Written by :
Published on :
Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and even the Cleveland Browns has some value in 2011 – 2012.
Pittsburgh does have some injuries already heading into the upcoming season but the situation is not dire enough for oddsmakers to reduce their odds of winning the 2012 Super Bowl.
They had, in the opinion of Gambling911.com, excellent value in two betting categories.
The one downside we see, aside from the fact that they play in a division with the Baltimore Ravens, is the Rashard Mendenhall distractions. Most pundits believe Mendenhall will be a force on the field, nonetheless. He tied the team’s long-standing record for rushing touchdowns last season and went for over 1200 yards.
And then there is Troy Polamalu, who we anticipate will be back to full health.
Futures Betting Value Index:
Steelers odds to win the 2012 Super Bowl 8/1 – Excellent
Steelers odds to win the 2011 AFC North Division -145 – Fair
Steelers odds to win OVER 10.5 regular season games -125 – Excellent
Make no mistake about it, this division is a competition between the Steelers and Ravens (something we said a few seasons back and the Bengals managed to win).
The Ravens are actually long shots to win the 2012 Super Bowl at 20/1, however. Their odds in the division would pay slightly better than even at +130.
The defense and special teams for Baltimore will be solid for at least another year while Joe Flacco is fast becoming an elite quarterback. Last season, he managed to rack up 3,622 yards and 25 touchdowns. With co-stars like Anquan Boldin and Ray Rice, the Ravens offense should be on fire, complimenting one of the most feared defenses in the league.
What’s not to love about Baltimore?
Futures Betting Value Index:
Ravens odds to win the 2012 Super Bowl 20/1 - Excellent
Ravens odds to win the AFC North Division +130 – Fair
Ravens odds to win 10 regular season games -130 (previously 10.5 was the OVER/UNDER) - Excellent
The Browns are probably more likely to win the division than the Bengals should Pittsburgh and Baltimore somehow both run into injury problems. Cleveland has fair value at 9/1 odds. The Bengals are still poor at 25/1 odds.
Oddsmakers have the Browns at -129 winning OVER 6.5 regular season games. That price is a little high for us, however, making their value only fair and borderline poor.
The Bengals round out the division with odds of 25/1 to win it. Winning UNDER 5.5 regular season games would pay out $115 for every $100 bet. We wouldn’t touch the Bengals when it comes to futures though.
Mary Montgomery, Gambling911.com
