2011 AFC Futures Betting Preview

The beginning of the 2011 NFL season is just a handful of weeks away. So you have only a limited time to get your NFL future bets placed.

I really enjoy to bet and win NFL futures, and one of my personal favorite future bets to make is undoubtedly the divisional champs.
Mainly because of the odds and price of the wagers, I will not do this with all of the divisions; nonetheless, there are usually a handful of quality spots that present quality value.

While I do not see a good deal of value in betting the AFC North, I'm able to provide you with my own preview.

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AFC North Underdogs

Apart from the couple times in which the Cincinnati Bengals reached the playoffs, the AFC North has become a two team division. Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals are usually the teams on the outside looking in.

In 2011, nobody is giving the Bengals a chance in hell after allowing their start quarterback, Carson Palmer, to retire. This move on his own demonstrates how inept the Bengals' organization is.

Instead of attempting to acquire a single player of value to help jump start their rebuilding, they'd rather go along with first year Andy Dalton. They are already lacking Chad Ochocinco, who signed with the Patriots, and Terrell Owens, who's still a free agent but recuperating from off-season knee surgery.

I suppose you there is no sense have to maintain a top-level receiver if you are not going to have somebody in the position to pass them the ball. With this leadership in the front office, it's no wonder that Ochocinco was asking for a trade for a every season. With a terrible season around the corner, Just Bet has got the Bengals at +2300 to win the AFC North.

The other Ohio organization in the AFC North is at the very least looking to use last year as a stepping stone for improvement.

While they only went 5-11 last year (5-10-1 ATS), the Browns had a handful of key wins against the Saints and Patriots. Rookie quarterback Colt McCoy showed promise, and visited the still-retired Brett Favre this offseason for some tutelage. After all, he won a Super Bowl in now Brown’s president Mike Holmgren's West Coast Offense in Green Bay.

Despite the fact that there may be a little bit of value with the over seven regular season wins with a third place division schedule and the fact they play the Bengals two times and the putrid NFC West, I cannot see them surprising the AFC North this year as a +850 long-shots.

AFC North Favorites

It really has been becoming a frequent event for the Baltimore Ravens' to exit the playoffs at the hand of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though the Ravens are now substantially younger after releasing Derrick Mason, Todd Heap and Willis McGahee, you shouldn't refer to this as rebuilding.

Each player is replaced by way of a more youthful and more than capable player.

The Ravens traded for Lee Evans to replenish Mason’s void at wide receiver. Evans possesses quickness and brings yet another weapon for an offense that will see the Joe Flacco-Anquan Bold combination in their second year.

There is competition at the tight end spot with Either Ed Dickson or Dennis Pitta stepping in to fill the position that Heap has filled consistently just before growing to be injury prone since turning 30.

Replacing McGahee will be Ricky Williams. Neither McGahee or Williams ever really hit their envisioned NFL potential, yet, Williams has at the least gone to the Pro Bowl. If he yields equally as efficiently as McGahee, the Ravens will make out for the price they paid out for Ricky.

Depending on the sportsbook, the Ravens’ odds to with the AFC North is between +100 to +150. Because of these odds and the reality that they have a high probability to win, the Ravens should be the only pick to win the AFC North.

Even with releasing Antwaan Randle El, Max Starks and Flozell Adams, the Steelers are generally the same squad that represented the AFC North in the Super Bowl last season. As long as Troy Polamalu stays healthy, there is no rational reason that the Steelers can't repeat as AFC North champions.

With odds around -110 to -190 for the Steelers to win the AFC North, unless you have multiple sportsbook accounts where you can hedge your AFC North future bet, I refer to this as division a no-play in terms of betting NFL futures this year.