NFL Thoughts – AFC

Well the 2012-2013 NFL season is less than a week away and excitement at Star Spreads HQ here in Dublin is at boiling point.

I’ve been known to dabble in some NFL betting over the years, so this week I’m going to hit you with four NFL betting previews. I’ll look at the AFC, the NFC, the MVP race and finally some various player props.

Today I’m going to preview the divisional races in the AFC:

AFC East. Rex Ryan has managed to ensure that the focus of New York remains squarely on the green side of town (despite the stadium-sharing Giants being the current world champions). Tim Tebow arrives to further muddy the quarterback waters and heap more pressure on the beleaguered Mark Sanchez. Miami are just poor and Buffalo still look a year or two away from completing their rebuilding project (and overpaid for Super Mario Williams). As such, I can’t look past the Patriots, who would surely have carried off the Lombardi trophy if not for Gronk’s injur in February.

AFC North. As always, this should come down to who wins the head-to-heads between perennial AFC North powerhouses Baltimore and Pittsburgh. I have a slight preference for the Ravens this year (although beware – this is a division I always seem to call wrong) because I like their up-the-gut-up-the-gut-bomb playcalling and fancy Flacco to have a big year. No interest at the rags at current prices.

AFC South. Could this be Tennessee’s year? Indy are a year away (at least), Jacksonville are a decade away and Houston look far too short at current prices. I’ll be honest, I’m not mad about any team in this div, but the Titans look the least-worst option at current prices.

AFC West. The most intriguing division in all of football, and all because of one man – a top three all time quarterback by the name of Peyton Manning (i9n case you’re wondering: 1. Montana, 2. Unitas). Can he get Denver badck on top again? Can Kansas shake off last year’s injury disasters to reclaim their throne. Can Oakland finally move on from Al Davis and start to resemble a non-disfunctional franchise? I don’t know, but what I do know is that for once no one is talking about the Chargers. Usually a team I get against, San Diego intrigue me this year. I think they are worth getting with – especially as this is the first time I can remember that they are not favs.