Week 1 part 1

by Bodog Sportsbook | Sep 11 2007

NFL analysts can look at numbers, free agent acquisitions and preseason performances as much as they want, but nobody knows what a team is capable of until they go 60 minutes during the regular season.

That’s why after Week 1, we’ve listed some of the trends that should help bettors for the rest of the season:

The Indianapolis Colts can play defense…

Call it an opening day fluke if you want, but the Colts’ defense looked impressive against New Orleans. They held the Saints’ offense, a top-five group in 2006, to just 187 yards passing and 106 yards rushing with no offensive touchdowns. Their speed and dominance in the run game was reminiscent of their play throughout their Super Bowl run last year.

The one way to keep the Colts from dominating is to run the ball and keep Peyton Manning and Co. off the field. However, if they continue to defend the running game like they did on Thursday, expect more blowouts and more covers against the spread for the rest of the season.

The Tennessee Titans are all about ball control…

Since 2006, the Titans have a league-leading 12-5 regular season ATS. And though you could give kudos to 2006 Rookie of the Year Vince Young for helping the Titans exceed expectations, most of the props should go to head coach Jeff Fisher for game management. In their 13-10 victory at Jacksonville in Week 1, they held the ball for over 36 minutes compared to 23:05 for the Jaguars. With a two-headed running attack and a running quarterback, the Titans are adept at managing games and keeping scores close. That should make them great underdog picks throughout the season.

The Carolina Panthers look ready for a Super Bowl run…

A lot of analysts picked them as Super Bowl contenders in 2005 and got burned. Then, they were positive the Panthers would be ready for a run in 2006 but got burned again. How about 2007?

After Week 1 it looks like they have the balance to make a real run at Super Bowl XLII. They were impressive on both sides of the ball versus the St. Louis Rams, forcing two fumbles from running back Steven Jackson on the way to a 27-13 victory. With eight of 15 games remaining versus teams with records below .500 in 2006, the Panthers could easily sneak into the playoffs, making them a profitable Super Bowl pick at 20/1.

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