At a combined 65 games under .500 and without a single team with a winning record against the number, this is the worst performing pointspread division in the league, a trend NFL betting aficionados will be watching closely again this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish with 2010 regular season records and pointspread results in parentheses:
ST. LOUIS RAMS (7-9 SU, 10-6 ATS, 6-10 O/U)
Head Coach: Steve Spagnuolo, first year, 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS.
Future Book Odds Profile: Super Bowl 40/1; NFC Championship 20/1; NFC West 13/8; Over/Under regular season wins 7 1/2.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 1998-2010)
SU:96-112
ATS: 96-110-2
HF:31-31-1
HD:20-21
AF:22-24-1
AD:23-34
Sportsbook Buster: The Rams are 23-34 as away underdogs over the past 13 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: St. Louis is 1-12 as a division home underdog of four or more points.
Bets and Pieces: The Rams are 11-0 ATS the week after they score 35 or more points.
Odds and Ends: St. Louis has covered four in a row versus Washington.
Worth a Wager: The Rams are 4-0 ATS the last four times they've faced Cincinnati.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-10 SU, 7-9 ATS, 8-7-1 O/U)
Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh, first year, 0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS.
Future Book Odds Profile: Super Bowl 50/1; NFC Championship 25/1; NFC West 2/1; Over/Under regular season wins 7 1/2.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 1998-2010)
SU:90-118
ATS: 90-108-10
HF:32-29-5
HD:18-19-0
AF:13-16-1
AD:27-44-5
Sportsbook Buster: Since 1998, the 49ers are just 27-44-5 ATS in the role of road underdogs.
Sports Betting Angle: San Francisco has covered seven of its last 10 at home versus St. Louis.
Bets and Pieces: The Niners have covered their last six visits to Arizona.
Odds and Ends: SF has covered eight of its last nine as a division road dog of nine or fewer points.
Worth a Wager: The 49ers have lost five straight ATS the week before playing Arizona.
ARIZONA CARDINALS (5-11 SU, 5-11 ATS, 10-6 O/U)
Head Coach: Ken Whisenhunt, fifth year, 36-34 SU, 36-33-1 ATS.
Future Book Odds Profile: Super Bowl 60/1; NFC Championship 30/1; NFC West 4/1; Over/Under regular season wins 6 1/2.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 1998-2010)
SU:82-126
ATS: 90-115-4
HF:21-28
HD:27-28
AF:6-8-1
AD:36-51-3
Sportsbook Buster: The Cardinals are 36-51-3 as road underdogs the last 13 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: Arizona is 1-9 as a non-division favorite of seven or more points.
Bets and Pieces: The Cards are 1-5-1 ATS the last seven weeks after playing St. Louis.
Odds and Ends: Arizona is 7-3 ATS its last 10 visits to St. Louis.
Worth a Wager: The Cardinals have covered four of their last home games versus Seattle.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-9 SU, 7-9 ATS, 10-5-1 O/U)
Head Coach:
Future Book Odds Profile: Super Bowl 80/1; NFC Championship 40/1; NFC West 5/1; Over/Under regular season wins 6 1/2.
By the Numbers (Regular Season, 1998-2010)
SU:104-104
ATS: 94-108-6
HF:39-34-1
HD:15-14-1
AF:13-20
AD:27-40-4
Sportsbook Buster: The Seahawks have been a risky proposition on the road, posting just a 40-60-4 record ATS the last 13 seasons.
Sports Betting Angle: Seattle is 8-1 ATS the last nine weeks before playing Arizona.
Bets and Pieces: The Seahawks are 10-1-1 ATS at home versus non-conference foes.
Odds and Ends: Seattle has covered six of its last eight meetings with Pittsburgh.
Worth a Wager: The Seahawks are 7-1 ATS their last eight games versus St. Louis.
Legend:
SU= Straight Up
ATS = Against the Spread
HF= Home Favorite
HD= Home Underdog
AF= Away Favorite
AD= Away Underdog
O/U = Over/Under
This is the last of an eight-part NFL 2011 preview series.
This article was written by Luken Karel for http://www.thegreek.com. The Greek Sportsbook & Casino is host to one of the top online sportsbooks offering college football betting and sports betting on NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and all other major sports. The Greek is a must have sports betting and entertainment portal with one of the largest wagering menus available online. Article reproductions must include a link pointing to http://www.thegreek.com
