Also expected to step up his role for the Steelers is running back Rashaard Mendenhall. Mendenhall went down mid-season with a broken shoulder at the hands of division rival poster boy Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers go off at five to seven odds, which are appropriate, given the relatively weak division.

The Baltimore Ravens return under the reigns of Joe Flacco. Flacco was surprisingly effective last season, despite not appearing at the top of the Ravens depth chart. The Ravens finished a game behind the Steelers and did make the playoffs. Some, including Steelers coach Mike Tomlin that the Baltimore Ravens could well be the team to beat in the AFC for the 2009-2010 season, say it. The Ravens score nine to five odds.

Perhaps the biggest joke of the division is the Cleveland Browns. Coached by newly hired Eric Mangini, the Cleveland Browns are nine to one favorites to win the division. Yet, when checking the NFL Odds for the super bowl, the Browns score a 60 to 1 payday should they make it to the Super Bowl. The Browns are a lost franchise, as the team is absent discipline, as well as work ethic. Brady Quinn may be thought of as the savior of the franchise, though he will not be saving them anytime soon. The Browns will be lucky to score five wins this season and will not compete for anything in the division beyond the basement.

Speaking of cellar dwellers, the Cincinnati Bengals sit nine to one to win the North. Led by the animated Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals will fail to surface as a contender in the division. Historically plagued by legal issues of their players, the Bengals focus more on off-field antics than that which occurs on the field. Add to the mix Quarterback Carson Palmer has returned from a season long elbow injury, only to be plagued with issues in his legs.

The Bengals – Browns battle for the basement will be as interesting as the battle for division supremacy between the Steelers and Ravens. In the AFC North, my money has to go on the champs – Steelers to win the division (5 to 7), over 11 wins and return to the Super Bowl (pays 15 to 2).

• Moneyline Bet – The most common type of bet where all you need to do is decide which team you think will win the game.

• Point Spread Bet – The same as a moneyline bet except for the one difference which is the game has a point spread set in place by the sportsbook. If you take the favourite then they need to cover the spread and if you take the underdog then the team can lose or win as long as the team doesn’t lose by more then the point spread.

• Over/Under Bet – An over/under bet can be placed on a game total or team total. For the game total there will be a predetermined number such as 49.5, in this example the game would need 50+ points for the over to win or less then 49 points for the under to win.

• Parlay Bet – A parlay bet can be a mixture of the above bets or multiple of the same type of bet on one ticket. In order to win you need to win all of the games on the parlay, but if you win the payout is much bigger then if you only bet on a single outcome.

• Prop Bets – Prop bets vary in football and there are plenty of them that you can make including bets such as who will score the first TD, who will win the coin toss, who will win any given quarter plus many more.

General Information

• If the point spread or the over/under of a game is a whole number such as 39, 20, 17 or anything whole and not something like 45.5, 23.5 or 30.5 then you have the possibility to push the game. If you push the game then your wagered will be sent back to you.

• Moneyline bets are always going to cost a lot more if you’re taking the favourite then it would if you took the favourite in a point spread bet. You should try to stay away from moneyline bets if you’re planning on taking the favourite if the juice is more then -200.

• Almost every online sportsbook will allow you to bet on football, but you should check out our sportsbook reviews in order to find the best fit for your needs.

Betting on football is very fun and simple and it’s why so many thousands of people wager on the NFL every week of the season when it’s running. If you watch football every Sunday and you haven’t wagered on the sport before then check it out this year to see how you do. If you follow football it can be fairly simple for you to find some nice games to bet on. You don’t need to bet on every game and in fact if you only bet on the strongest 2-3 games each week you should find you make more profits.