Football Line

Also known as a suicide pool, the survival pool works is one of the most enjoyable betting methods when it comes to betting upon the NFL. Not only does it make wagering more enjoyable, rather as a fan you get a huge rush from playing in a survival pool. In essence, a survival pool works as a pick'em league in that for each of the 17 weeks, you will pick one team each week to win straight up. If your team wins, you move on to the next week and choose an entirely separate team to win straight up. However if in one week your team loses, your season is done and you are no longer eligible for the grand cash prize at the end of the season.

This form of wagering is usually played amongst friends, which makes the competition that much more enjoyable. One key form of advice we can offer is to only play a survival pool amongst friends, as although various sites such as ESPN and Yahoo offer survival leagues, it is much safer to play amongst friends. As well, at least with friends you know that if you win your league you will receive the grand cash prize.

Another advice we can offer is to not stress about things, know that in a 17 week season, at least 17 teams will win, and your goal is to find at least one of those 17 and then move onto the next week. Taking each week one by one is extremely important, as stress will do nothing but cloud your judgment.

As noted earlier we advised to play amongst friends, however sometimes this is not possible and we understand that. If none of your friends are into football and you still want to participate in a survival pool, know that most leagues only require a simple five dollar investment and can lead to pay outs of over $1000.

Fans new to NFL betting, should look at each conference's history over the last decade prior to betting on a division winner. By doing so they will realize, that despite all the offseason changes by the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, the powerhouse New England Patriots are still the wisest bet for winning the AFC East division. As well fans will know that the safest bet for a division basement dweller will be the Buffalo Bills, as the team does not appear to have made many moves to differ their fortunes from last season.

Over the last decade there has been no team more dominant in the NFL then the patriots. The Pats have won three of four Super Bowl appearances they have been in and each of the last eight division titles. Going into the 2008 Super Bowl game against the New York Giants, the Patriots led by stars quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss, had won an astounding 18 games in a row. Unfortunately, the dream of a 19 win zero loss season was dashed by the Giants who won the game 17-14. Since then the team has struggled in the post season, but has still managed to win the AFC East on a regular basis. Now three years after having the perfect season slip away, the Patriots appear to be healthier and hungrier than ever before.

White the other three teams in the East, will be looking to build internal chemistry between new and old players alike, the Patriots remain as the same well oiled machine from a few years back. Essentially by being used to each other, the Patriots are the most obvious choice to repeat as division champions, and will look to win a fourth Super Bowl title this decade.

NFL betting players never expect much from Houston, and last year looked to be another tepid season for the Texans after two straight 8-8 seasons. The Texans were in danger of failing to reach .500 before a stunning end to the season, but can they carry that over to this upcoming campaign?

Six of their first seven losses came by eight points or less, and it was starting to wear on the Texans, but it all turned around with a 34-7 win at Seattle. They followed that with road wins at St. Louis and Miami before a shocking 34-27 win over New England at home to wrap up the season, but they still missed out on their first trip to the postseason with a 9-7 record. Still, it was an encouraging end to the season, especially with their talent on offense. Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson are one of the most explosive aerial duos in the league, while Brian Cushing improved the defense en route to winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

So can they do it against this year and finally make it to the postseason in their ninth season? We'd like to say yes, but they've had some stumbles in the offseason. Johnson had his little contract dispute, and although he reported to OTA, he didn't do it right away and we're wondering if that will cause a problem. Cushing will also miss the first four weeks of the season after he violated the substances rules, although he says it was only a fertility drug. The Texans aren't a stable enough franchise to overcome stuff like this, so stay away from their odds when you're betting online this season.