Betting on NFL Football - Pay Attention to Off-Season Moves

Betting on NFL football can be a lot of fun, and it can also be profitable if you know what you're doing. And while it's certainly not a sure thing, having a detailed knowledge of the game and the players can sometimes mean the difference between raking in the bucks and being broke for a month.

So where do you start? I have found that smart gamblers start preparing for the NFL season as soon as the previous season has ended. I'm talking about the off-season. That's when teams draft their talented new players (or busts), cut high-priced veterans, sign free-agents, and make blockbuster trades.

And the 2007 season is no different. In fact, if there was ever a year where you need to pay attention to off-season moves, then this is the one. The league increased its salary cap by about 20 million dollars this year, so teams suddenly found themselves with lots of extra cash to play with. In short, they went crazy spending all their new loot.

To make things a bit easier on you, I've compiled a short list of 10 off-season moves which could greatly impact your teams (and your betting strategies). If you want more, you can always check out a site like Bodog Beat in order to stay up to date on all the happenings around the league.

1. CB Nate Clements to the San Francisco 49ers - Only 27 years old, and many experts view him as just under Champ Bailey in ability. He should continue to improve over time. The 49ers defense came alive last year, and the addition of Clements should really make an impact. With a solid D and a solid running game (with Frank Gore), the Niners could be a team that really surprises this year.
2. LB Adalius Thomas to the New England Patriots - With the Ravens, Thomas played nearly every position in the 3-4 and 4-3 schemes. You can only imagine that the Pats are drooling at the prospect of lining him up all over the field to create mismatches. He's got excellent size and speed, and he's averaged 9.3 sacks over the last 3 seasons.
3. RB Willis McGahee to the Baltimore Ravens - After one amazing year where he ran for over 2,000 yards, RB Jamal Lewis just couldn't seem to get it done any longer. So the Ravens finally wised up and went out to get someone else. McGahee is still young and has a great combination of size and speed for a runner. He's floundered a bit with the Bills, but they have been pretty awful the last couple of years. A change of scenery could vault McGahee into the upper echelon of runners.
4. WR Joe Horn to the Atlanta Falcons - It seems as though age and injuries are starting to catch up to Horn. Over the last two seasons, he's missed significant time due to various ailments. However, getting away from New Orleans might revitalize him enough to have one last top-tier season. Vick needs a reliable target, and Horn was one of the best in the league for several years. It might be his last hurrah, but Joe Horn could really prove to be a difference maker in Atlanta.
5. QB Matt Schaub to the Houston Texans - David Carr is a thing of the past. The new starting QB for the Texans will be Matt Schaub (formerly the back-up to Michael Vick). Coaches have been high on him for several years, but can he survive the always-crumbling offensive line which got Carr creamed on a weekly basis? If he does, Schaub could be just the kind of spark that this lowly team is looking for.
6. OG Eric Steinbach to the Cleveland Browns - Many think that the Browns will look to draft Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson in the upcoming draft. If that's the case, then they have already paved the way by picking up this former Bengals started. Considered a real technician up front, Steinbach has more than enough talent to help turn the Browns franchise around. And even if they don't get Peterson, the team signed former Ravens runner Jamal Lewis in the off-season.
7. RB Thomas Jones to the New York Jets - After Curtis Martin succumbed to injuries, the Jets running game became a complete mess-by-committee last year. That's all going to end with the addition of Thomas Jones. The former Bear has speed and plenty of it, and he's handled himself pretty well considering how much he's been jerked around throughout his career. This move should immediately make the Jets a better team, while it may also end up hurting the ever-cheap Bears in the long run.
8. WR Wes Welker to the New England Patriots - Many experts believe that the Pats really stole a great player from the Dolphins in the form of Wes Welker. Very young and very talented, he'll have none other than Tom Brady throwing to him. That's a vast improvement over the Dolphins' mixed-up QB situation last year. Expect Welker to shine early and often and to become Brady's new favorite target.
9. RB Dominic Rhodes to the Oakland Raiders - Sorry, Raiders' fans, but the news isn't good. Your team stinks, and I'm sad to say that the addition of Mr. Rhodes is only going to make things worse. See, the Raiders already have a starting runner in one Lamont Jordan (who they signed for a ton of money only two years ago). So now they're going to committee? Who knows? Of all the areas to address with their extra money, the Raiders go out and get something that they already have. Why am I not surprised?
10. RB Travis Henry to the Denver Broncos - In years past, it seems as though you could always count on the Broncos runners to have a monster season. That hasn't really been the case in the last couple of seasons, and the team has recently went with more of a committee approach. Expect that to change with the addition of Travis Henry. The former Bills and Titans runner is a tough customer who will play through injuries and get the job done. With the Broncos excellent front line clearing the way, expect the Denver running game to once again be a force to be reckoned with.

So there you have it. These are just a few of the notable off-season moves, and there will no doubt be many more to come as the draft approaches and then training camp begins. A firm knowledge of these moves will have you betting like a pro (or at least looking like a well-informed loser).

Betting on NFL Football - Pay Attention to Off-Season Moves