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The Pittsburgh Steelers dispatched both the hated rival Baltimore Ravens and the big-talking New York Jets in the playoffs last season, but in the end they couldn't pay off on the NFL betting odds and beat the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl.

Pittsburgh lost the big game 31-25 at Cowboys Stadium after winning their first two playoff matchups at home at Heinz Field. The consistent Steelers will be looking to once again grab some home playoff dates this season, and the oddsmakers at the Bodog Sportsbook like their chances of making that happen.

The Steelers sit as the -125 favorites on the NFL odds board to win the AFC North title again in 2011 – they were tied with the Ravens at 12-4 (10-6 against the spread) in those standings last season, but ended up as the division champs by winning the tiebreaker between the two teams.

Pittsburgh is then at 13/2 to win the AFC Championship Game once again, and they sit at 15/1 on the Super Bowl odds. The team's wins OVER/UNDER for the year is at 10.5.

That's the same wins OVER/UNDER the sportsbook has for the Ravens, and those two teams should battle for the division crown once again – the Browns and Bengals combined for just nine wins last season and don't look ready to make the leap.

Working in the Steelers' favor this year is that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made it through the offseason controversy-free; Big Ben threw for 3,200 yards with 17 touchdowns passes and five interceptions for Pittsburgh in 2010.

Pittsburgh will get to see how it stands against the Ravens right away, as those two teams meet in Week 1 action in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon.

Get all your NFL odds at Bodog Sportsbook.

Were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers good or lucky last year or both? Despite being projected as one of the NFC’s bottomfeeders, the Bucs, who were the NFL’s youngest team last year, won 10 games to just miss a playoff berth. But four of Tampa Bay's first five victories were by three points or fewer last season, and the Bucs were 5-1 overall in games decided by three points or fewer. Can Tampa Bay take the next step and unseat Atlanta as NFC South champs? The Bucs are +600 on Bodog’s NFL futures to win the division.

The Bucs have a rising star in QB Josh Freeman. Last year he led five comeback wins in the fourth quarter or overtime. In the fourth quarter/OT, he threw eight touchdown passes with a 97.4 passer rating and a 62.6 completion percentage. Clearly Freeman is clutch. They were 2-5 against playoff teams, with those two victories coming in Weeks 16 and 17 against the Seahawks and Saints, neither of whom had anything to play for at the time. The Bucs had one of the rookie surprises last season in LeGarrette Blount. He took over the feature-back role from Cadillac Williams around midseason and rushed for 1,000 yards. And the Bucs had another rookie star last year in WR Mike Williams, who finished with 65 catches for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The defense will be one of the youngest in the NFL – the front four could well feature two rookies and two second-year players as starters. Tampa Bay must improve a pass rush that finished tied for 30th last season, with just 26 sacks. That’s why the Bucs took defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers with their first two picks in this year’s draft. Bowers, once projected as the top pick of the draft, fell all the way to the 51st pick because of a knee problem. The Bucs caught a huge break when top cornerback Aqib Talib avoided suspension after he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon earlier this year. Talib has had a history of run-ins with the law, but because the arrest happened during the lockout, he was spared this time.

Tampa Bay’s over/under win total this year on Bodog’s NFL futures is 8.

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The Dallas Cowboys always seem to earn that “most talented team” mantle after every NFL offseason. But for years they’ve had one glaring weakness they can never get right: The secondary.

Not having No. 1 corner Terence Newman to open the 2011 season versus the New York Jets is definitely not a move in the right direction.

Newman has been ruled out of the season opener with a groin injury suffered on August 3. Not a good sign considering the 33-year-old corner was expected back for Week 1.

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Betting Analysis: The Cowboys secondary was already old and busted with Newman in the lineup, now it’s just busted. The corner slated to start opposite Newman was Mike Jenkins, but he’s been ruled out as well with a hyperextended knee.

That leaves Alan Ball, Orlando Scandrick and Bryan McCann a group that has eight years of experience combined and five interceptions.

The Jets are -4 favorites at home versus the ‘Boys on Sunday Night Football. GQ QB Mark Sanchez could look like a pro bowler with such glaring holes for the Cowboys. Sanchez has looked better in preseason, and he and Santonio Holmes have had time to build on their chemistry. Though the Cowboys have Tony Romo back the Jets could easily cover the spread if Dallas’ secondary doesn’t slow Sanchez down.



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Brett Favre’s NFL-record streak of starting consecutive games is safe because Indianapolis Colts star quarterback Peyton Manning, who has started every game since entering the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 draft (227 including playoffs; 208 in regular season), will not play Sunday in the season opener against the Houston Texans. The line for the game in Houston had been off the board – now look for the Texans to be about 9-point favorites on Bodog’s NFL odds.

This really is no surprise, as Manning hasn’t even been able to fully practice since undergoing neck surgery – his second neck surgery in a little over a year. The league’s only four-time MVP underwent May 23 surgery to repair a bulging disk in his neck. The Colts had been listing Manning as doubtful but made the official decision that their franchise player would sit on Wednesday. Manning has been dealing with some unusual back pain recently, which leads to the question: Could his career be in jeopardy? What if he needs further surgery to replace or fuse disks in his back? If that happens, Manning is probably done.

The Colts are a perennial Super Bowl contender with Manning but, many believe, about a six-win team without him. Kerry Collins, recently signed out of retirement, will start the opener but his best days are long behind him. Don’t be surprised if the Colts take a look at recently released Jaguars starting QB David Garrard.

Because of Manning’s durability, the Colts haven’t drafted a quarterback to groom for the future – Curtis Painter, really? — and that might come back and bite them. The last QB to start a game for Indy not named Manning was Jim Harbaugh in December 1997. Ironically, Peyton’s brother Eli now has the longest starting streak among active QBs.

Can the Colts still beat the Texans without No. 18? Bet now at the Web’s gaming leader Bodog Sportsbook

Things are looking iffy for Houston Texans running back Arian Foster.

After missing Thursday’s practice with a bad left hamstring, head coach Gary Kubiak gave Foster the status that kicks bettors and fantasy fanatics right in the footballs: “gametime decision.”

"Everything's still progressing," said Kubiak, "but obviously we're getting close to game time. We'll see where he's at tomorrow."

Foster hasn’t exactly been helpful either. When asked if he could play versus the Indianapolis Colts this weekend his answer was simply “I don’t know.”

Foster aggravated his left hamstring early in the Texans final preseason game and hasn’t practiced yet this week.

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Betting Analysis: Unless he practices fully Friday we don’t expect Foster to suit up Sunday. But don’t fret, NFL odds have listed the Texans as 9-point favorites versus the Indianapolis Colts and there is a very good chance they will cover without him.

Unless you’ve been living in Amish country you know that Colts QB Peyton Manning is out indefinitely, leaving un-retired silver fox Kerry Collins to start instead. Collins is no Manning, he’s barely Collins considering he was at home strumming retirement tunes just a month ago.

Also the Colts defense is notorious for getting pounded by teams on the ground, they’re built to stop the pass after Manning gives them a sizable lead. The Texans can get by with backup runners Ben Tate and Derrick Ward.

And finally the Texans’ best playmaker is 100 percent, Andre Johnson.

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Honestly gonna miss manning

Welcome back. Go Ravens.

Right on Drew! Go COUGS😡

Want the Steelers to win. Think the Steelers will win. Why? Because they are the Steelers!

Want the Steelers to win. Think the Steelers will win. Why? Because they are the Steelers!

So in the first Super Bowl ever played in North Texas. I give the edge to the Steelers.

The first Sunday night NFL game of the season looks like a dandy on the field as the New York Jets host the Dallas Cowboys. And it’s likely to be an emotional game for all involved as it comes on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York. The Jets opened as 4-point favorites on Bodog’s NFL odds.

"The significance of it, I think it's stronger than any game I've ever felt," Jets coach Rex Ryan said earlier this week. "I feel more pressure on this game for whatever reason than any game I've ever coached, it seems like."

Ryan has been his typically brash self in terms of on-field expectations this season as he predicted his club would win the Super Bowl. Of course he did that the previous two seasons and the Jets did lose in the AFC title game in both. And Ryan will get to match wits with brother Rob, who is the new defensive coordinator of the Cowboys. Their dad, the legendary ex-coach Buddy, is putting off cancer surgery just to watch in person.

The Cowboys were arguably the NFL’s biggest disappointments in 2010, going 6-10 in a season they hoped to conclude by being the first team play in a Super Bowl it was hosting. QB Tony Romo is healthy now after breaking his collarbone in the team’s fifth game last year and not playing again; Romo was on pace to have perhaps his best season. The Cowboys’ collapse of course cost coach Wade Phillips his job during last season and he was replaced by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. The club played much better under Garrett the rest of the year and he was given the full-time job.

In a way you could call this game the Nnamdi Asomugha Bowl. Both the Jets and Cowboys were hoping to land the top free agent cornerback but lost out on him to the Eagles. Dallas was otherwise fairly quiet in free agency. A few veterans were let go, including RB Marion Barber – Felix Jones is the guy now – and WR Roy Williams. Dallas is heavily counting on a breakout season by second-year WR Dez Bryant opposite Miles Austin.

The Jets were able to bring back Santonio Holmes but lost WRs Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery and Brad Smith. The club is hoping Plaxico Burress can step up at receiver after missing more than two seasons. The New York defensive line lacks some experience with Kris Jenkins and Shaun Ellis no longer Jets.

The last time the Jets and Cowboys met was on Thanksgiving in 2007 when Dallas crushed New York 34-3.

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The Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers both were among the NFL’s big disappointments last season as they each entered as two of the Super Bowl favorites but neither even reached the playoffs. But with a new season there is new hope for both as they face off today in San Diego. The Bolts opened as one of the big Week 1 favorites at -9 on Bodog’s NFL odds.

The Chargers had won the AFC West the previous four seasons but they finished second to the Kansas City Chiefs last year. Somehow they missed the postseason despite leading the NFL in total offense and total defense. Special teams and yet another slow start to the season, something common under Norv Turner, killed the Chargers.

Turner is definitely on the hot seat this year. Many believe QB Philip Rivers is ready to win an MVP award. He had his best season a year ago, leading the NFL by passing for 4,710 yards to go along with 30 TD passes. And Rivers will have star WR Vincent Jackson available from start. Last year, he missed first 10 games during a bitter contract dispute.

The Vikings imploded last year largely because of the ineffective play of Brett Favre. He’s finally retired and the team traded for Donovan McNabb right after the lockout ended. McNabb spent one tumultuous season in Washington. The 12-year veteran was benched twice last season and threw 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 13 games. He completed 58 percent of his passes for 3,377 yards, and his agent sparred publicly with head coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. McNabb gives the Vikings a veteran quarterback while they groom Christian Ponder, who was drafted 12th overall out of Florida State in April.

Minnesota’s offense will still revolve around all-world running back Adrian Peterson. The team might be bit then at receiver after losing Sidney Rice in free agency. And defensive line starters Pat Williams and Ray Edwards are now elsewhere. Also, the Vikes won’t have All-Pro defensive tackle Kevin Williams for the first two games of the season due to suspension.

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One of the better Week 1 games in the NFL this season is in Chicago when the Bears, the reigning NFC North champions, face the Atlanta Falcons, who won the NFC South last season and led the conference with 13 wins. The Falcons opened as the 3-point favorites on Bodog’s NFL odds.

Atlanta and Chicago have something else in common other than both coming off division titles: They both had their 2010 season ended by the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. Of course the Pack went to Atlanta and thumped the Falcons in the divisional round and then won a close one at Soldier Field in the NFC Championship Game. That game of course saw Bears QB Jay Cutler on the sideline for most of the second half, which set off a firestorm of criticism for Cutler not playing through injury. It will be interesting to see how the Bears faithful treat him if/when he makes a mistake in this one.

The Falcons have one of the best skill position trios in the NFL in QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner and WR Roddy White. And Atlanta made a huge draft day trade with Cleveland to add former Alabama star WR Julio Jones. The Falcons weren’t a big-play team last year but hope Jones changes that. The Falcons were just middle-of-the-pack in total yards last season.

The Bears were No. 30 in offense in 2010 and are hoping that former Cowboys WR Roy Williams can add a big-play threat of their own. The Chicago defense is back mostly intact after the Bears were fourth in the NFL in average points allowed last season – the Bears did recently add former Patriots Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather. Chicago has had to deal with the distraction of Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs requesting a trade because the team wouldn’t rework his contract.

Atlanta and Chicago haven’t played since Week 6 of the 2009 season, a 21-14 Falcons win in the Georgia Dome. The Falcons won despite being outgained by 120 yards. Ryan threw for 185 yards and two scores and Cutler threw for 300 and two TDs but also two picks.

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The New England Patriots finished with the NFL’s best regular-season record last year at 14-2 but once again flamed out at home in their first playoff game. Tom Brady and Co. open the season as the Bodog betting favorites to win the Super Bowl yet again and it wouldn’t seem like they should have much trouble tonight in their opener in Miami. New England is a 7.5-point favorite on Bodog’s NFL odds with live betting available.

The Pats made two of the biggest offseason splashes in trading for receiver Chad Ochocinco and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. However, Haynesworth, who can be among the NFL’s top defensive players when motivated (and he says he is again), might not make it in the opener. He is officially questionable with an “illness” although the Pats tend to manipulate the NFL’s injury report more than any other team.

The New England defense was largely overhauled this offseason (what there was of it), including a switch to a base 4-3 look (from a 3-4) with eyes toward utilizing veteran linemen Haynesworth, Shaun Ellis and Andre Carter. But the Pats obviously only go as far as Brady takes them. He’s the reigning NFL MVP, the first-ever unanimous pick for that award. Brady has thrown NFL record 335 consecutive passes without interception. And he has won five of past six games against Dolphins while throwing 15 TD passes with five interceptions.

Miami, meanwhile, was hoping to trade for Denver QB Kyle Orton but couldn’t complete that deal – the Fins are stuck with lame-duck QB Chad Henne, who did have a good preseason. The Dolphins, who were 1-7 at home last year, did add Reggie Bush this offseason and he will get the chance to be the every-down back. Miami will need something to compete in this one as it was outscored 79-21 in losing both games to New England last year. And the Pats have won their past seven openers.

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Henne vs. Brady.

Patriots in a blowout.

Though the spectator in us loves to talk all day about the affect injuries will have on NFL offenses, there are a couple of big injuries on defense that has already made struggling squads an even tougher bet.

Check a couple of SportsCenter clips and you’d think the Carolina Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals. But they lost the game and pro bowl linebacker Jon Beason for the season to a torn Achilles.

Kansas City gave itself the “Tomahawk Chop” versus the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. And things got even worse as its best defender, strong safety Eric Berry, is out for the season with a torn ACL.

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Week 2 Lines are up now in the Bodog Sportsbook. Check ‘em out!

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Betting Analysis for Panthers: We hope Cam Newton has couple more 400-plus performances in him.

Beason has been the “Ray Lewis” of the Panthers defense for years. Without their field general to make adjustments the Panthers D can crumble under another loss or bad performance.

Guess what, the Green Bay Packers are next; they took the “S” away from the Saints in the NFL’s Thursday Night debut. Oddsmakers recognize, opening Carolina as 10.5-point underdogs at home.

Betting Analysis for Chiefs: It couldn’t get any worse than how the Chiefs got gunned 41-7 to the Bills in Week 1. Oh wait, it can.

Berry, Kansas City’s best playmaker on defense is gone till next September. Even with him Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was a couple of dimples shy of looking like Tom Brady versus the Chiefs secondary, finishing with 208 passing yards and four touchdowns.

The offense won't give them much help if Week 1 is any indication. The loss of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis covered up starting quarterback Matt Cassel’s mediocre skill-set.

The Chiefs face the Detroit Lions next week at home and are 9-point underdogs. Lions QB Matthew Stafford had 300-plus in Week 1. Stafford might get those dimples.



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Maybe Rex Grossman doesn't suck after all. The much-maligned quarterback will be looking to lead his Redskins to a second straight victory on Sunday afternoon as they play their Week 2 NFL betting contest at home against the Cardinals.

Grossman posted a QB rating of 110.5 in Washington's season-opening 28-14 home win over the Giants, going 21-of-34 for 305 yards passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Many observers had expected John Beck to be the Redskins' top QB.

Jabar Gaffney and Anthony Armstrong had the TD catches for the Redskins in the win, while Fred Davis grabbed five balls for 105 yards. Tim Hightower rushed for 72 yards and a score on 25 carries against the Giants.

The Cardinals also started the season 1-0, holding Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton in check just enough to pick up a 28-21 home win.

Kevin Kolb made his regular-season debut as Arizona's quarterback in that contest, getting overshadowed by Newton but still completing 18 of his 27 pass attempts for 309 yards with a pair of TD strikes.

Beanie Wells ran for 90 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries for Arizona in their win over the Panthers, while Early Doucet had three catches for 105 yards and a TD.

At the Bodog Sportsbook the Redskins opened as 4.5-point home favorites on the NFL bet lines for this Week 2 matchup, and betting history is on Washington's side – the Cardinals have only covered the spread in three of their past 10 games against the Redskins. Overall Washington is 9-1 in its past 10 games straight up vs. Arizona.

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It kicked off with Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees combining for 700-plus yards and six touchdowns on Thursday night, and finished with Tom Brady making passing history in Miami. In between all that was Carolina rookie Cam Newton getting his pigskin off for 422 passing yards, breaking Peyton Manning’s record for a QB debut.

The affect on NFL odds was widespread. Twenty-six of 32 teams went OVER the total, probably catching oddsmakers completely off guard.

Who will adjust going forward, NFL defenses or NFL oddsmakers?

We keep that question in the back of the brain as we move in to Week 1 of our NFL Betting Power Rankings. That’s “betting” power rankings. The other guys can rank teams by wins and losses, we do it by consistency against the spread (ATS) and total (O/U).

However, like most power rankings, check weekly for an update to the list.

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1. New England Patriots (1-0 ATS/ 1-0 OU)

The fact that Miami’s Chad Henne dropped 400-plus on their defense is a concern, but the Patriots offense is just too potent to doubt ATS. New England hasn’t gone below .500 ATS since Brady was cheerleading for Drew Bledsoe. They also have gone OVER in 11 of their last 12 games, making their parlay potential unmatched.

2. Green Bay Packers (1-0 ATS/ 1-0 OU)

The Packers come in at No. 2 but have potential to pound oddsmakers until they give them college spreads. They went 9-7 ATS last year despite being Dr. James Andrews’ favorite customer, if they stay healthy they have playmakers on both sides of the ball that no one can match up with.

3. Baltimore Ravens (1-0 ATS/ 0-1 OU)

Versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore was balanced on offense, stifling on defense and QB Joe Flacco seems to have stolen some of Ben Roethlisberger’s championship swag. If Flacco stays steady so will Baltimore ATS.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0 ATS/1-0 OU)

The run defense looked iffy, allowing the St. Louis Rams to rush for 154 yards, but as long as Michael Vick is going video game the Eagles have a shot at covering the spread. Unfortunately, Vick is taking hits — a total of 11 in Week 1 — and an injury seems likely. Cash-in on the Madden-style balling while you can.

5. Detroit Lions (1-0 ATS/1-0 OU)

The Lions turnaround is coming. It was evident in Week 1 when they won and covered in a game they would’ve lost in years past. As usual, it’s on Matthew Stafford’s shoulders to stay healthy can keep this team consistent.

6. Chicago Bears (1-0 ATS/1-0 OU)

Jay Cutler shoots this offense in the foot enough times to make Plaxico Burress cringe, but what we saw was an impressive team effort against the Falcons Sunday. The defense held the new “Greatest Show on Turf” to one touchdown and Matt Forte looked like Marshall Faulk-light in Mike Martz’ offense.

7. Buffalo Bills (1-0 ATS/ 1-0 OU)

Believe it. The Bills have that sleeper bet musk that fattens wallets. A solid running game, an emerging passing game, an improving defense and better schedule. Last year the Bills had one of the most difficult schedules in the league and the biggest turnover margin; still went 8-7-1 ATS.

8. Washington Redskins (1-0 ATS/1-0 OU)

Another shocker in the top 10, but not if you saw the complete game the Redskins put together against the New York Giants. The run game and defense is above average and Rex Grossman played like he deserves the nickname “Sexy Rexy.”

9. Atlanta Falcons (0-1 ATS/1-0 OU)

We’re not ready to give up on the Falcons just yet, they went 11-5 ATS last season. There’s just too much talent on both sides. However, either “Matty Ice” needs to take the next step or the coaching staff needs to get back to a run-heavy, ball-control style that smothered opponents in years past.

10. New York Jets (0-1 ATS/1-0 OU)

We understand they lost ATS versus the Dallas Cowboys, but the Jets lost 10-9 last year in Week 1 and went on to cover five in a row. The defense is still elite and GQ QB Mark Sanchez displayed ability to help the offense not hold it back.

11. Miami Dolphins (0-1 ATS/1-0 OU)

The Dolphins didn’t cover, but the offense went Dan Marino versus the Patriots in Week 1. Only thing missing was that top 10 defense that helped them go .500 ATS last year. If the O keeps rolling and the D gets going this could be a bet to be reckoned with.

12. New Orleans Saints (0-1 ATS/1-0 OU)

Never trust defenses that are 100 percent reliant on big plays; that’s the Saints D. Though Drew Brees will carry them to victories ATS, their boom-or-bust defensive style will burn bettors often.

13. Houston Texans (1-0 ATS/0-1 OU)

Am we supposed to believe the Texans’ days of underachieving straight up and ATS are over because they beat up on the Manning-less Colts? Too many questions about the run game and the new 3-4 defense still linger, and they are coming off a disappointing 6-10 ATS 2010 season.

14. Dallas Cowboys (1-0 ATS/1-0 OU)

Dallas is a tough team to rank after Week 1. On one hand they covered against one of the top teams in the AFC, on the other they blew a 14-point lead and lost straight up. After that choke Cowboys fans don’t trust Tony Romo so how can bettors? “LeBromo” will be Romo’s new nickname if he gags versus San Francisco in Week 2.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1 ATS/1-0 OU)

What plagued the Steelers in the Super Bowl was on display versus the Ravens: Ugly turnovers and a defense that’s a step too slow. The defensive problems should be a bigger concern for bettors as it has bailed Big Ben out of bad sacks and interceptions in the past.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0 ATS/0-1 OU)

The Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t great, but as a wager they’re a fairly easy riddle to solve: If they can’t run effectively, they can’t cover. Last year the Jags were 7-0 ATS when Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 100 yards or more; when he was st

You can say one thing already about the 2011 edition of the Cincinnati Bengals – they're not going to finish 0-16.

Heading into the season the Bengals were a popular pick to end up with the fewest wins in the league. Chad Ochocinco was gone. Carson Palmer said he'd rather quit football than play for them again. And the team only won four times all of last season.

However, the Bengals looked like an actual NFL team in their opener in Week 1, getting a big rushing effort from Cedric Benson and a solid league debut from rookie QB Andy Dalton in a 27-17 road win over the Cleveland Browns.

Ok, it was just the Browns – a team with a grand total of five victories last season – but Cleveland was heavily favored on the NFL betting odds at home, and they were widely expected to show some improvement this season.

Instead, the Bengals got to them for 14 points in the fourth quarter to grab the win – using backup QB Bruce Gradkowski. Dalton went 10-of-15 for 81 yards and a touchdown strike before leaving with an arm injury at halftime; he's considered questionable for this weekend right now.

That could mean Gradkowski gets the start for the Bengals on Sunday as they gun for a 2-0 record on the road in Denver against a Broncos team that was beaten 23-20 at home by the Raiders on Monday Night Football.

Broncos QB Kyle Orton heard some boo-birds in that contest after completing just 24 of his 46 pass attempts for 304 yards with one touchdown and one interception, annoying all his supporters on the NFL lines in the process and giving Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow some hope that they'll see some action this season.

Get all your NFL odds at Bodog Sportsbook.

The first Sunday night NFL game of the season looks like a dandy on the field as the New York Jets host the Dallas Cowboys. And it’s likely to be an emotional game for all involved as it comes on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York. The Jets opened as 4-point favorites on Bodog’s NFL odds.

"The significance of it, I think it's stronger than any game I've ever felt," Jets coach Rex Ryan said earlier this week. "I feel more pressure on this game for whatever reason than any game I've ever coached, it seems like."

Ryan has been his typically brash self in terms of on-field expectations this season as he predicted his club would win the Super Bowl. Of course he did that the previous two seasons and the Jets did lose in the AFC title game in both. And Ryan will get to match wits with brother Rob, who is the new defensive coordinator of the Cowboys. Their dad, the legendary ex-coach Buddy, is putting off cancer surgery just to watch in person.

The Cowboys were arguably the NFL’s biggest disappointments in 2010, going 6-10 in a season they hoped to conclude by being the first team play in a Super Bowl it was hosting. QB Tony Romo is healthy now after breaking his collarbone in the team’s fifth game last year and not playing again; Romo was on pace to have perhaps his best season. The Cowboys’ collapse of course cost coach Wade Phillips his job during last season and he was replaced by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. The club played much better under Garrett the rest of the year and he was given the full-time job.

In a way you could call this game the Nnamdi Asomugha Bowl. Both the Jets and Cowboys were hoping to land the top free agent cornerback but lost out on him to the Eagles. Dallas was otherwise fairly quiet in free agency. A few veterans were let go, including RB Marion Barber – Felix Jones is the guy now – and WR Roy Williams. Dallas is heavily counting on a breakout season by second-year WR Dez Bryant opposite Miles Austin.

The Jets were able to bring back Santonio Holmes but lost WRs Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery and Brad Smith. The club is hoping Plaxico Burress can step up at receiver after missing more than two seasons. The New York defensive line lacks some experience with Kris Jenkins and Shaun Ellis no longer Jets.

The last time the Jets and Cowboys met was on Thanksgiving in 2007 when Dallas crushed New York 34-3.

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