Those two facts do not bode well for Raiders fans this season and until Davis gives up the ghost and stops calling plays from his luxury box and drafting players based solely on their 40 times this team will continue to be one of the laughing stocks of the NFL.

This weekend Raiders will play host to their cross-Bay rivals, the San Francisco Forty-Niners, a team that appears headed in an opposite and positive trajectory. Head Coach Mike Singletary appears to have this team headed in the right direction and recent infusion of talent should see this team competing earnestly for a playoff spot this season for the first time this century.

QB remains a sore spot for this team but it hopes that Alex Smith, with adequate blocking, WR talent and running a game, is finally in a position to succeed. Second-year WR Michael Crabtree will be looking to pick up where he left off after an impressive rookie campaign and Pro Bowl TE Vernon Davis should be TD machine across the middle.

On defense Singletary seems to have molded this defense in his own image and beast MLB Patrick Willis anchors a highly underrated unit. With the Cardinals in a downward spiral the NFC West is wide open and the Niners have to be among the favorites to claim the title.

For Oakland, there is little to be excited about. The team is very bad in almost all facets of the game and there isn’t a single starting caliber QB on the roster. There are few talented players like CB Nnamdi Asomugha, that can’t win a game by himself. Five wins would be a successful season for this squad.

Kickoff for this Saturday matchup is set for 9:05 Eastern Time and sbgglobal opened with the Raiders as a 1-point favorite with an over/under total at 36.

Expect the Niners first team to beat up on the Raiders starters and the scrubs to hold on for the win.

When the Texans play host to the Cowboys in Houston this weekend you can sure that every football fan in the Lone star State will be tuned in. Kickoff for this Saturday matchup is set for 8:05 Eastern Time and sbg sportsbook opened with the Texans as a 3-point favorite with an over/under total at 40.5.

For the entire existence of the Houston franchise this team has played second-fiddle to the Cowboys, and with reason. Every sport betting fan knows about the Cowboys illustrious collection of Super Bowl trophies and team like the Texans that yet to even make the playoffs can hardly compete with that kind of legacy.

But things are quietly changing and the upcoming betting NFL preseason battle should be a good litmus test for the Texans, at least in the first few quarters when starters battle starters.

Houston’s offense is lead by Matt Schaub the top passer in the NFL last season with 4,770 yards last season. His go-to guy down field is Andre Johnson, the leading receiver in the NFL last season (1,569 yards), who is arguably the best WR in the game and will no doubt create problems for a thin Cowboy secondary. The Texans’ running game is a constant question mark for this team and is point of concern heading into the regular season action.

On defense the Texans are also becoming a force with several pro bowlers on the roster and middle of the pack ranking after the 2009 season.

Still, the Cowboys remain the team to beat in Texas. This is a talented roster with a Pro Bowl QB in Tony Romo and a very talented roster. However, the Texans (9-7) just missed the playoff last season the Cowboys have some question marks of their own in their pass coverage unit at the receiver position.
The Texans should win at home in this dress rehearsal game but we won’t know who the real top team in Texas is until after the regular season ends.

Kickoff for this Friday matchup is set for 7:05 Eastern Time and sbg global opened with the Jets as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under total at 34.5. But it’s not just the betting NFL preseason odds that make this matchup so intriguing. It’s the teams themselves.

The Redskins are also looking to get the Super Bowl and for the first time since Mark Rypien was as the helm people are actually looking at this team as a serious contender. After trading for pro bowl QB Donovan McNabb this team has a quality player under center for the first time in decades and plenty of talent on both sides of the ball.

But there are also plenty of question marks for both teams. For the Jets the most worrisome element is its QB. Second-year man Mark Sanchez has been anything but consistent in his brief NFL career and his preseason performance has done little to inspire confidence. Fortunately the Jets have a terrific O-line and running game and there should be minimal pressure on Sanchez to do more than simply manage the offense. Still, if you’re a Jets fan you’d like to see some sort of development in this third preseason game.

These are two of the most talked about teams in sports betting and both have underdone plenty of changes in the offseason. The Jets for one have brought in several key pieces (WR Antonio Holmes, CB Antoine Rolle, DE Jason Taylor) which they believe will get them over the hump an into the Super Bowl. And they just might, as the Jets came within a game of getting to the big dance last year.

For the Skins, there are all kinds of worries surrounding the super talented and super egotistical DL Albert Haynesworth. He’s been a huge disruption for this team all preseason but he’s also a tremendous talent who can be a game changer. Look for the Jets to win at home in a low scoring affair.

This year no division in the NFL betting action better exemplifies that type of turn over and tight competition than the NFC West. This is division that has been owned by the Arizona Cardinals over the past two seasons but major offseason changes in division from top to bottom make this the most interesting football betting division in the NFL odds right now.

After finishing 10-6 last season and winning NFC West yet again this team suffered several major losses since the 2009 NFL betting season ended. First, future Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner retired and then the team traded away perennially unhappy, but super-talented Anquan Bolden. New QB Matt Leinart has already proven that he’s not capable of leading a team to NFL betting victory and the offense will suffer. Add to that the loss of pro bowl LB Karlos Dansby, the centerpiece of the Cards defense and this team will be lucky to finish at .500 in the football betting odds.

The Rams, coming off a 1-15 season, won the right to draft QB Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. He’s a great talent and a top NFL betting prospect but this team is in for another rotten season as he learns the ropes.

The two teams that should end up in a dog fight for the NFC West betting title are the San Francisco 49ers and the new look Seattle Seahawks.

Neither of these teams has done much the past few NFL betting seasons but this could be their chance to get back to the playoff betting action. The Niners are stout on defense, run the ball well and have plenty of talent now at the skill positions and the O-line. The team also has its best quarterback in about a decade with David Carr under center and if he can perform at an average level then this team will win 10 games.

The Seahawks also restocked in the recent NFL betting draft and if they’re rookies play up to their potential and QB Matt Hasselbeck stays healthy this is also a 10 win team.

The Oakland Raiders are an embarrassment to the league and its surprise that new Commissioner/God Roger Goddell has stepped in to hand a suspension to crazed owner Al Davis. The Chiefs are one of the teams that will finish with a record lower than the Raiders, in the football odds standings. The Broncos got very lucky during the first-year of man-child head coach Josh McDaniel, but without Brandon Marshall involved in this offense this is a 6 win team at best.

The only exception to this across the board mediocrity is the San Diego Chargers one of the winningest franchises in the NFL betting action over the past five years. Sure, this team has failed to win a Super Bowl despite being richly talented and there are the constant cries from disgruntled Bolts fans that Norv Turner has squandered the team’s talent which is a very valid point.

Still, this team no team has dominated the AFC West like the Bolts and barring an injury to QB Phil Rivers or some other act of nature the Bolts should beat up on their weakling division rivals again during the 2010 football betting season.

The Chargers finished 2009 with a 13-3 record and should be even better this season. Rivers is one of the top five QBs in the NFL betting and his huge WRs should be even better this year with another year of experience under their belt. The offense will also have a huge upgrade at RB with the addition of 1st round pick Ryan Mathews. If the offense can dominate the clock as it did in years past when LT was in top form this is a very dangerous team.

The defense is the biggest weak spot for the Chargers as it gave up 326.9 ypg in 2009. The pass defense was decent giving up just 209 ypg in the air but the run defense ranked in the bottom half of the league (117.6 ypg). The run defense will still be spotty and the pass coverage will take a hit with the departure of one of its top cover CBs but with pass rush specialist Shawn Merriman playing in a contract year hopes are that the team will be able to generate some sort of pass rush and take the pressure off the secondary.

But any way you look at it, the Chargers will once again dominate the doormat AFC West.

The Falcons opened as 3-point favorites at SBGGlobal.com Sportsbook with an over under of 34.5.

Kansas City finished just 4-12 straight up and 7-9 against the spread last year in rookie Coach Todd Haley’s debut season but that can be written off to it being a massive transition campaign in year one of the Scott Pioli era. Pioli took over as the Chiefs general manager and cleaned house with a new coaching staff and revamped roster.

Part of the changes in Kansas City came with quarterback Matt Cassel, who arrived with much fanfare after a successful 2008 season in which he almost led the New England Patriots to the playoffs subbing for injured Tom Brady. Cassel also had a rough debut in KC with the thin roster but Charlie Weiss has arrived from Notre Dame to coordinate the offense. Weiss and Cassel share New England ties and Haley wanted to give up control of the offense for a bigger picture view of the team.

Another ex-Patriot from New England, Romeo Crennel, arrives to coordinate the defense. Along with special team’s coordinator Steve Hoffman, the Chiefs have a staff that has a combined 13 Super Bowl appearances.

Haley is “very comfortable” with his new staff that he says is more in sync with him. They will use the preseason games to work out the kinks of their new systems on both sides of the line. KC’s backup quarterbacks Brodie Croyle and Tyler Palko will get plenty of reps in preseason.

The Atlanta Falcons are coming off the first ever back-to-back winning seasons in the history of the franchise, which began in 1966. They were 9-7 straight up and an even better 11-5 against the spread.

The offense is led by quarterback Matt Ryan, who is firmly established as the starter and will see limited preseason action as a result. Chris Redman and John Parker Wilson will take most of the exhibition snaps.

Although he should see limited action in the preseason opener, Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez will likely get a series or two against his former team where he was a pro bowl regular and pillar of the franchise.

The big preseason news in Atlanta is the renovated defensive lineup that came with a cost of a whopping $75 million. Coordinator Brian VanGorder will spend exhibition games getting the unit in sync.

“When you get new players, whether it’s through free agency or whether it’s through the draft, there is a process that you go through,” said VanGorder. Number one draft pick Sean Weatherspoon out of Missouri will be a key component of the unit.

Carolina finished 8-8 straight up last year while going 9-7 against the spread as 10 of their games went under the total.

The respectable finish covers up the fact that Carolina fell flat on its face out of the gate in 2009 as they lost their first three games straight up and failed to cover their first four games against the spread. The Panthers finally cut ties with long time quarterback Jake Delhomme after he had a disastrous season that ended up with him losing his job to Matt Moore. It was one of many changes that have been made as Carolina tries to get back on track.

The new look Panthers open the preseason on Thursday at Baltimore against the Ravens. SBG Global.com Sportsbook opened with Baltimore as a 3-point favorite with a total at 34. ESPN will televise the game with an 8:05 Eastern kickoff time.

Moore is now the clear cut starter and does have some weapons starting with running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, who became the first tandem in NFL history to each run for over 1100 yards.

“I just try and be myself,” said Moore, who had 8 touchdown passes last year with just 2 interceptions. “I think that is the approach I always try to take.”

Head coach John Fox likes the progression he has seen from Moore.

“I think it’s kind of a natural progression,” Fox said. “All of a sudden you’re the starting quarterback, and with that the come responsibility. He’s got those abilities. He has those intangibles.”

Carolina’s defense was a mixed bag last year as it finished 8th overall for total yards allowed and 9th for points permitted. The pass defense was strong as it ranked 4th in the NFL but the rush defense was weak as it was 22nd for in the league for yards permitted and that caused the Panthers to remake the front wall as 3 starters are gone, including star Julius Peppers.

Fox is on the final year of his contract as well as the hot seat after the steep drop last year from 2008 when the Panthers were the top seed in the NFC. That makes the rebuilding season of 2010 more of a high stakes gamble as Fox won’t survive another year that ends without the playoffs.

SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the New England Patriots as a 1.5-point home favorite over the New Orleans Saints with an over/under number of 36.

This matchup will draw considerable interest from gamblers and fans as it could very well be a preview of the Super Bowl in February at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The Saints finished last year at 13-3 straight up and 8-8 against the spread with 9 games going under the total. New Orleans prolific offense was the best in the NFL for yardage and points.

Their defense still needs work as it ranked 25th in yards allowed, 26th against the pass, 21st against the rush, and 20th for points permitted. The Saints have gone 8-5 against the spread in preseason action the past 3 years including 3-1 against the board in 2009.

The New England Patriots won the AFC East Division with a record last year of 10-6 straight up and 7-7-2 against the spread with just 5 of their games going over the total.

New England was ranked 3rd in the NFL for total yards on offense, as well as 3rd in passing. The running game needs work, however, as they were ranked 12th for rushing yards. New England’s offense ranked 6th overall for scoring.

The defense slipped somewhat last year as it ranked 11th overall for yards allowed, 12th against the pass, 13th against the rush, but 5th in points permitted. The Patriots will be working new players into the lineup and will be making a lot of adjustments in preseason to tighten up and improve the defense.

New England has gone 4-8 against the spread in exhibition action over the past 3 seasons although they were 3-1 last year.

The Patriots have been working a lot of different combinations in their young and revamped defensive backfield and will have a good battle brewing for the starting tight end position.

The Saints will be working on the mental aspect of being the defending Super Bowl champion and on becoming only the 9th team in NFL Betting history to repeat in that role.

“You hear some of the recurring themes that it starts from within, the challenge of staying hungry,” said New Orleans coach Sean Payton. “Having that same hunger and paying attention to detail.”

This year probably won’t be much different in that regard as this team has plenty of weaknesses and only a few strengths. Almost every NFL betting guru is already picking this team to finish last in the AFC East, again. Granted, the Bills play in one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL odds with the Pats, Dolphins and Jets all expected to contend for a spot in the playoffs this year, but the Bills wouldn’t be competitive in any division.

The biggest problem for the Bills this season is the same as it’s been over the past decade: poor QB play. Trent Edwards looked like he had the makings of being a solid starting QB in the NFL betting action but after a rotten season last year, despite having an adequate O-line, good running game and superior WRs; he was a disappointment as the Bills finished 6-10. Granted he only played in 8 games last season so it’s very difficult to make a judgment on such a small sample size but he was only pace to pass for 2300 yards and had a TD/INT ratio of 6/7.

This year will be his year to either prove he’s the QB that this team needs to win in the NFL betting or he’ll likely go by the wayside. The only problem is the Bills don’t really have anyone else to play QB. It’s hoped that Brian Brohm might develop into a starter but Buffalo does not have a favorable history when it comes to such things.

One bright spot for the team’s offense is rookie CJ Spiller. He’s never played a down of football in the NFL odds action but he has the potential to be a major game breaker with his speed and all around talent.

On defense the team is switching it a 2-4 under new head coach Chan Gailey and the results are far from guaranteed. Anyway you look at it appears that 2010 will be but one more year of disappointment for the Bills fans.

But one team that is conspicuously absent from this list and that better NFL betting record than almost all those teams is the San Diego Chargers. On paper, the Chargers have everything they need to be an NFL betting success but no team in the NFL odds competition has done more to acquire the label of ‘underachiever’ than this Bolts squad.

The offensive unit is a fantasy football dream come true with the likes of Pro Bowl QB Phil Rivers, former NFL MVP LaDanian Tomlinson and All Pros Vincent Jackson at WR and Antonio Gates at TE. But despite all the talent on the offensive side the defense has always been a step behind and no matter how hard they tried this team simply couldn’t win the big game when they needed to and despite reaching the NFL betting playoffs almost every year, the team has yet to play in the Super Bowl in the New Millennium.

But the Chargers and their NFL betting fans are hoping that might all change this season. Rivers is back and better than ever. LT is gone and in his place is rookie RB Ryan Mathews. Jackson will also be returning and looking to build on his recent success in the football betting action.

But for the Chargers the NFL betting song remains the same just a different verse as the team will enter the season with plenty of question marks on defense.

Former All Pro Shawn Merriman is nowhere near the player he once was and no longer dominates. And unfortunately for the Chargers they’ll be unlikely to get anything of trade value for him before his contract expires. There aren’t many other stars on this side of the ball and in all the years that Rivers has been producing outstanding stats against the NFL betting opponents and hanging up TD after TD this unit has been a constant liability. That’s not likely to change in the 2010 NFL odds action either.