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Asante Samuel might not be happy with everything the Philadelphia Eagles have done so far during this frantic offseason, but NFL bettors looking at the Super Bowl odds at the Bodog Sportsbook seem to be impressed.

Eagles cornerback Samuel has watched his team bring in a pair of new players at his position in the past week, and neither of them are slouches – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (from the Arizona Cardinals) and Nnamdi Asomugha (from the Raiders).

That has Samuel concerned about his playing time for the upcoming season, but it also has NFL bettors getting excited about the Eagles' chance to win the Super Bowl next February. Sitting at 15/1 to win the big game a couple of weeks ago, Philadelphia is now at just 8/1 odds on the Super Bowl betting board.

Along with Rodgers-Cromartie and Asomugha, the Eagles have also added quarterback Vince Young, running back Ronnie Brown, offensive lineman Evan Mathis, and defensive linemen Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins to a roster that won the NFC East title last season behind a stellar campaign from Michael Vick.

And now they're behind only the New England Patriots (13/2) and the Green Bay Packers (7/1) on the Super Bowl odds at the Bodog Sportsbook. The Patriots added defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and wide receiver Chad Ochocinco last week.

With the start of the preseason schedule only a week away, the San Diego Chargers (11/1) and the New York Jets (12/1) round out the top five teams on the Super Bowl odds. The Jets decided to roll the dice on wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who they signed to a one-year deal over the weekend.

The Pittsburgh Steelers then sit at 13/1 to win Super Bowl XLVI, with the Atlanta Falcons at 14/1, and each of the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and New Orleans Saints at 16/1.

Get all your NFL odds at Bodog Sportsbook.

Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, arguably the top free agent left on the market, has decided to sign with the Baltimore Ravens. Williams got a two-year deal worth potentially $4 million.

The Ravens needed some running back depth seeing as the team had cut Le'Ron McLain and Willis McGahee, leaving starter Ray Rice really the only legitimate running back on their roster. Williams should be a good power complement to the elusive Rice. The 34-year-old Williams has 9,565 yards rushing in 131 career games. In 2010, he rushed for 673 yards while sharing carries for the Dolphins with Ronnie Brown. Williams gives the Ravens a quality third-down back, and a guy that they can use in goal line and short-yardage situations. Plus it’s obviously good insurance in case Rice gets injured as the Ravens are going to be a run-heavy club.

After winning the Heisman Trophy at Texas, Williams was the fifth overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in 1999 in one of the most bold moves in draft history. Mike Ditka traded all of the Saints' 1999 draft picks to get Williams, as well as their first and third-round picks in 2000.

In 2002, Williams was traded to Miami for four draft picks, including two first-rounders. In his first season, he led the NFL in rushing with 1,853 yards. He was suspended for the entire 2006 season after the NFL announced he violated its drug policy for the fourth time.

The Ravens open their exhibition campaign this Thursday against Philadelphia.

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The Carolina Panthers aren't expected to contend for anything this season, but with Cam Newton in tow they've at least given their fans some hope for the the future on the NFL betting lines.

The Panthers took the Heisman Trophy quarterback with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, a spot they 'earned' by ending up with just two victories in 2010. That ugly result allowed Carolina to be an offseason winner, with fans excited about Newton's potential down the road.

Still, Carolina is well back at 150/1 on the Super Bowl odds at the Bodog Sportsbook, and they sit at +2000 to take the NFC South division title.

An offseason winner with a better outlook on the NFL futures are the Philadelphia Eagles, who beefed up their secondary considerably with the additions of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha.

Philly also added quarterback Vince Young to back up Michael Vick, and they've moved up to 15/2 on the current Super Bowl odds at the Bodog Sportsbook. The Eagles are also the favorites at -125 to win the NFC East this season.

On the other side of the board, the Cincinnati Bengals are offseason losers as they scramble to settle their quarterback situation heading into the season. The Bengals have refused to give Carson Palmer the trade he wants, and he says he'll just retire instead of reporting to the team's camp.

That leaves rookie Andy Dalton as the Bengals' best option at QB, and puts them back at 100/1 on the Super Bowl odds right now. Cincinnati is also at +1400 to win the AFC North title this season.

Get all your NFL odds at Bodog Sportsbook.

Thanks to the lockout there won't be much time between the start of training camps and the beginning of the preseason schedule, with NFL betting matchups getting underway on Thursday night.

That's kept the news coming fast and furious over the past week, as bettors at the Bodog Sportsbook look for an edge when handicapping the Week 1 preseason lines and the Super Bowl futures.

In Indianapolis, the Colts still haven't announced when quarterback Peyton Manning will be recovered from neck surgery and able to participate in practice or games. That uncertainty has kept Indy from the top of the Super Bowl odds, as they're back in the pack at 18/1 to win the championship this season.

In Washington, the Redskins were expected to anoint John Beck as their starting quarterback but instead put veteran Rex Grossman atop their first depth chart of the preseason. With neither option looking that appealing to their supporters the Redskins are back at 100/1 on the current Super Bowl odds.

In Seattle, the starting quarterback job has been given to Tarvaris Jackson ahead of Charlie Whitehurst. The Seahawks are at 75/1 on the odds board for the Super Bowl.

In Jacksonville, starting quarterback David Garrard (sore back) has been ruled out of the team's preseason opener against the Patriots in New England on Thursday night. Blaine Gabbert will instead start on Thursday; the Jags are at 75/1 on the Super Bowl odds at the Bodog Sportsbook as well.

Finally, in New York the Jets are working wide receiver Plaxico Burress into the lineup slowly as he rehabs an ankle injury. Burress signed a one-year deal with the Jets this summer after spending 20 months in prison. The Jets have 12/1 championship odds.

Get all your NFL odds at Bodog Sportsbook.

Despite the 24-17 win over the San Diego Chargers there wasn’t much for the Seattle Seahawks to be confident about.

While quarterback Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense came in, cruised for a touchdown and quickly made way for the subs, the Seahawks starters looked disjointed and lost.

New Seattle starter Tavaris Jackson went 3 for 5 and had just 13 yards — including two sacks an intentional grounding penalty — and looked like a project at QB not a definitive starter. Charlie Whitehurst, slated to be Jackson's backup, outplayed Jackson with 115 passing yards on 14 of 20 completions.

Seattle was able to make a comeback in the second half when the second and third stringers came in.

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NFL Exhibition odds are available right now in the Bodog Sportsbook!

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BETTING ANALYSIS: Is it too early to judge? Maybe. But any bettor expecting the Seahawks to take the NFC West with Jackson should be discouraged by this murky performance. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell was the OC in Minnesota and tutored Jackson; Jackson should be ahead of the curve when it comes to learning the new offense.

Whitehurst aka “Checkdown Charlie” looked sharper, more prepared and more comfortable in an offense he’s only known for about two weeks. Oddsmakers might have been stretching it when setting the Seahawks regular season total at 6.5.

Making things worse Seattle lost its best lineman in starting left tackle Russell Okung to a high ankle sprain. High ankle sprains, which have been an issue for Okung, could last between 4-6 weeks.

As for the Chargers, Rivers and wideout Vincent Jackson looked sharp and poised to improve on a 9-7 2010 season. Oddsmakers have listed the Chargers regular season win total at 10.

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The National Football League has taken the lead in one form of drug testing as the league is expected to implement comprehensive blood testing for human growth hormone (HGH) by the beginning of this season as part of the new collective bargaining agreement with the union.

Players would be subject to multiple tests year-round without notice under the program, which is being fine-tuned in talks between the league and players’ union. It would make the league the first major U.S. professional sport to use blood testing for HGH at its highest levels. The two sides are making sure that everyone understands the procedures and still must negotiate things like the disciplinary process and the collection method but the framework of the process has been agreed to. A NFL spokesman said logistical issues, not philosophical issues, previously stood in the way of implementing HGH testing.

Players will be tested a maximum of six times during the offseason, but are eligible for random testing every week during the preseason, regular season and playoffs. A certain number of players on all 32 teams will be tested each week. The league is even hoping to test a few hours before games, but that could be met with resistance because players likely won’t want their blood drawn right before a game. Penalties for a positive HGH test would be subject to appeal and not enforced immediately.

So while the NFL has gotten to the forefront of HGH testing, so has Bodog in terms of NFL betting on whether a player is found to test positive. Recently, Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez estimated that as many as 20 percent of the NFL's 1,600-plus players are using HGH. That any player tests positive during the 2011 season is at -200, while no player testing positive is at +150. You can even bet on the position of the first player to test positive. The two favorites are what you would expect because they are the biggest players on the field: offensive and defensive lineman. The latter is at 5/2 while the former is 3/1. A kicker/punter is the longest shot at 10/1 because, let’s face it, kickers don’t exactly need to bulk up.

The most unique NFL betting props can always be found at Bodog Sportsbook!

Now into its sixth year of covering betting on the National Football League, the online gambling portal will once again pull out all the stops with live odds, betting previews and free picks.
VALETTA, MALTA, August 14, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The lockout has come and gone. The player trading frenzy is almost over and NFL betting fans the world over will be looking for answers to their burning NFL Football betting questions.
Who will top their conferences? Who will make it to the playoffs? Which player signings will deliver and which will bomb out?
Online Gambling Insider, an independent online gambling news and information portal has been on the case for the last six years when it comes to all things wagering and this year will be no different.
"Like all NFL fans, we breathed a huge sigh of relief when the lockout was ended. The thought of no NFL season brought me nightmares. I mean seriously, sixteen Monday nights that would have to be filled with Big Bang theory reruns? No thank you." said Ryan D, editor at Online Gambling Insider.
"After all the sportsbook closures earlier this year, the biggest question for North Americans this year will be where they can bet with confidence, and we'll provide comprehensive coverage of all the options," said Ryan.

What started as your run-of-the-mill NFL holdout has grown into a contract stalemate of Bo Jackson and Emmitt Smith proportions.

Running back Chris Johnson has told the Tennessee Titans he won’t show up to training camp without a new deal. The Titans are saying no-show, no dough.

Johnson wants “Watch the Throne” money. The Titans are offering J. Cole cash.

With both sides about 20 Maybach’s apart this staring contest could stretch deep into the regular season.

Which begs the question: Can bettors count on the Titans without CJ2K?

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BETTING ANALYSIS: Oddsmakers list odds for the Titans total regular seasons wins at 6.5. Despite the team’s reliance on the star running back squeaking to seven wins without him is not implausible.

In 2008 Tennessee went 12-4 splitting carries between Johnson and LenDale White (a two-headed attack known as Smash and Dash or Lil Wayne and T-Pain). In 2007, with only an overweight “LenWhale” White in the backfield and second-year quarterback Vince Young under center, the Titans went 10-6. White averaged just 3.4 yards per carry and had 1,110 yards.

Johnson's elite skills can't be denied: The kid runs 4.24, glides through defenses and busts out the "Choppa City Juke" in the endzone with the best of them. But he doesn’t affect the win column as much as you think. In the two successful seasons we outlined Tennessee was backed by a top-10 defense. Last year the Titans’ D ranked 25th and finished just 6-10. It didn’t matter that Johnson carried the ball 300-plus times for 1,364 yards, the D declined under coordinator Chuck Cecil and the Titans’ record paid for it.

Improvement is expected from the D this year with a bigger defensive line and new coordinator Jerry Gray pinpointing the strengths of playmakers like Michael Griffin and Cortland Finnegan. The changes appear to have had a positive impact, the defense has impressed in camp and looked good in its first preseason game versus the Minnesota Vikings.

And for the first time since Steve McNair was brushing off sternum injuries in LP Field, the Titans have stability at QB. Matt Hasselbeck is an improvement over Young and Kerry Collins. In 2010, he led the Seattle Seahawks to a 7-9 record despite holes at running back, receiver and on defense. Hasselbeck will be backed by a better defense and better targets — wideout Kenny Britt and emerging tight end Jared Cook — in Tennessee.

Though a season that goes way under the total is certainly possible, it won’t be because Johnson pulls a Vincent Jackson in 2011. The Titans don’t have to be dominant on the ground to go over the total, they just need to be average. "LenWhale" average. Backup running back Javon Ringer fits that mold perfectly.



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Eli Manning steps into the glare of the Monday Night Football spotlight as the New York Giants hit the field to conclude Week 2 of the preseason schedule with an NFL betting matchup against the Chicago Bears at the New Meadowlands Stadium (8 pm ET, ESPN).

Manning completed four-of-nine passing attempts for 46 yards as the Giants lost their preseason opener 20-10 to the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. He’ll be looking to back up his controversial words regarding his place in the NFL quarterback galaxy (alongside the likes of Tom Brady) that were made in a recent radio interview.

Domenik Hixon turned in a strong performance at wide receiver for the Giants in the loss to Carolina, pulling down five receptions for 86 yards, and Michael Boley returned an interception 56 yards for the Giants’ only touchdown.

Meanwhile Jay Cutler and the Bears got their preseason off to a winning start by knocking off the Buffalo Bills 10-3 in Week 1, although Cutler only played one series, getting sacked in that sequence. The Bears gave up nine sacks in total, as Nathan Enderle and Caleb Hanie were harassed all night by the Bills.

On the bright side for Chicago, running backs Kahlil Bell and Marion Barber combined for 118 rushing yards on 20 carries with Bell also catching two passes for 46 yards.

The Giants are listed as 4.5-point favorites on the NFL betting lines for this game with the total currently listed at 40 points, and the Bodog Sportsbook will feature the excitement of Live Betting for continuous action as the game unfolds.

Check the Bodog Sportsbook for the best NFL odds and all your Super Bowl futures as preseason action heats up.

The Indianapolis Colts haven’t bothered with “Plan B” at quarterback for over a decade, now they’ve hit the panic button.

And nothing says panic like bringing Kerry Collins out of retirement. In his stint in Tennessee, Titans fans unaffectionately called him “K.F.C.” every time he threw one of his signature out-of-bounds bombs when he felt the blitz. We’ll let you figure out what the “F” stands for.

With Manning a coin flip to be ready for the regular season it’s supposed to be the No. 2 QB on the depth chart, Curtis Painter, as the temporary fill in. But he’s posted preseason numbers that make Colts fans wish for the days of NFL exhibitionist Jim Sorgi.

So it will be on Collins if Manning can't go, an NFL elder that hasn’t completed 60 percent of his passes in the last three years despite having opponents focus nine out of 11 defenders on Chris Johnson. It will be on Collins to run one of the most complicated and precise offenses in the NFL.

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Bet on the regular season win total of the Indianapolis Colts in the Bodog Sportsbook!

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Betting Analysis: The only thing slower than Collins in the pocket is his Fathead. The vet was considered immobile when he was in Carolina way back in 1996 and we can only imagine what his mobility will be like with just 10 practices to prepare. If he starts just one game before Manning’s return it could make a difference in the Colts’ total regular season wins — currently listed at 9.5 in the Bodog Sportsbook. And if Collins is in three or four games — Indy plays Houston, an improved Cleveland squad, Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay the first four weeks of the regular season — we don’t envision a scenario where the offense can even play .500 ball.

In his best year in Tennessee Collins managed just over 2600 passing yards and 12 touchdowns. His role was relegated to handing the ball off to “Smash and Dash” (LenDale White and Johnson) and making the occasional toss on third-and-long. The Colts don’t have nearly the talent at running back or the run-blocking lineman to keep the focus off of Collins. He'll have to throw it, a lot, which doesn't mesh with his aging skill set.

As for Colts odds against the spread, expect them to be a tough find until Manning makes a definitive decision. The Colts’ Week 1 opponent, the Houston Texans, are a division rival that has gone 2-2 ATS against them over the last two seasons. They play Indy tough even with Manning under center, which means it could get ugly with Collins. Oddsmakers won't post lines until they know for sure if Manning's in or out.



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A great deal of user configurability. User can create his own tables, adjust formulas, change power numbers, letters, grades, edges, selectively activate rules, modify the effect of rules, add adjustments and the entire season is instantly recalculated.

The news didn’t break from your standard NFL source, but running back Frank Gore and the San Francisco 49ers have agreed to a contract extension.

Pro Player Solutions, a professional athlete management company dropped the news via Twitter that Gore had a agreed to a new deal. Only for Gore and his agent to deny the report (which caused the Twitter community to quickly turn on the company). Fast forward to 20 minutes past 8 p.m. ET and it’s been confirmed: 3-year extension worth $21 million including $13.5 guaranteed.

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Betting Analysis: Although it’s debatable whether Gore — who is 29 and has an extensive injury history — deserves another contract, having him happy and ready to run on offense is a definitely plus.

NFL odds list San Francisco at 7.5 regular season wins in an undecided NFC West and they’ll need Gore to even have a chance to compete. The Niners quarterbacks have been horrible in preseason, the only QB that has topped a 90 QB rating in preseason was ray rookie Colin Kaepernick in a 6 for 8, zero touchdown, zero interception performance versus the Oakland Raiders. Listed starter Alex Smith has scored a TD or put his QB rating above 65. They’ll be running the rock, a lot.

It’s also not promising that the Niners defense gave up over 20 points twice out of three games. But we won’t judge what’s been a solid defense the last few years until the regular season.

Last year they posted an 8-8 record with essentially the same team on both sides of the ball.



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All that was in the preseason?

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady made history last season in becoming the first player ever to be named NFL Most Valuable Player by unanimous selection. It was Brady’s second career MVP award. Can he join Brett Favre and Peyton Manning this season as the NFL’s only three-time winners of the award (Manning has four)? Brady is the second-favorite on Bodog’s NFL player props at 13/2.

Brady won his other MVP award (he remains the only Patriot to ever win) when he set an NFL record with 50 touchdown passes in leading the Patriots to an unbeaten regular season and several team offensive records. That year, Brady got 49 of the 50 votes for MVP, with one vote going to Favre.

Although he didn't set nearly as many passing marks as in '07, Brady by far was the league's top performer in leading New England to a 14-2 record, best in the NFL in 2010. He had a record streak of 335 throws without being intercepted, and passed for 36 touchdowns with only four picks. That's the highest ratio touchdown to interception ratio (9.0) in NFL history — surpassing his own record from 2007. Brady twice threw for four touchdowns in a game and four times had three. Twelve times, he had a passer rating of at least 100.

New England was upset in the divisional round of the playoffs by the New York Jets. Brady followed his previous MVP trophy with a lost season, tearing left knee ligaments in the first half of the 2008 opener and missing the rest of the season.

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ended the 2010 NFL season as the Super Bowl MVP, and Rodgers opens the 2011 campaign as the odds-on favorite to win his first regular-season MVP award. He is 11/2 to win it on Bodog’s NFL player props.

Rodgers was superb last regular season, throwing for 3,922 yards (seventh in the NFL) with 28 touchdowns (tied for sixth) and 11 interceptions in leading Green Bay to a 10-6 record and an NFC wild-card spot. Rodgers missed almost two full games because of a concussion suffered early in the Packers’ Week 14 loss in Detroit. He returned just in the nick of time, as Green Bay faced a must-win in Week 16 against the New York Giants. All Rodgers did in that game was throw for a season-high 404 yards and four touchdowns in Green Bay’s blowout victory.

Rodgers capped a dream season by completing 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions to lead the Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers for Green Bay's first NFL title since Brett Favre's in the January 1997 Super Bowl. Of course Favre is a three-time winner of the NFL MVP award, with his last one coming in the 1997 season. No Packer has come close to winning it since. Rodgers has a terrific stable of receivers in Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and Jordy Nelson as well as one of the top receiving tight ends in football in Jermichael Finley, who was lost for season last year in Green Bay’s fifth game. Rodgers won’t turn 28 until December so he should be just hitting his prime years.

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Marvin Austin

The player who's imfamous tweet about partying in Miami, which turned NCAA heads towards the UNC football program, and ultimately coast Butch Davis his job, suffers a season ending injury in August.

He certainly looks a star, great for SF to keep him. 4 more years of killing the Rams run.

Kerry Collins? Off-season winner.

Chris Brown? Off-season loser (for now, at least).

Some NBA players predict it to be a full season.

Chris Johnson got exactly what he wanted: Primetime, playmaker money.

Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean reports that the Tennessee Titans have agreed to a six-year $53.5 million deal with $30 million guaranteed. The original report was that Johnson had a four-year deal, however it was later revealed that this is an extension to the two years remaining on his rookie contract.

Other details of this contract are yet to be revealed.

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NFL exhibition odds have Titans as +1 underdogs versus the New Orleans Saints tonight at 8 p.m. ET.

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Betting Analysis: The Titans have one of the NFL’s best playmakers back on the roster and are ready to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.

NFL oddsmakers have only listed the Titans regular season wins at 6.5, and they are +300 underdogs to make the playoffs. However, with Johnson in the fold, Houston Texans running back Arian Foster suffering hamstring issues and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning nursing an neck injury, it’s not a bold statement to say they could come out of the AFC South on top.

Word out of Titans’ camp is that Matt Hasselbeck has greatly improved the passing attack. Plus, playmaking wide receiver Kenny Britt, who has been nursing a bad hamstring, is back and on tap to play tonight versus the New Orleans Saints. He's also been cleared of any suspension from the NFL after an offseason with numerous arrests.

The Titans have both their playmakers and quarterback who can actually get the ball down field. They could be a solid buy-low bet this year.



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