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Manne wrote: There may never be a good time to face Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, but you can bet that the Saints will be plenty motivated for Sunday’s home opener against the Bears because history shows it’s quite difficult for teams that start 0-2 to reach the postseason. New Orleans opened as a 7-point favorite on Bodog’s NFL odds.

New Orleans will at least have had a few extra days to prepare for this one after falling in an epic season opener, 42-34 in Green Bay on Sept. 8. Brees was brilliant, completing 32 of 49 for 419 yards and three scores. Yet the team didn’t give him a chance to potentially tie the game (with a 2-point conversion) with the Saints on the Packers’ 1-yard line at the end of the game. Instead, rookie running back Mark Ingram was stuffed on the play.

The Saints played without top defensive end Will Allen in the game and managed only two sacks of Aaron Rodgers. Allen will also miss this game due to suspension. In addition, top Saints WR Marques Colston broke his collarbone vs. Green Bay and is out. And WR Lance Moore, who led the team in touchdown receptions a year ago, is questionable after missing Week 1 with a groin injury.

Chicago was one of the most impressive teams of Week 1, crushing an Atlanta team that led the NFC in wins last season, 30-12. Brian Urlacher had an interception and returned a fumble for a touchdown, Jay Cutler threw for 312 yards and two scores and Matt Forte had 158 yards of offense and a TD for Chicago, which was a 3-point home dog. The Bears were relatively injury unscathed but did lose right guard Lance Louis to a sprained ankle. He’s expected to miss this game. Backup RB Marion Barber (calf) missed Week 1 and is out again. WR Roy Williams (groin) and safety Chris Harris (hamstring) are both iffy.

The Bears have won their last four meetings with the Saints, but all of those games have been at Soldier Field. One big storyline in this one will be Saints center Olin Kreutz facing his former mates. He was a Bear for 13 mostly Pro Bowl seasons but wasn’t re-signed in a move that didn’t sit well in the Chicago locker room.

Get the best NFL team and player props all season at the Web’s gaming leader! Bodog Sportsbook

Manne wrote: It’s only Week 2 of the NFL season, but don’t rule out the possibility that the winner of this afternoon’s clash between San Diego and New England gets to host a playoff game should the two meet in the postseason – which is very possible. The Pats opened as 7-point favorites on Bodog’s NFL odds in the game of the week.

The Chargers looked rather so-so in their opener, having to rally at home to beat the Vikings 24-17. Philip Rivers threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to fullback Mike Tolbert with 5:01 to play for the winning score. Tolbert had all three San Diego touchdowns on the day. He also scored on a 7-yard run in the third quarter and had a 1-yard TD catch in the first quarter. Rivers completed 33 of 48 passes for 335 yards and was intercepted twice.

It was a costly win for San Diego, however. Kicker Nate Kaeding tore his ACL trying to get to Percy Harvin on the game’s opening kickoff and is done for the year. And defensive end Luis Castillo suffered a fractured tibia in his left leg in the fourth quarter and is certainly out a while if not the season. Earlier this week, the team signed kicker Nick Novak and re-signed defensive end Ogemdi Nwagbuo to replace Kaeding and Castillo

The Patriots, meanwhile, won in Miami on Monday night 38-24 behind an epic performance from QB Tom Brady. The NFL’s reigning MVP threw for 516 yards and four touchdowns. It’s the fifth-highest yardage total in NFL history. And one of those throws was a record-tying 99-yard TD pass to Wes Welker. New England totaled 622 yards, the most in franchise history and the most allowed by Miami. It was the Pats’ eighth straight Week 1 victory. One concern certainly is that the New England defense allowed mediocre Dolphins QB Chad Henne to throw for a career-high 416 yards. The 906 net yards passing by both teams was an NFL record.

New England also suffered a big injury loss as center Dan Koppen suffered a fracture in his left ankle late in the first half. Dan Connolly took Koppen's place at center.

The Chargers and Pats met in Week 7 of last season in San Diego. New England won 23-20. The Bolts outgained the Patriots 363-179 but turned the ball over four times.

Get the best NFL odds and props all season at the Web’s gaming leader! Bodog Sportsbook

Manne wrote: Shoot, just a week ago tonight’s Philadelphia at Atlanta game looked like a potential NFC Championship Game preview. One week does not a season make, but the Eagles lived up to their billing in the opener but the Falcons, who led the NFC in wins a year ago, looked awful against the Bears. Now Atlanta is starting at a possible 0-2 start with the Eagles opening as 3-point favorites on Bodog’s NFL odds.

Philly has been touted as the NFL’s dream team after acquiring so many star players this offseason and the Eagles looked mostly the part in beating St. Louis 31-13 in Week 1. Michael Vick wasn’t very accurate against the Rams, completing just 14 of 32 passes but he threw for 187 and two touchdowns and rushed for 98 yards TD) as the Eagles had 239 yards rushing and were 8-for-11 in converting third downs.

Of course this game is a return to Atlanta for Vick, where he began his NFL career. He hasn’t played there as a full-time player since his disgraced exit from the franchise in 2006 (he was a backup when Eagles visited in 2009).

Meanwhile, Atlanta was dominated by the Bears in Week 1, 30-12. QB Matt Ryan threw for 319 yards but was sacked five times, fumbled a ball that was returned for a touchdown and was picked off once. Rookie receiver Julio Jones, whom the Falcons traded a fortune to move up to No. 6 in April’s draft to get, had five catches for 71 yards, but most of that came when the game was decided.

Last season, the Falcons went up to Pittsburgh and lost the opener in a game where they didn’t play very well. They bounced back to win 13 of their next 15 games. But one of those losses came in Week 6 in Philly, a 31-17 Eagles victory. Vick missed the game injured yet the Falcons defense still allowed 474 yards. Ryan was 23 of 42 for 250 yards with two TDs and a pick.

Get the best NFL odds and props all season at the Web’s gaming leader! Bodog Sportsbook

Manne wrote: The Houston Texans will be road favorites on the NFL betting odds at the Bodog Sportsbook this weekend as they put their 1-0 record on the line in Miami against the Dolphins.

The Texans got some satisfaction against the rival Colts in Week 1, trouncing them 34-7 in Houston with Kerry Collins at quarterback for Indy instead of Peyton Manning. That made them easy winners against the NFL odds for the contest.

Matt Schaub completed 17 of his 24 pass attempts for 220 yards in the win over Indianapolis, with one touchdown pass and two interceptions. Star running back Arian Foster (hamstring) sat out Week 1, leaving backfield duties to Ben Tate (116 yards and a TD) and Derrick Ward (39 yards and a TD) – who suffered a sprained ankle.

Andre Johnson had seven catches for 95 yards and a touchdown in that contest.

The Dolphins didn't have the benefit of playing a team missing their starting QB in Week 1, getting blitzed 38-24 by Tom Brady and the Patriots on Monday Night Football.

Dolphins QB Chad Henne put up some good numbers against New England, going 30 of 49 for 416 yards passing with two touchdowns and one interception while also rushing for 59 yards and a score. Brandon Marshall had seven catches for 139 yards that day.

The Dolphins and Texans last met in December 2009 in Miami, with Houston winning 27-20 as a 2-point road underdog. For Sunday's matchup the Texans are favored by 3 points on the road on the NFL betting lines at the Bodog Sportsbook, with the OVER/UNDER for the contest at 47.5 points.

Houston is also up to 12/1 on the Super Bowl futures, thanks in large part to their chief competition in the division missing their franchise player.

Get all your NFL odds at Bodog Sportsbook.

Manne wrote: 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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Bet on all your NFL Week 2 lines in the Bodog Sportsbook!

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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

Manne wrote: 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.

Manne wrote: 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.

Get the best NFL game props all season at the Web’s gaming leader! Bodog Sportsbook

Manne wrote: 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.

Get all your NFL odds at Bodog Sportsbook.

Manne wrote: You don’t want to get too high or too low on your NFL team after just two weeks, but it’s probably fair to say that the season is already essentially over for the reigning AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs were totally embarrassed in Detroit on Sunday, falling 48-3. Kansas City has now been outscored 99-10, which is the largest margin of defeat through two games by any team since 1989 and the largest by any reigning division champion ever. And to make matters worse, the Chiefs lost Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles for the season with a torn ACL suffered against the Lions.

Charles, who rushed for 1,467 yards last season (second in NFL), was lunging toward the first down mark along the Detroit sideline when he was pushed out of bounds by defensive back Chris Houston. He landed at the feet of Detroit's mascot and immediately began clutching his left leg. Charles was the main reason why the Chiefs led the NFL in rushing last season. (In the opener against Buffalo, the Chiefs lost Pro Bowl defensive back Eric Berry to a season-ending injury — also to the left knee and also in the first quarter.)

Since 2010, Charles is one of five non-quarterbacks in the NFL that comprise over one-third of their team's total offensive yards. Charles has totaled 33.4 percent of Kansas City's yards since the beginning of last season, the fifth-highest percentage in the league. However, Charles had at least 36 fewer touches than the rest of the top five, and was statistically the best running back in the NFL at moving the ball.

The Chiefs will now turn to veteran Thomas Jones and versatile youngster Dexter McCluster in the running game. Jones actually had more carries than Charles last season and rushed for 896 yards. But defenses will continue to stuff the box to stop the run because QB Matt Cassel has taken a big step back, with Kansas City ranking last in the NFL in passing yards.

Kansas City is at San Diego this week and has opened as the biggest Week 3 dogs on the board at +14.5.

Get the best NFL odds and props all season at Bodog!

Manne wrote: 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.

Get the best NFL game props all season at the Web’s gaming leader! Bodog Sportsbook

Manne wrote: 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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Manne wrote: 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.

Get the best NFL game props all season at the Web’s gaming leader! Bodog Sportsbook

Manne wrote: 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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Bet on NFL odds for the Colts at Texans in the Bodog Sportsbook!

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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.

Get your Week 1 NFL odds in the Bodog Sportsbook!