NFL Betting Expert Pick – Patriots Still On Top

The New England Patriots are recovering from an unsatisfying 2009 football betting postseason, yet considering how well they did with a 75% healthy Tom Brady, the Pats still should be considered the top team in the AFC East.

NFL Betting Odds:

To Win AFC East

• New England Patriots           +130
• New York Jets                       +140
• Miami Dolphins                     +325
• Buffalo Bills                           +2500

Since Tom Brady took the starting job in New England back in 2001, the Patriots have been a dominant force and a consistent contender for the Super Bowl almost every season.

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Much of it can be attributed to the work the Patriots front office put in to filling the right pieces around Brady. New England successfully built one of the most powerful offenses in the entire NFL over the past few years.

However, when Brady tore his ACL and MCL at the beginning of the 2008-09 NFL betting season, every NFL analyst thought that Brady would have a difficult time recovering from such a catastrophic injury, an injury that could have been an indication that his best days were behind him.

Instead, Brady came back last season and threw for 4398 yards (5th in the league), 28 TD’s (6th), completed 65.7% of his passes (7th) and averaged 275 passing yards per game (7th). Excellent numbers for a guy who did not take one real-game snap for an entire season.

Brady is still surrounded by an offense that frightens even the most experienced defensive units.
With Randy Moss showing no signs of slowing down and ol’ reliable Wes Welker, their offense was third in passing yards last season and will hope to improve upon that with a fully healthy Brady.

In terms of running the ball, Laurence Maroney has finally taken over the starting job and will be looking to earn his team’s trust through his play. A definitive number one rusher has been something that has been lacking for the Patriots since Curtis Martin left the franchise in 1997.

There are still some question marks on defense for New England but, Brandon Meriweather, Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo and Devin McCourty will look to provide leadership for an improving unit.

The second-best team in the AFC East last season, the New York Jets, have proven themselves as a possible contender for the division.

Although they probably have the best defense in the NFL, led by all-pro corner Darrelle Revis, there are still some pressing questions on the offensive side of the ball.

The Jets wide receiver corps had major problems last season, which the Jets attempted to rectify by bringing in Santonio Holmes this offseason.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez will have to cut down on his interceptions (20 interceptions last season) in order for the Jets to succeed.

The Miami Dolphins, meanwhile, look like they have too many uncertainties entering the 2010-11 NFL betting season to be a contender for the AFC East division title.

Offensive Coordinator Dan Henning doesn’t know who their Week 1 starting running back will be and starting quarterback Chad Henne is far from the type of quarterback you need to make a push for the division.

He threw more interceptions than touchdowns last season and must improve on those numbers if the Dolphins are to make progress this season.

My prediction is an 8-8 or 9-7 season, not quite enough to take the division.

The Buffalo Bills, however, won’t even factor in to the AFC East division equation this NFL betting season. With a sieve for an offensive line, three running backs who don’t know their roles and two terrible options at quarterbacks, this team might even finish with a worse record than Detroit.

NFL Betting Expert Pick: Take the New England Patriots (+130) to win the AFC East this football betting season.

Look here for other 2010-11 NFL betting lines and odds all season long.