NFL Championship Futures: No Respect for the Red Birds

The Arizona Cardinals, coming off a Super Bowl appearance, get less respect than the dead Rodney Dangerfield did. They have perhaps the best offensive player in the NFL in WR Larry Fitzgerald and a Pro Bowl QB in Kurt Warner and still eight NFC teams are favorite over them to win the NFC title.

The Cards have a ton of salary cap room, if Bidwell opens his moth infested wallet, and play in a very weak divison with three rebuiling teams with new coaches.

100 bucks on the Red Birds will get you $1,300 in return and a bet to enjoy all season long.

The NFC is wide open so I prefer to play there. In the AFC there are to many quality teams who can derail even the hottest team come playoff time and the prices are short.

Two of the favorites in the NFC are way over priced. The Dallas Cowboys, who didn't even make the playoffs, are a team with a QB who has never won a big game and an owner who gets his kicks from being the ring master of a circus freak show instead of a successful football organization.

The Philadelphia Eagles, with an aging OL, might have used their last bit of magic up this year.And key players like Donovan McNabb, Jon Runyan, Tra Thomas, Brian Dawkins, and Brian Westbrook might have used up a lot of what is left of their legs and luck.

I'd throw out both the Eagles and the Cowboys. The Carolina Panthers, another favorite, are a toss also because of very poor QB play and the looming loss of some quality free agents.  

If the Minnesota Viking add a competent QB they would be a live, long shot. If they stick with the status quo at the most important position they face another early playoff exit.

The Chicago Bears, only three years removed from the Super Bowl, are tempting at +1800 but then one considers the poor QB play, the sub-par OL, the lack of any capable WR's, a defense that is fading badly, and a Coach who has prove to be a horrible game day decision maker and ye slap yourself in the face and say what was I thinking?

Any Oakland Raider love out there? At +5000 a few Franklin's wagered on a wild raider run and ye could be sipping a cool beach drink in Aruba while the warm tides do their eternal moon dance around ye sun tanned toes.

Roll with Raiders and become a Pirate of teh Caribbean.

Good Luck! Happy Hunting! And as the singer says:

Roll dem bones to feed that jones

And not the Jerry Jones either.

ODDS TO WIN THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Sun 2/15  10:00PM (EST)

1041   BALTIMORE RAVENS          +800  
1042   BUFFALO BILLS          +2500  
1043   CINCINNATI BENGALS          +3000  
1044   CLEVELAND BROWNS          +3000  
1045   DENVER BRONCOS          +1500  
1046   HOUSTON TEXANS          +1500  
1047   INDIANAPOLIS COLTS          +500  
1048   JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS          +1500  
1049   KANSAS CITY CHIEFS          +5000  
1050   MIAMI DOLPHINS          +2000  
1051   NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS          +300  
1052   NEW YORK JETS          +1500  
1053   OAKLAND RAIDERS          +5000  
1054   PITTSBURGH STEELERS          +400  
1055   SAN DIEGO CHARGERS          +800  
1056   TENNESSEE TITANS          +800  

NFL - NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
   
ODDS TO WIN THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Sun 2/15  10:00PM (EST)

1061   ARIZONA CARDINALS          +1300  
1062   ATLANTA FALCONS          +1300  
1063   CAROLINA PANTHERS          +600  
1064   CHICAGO BEARS          +1800  
1065   DALLAS COWBOYS          +450  
1066   DETROIT LIONS          +4000  
1067   GREEN BAY PACKERS          +1100  
1068   MINNESOTA VIKINGS          +1100  
1069   NEW ORLEANS SAINTS          +1100  
1070   NEW YORK GIANTS          +400  
1071   PHILADELPHIA EAGLES          +550  
1072   SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS          +1800  
1073   SEATTLE SEAHAWKS          +1800  
1074   ST. LOUIS RAMS          +4000  
1075   TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS          +1100  
1076   WASHINGTON REDSKINS          +1800