2005 AFC North Football Preview

In the AFC North I expect to see the Pittsburgh Steelers who posted a mark of 16-2 straight up and 11-7 ATS overall last season to win a close divisional battle over the Baltimore Ravens who finished up their 2004 campaign with a 9-7 straight up and ATS mark and over a much improved Cincinnati Bengal team that finished with an 8-8 straight up record for the second straight year in 2004, the Brownies once again look to pull up the rear in what should prove to be the toughest division in the NFL in 2005.

Pittsburgh has a tough row to hoe this season, the Steelers only have five games on the 2005 docket against 2004 playoff teams but four of those affairs take place on the road and that includes Monday Night road games at San Diego and at Indianapolis, overall the Steelers will play 10 of their 16 games against teams that posted .500 records or better last year, thus the reason for the projected drop off in regular season wins.

Like most teams Pittsburgh lost quite a bit of talent to free agency, most notably the Steelers lost a total of five linemen along their offensive and defensive fronts which could cause depth problems if the ole injury bug hits and those losses were in addition to star WR Plaxico Burress departing to the big apple to play catch with Eli Manning.

Baltimore has a very favorable schedule with regard to playing seven games against playoff teams from a year ago, however, five of those seven affairs will take place in Baltimore and two of those games are against dome teams (Vikes and Colts). The Ravens drafted WR Mark Clayton out of Oklahoma and overall had the best draft of any team in the AFC North, the free agent addition of WR Derrick Mason from the Titans along with the drafting of WR Clayton should bolster a stagnant Raven passing attack that was fully exposed last season.

The Bengals finished 2004 with an 8-8 straight up record for the second straight year under HC Marvin Lewis, Bengal faithful should be overjoyed with their seasonal finishes over the past couple of years when considering that these same Bengals posted a total of 8 wins combined during their 2001 and 2002 campaigns.

With QB Carson Palmer starting his second full season under center and weapons WR Chad Johnson and RB Rudi Johnson happy with new contracts, Cincinnati has all of the pieces on offense to make the playoffs in 2005, the Bengal's major malfunction during their 2004 campaign was their run defense but the drafting of Georgia DE David Pollack who will play LB for the Bengals and Georgia LB Odell Thurman should correct that problem.

A new era starts in Cleveland Brownie land with the arrival of new HC Romeo Crennell who replaces ousted Butch Davis, the Brownies are actually an expansion team once again when considering that they have a totally new front office, totally new coaching staff and have replaced most of their offensive and defensive starters, the saving grace is that the new QB will be experienced retread Trent Dilfer who should be able to provide much needed leadership.

The Brownies added a lot of talent via the free agent market and actually had a pretty good draft which was highlighted with WR Braylon Edwards as their top choice, but in the big scheme of things there has been way too much turnover in this organization to expect much in 2005, look to play the Brownies whenever a home doggie of more than a FG after week four of the regular season, by this time the team should start to gel a little and the public won't be ready for the opportunity.

In closing, the AFC North is a three horse race between Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Baltimore for the top spot, the difference maker will probably be who catches the ole injury bug and who avoids it, with that being said Pittsburgh gets the nod to win the division because of their depth at the QB and RB positions.

With regard to betting opportunities, Pittsburgh played 12 non divisional games in 2004 and went 6-6 ATS in those affairs, a closer look see reveals that the Steelers were a betting underdog in five of the six non divisional games they covered, meanwhile, the Steelers were favorites in five of the six non divisional games they failed to cover.

In other words as a dog playing a non divisional game the Steelers were virtually a sure bet to cover the spread, however, as a favorite in a non divisional game the Steelers had a tough time getting it up and hence proved to be almost a sure bet to NOT cover the posted number, a check backward in time reveals that these Steelers have failed to cover 6 of the past 7 times they have taken to the road as a favorite of six points or less against a non divisional opponent?things that make you go hmmmmm!!

Jim Campbell is one of the nations most respected Sports Handicappers, he specializes in College and Pro Football, you can visit Jim at his website located at footballforecastor.com for all of your handicapping needs including free play selections, College and NFL stats, trends and award winning analysis on upcoming games.

With over 30 plus years experience in the handicapping profession Jim has built a solid reputation, his web based handicapping service at footballforecastor.com as been in existence since 1997 and year after year proves to be one of the very best handicapping services in America.

---

Alternate Payment Methods Made Easy

Credit cards may be the easier way to purchase casino... Read More

Craps 101: What You Need to Know About

Alternatively called as Hazard, Craps has been here since centuries.... Read More

How to Profit at Online Poker Over the Long Run

The first and most important step is to take notes.... Read More

Online Gaming In Your Face?

Whether it is on the street or online, one cannot... Read More

Viva Las Vegas Buffets

Please correct me if I am wrong but aren't Las... Read More

Gambling Myths 101

Myths and rumors come with every gambling game. However undesirable,... Read More

MTT Poker Win Frequency

Multi Table Tournaments (MTT) are currently very popular due in... Read More

Pai Gow Poker Basics

Using the standard poker hand ranking methods (see below), the... Read More

To Bet Or Not To Bet? Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Happy, Healthy Gambler?

I placed my first bet when I was at university.... Read More

The Secret of Multiple Odds Tables

Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?How about the secret of winning... Read More

The Dangers of Bingo

Let's face it; bingo is hardly going to arouse a... Read More

Slots And The Basics Of The Game

Whether your new to the slots or a seasoned player... Read More

States Lottery Basics

For those who dream of quitting their jobs and being... Read More

Las Vegas Interesting Facts

Many have had their days of glory in the state... Read More

Online Gambling Basics

Poker, black jack or any other casino game with a... Read More

Online Poker --- Is It Safe? --- Is It for Me?

Online Poker RoomsRapidly Growing in PopularityPlaying online poker is fast... Read More

Poker Tournament Freerolls Payout in Seven Figures

Poker tournaments freerolls are free poker tournaments that are hosted... Read More

Take Your Online Poker Game to the Next Level

Playing Poker online can be quite satisfying, and financially rewarding,... Read More

Avoiding Tilt While Playing Online Poker

As many experts have said, poker is a game that... Read More

Poker Hand Rankings

Poker hand rankings are one of the most important aspects... Read More

Why Do People Gamble?

Gambling is the act of wagering money on the outcome... Read More

Would You Bet on Your Brand? - Three Strategies for Winning at Brand Poker

It seems you can't turn on the TV without seeing... Read More

Las Vegas Dining and Drinks as Cheap as it Gets

Las Vegas, my favorite destination doesn't have to cost a... Read More

Texas Holdem Poker Terms

If you're new to Texas Holdem poker this article will... Read More

Why Use an Internet Sports Book to Make Wagers?

Although I started using online sportsbooks almost ten years ago,... Read More

No Deposit Online Casino Bonus is for Lucky and Wise Only - The Myth of Free Money

No deposit bonuses are very popular, especially among "not-so-wealthy" online... Read More

Bingo Basics

Bingo is one of the most simple and general game... Read More

Roulette System: Spread the News and Beat the Casino Legally

Discover the truth, the real secret behind successful business without... Read More

Casino Business Opportunity

There are really two main options to owning a casino... Read More

How to Win at Online Slots Games

Being a winning slot machine player is to some extent... Read More

Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy - Poker Tournament Fundamentals

This is the second in the Texas Holdem Strategy Series,... Read More

The Rise Of Online Poker And Why This Could Spell Disaster For The Inexperienced Gambler

The growth in online poker has been phenomenal over the... Read More

Why All the Excitement Over Poker?

Poker's new upsurge in popularity in is due to televised... Read More