Nfl
football - Bears lead Super Bowl contenders
by: Betus.com
If you had the Chicago Bears
among your Super Bowl favorites at the start of
the season, raise your hand.
OK, seems like everybody
put his hand up. But really, people. The Bears
went into the 2006 campaign with a Wild Card-level
over/under of 9.5 regular-season victories. Yet
here they are at 7-0 straight up, 5-2 against
the spread and on top of the Super Bowl odds list
at +300. Looks like we need to do a little midseason
re-evaluation of the big faves on the futures
market.
The Bears did surprisingly
well last year to finish 11-5 SU and 9-5-2 ATS,
even with rookie Kyle Orton at quarterback for
almost the entire season. Rex Grossman came back
from his preseason ankle injury to play effectively
in the last month; however, many people were critical
of coach Lovie Smith for sticking with Grossman
as his starting pivot in 2006 instead of handing
the job to former Pro-Bowler Brian Griese.
Forget that. Grossman is
on the verge of elite status in the NFL; he’s
fourth in the league at the halfway mark with
13 touchdown passes, and his QB rating of 89.6
puts him in the same neighborhood as Drew Brees
and Eli Manning. So this is what Grossman can
do when he’s healthy. Combine his steady
hand on the tiller with one of the best defenses
and special teams units in the NFL, and you have
your brand new Super Bowl favorites. Did we mention
the Bears have the weakest schedule in the NFL
this year? The .445 winning percentage their opponents
posted in 2005 certainly doesn’t hurt Chicago’s
chances.
The Indianapolis Colts (+450)
are the only other undefeated team in the league
at 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS. But they’ve taken
a back seat to the Bears on the futures market
– as they should. Indy might have one of
the best quarterbacks of all-time in Peyton Manning,
but the Colts’ defense is ranked 28th out
of 32 teams, according to the advanced metrics
supplied by Football Outsiders. The run defense
is especially awful – 167.9 yards allowed
per game, the worst in the league.
Yet the Colts keep winning.
Manning leads the nation with an otherworldly
107.9 QB rating, throwing just two picks after
seven games. Rookie running back Joseph Addai
is proving to be more than just an adequate replacement
for Edgerrin James; even better, the tandem between
the shifty Addai and the powerful Dominic Rhodes
makes both players more valuable. That frees Manning
to do his thing. If only he could play both sides
of the ball.
Also getting short
Super Bowl odds are the New England Patriots (+600)
and the New York Giants (+950). The Giants are
compelling dark horses; their defense is starting
to perform to expectations, and the rest of the
tough NFC East is slipping. Could we see Eli Manning
defeat his older brother at the Super Bowl? The
mind boggles.
Posted on 11/3/2006 10:22:33
AM
Bears lead Super Bowl contenders
by Mark Rothstein
BetUS.com
(https://www.BetUS.com)
is one of the oldest and most respected legal
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and is licensed and bonded in two recognized
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