The Falcons will again be strong in 2009 finishing at 10-6.

The Carolina Panthers +220

The Panthers will keep the same formula they have had with a talented backfield and strong defense. QB Jake Delhomme will continue to struggle with his inability to make the plays necessary to win games. The Panthers receiving core will look the same with a resigned Mushin Muhammad and a returning Steve Smith. Carolina has two talented RBs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart, allowing the Panthers to still move the ball effectively. The defense is solid and DE Julius Peppers will be a Pro Bowler in 2009. The secondary is led by play of Chris Gamble who has produced well for the Panthers since being drafted 5 years ago. Carolina will finish the season with a record of 8-8.

The New Orleans Saints +165

The Saints led the league in scoring a season ago and will once again have a dynamic offense, with the best chance at winning the NFC South. Veteran QB Drew Brees is coming off a remarkable season in which he threw for over 5,000 yards. The Saints will once again have an explosive air assault with Jeremy Shockey, Marques Colston, and Devery Henderson as targets for Brees. RB Reggie Bush will have a big impact, both running and catching the ball. The Saints have bolstered their defense with off-season acquisitions at nearly every position. Middle linebacker Jonathon Vilma showed the team thanks for giving him a nice five-year deal by getting 151 tackles and forcing two turnovers in 2008. LB Scott Fujita will return on the strong side and veteran Dan Morgan is looking for one more chance to show he can still play in the NFL. The Saints have all the ingredients to win the division with an 11-5 record.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers +700

Starting with the firing of head coach Jon Gruden, after seven years with the organization, the Bucs are undergoing franchise reorganization. A trio of backs will be the Bucs biggest strength. RBs Earnest Graham, Cadillac Williams, and free agent acquisition Derrick Ward will all see some action this season. The defense is young but has some very good potential players in RE Gaines Adams and veteran leaders LB Derrick Brooks and CB Ronde Barber. QBs Byron Leftwich and Josh Freeman will battle it out, and we will probably see Leftwich get the starting position due to his experience, with Freeman taking over at some point mid-season. New head coach Raheem Morris will have to be patient and wait at least a year to find success in the Sunshine State. The Bucs will finish the season at a disappointing 5-11.

Matt Martz is a freelance writer located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.

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The NFC East will be as tough as it is every season. For the 2009 season the Philadelphia Eagles have the NFC East's toughest schedule while the Washington Redskins have the easiest schedule in the division. Here I breakdown the teams to exposing their strengths, weakness’ and odds to win their division.

The New York Giants +165

Eli Manning will continue to throw bombs to his receivers for the Giants, though he will be missing one of his favorite targets in Plaxico Burress. This team felt the loss of Burress as the season wore on in 2008. New York drafted WR Hakeem Nicks in the first round this year, but the offense will once again feel the impact of Burress’ departure. The Giants defense will be solid, as Justin Tuck will continue to be a dominant force. The Giants will have a good running game with back Brandon Jacobs. All in all the Giants will not have quite enough offense to win the division. The Giants will finish the year with a record of 9-7.

The Dallas Cowboys +250

The biggest news this off-season for the Cowboys was their parting of ways with WR Terrell Owens. The team will have better chemistry without Owens but will lose some explosiveness offensively without him. QB Tony Romo will not doubt have a big year and will benefit from a thundering running game. The combination of RB Marion Barber and Felix Jones along with Tashard Choice gives Dallas one of the better running games in the league. WR Roy Williams will need to step it up and will be the number one target for Romo. Dallas added free agent Keith Brooking at LB and the defense will be very solid up front but will give up some big plays with their young secondary. Dallas will improve from their 2008 season record with a 10-6 finish, earning a wildcard spot.

The Philadelphia Eagles +210

Donovan McNabb should have a huge year in 2009 earning him a trip to the Pro Bowl. The Eagles ended last year on a tear after starting the season off slow. The air attack will be solid as McNabb will have first round draft pick WR Jeremy Maclin to throw to along with WR Desean Jackson, who proved himself as a playmaker in 2008. The ground attack will be the Eagles Achilles. With the departure of Correll Buckhalter and the potentially career ending injury dealt to Westbrook, second round draft pick LeSean McCoy will get more playing time than originally anticipated. The Eagles were ranked third overall on defense a year ago and since they have had no significant changes, expect a repeat performance of incredible stoppage from the Eagles. The Eagles will finish the season with an 11-5 record, just barely edging out the Cowboys to win the division.

The Washington Redskins +510

The Redskins had a big off-season, signing DT Albert Haynesword from the Tennessee Titans, and drafting DE Brian Orakpo in the first round of this year’s draft. The defense will be very strong in 2009. QB Jason Campbell struggled as the season progressed last year and will once again have problems in 2009. WR Santana Moss will continue to shine out on the field, running routes almost unequaled in the NFL. RB Clinton Portis will not be as productive as years past and the Redskins will struggle some offensively. The Redskins will end the 2009 season last in the division with a disappointing 7-9 record.

Matt Martz is a freelance writer located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.

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The NFC West should be interesting and as one of the weakest divisions in the League will most likely find last years NFC Champion Cardinals atop the division come January. Here I breakdown the teams to exposing their strengths, weakness’ and odds to win their division.

The Arizona Cardinals +140

Coming of the best season in franchise history as NFC Champions the Cards will try to maintain the momentum going into the 2009 season. QB Kurt Warner played excellent last year and will once again solidify his spot among the NFL’s elite. Pro Bowl WR Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin will once again have an explosive season. A newly drafted RB Chris "Beanie" Wells will be a big help to running game that was pitiful a season ago. The Redbirds defense is returning pretty much in tact and Chike Okeafor has been a solid consistent player for Arizona. The secondary will have to be better in the pass coverage. Arizona will finish 10-6 and will repeat as NFC West champions.

The San Francisco 49ers +230

Mike Singletary will be entering his first full season as head coach for the 49ers. He has earned the respect of the team and has them on the right track towards becoming a playoff caliber team. This team's biggest question mark is who will be the starting QB when the season begins. Will it be Shaun Hill or former No.1 draft pick Alex Smith? Draft pick WR Michael Crabtree addresses some concern they had at that position. San Francisco will be a contender in 2009 but will lose some close games that will ruin their chances at the division title and a lengthy post-season. They will post an 8-8 finish.

The St. Louis Rams +975

New Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo will want to put last season behind the Rams and will have a rough first year getting the club back on track. The Rams quarterback situation could be better, but for now Marc Bulger has the job. The Rams just do not have enough playmakers on offense to win games. RB Steven Jackson will need to remain healthy and the Rams will need WR Donnie Avery to step up and make some big plays. The Rams will be without leading tackler Pisa Tinoisamoa, but have resigned CB Ron Bartell. The Rams will need a few more years until they are back in the hunt. The best the Rams can hope for this season is a 5-11 finish.

The Seattle Seahawks +210

After a four win season and 15 starters out with injuries including QB Matt Hassleback, new head coach Jim Mora will be called upon to out the Seahawks back together again. There will be some new faces to the Seahawks lineup. First there is free agent acquisition T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who will improve Hasslebacks ability to create a more consistent air assault. The defense will boast first round pick LB Aaron Curry, who is expected to make for a solid line backing unit along with a returning Lofa Tatuput. Adding a few new defensive lineman to the team including 330-pound juggernaut Colin Cole, will improve this years defense. RB Julius Jones will again be a weapon on the ground and have a solid season. Seattle will make small improvements and finish 2009 with a 9-7 record.

Matt Martz is a freelance writer located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.

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The AFC West shapes up to a more competitive division this year as the Raiders, Broncos, Chiefs and Chargers have added new faces in new places and will look to improve upon last year’s performances. Here I breakdown the teams to exposing their strengths, weakness’ and odds to win their division.

The Denver Broncos +400

It has been a swap meet of an off-season for the Broncos bringing in new head coach Josh McDaniels and trading away franchise QB Jay Cutler. QB Kyle Orton will be the starter this season but will be a diluted replacement for Cutler. Denver will have a solid running game with free agent signings Correll Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington, Lamont and first round draft pick Knowshon Moreno. The big plays Denver was able to pull off with Cutler will be gone. The Broncs defense will have rely heavily on LB’s Boss Bailey and Elvis Dumervil to shut down their opponents running game. Denver will once again finish this year at .500 with an 8-8 record

The San Diego Chargers –300

The Chargers will once again be loaded with talent both offensively and defensively. QB Philip Rivers is coming off his best season as a pro and has proven to be of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He led the league in passer rating and finished the 2008 season with 11 TDs and only 1 INT, lifting the Bolts to a division title. Rivers is poised to have another big year and with running backs Ladanian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles the Chargers should chock up the points. The defense is solid with the return of Shawn Merriman at OLB. San Diego will finish the season with a 13-3 record.

The Kansas City Chiefs +800

With the addition of new head coach Todd Haley and QB Matt Cassel could this be a new era in Kansas City? Cassel is coming off an excellent season last year, steeping in for and injured Tom Brady. However, Randy Moss and Wes Welker are not a part of this Chiefs receiving core. Cassel will struggle without the playmakers he had with the Pats. Haley will most likely go with a pass-loaded offense relying on wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. The Chiefs are likely to struggle scoring points with the loss of Pro Bowl TE Tony Gonzalez. Running back Larry Johnson is coming off and injury-plagued season that contributed to the Chiefs low numbers on the ground in 2008. The defense will be improved with some solid off-season acquisitions such as linebackers Mike Vrabel and Zach Thomas. The Chiefs will finish the season in last place in the division at 6-10.

The Oakland Raiders +1000

With the Raiders acquisition of veteran QB Jeff Garcia from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one has to ask, is Garcia's signing going to put more pressure on QB Jamarcus Russell to play like the Raiders were hoping when they selected him first overall in the 2007 draft? Garcia is definitely a solid quarterback and should be ready to step in if Russell falters. The Raiders also received all sorts of criticism on their 2009 draft choice of WR Darrius Heyward-Be, the teams 8th overall selection. Is this just the continued obsession that owner Al Davis has always had for speed? There is no doubt that Russell will have some good targets with Heyward-Bey, Ashely Lelie and Javon Walker. RB Darren McFadden will enter the season healthy and will give the Raiders a solid running attack. Linebackers Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard and possibly the best cover corner in the NFL, Nnamdi Asomugha, anchor the defense. Oakland will finish with a 7-9 record.

Matt Martz is a freelance writer located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.

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The AFC South will be tightly contested in 2009. Highlighted games will be on October 11 when the Tennessee Titans host the Colts and again in Dec. 6 when the teams will square off again at Indianapolis. Here I breakdown the teams to exposing their strengths, weakness’ and odds to win their division.

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The AFC East had some pretty good tem performance in 2008. The Miami Dolphins shocked NFL fans a season ago when they ended up winning the division with a record of 11-5, but can they do it again as New England’s Tom Brady, back from a season ending injury, will be back and in the hunt for a division title. Here I breakdown the teams to exposing their strengths, weakness’ and odds to win their division.

The Miami Dolphins +800

The Fins had an unbelievable season lat year winning the division and finishing with an 11-5 record. Unfortunately, they will not be able to sneak up on teams like they did last year and will have a much harder time snatching wins from unsuspecting teams. After Miami picked up starting QB Chad Pennington after the Jets released him for Favre, Pennington threw for 19 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions in 2008, showing he is a good decision maker. Ronnie Brown is an effective RB but he will not be enough. LB Jason Taylor is back after one season with the Redskins and will likely be paired opposite Joey Porter. Porter dominated last year, posting better numbers than he did in 2007. Miami will finish the year at 7-9 and miss the playoffs.

The New England Patriots +250

The Patriots will welcome back their Pro Bowl QB Tom Brady for the 2009 season. Without Brady, New England was unable to make it to the playoffs in 2008. A healthy Brady will be a boost to the Patriots offense, making them one of the highest scoring teams in the NFL this season. New England is poised to take back control of the division and will return as a Super Bowl favorite. RB Laurence Maroney returns as the starting tailback once again. Maroney played only three games last season all coming late in the year as he missed the first half of the season with injuries. WR Randy Moss will return and should be happy to see Brady back under center. Moss totaled 98 receptions, 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns catches in first year as Tom Brady's teammate. The Pats defense will be equally as good with LB Teddy Bruschi and strong safety Brandon Meriweather. The Patriots will finish at 14-2 and easily win the division title.

The New York Jets +700

Not since legendary QB Joe Namath has Jets fans been this excited since the team traded up to draft USC QB Mark Sanchez with the fifth pick in this year’s draft. Although Sanchez seems to have all the tools to become a solid QB in this league, the 2009 season will present its share of problems for the rookie QB. Thomas Jones returns as the starting RB and will look to return to the end zone often, as he did in the 2008. WR Jerricho Cotchery will need to have a big year, as he is the clearly going to be Sanchez’s number one man with Chansi Stuckey as the number two. TE Dustin Keller should be a big part of the passing attack in 2009 as well. The Jets defense will have some holes even with monster nose tackle Kris Jenkins returning and LB Bart Scott coming over from the Ravens. The Jets are a season or two away from challenging New England for the division title. The Jets finish the year with a 7-9 record and won't be in the playoffs.

The Buffalo Bills +800

Bills fans are anxious to see what WR Terrell Owens can do for their team on the field, or to it off the field. Owens brings lots of attention to the Bills and if he is able to focus on his play, should have a good year for them. The Bills have made it clear that QB Trent Edwards is their future for the franchise for years to come. He showed some good play making during his 2009 season, and should be happy with newly acquired Terrell Owens. Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson will return as the running back tandem along with free agent Dominic Rhodes, from the Indianapolis Colts. The Bills defense last year only produced 24 sacks and was amongst the worst at getting pressure on the quarterback. Things will not change much this season. Buffalo could manage to be in the playoff hunt for most of the year, but will lose some late games and finish out of the playoffs at 8-8.

Matt Martz is a freelance writer located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.

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The NFC North will be interesting to say the least. With the possibility of Favre headed to the Vikings, and Jay Cutler at the helm of for the Bears, this could be prove to be one of the best showdowns for a division title. Here I breakdown the teams exposing their strengths, weakness’ and odds to win their division.

The Minnesota Vikings +150

The only thing that was keeping the Vikings out of the ranks of becoming an elite team is their vacancy at quarterback. But it looks like after months of speculation, the Vikes have filled that void with three-time MVP, Brett Favre. They have one of the best defenses in the NFL and one of the best running backs in Adrian Peterson. Minnesota finished 10-6 last year and made the playoffs and should finish atop the NFC North with an 11-5 record in 2009-10.

The Chicago Bears +170

The Bears made a major off-season acquisition when they traded for Denver QB, Jay Cutler. The offense will be better with Cutler, but without enough wideouts to throw the ball to, the Bears are still a season or two away from being a Super bowl contender. Chicago’s defense will be better this year with the return of a healthy Nathan Vashar and Mike Brown in the secondary. The Bears will finish in second place in the NFC North with a 9-7 season.

The Green Bay Packers +190

Aaron Rodgers will be in his second full year as the Packers starting quarterback. There will be a solid receiving core for him to throw to with Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. The Packers running game will depend on if Ryan Grant can be healthy all year and run like he did in the last 6 games of 2007. Green Bay’s young, yet talented defense is still a season or two away from being a consistent unit. Green Bay will play well for most of the year before blowing it down the stretch, finishing with an 8-8 record, third in the NFC North.

The Detroit Lions +2000

The Detroit Lions were glad to see the 2008 season come to an end as they finished 0-16, the worst season of any team in NFL history. As a result the Lions ended up with the #1 pick in this years draft and snagged QB Matthew Stafford. Have the Lions landed their franchise quarterback? We will have to wait a few years to see. One improvement in 2009 will be the Lions defense. With the additions of free agents, DT Grady Jackson, DT Chuck Darby, LB Julian Peterson, and LB Larry Foote, who makes his way over from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Lions defense should be much better this season. Detroit and will go 4-12, but anything will be an improvement over last year’s debacle.

Matt Martz is a freelance writer located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.

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By Matthew Martz

The AFC North will once again prove to be one the tougher divisions in the 2009-10 NFL campaign. Here I breakdown the teams to exposing their strengths, weakness’ and odds
to win their division.

The Pittsburgh Steelers -225

Still hung-over from a Super Bowl party last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers will continue to use the same strategy as years past with a power running game and a solid defense. Once again leading the offense will be two time Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Rothlisberger. Rothlisberger will again have a solid veteran-receiving core with WRs Hines Ward, and Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes. Troy Polamalu will lead the defense in the secondary. They will once again win the AFC North with a 12-4 record, but will lose in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

The Baltimore Ravens +320

The Ravens will have most of their key players returning and are poised to be a threat yet again in the AFC North division. They will also bank on QB Joe Flacco to continue to build off a successful 2008-rookie campaign. They will once again be solid in the air with WR Derrick Mason, who is coming off back-to-back 1000-yard seasons. They will also rely heavily on their rigid defense that is anchored by Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis, undoubtedly the best linebacker tandem in the league. Baltimore will finish the season at 10-6,making the playoffs as a wild card.

The Cincinnati Bengals +800

The Cincinnati Bengals will rely heavily on a healthy Carson Palmer at QB, but he will need to renew his relationship with WR Chad Johnson, who changed his name and hopefully his attitude towards the Bengals organization, if he is to prove his still an NFL caliber quarterback. Both Palmer and Johnson will need to step up this season if they hope to improve the Bengals 4-11-1 record in 2008. Even if they do, it may not be enough, as the Bengals young defense will wobble at times and the offense will be inconsistent making it difficult to win games. The best the Bengals finish will be 7-9, and out of the playoff hunt early.

The Cleveland Browns +900

The Browns have lost three key players this season. Kellen Winslow was traded to the Buccaneers, Stallworth has jail, and Joe Jurevicius has retired and is suing the Browns for ending his career with staph infection. New head coach Eric Mangini will have his work cut out from him this upcoming season. Mangini will put a lot of faith in QB Brady Quinn, and will be using Jamal Lewis again this year even though he continues to show a decline in performance. The D is a C+ at best. Cleveland will show some progress under Mangini but are still at least a year away from being a playoff caliber team. They will finish the season at 8-8.

Matt Martz is a freelance writer located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.

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There is a growing belief that the U.S. will make history and get the three points needed to head to South Africa seriously denting Mexico’s World Cup dreams at Azteca Stadium on Wednesday.

The U.S. has never won a match on Mexican soil with a woeful record of 0-18-1 in Mexico City.

They will need to overcome the grueling combination of 7,200 feet in altitude, smog and more than 100,000 hostile fans if they are going to pull off a historical victory.

The match comes just 2½ weeks after the Mexicans’ 5-0 trouncing of the U.S. in the Gold Cup final -- but nearly all the players in that match were backups. Before the victory Mexico had been 0-9-2 against the U.S. in the States since a March 1999 victory at San Diego.

The teams first met in 1934 in a World Cup qualifying match in Italy, and seventy-five years and 56 matches later, the intensity and hostility between these two teams of the CONCACAF region have never been at a higher level.

For the USA, a spot in the finals should be all but secure barring a huge meltdown, like the one displayed against Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. But missing the 2010 World Cup is a serious possibility for Mexico if the U.S. comes away from the Estadio Azteca with a draw or a win.

Six points from five games in the final stage of CONCACAF qualifying has left Mexico in fourth place in the six-team pool. The top three finishers progress directly to the World Cup, while the No. 4 finisher goes into a playoff against a tough South American team.

This will be one of the most exciting sporting events of the year and either outcome will produce some new history in this long-running rivalry.

FIFA World Cup Qualification CONCACAF Betting
Mexico Even
USA +250
Draw +225
My Play : USA 2 Mexico 1
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