Colts, Broncos, Try to Maintain Division Leads

Football Betting Lines

09/28/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A battle of first-place teams will be the feature attraction at the RCA Dome on Sunday afternoon, as the Indianapolis Colts welcome the Denver Broncos to town in a matchup between two frequent members of the AFC elite.

The Colts have looked every bit the part of reigning Super Bowl champ thus far in 2007, taking the best shot of the Saints (41-10), Titans (22-20) and Texans (30-24) to continue their September dominance.

Indianapolis brings an eight-game win streak, which includes last year's Super Bowl victory over Chicago, into Sunday's matchup, and can move to a lusty 17-2 in September under head coach Tony Dungy with a win over Denver. The Colts are one of five remaining unbeaten teams as Week 5 begins, joining the Cowboys, Packers, Patriots, and Steelers in that department, but own just a one game lead in the AFC South over 2-1 hopefuls Houston, Jacksonville, and Tennessee.

The Broncos have not looked nearly as crisp as the Colts through three weeks, and come off a discouraging 23-14 home loss to the Jaguars, but thanks to the general struggles of the Chargers, Chiefs, and Raiders, all 1-2, Denver can boast the same one-game advantage in its division, the AFC West.

Prior to its loss to Jacksonville, Denver scored narrow victories over Buffalo (15-14) and Oakland (23-20 in overtime) to start the season.

Clutch kicks by veteran field goal man Jason Elam lifted Mike Shanahan's squad to both dramatic triumphs.

SERIES HISTORY

Denver holds an 11-5 edge in the all-time regular season series with Indianapolis, but was a 34-31 home loser when the teams met in Week 8 of last season. The Broncos won the previous meeting, a 33-14 triumph at home in Week 17 of the 2004 campaign, when Indy rested most of its starters. Denver last won in Indianapolis during the 2003 regular season, a 31-17 victory.

The Colts have won the only two postseason meetings between the teams, routing Denver at the RCA Dome in AFC First-Round Playoff matchups in 2003 (41-10) and 2004 (49-24).

Dungy is 5-3 in his career against the Broncos, including the two playoff wins. Denver's Shanahan is 2-5 all-time against Indianapolis, including the postseason losses, and is 3-5 in his career against Dungy.

WHEN THE BRONCOS HAVE THE BALL

Making his return to the state of Indiana is Denver quarterback Jay Cutler (795 passing yards, 3 TD, 4 INT), a native of Santa Claus, IN, a town roughly 180 miles southwest of Indianapolis. Cutler enters Sunday's contest looking to an extend a personal streak of at least one touchdown pass in each of his first eight NFL starts, and will try to lead the Broncos attack to better than the mere 11 first downs the team managed against Jacksonville last Sunday. Cutler comes into Sunday's game with a decent 84.3 passer rating, and has thrown often to top receivers Brandon Marshall (17 receptions, 1 TD), Javon Walker (19 receptions), and Brandon Stokley (9 receptions, 1 TD). Stokley played with the Colts from 2003 through 2006, catching 139 passes for 1,916 yards with 15 touchdowns. The Broncos will also try to establish running back Travis Henry (302 rushing yards, 1 TD) who was held to just 35 yards on 11 carries last Sunday but did score his first touchdown in a Denver uniform. Henry totaled 216 yards on 39 attempts in two meetings with Indianapolis last season, both recorded as a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Though they've given up a few big plays over the past two games, the Indianapolis defense has looked as good this season as it has in recent memory. The consistent presence of safety Bob Sanders (24 tackles, 2.5 sacks), an early candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors, has had much to do with that performance, as Sanders has turned a formerly soft run- stopping unit into an occasionally stifling one. Sanders had four tackles against Houston last Sunday. Elsewhere in the secondary, cornerback Marlin Jackson (33 tackles) turned in an eye-opening 15-tackle performance. Along with Sanders, the Indianapolis front seven has done a good job of limiting the run, with linebacker Gary Brackett (24 tackles, 1 INT) and rookie tackle Ed Johnson (9 tackles) both part of that trend. Brackett had nine tackles and his first interception of the year in last week's win, while Johnson had four stops. Indy has seven sacks on the year, including two by Robert Mathis (8 tackles), but fellow end Dwight Freeney (5 tackles) has yet to get to the quarterback in 2007.

WHEN THE COLTS HAVE THE BALL

Arguably, no team has helped Manning (873 passing yards, 5 TD, 1 INT) carve out his legend as one of the all-time greats as much as the Broncos have. The future Hall-of-Fame quarterback has put up huge numbers and engineered wins against Denver teams that entered meetings with Indianapolis boasting a strong reputation. In his last two meetings with the Broncos, Manning has combined for 59-of-72 passing (82 percent) for 802 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception in two Indianapolis wins. Manning is off to a Manning-like start (104.9 passer rating), and top targets Marvin Harrison (16 receptions, 1 TD), Reggie Wayne (16 receptions, 2 TD), and tight end Dallas Clark (13 receptions, 2 TD) have again been there to help form perhaps the most lethal passing attack in the league. Wayne had a game-high 84 yards against Houston last week, while Clark caught Manning's only TD of the day. Running back Joseph Addai (271 rushing yards, 4 TD), who rushed for 72 yards and scored two touchdowns against the Texans, continues to impress.

Though he has sliced them up many times before, Manning actually faces a daunting task in facing the 2007 version of the Denver secondary. The Broncos are allowing a league-low 88.3 passing yards per game as Week 4 begins, and with cornerbacks Champ Bailey (19 tackles, 1 INT) and Dre' Bly (9 tackles, 1 INT) along with safety John Lynch (10 tackles, 1 sack) all patrolling the defensive backfield, Harrison and Wayne don't figure to have it easy. On the other hand, Addai has to be licking his chops when viewing a defense that surrendered 186 rushing yards in last week's loss to Jacksonville. Linebackers D.J. Williams (25 tackles, 1 sack) and Nate Webster (19 tackles) have not stood out with their play thus far in 2007, and the club is not getting good push from Sam Adams (5 tackles) and Amon Gordon (11 tackles) at the point of attack. The Broncos rank among league leaders with nine sacks, including a team-best four from end Elvis Dumervil (8 tackles, 1 INT), but that doesn't figure to mean a heck of a lot against the virtually unsackable Manning.

FANTASY FOCUS

Manning, Addai, Wayne, Harrison, and Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinatieri are all must-starts every week for fantasy managers. The Colts defense is also a solid start due to its playmaking ability, a thought that would have seemed bizarre at the end of the 2006 regular season. For Denver, Cutler is a bit hit-or-miss because of his poor TD-to-INT ratio, but his top receiver Marshall and running back Henry have not disappointed fantasy mavens thus far. Elam has also been great. If you've been playing the Denver defense, probably a good week to check the waiver wire for a substitute.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

After seeing average-to-poor secondaries the first three weeks of the season, Manning should have his hands full this week. You should still give the edge to Harrison and Wayne against Bailey and Bly, but the presence of those corners could make the heady quarterback have to think for a fraction of a second more than he would against a Houston, Tennessee, or New Orleans. If all goes well for Indy, it will be Addai that carries the day, though the Broncos' run-stopping group has much to prove following its struggles against Jacksonville and figures to play better. On the other side, Denver has the most talent of any offense Indianapolis has played thus far, and with Shanahan calling the plays, you can expect Cutler, Henry, and company to try to exploit the soft spots. In January, you would have to give the edge in this tilt to Indianapolis, and the Colts have the advantage in September as well. The Broncos should be game and aren't likely to get picked apart for 60 minutes, but ultimately, they'll still fall.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Colts 30, Broncos 27

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MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South


In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South.  Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC.  The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game.  For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft.  Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign?  New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1.  Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT.  Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.

Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami

2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.  With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round.  LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems.  If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season.  The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach.  The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub.  High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career.  With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson. 

Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season.  The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age.  It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot.  This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.

Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas

It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season.  On the clock: the NFC North

Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2    

Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1

Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1

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LaDainian Tomlinson Favorite to be 2007 NFL MVP

With the first NFL preseason game less than two weeks away, it is time to start thinking about football once again at MySportsbook.com. Reigning NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson is currently the 5-1 co-favorite to win the award again alongside Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning.

This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone after his all out assault on the record books last season. For those suffering from amnesia or were under a rock last football season, all L.T. did last season was set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns (28), total touchdowns (31) and total points scored (186) to go along with his 1815 rushing yards and 508 receiving yards. At 6-1, Tom Brady is next in line which isn’t surprising considering all of the firepower the Pats added over the off-season. With the addition of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker; it would be quite difficult for Brady’s numbers not to improve from last years 3529 yards and 24 touchdowns. There appears to be some decent value in Drew Bees at 10-1 considering he probably would have won the award last year if it wasn’t for L.T.’s record breaking season.

There is no reason to think the Saints will come back to earth this season and playing in a weak NFC, they should have as good a shot as any to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. At 15-1, Donovan McNabb could also be worth a look. Remember, many felt he was the MVP of the first half of the season before going down with a season ending injury. Reportedly, he is in great shape and well ahead of schedule to return to form. Also, he could have some added motivation to put up big numbers this season with the Eagles using their first pick in the draft on McNabb’s future successor Kevin Kolb.

Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to check out the complete odds for NFL MVP as well as all of the new football related futures. With the popularity of NFL futures, these betting lines will be sure to change as the money comes in; get the early sports lines now.

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