Minnesota’s newest quarterback played only briefly last week and reports are he will see considerable action on this televised contest. The worldwide leader in sports newest NFL reporter Adam Shefter has reported there is a “schism” in the Vikings locker room concerning what teammates think about the veteran quarterback, compared to those already on hand. Upon further review, those close to the team have found this not to be the case, with a few dissenting voices, but hardly the next Civil War to start in Minnesota.

The Vikings have won and covered both their preseason encounters and will have to settle on a backup quarterback. Sage Rosenfels missed last week with an ankle and Tarvaris Jackson, thought to be the goner when the Wrangler jeans pitchman was signed, took full advantage of the situation, completing 12 of 15 passes against Kansas City for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sportsbook.com has the Vikings as three-point road underdogs, with a total of 38.5.

Houston hasn’t had the drama seen in the Twin Cities, but there was a many long face after the Texans were blasted by 38-14 by New Orleans as three-point home favorites last week. The Houston defense was scorched for 420 yards by the Saints and some members of the defensive line are on the firing line. In particular, starting defensive tackle Amobi Okoye has come under scrutiny. Now in his third season, the Nigerian hasn’t progressed as some would like to see for the 10th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. A solid game against a good Minnesota offensive line would help quell dissatisfaction.

Quarterback Matt Schaub leads what should be a potent Houston attack, with numerous weapons like Andre Johnson, Steve Slaton, Owen Daniels and Kevin Walter. The Texans are 6-4 and 4-3-3 ATS playing at home in August football since 2004 and have covered their last three Week 3 assignments.

Minnesota is 24-13-1 ATS in their last 38 underdog roles and 16-5 ATS when they score 22 to 28 points in the preseason. From a situational perspective, the Vikings could be in a hole, since they are 0-7 ATS on the road versus an opponent coming off a double-digit loss..

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Manager Bruce Boche has the pitching aligned exactly how he wants it to give San Francisco its best chance of winning. In order, it’s Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito and Matt Cain, this at least sounds daunting for Colorado. Lincecum (12-4, 2.43 ERA) lost last Sunday at Colorado 4-2, giving up room service pitch for home run and walking a season high five batters. Last year’s Cy Young winner is 4-0 with a sterling 1.36 ERA at AT&T Park in his last six outings and the Giants are 8-3 when the right-hander is pitching on four days rest.

Colorado (72-56, +12.6 units) has too quickly put behind the disappointment of losing series to front-running Los Angeles and refocus on the task at hand. The Rockies are 17-9 in August road games the last couple of years and have what they believe is the right pitcher to combat Lincecum in Ubaldo Jimenez (12-9, 3.36).  The righthander has pitched a minimum of eight innings in four of his last five starts, not allowing more than two runs and winning each game. He relishes the challenge of facing “The Freak”.

“I love challenges,” Jimenez said. “I’m positive when I have a challenge. I can’t wait to be in that position. Hopefully, everything’s going to be OK this time.” Jimenez has made nine straight starts allowing three or fewer runs and Colorado is 21-6 on the road against a right-hand starter.

Sportsbook.com has the Giants as -125 money line favorites, with the total Un6.5. San Fran is 8-2 when Lincecum pitches as a favorite and has won 41 of last 58 in favorite role. The Rockies have won just one of last seven as an underdog and are 7-20 when Jimenez is pitching as road dog and 1-5 if the opponent has winning record.

Game 1 Edge: San Francisco

San Francisco knew coming into the season, they would have to build this team around pitching and defense and the front office has been prophetic. The Giants are 14th in the National League scoring runs, a paltry four runs per game. Nobody knows this better than Barry Zito (8-11, 4.09). Though Zito has been criticized and dismissed as a non-talent more than Heidi Montag, this season Zito has looked like the pitcher the Giants spent 126 million for several seasons ago. In his last eight starts, the lefty has ERA of 2.08, yet is just 3-2, as he has received the poorest run support in the NL at just under three runs a game. Zito made a decision to stop worrying about avoiding bats and instead has gone after hitters, which has paid dividends for a pitcher needing confidence. The Giants have won five of his last six starts at home.

Colorado counters with Jason Marquis (14-8, 3.47), making this a rematch from Monday, when neither starting pitcher figured in decision. Marquis has ended being a key acquisition for the Rockies, pitching well when they were still trying to settle in and rock solid once they turned the corner playing outstanding baseball. Colorado comes into the series 52-25 in last 77 outings and they are 8-2 when Marquis faces a club with winning record.

Game 2 Edge: Colorado

As if things aren’t hard enough for San Fran, the status of their top two hitters Pablo Sandoval and Bengie Molina is day to day for this series. The Giants could certainly use them for the final game of the series, which is an afternoon affair. San Francisco is 24-19 playing matinees and will have Matt Cain (12-4, 2.39) taking the ball. It’s easy to be judgmental and see Cain hasn’t won a game since July 24, yet he has a 2.72 ERA in that span and allowed 36 hits in 46 1/3 innings, with a 4-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. The Giants are raising cane on opponents at home when Cain pitches with 11-2 record and they are 13-4 when favored. The Rockies will use Jason Hammel (8-7, 4.43) who pitches dramatically better away from Coors Field. Hammel is 6-4 on the road with 2.88 ERA, thought the team is .500 (6-6). Colorado is 25-18 in day ball and un-Rockies like 36-30 coming into the series on the road.

Game 3 Edge: San Francisco

Had my four series winning streak snapped last week, however feel good about this week’s selection. As good as Colorado has been since Jim Tracy took over as skipper, San Francisco could have just as easily won three of four last week in Denver. Sporting a National League-best 41-21 home record, the Giants are the play this weekend to close the gap in wild card race.

Sportsbook.com series odds:  Colorado +120, San Francisco -150

Green Bay at Arizona

The Cardinals are 3.5-point favorites at Sportsbook.com and need to start building confidence for the upcoming season. Arizona ALMOST won the Super Bowl, yet the fact remains they were 9-7 in the regular season in 2008 and were not considered an elite team when the playoffs began. In this contest, Warner and the first team offense want to put up points and will face Green Bay’s new 3-4 defensive scheme, which features a great deal of blitzing. This could mean check downs to Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, along with some long passes facing one on one coverage.

The Packers have rebuilt their offensive line and though talk out of Green Bay is coach Mike McCarthy is satisfied with their progress, the Cards generated four sacks last week. Aaron Rodgers and the first team offense have been crisp. Last week the Pack built 24-0 halftime lead over Buffalo before cruising to 31-21 triumph. However, this is first road game which will alter dynamics. Arizona has thrived in this situation with a 6-0 ATS record in Week 3 and is 9-0 against the number if off a SU loss and opponent is off double digit win.

Tim Hightower has been outstanding for Arizona, nevertheless, they didn’t pay top draft pick Beanie Wells to sit on the sidelines and be injured. Watch the total in this contest, which presently is 41 points. The Redbirds are 10-2 OVER after scoring seven points or less in the first half in two straight games and Green Bay is 8-1 OVER when playing with six or less days rest.

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Defense may win championships, however the list of best defensive teams changes more frequently than offense. We rightly assume Pittsburgh and Baltimore are always in the mix and these two teams are the favorites in this prop category, with the Steelers +250 and the Ravens +400. Though both should be looked at strongly, teams can pop up unexpectedly, with no prior warning. The Oakland Raiders were 27^th in total defense in 2005 and shot all the way to third in 2006, only to return to 22^nd in 2007.

The NFC East had four of the Top 8 defenses in 2008 and all four squads are listed in the Top 11 wagers, ranging from +600 for the New York Giants to +1500 for Dallas and Washington. One team to keep an eye on at +1000 is Minnesota. The Vikings have finished in the Top 8 of total defense in two of the last three years and they have a quarterback in Brett Favre who can move the chains and possess the pigskin. Plus, Minnesota has the second easiest schedule coming into the season which could enhance their chances.

The top offenses tend to be more stable for one main reason, the quarterback position. If a team has a top flight signal caller, they have to have a good offensive line to protect him and the front office realizes they have to supply him with weapons to maximize potential.

With Tom Brady back, most would expect New England to approach the numbers they reached in 2007, when they led the NFL in points scored (NFL record) and total offense. The Patriots were fifth in yards gained last season with a quarterback (Matt Cassell) only a select few had ever heard of. New England is a justifiable +300 with a healthy Brady.

New Orleans is prolific in moving the ball with Drew Brees at quarterback and Sean Payton designing the offense. Payton understands Brees’ strengths and plays to them and the former Purdue QB is accurate passer both in the long and short game. The Saints led the NFL in most yards gained a season ago and are co-favorites with the Pats at +300.

Green Bay has been an unwonted offensive team since Brett Favre first played for the Green and Gold and Aaron Rodgers has learned his lessons well based on last year’s performance. The Packers are +600 to be top offense and have the third easiest slate in 2009.

Arizona, Philadelphia, Dallas and Houston can all move the ball with aplomb and have to be contenders. San Diego could be absorbing long shot at +2000 with Philip Rivers now in control of team and relatively favorable schedule once they get past Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the first four games.

There are also other fun NFL props to consider, like most individual player sacks and who will be the leading scoring kicker. Log on now to Sportsbook.com to check out these props and much more.

In many ways it’s a no-lose decision, since top draft choice Mark Sanchez will be under center as the starting quarterback in New York eventually. Sanchez is battling with holdover Kellen Clemens and the former USC Trojan will take the field first when the Jets have the ball on Monday.

New York lost at home to St. Louis 23-20 as four-point favorites and arrives in Baltimore in a favorable spot. The Jets are three-point underdogs at Sportsbook.com and underdogs (or Pick) off an upset loss as a favorite are 29-9 ATS this week of the preseason.

Sanchez, Clemens and Erik Anige will go against what has been one the best defenses of this decade in the Ravens. Linebacker Ray Lewis may no longer have the speed and quickness of a few seasons ago, yet he spearheads a fearsome bunch that enjoys hitting whatever moves in opposing uniforms. The defense befuddled Washington last week, holding them to 196 total yards and kept them from registering any points.

Offensively, second year signal caller Joe Flacco was efficient 9-of-15 for 103 yards in two series and will see greater action this week. Troy Smith will follow Flacco after throwing for 200 yards last week, part of the 500 yards the Ravens totaled. With John Beck out with shoulder injury, Baltimore signed Cleo Lemon this week, since he is familiar with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s system, having played in Miami when Cameron was there. With last week’s shutout win, Baltimore is 4-5 ATS at home the last five years in the preseason.

Sportsbook.com has the total set at 32.5 which would appear to favor New York who is 11-1 ATS in a road game where the total is 35 or less. The low figure could also attract the attention of totals players, with the Ravens 22-10 UNDER as a favorite and 11-2 UNDER as a home favorite of three points or less.

Kickoff is set for 8 Eastern on ESPN with New York 6-2 SU and ATS in its last eight preseason games as the visitor.

Football Betting Returns Thursday

Sportsbook.com is ready as the second week of the NFL Preseason gets underway with a pair of contests involving mostly elite teams. The headliner will be Philadelphia at Indianapolis, which is a Fox Sports telecast, with New England hosting Cincinnati in the other game.

This is often a solid wagering week, as coaches start to really formulate what kind of squad they will put together. Teams coming off losing efforts typically want to rebound, while clubs that won might be inclined to let up a bit and don’t give their best efforts.

The Eagles are one such team that is tastier than a Philly cheesesteak in Week 2 of the preseason. Coach Andy Reid is in his 11^th season in the City of Brotherly Love and doesn’t place much stock in August football. This is preparation time and his goal is to put together the most talented roster he can, with hopes of winning the NFC East and returning to Super Bowl.

In the first game, Reid is reviewing as many players as possible and winning is an afterthought as six consecutive losses (0-6 ATS) prove. However, Reid isn’t foolish and has picked his spots, just like the man he worked under, Mike Holmgren did at Green Bay and Seattle. Reid has shown proclivity of wanting to win off first preseason loss and the Eagles are 7-3, with outstanding 9-0-1 ATS record this week, which includes 5-0 SU and ATS run since 2004.

Indianapolis is an established power in the AFC, yet having a new head coach does bring change. The Colts are notoriously a poor preseason team, with a 3-16 record and 5-13-1 ATS mark since 2005. Among the questions about Indianapolis: would new coach Jim Caldwell run a different camp than his predecessor Tony Dungy or would preparing for the regular season still be tantamount? The early answer suggests more of the same, with the Colts totaling a dismal 142 yards of offense last week in 13-3 loss to Minnesota. Without Jim Sorgi as backup quarterback, the fall is precipitous after Peyton Manning, with Curtis Painter and Chris Crane.

Sportsbook.com odds-makers know these facts and have established Philadelphia as three-point road favorites with a total of 36. Indianapolis is just 1-8 on home turf with 1-7-1 ATS mark; however, they are 11-2 ATS after a loss by 10 or more points. The action starts at 8 Eastern and Michael Vick is not expected to even make the trip for Philly, making it less of a story this week.

Thirty minutes earlier in the New England area, the Patriots welcome the Bengals. Tom Brady will look to continue his recovery process, this time in front of the home folks. The former Michigan man was 10 of 15 for 100 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while showing little rust. He’ll be matched against a Cincinnati defense not known for stopping the run or the pass.

The line on this encounter has moved significantly, with Cincy signal caller Carson Palmer unlikely to see the field after suffering a moderate high ankle sprain in 17-7 loss to New Orleans. New England opened as 4.5-point favorite and the swiftly moved to a to -7. The injury means extensive playing time for backups J.T. O’Sullivan and Carson’s brother Jordan Palmer.

New England is 21-13 ATS as preseason chalk and they are 10-2 against the spread at home after one or more consecutive straight up wins under Bill Belichick. For underdog players, the most encouraging news is the Pats fit a negative system that states to play against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points in conference games, off a road win. Teams in this spot are 5-20 ATS, winning by 2.8 points per game.

Log on now to Sportsbook.com for all of your NFL Preseason wagering. And don’t forget to enter the NFL Opening Day Getaway promotion where you can turn your preseason bets into an all inclusive trip to NFL’s opening weekend in the city of your choice.

From whether or not he’ll start a regular season game at quarterback to his first pass attempt, first rushing attempt and more, there are a number of cash in on the much talked about quarterback this season.

Click here for the complete list of Michael Vick props.

Listed at -450 odds to not start a game, oddsmakers don’t like Vick’s chances of earning a starting role this season but a +275 bet on the former Atlanta Falcon QB to start a game could pay off.

While Vick is suspended for the first six games of the year, by the end of the season he could have worked his way into a starting role if current QB Donovan McNabb is injured or resting for the playoffs.

Plus, the Eagles could decide to start a game with Vick out of the Wildcat formation to see if they can catch their opponents off guard.

Another interesting bet is whether his first pass will be Complete (-155) or Incomplete/Interception (+125). Vick has never won any passing awards but a short dump off to Brian Westbrook on a screen or out of the Wildcat formation could easily cash this bet.

You can also bet on whether Vick’s first completion will be Over/Under 8.5 yards and whether his longest completion of the season will be Over/Under 33.5 yards.

Known for his running ability, oddmakers have set the total yards on his first rushing attempt at Over/Under 5.5 yards and the total of his longest rush at Over/Under 25.5 yards.

Click here to bet on these props and more at Sportsbook.com.

Log on now to Sportsbook.com to check out the latest odds on all of the weekend’s games.

Washington at Baltimore (-3, 31), 7:30 PM ET

The Ravens boast high hopes for this season after reaching the AFC title game a year ago. That success figures to hinge on the continued development of QB Joe Flacco. They have gone just 1-3 ATS in each of the last two preseasons, the latest under HC John Harbaugh, and have enjoyed just one winning pointspread mark this decade in exhibition games. The Redskins meanwhile, need to come up big if they hope to make the postseason out of the tough NFC East Division. They figure to be without RB Clinton Portis tonight. Washington has been up & down when it comes to preseason success, and comes off a 2-3 ATS mark in ’08, the first year under HC Jim Zorn.

The top trend available for this game finds BALTIMORE is 10-2 UNDER (+7.8 Units) as a home favorite of 3 points or less since 1993.

QB Rotations:

Baltimore – Joe Flacco, Troy Smith, John Beck

Washington – Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Colt Brennan, Chase Daniel

StatFox Steve’s Take: Jim Zorn has something to prove this year for Washington, and I think it will show tonight. Take the ‘skins and/or the UNDER.

New England at Philadelphia (-3.5, 35), 7:30 PM ET

Of course, the big story is Tom Brady returning for the Patriots from his major knee injury last September. By all accounts read, Brady figures to see at least a series of playing time here. New England’s overall goals are for postseason success, but I’m sure HC Bill Belichick will be looking for a better performance than last preseason, when his team went 0-4 ATS. The Eagles also boast high hopes for the coming season and will be putting some new offensive rookies in the rotation starting tonight.

The top trend available for this game finds Andy Reid as 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in preseason home games against AFC East division opponents as the coach of PHILADELPHIA.

QB Rotations:

New England – Tom Brady, Kevin O’Connell, Matt Gutierrez, Brian Hoyer

Philadelphia – Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, A.J. Feeley

StatFox Steve’s Take: I believe the Eagles have better depth at quarterback than the Patriots, especially since Brady will only see limited time. Laying 3-1/2 points is not a good idea in the preseason though.

Arizona at Pittsburgh (-3, 34), 8:00 PM ET

ESPN brings the “Super Bowl Rematch” live to your living room this evening, and obviously, the stakes won’t be quite as high as they were back in February. In fact, if history serves, the Steelers’ interest would figure to be minimal. HC Mike Tomlin does own a 7-2 SU & 4-5 ATS record in the preseason with Pittsburgh though, and it would be a real surprise if his club just laid down in this one. Of course, it’s been another busy offseason for QB Ben Roethlisberger, who had to deal with legal troubles stemming from the incident at Harrah’s in Reno. The Cardinals have had their own personnel issues, namely the ongoing contract squabble with WR Anquan Boldin. The Cards are just 2-6 SU & 3-5 ATS in exhibition games under HC Ken Whisenhunt.

The top trend available for this game finds PITTSBURGH as 6-3 ATS (+2.7 Units) in its L9 preseason home games as a favorite of 3-points or less.

QB Rotations:

Arizona – Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Brian St. Pierre, Tyler Palko

Pittsburgh – Ben Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch, Dennis Dixon, Mike Reilly

StatFox Steve’s Take: I believe the Cardinals will be the more motivated team in this game because of the loss in the Super Bowl. They also have the better QB rotation for preseason purposes. Take the 3-points.

Dallas at Oakland (-1, 34.5), 10:00 PM ET

For most of their years of success in the 90’s, the Cowboys were always one of the worst bets in the NFL when it came to preseason football. However, over the last four years, they have amassed a record of 10-4 ATS, as HC Wade Phillips has emphasized winning and building on success early. Unfortunately, it could be surmised that this has hurt Dallas’ postseason chances, as it seems they run out of gas in December. Well, the first test for the T.O.-less Cowboys is in Oakland, where they opened as a 1-1/2 point favorite but now find themselves as the dog. The Raiders are hoping for improvement in a questionable AFC West Division this season, but need QB Jamarcus Russell to make huge strides in this, his third year as a pro. So far, the showings in training camp have not been favorable. Oakland will be without backup QB Jeff Garcia tonight, injured with a strained calf.

The top trend available for this game finds DALLAS as 5-19 ATS (-15.9 Units) in the first two weeks of the pre-season since 1993.

QB Rotations:

Dallas – Tony Romo, John Kitna, Stephen McGee, Rudy Carpenter

Oakland – Jamarcus Russell, Charlie Frye, Bruce Gradkowski

StatFox Steve’s Take: In another piece I did in getting ready for this first week of the preseason, I discovered that when lines move 2-points or more in this week, the public loses more often than not. I’ll therefore look at the Cowboys +1 closely in this game.

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Maybe for the first time this season the Dodgers look vulnerable. No other team takes greater pleasure in the NL West leaders’ slump than the Giants, who look to send L.A. to a season high-tying fourth straight defeat – and 11th in the last 16 games.

Los Angeles (67-45) pulled into first place in the NL West on April 15, and the Dodgers have had a stranglehold on the division lead ever since. Though that lead is in no imminent danger, Los Angeles no longer looks like a lock to repeat as division champion after dropping 10 of its last 15.

“We’re not playing our best baseball, but every team goes through stretches like this. We’re a little tired of losing, but good teams bounce back – and I consider our team a good team. … It was a tough series for us, but we’ll bounce back.” catcher Russell Martin said after Sunday’s 8-2 home loss to Atlanta, the team’s third straight defeat.

The Dodgers won their first three meetings with the Giants but have dropped four of six. They lost two of three in their first trip to AT&T Park from April 27-29.

The Giants didn’t take full advantage of the Dodgers’ struggles over the weekend, dropping two of three at home against lowly Cincinnati for their third series loss at AT&T Park. San Francisco, which is an NL-best 38-18 at home, had won its previous six series there.

Jonathan Sanchez (5-9, 4.49 ERA) will start for the Giants. The left-hander has posted a 1.42 ERA while winning back-to-back starts for the first time this season. He held Houston to four hits while striking out eight in seven scoreless innings of an 8-1 victory Tuesday.

Sanchez is 4-1 with a 3.26 ERA in nine games at AT&T Park, where he pitched the majors’ first no-hitter of the season July 10. He’s 0-2 with a 5.02 ERA in eight games – five starts – against the Dodgers.

Los Angeles will counter with Hiroki Kuroda (4-5, 4.44), who is 0-1 with a 4.79 ERA in four starts against San Francisco, all last year.

In terms of key handicapping information in this game, San Francisco boasts edges in all of the star rated StatFox FoxSheets’ sections, namely the Power Trends and Super Situations, including the only tidbit with a 3* or better rating:

• SAN FRANCISCO is 19-6 (+14.8 Units) against the money line vs. a starting pitcher with good control (less than 1.75 BB’s/start) this season. The average score was SAN FRANCISCO 5.4, OPPONENT 3.1 – (Rating = 3*)

However, all of the raw strength indicators show the Dodgers winning, including the Game Estimator, which projects a 5.1-3.7 score. That margin is wide enough to generate a Green Star indicator on Los Angeles, meaning there is value on them against the Money Line.

Los Angeles begins a 6-game road trip with Monday’s contest and sports a 31-23 record away from Chavez Ravine in 2009. Among the impressive stats the Dodgers boast on the road, they are outhitting opponents .282 to .233.

Log on to Sportsbook.com now to check out all the odds for Monday’s MLB schedule. With Daily Dime Lines, the Walk-Off Wednesday promo and Daily Money Back Specials; it is no wonder why baseball bettors are having their most profitable season in years at Sportsbook.com.

Sportsbook.com opened a slew of NFL Futures this past week and will open up even more next week. Who do you think will lead the NFL in passing, rushing or receiving this season?

We spoke with our good friends at Statfox to get their thoughts; here is how it went:

What NFL quarterback is best bet to throw for most yards?

Statfox: Drew Brees led this category in 2008 and is favored again at +250. It’s hard to go away from Brees since his coach Sean Payton is essentially the new Mike Martz. Payton loves to throw the ball and has excellent understanding of Brees’ strengths and weakness. This is helped by Brees believing in Payton and digesting the offense smartly and playing within his own capabilities. Let’s not forget, the former Purdue QB threw for over 5,000 yards (last season) and that was with Marques Colston and Reggie Bush out for long periods. Brees is not a lock to win this wager, as he is coming off career numbers and faces tougher opposition in 2009.

Tom Brady (+450) will be on a mission after last season. Our Boston contacts tell me he is on-target and even more focused, realizing football is a privilege. Don’t expect Brady to play like he did the first half of 2007, nobody ever had before him. There is definitely good value in Brady, especially considering he should only have three cold weather games (weeks 14-16).

What about the other contenders?

Statfox: Peyton Manning makes sense, but some reports coming out of Colts camp are disconcerning. Definitely a contender at +700, yet leery. Save your cash on Kurt Warner at +700. He’s been complaining about his hip giving him trouble and will see very little time in the preseason. The passing game has to have timing and though Warner is familiar with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Bolden, he suffers early which takes him out of the running. There is definitely value in both Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers at +1000. Green Bay has a rather soft early schedule and Rodgers could pad stats like his predecessor. The Packers O-Line is being rebuilt, but I like Rodgers’ ability to throw on the run and hit big plays. Rivers is actually my favorite choice, but Norv Turner wants better balance and running game could return to San Diego.

My choices in order are Brady, Rodgers and Brees.

Moving on to most rushing yards, who will lead the NFL?

Statfox: It’s hard to argue with those betting on Adrian Peterson (+200), despite the short odds, since he is the most explosive running back in the NFL. His jitterbug moves in the hole and ability to hit full stride in two steps separates him from the pack.

The best running back in the NFL in November and December (of last season) was DeAngelo Williams. For the year, Williams averaged 5.5 yards per carry and was over six the last two months. Why Peterson ranks over Williams is because the Carolina ball carrier will lose carries to Jonathan Stewart.

Matt Ryan will be throwing a lot more this season so don’t expect Michael Turner to lead the NFL in rushing attempts this season. At +500, there is better value out there we believe.

Do you have any other running backs that could sneak away with rushing title?

Statfox: If the offensive line was better, I’d take Steven Jackson right now. He’s second only to Peterson and is a home run threat, which piles up yards. Nevertheless, the new coaching staff in St. Louis leaves too many unanswered questions. If Frank Gore is a great long shot at +2500; however, durability is always and issue with the San Francisco back. This will be critical year for Gore’s future, as he averaged 5.4 yards per carry his first two years and 4.2 the last couple. Maurice Jones-Drew is another very good choice and is any conversation about “do-it-all” backs. You have to admire his 4.8 yards per carry and will be the featured back with Fred Taylor gone.

My choices in order are Peterson, Jones-Drew and Jackson.

I know you have little use for most of these players, but who leads in pass catching yards?

Statfox: This is the hardest bet of the three by far. Larry Fitzgerald is the odds-on choice at +500 and very difficult to make a case against him. At 26 (years old), he’s in his prime and has played enough to know what is expected. He took the quantum leap in the playoffs to be a super star and he has kept his mouth shut in spite of growing celebrity. This year should be the season he’s the best, but Warner’s potential health makes us cringe.

Steve Smith is next at +550, but does anyone really trust 34-year old Jake Delhomme after the way he played in second half? Not me. Andre Johnson was the yardage leader in 2008, having to play with different quarterbacks. What worries me about A.J. is if Matt Schaub goes down again to injury, Dan Orlovsky is the current backup. Reggie Wayne is listed at +700, nonetheless is not  a big play receiver, having the same number of 20+ yard catches as Wes Welker (13). That means too many catches to win the yardage title.

Well who do you like?

Statfox: I actually prefer a couple of longer shots. Nobody missed Brady more than Randy Moss. Not many 32-year old pass catchers are as multi-purpose as Moss, whose number dipped precipitously with Matt Cassell better at the short passing game. Moss’ focus should return being a bigger part of the passing game and definitely has enough in the gas tank for at least one more huge season.

You can’t help but notice Calvin Johnson, literally. He’s 6’5, a pound or two either way of 240 and is as fast as any elite pass receiver. On a team that didn’t win a game, Johnson was fifth in  NFL receiving yards and caught 12 TD’s. With a better supporting cast, a quarterback like rookie Matthew Stafford who can throw over the secondary, its not the worst bet you can make at +1000.

My choices in order are Moss, C. Johnson and Fitzgerald.

Log on now to Sportsbook.com to check out all of these odds and more. Don’t forget, NFL preseason starts this weekend, don’t miss out.