NFL: Uncertainties make NFC North a tough call

Can the Packers win without Favre? Can the Vikings win with Tarvaris Jackson? Who will lead the Bears offense and will the Lions continue to improve?

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The NFC North is a division loaded with uncertainties, making it one of the toughest divisions to predict.

Minnesota is a slim favorite, in large part due to sophomore running back Adrian Peterson who almost guided the Vikings to the postseason last season.

NFL training camps are underway and by Sunday, every team will have reported to start the new season. With the excitement of the 2008 season building, the NFL Futures Odds available here at Sportsbook.com are getting lots of attention. Bet on the Division, Conference and Super Bowl Winner, Week 1 matchups and the biggest Games of the Year.

Leading up to the Opening Kickoff between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants on September 4th, we’ll preview each of the NFL’s eight divisions and keep you up to date on the latest futures odds.

Here’s a look at the NFC North:

Minnesota Vikings (5:4)

Minnesota has a lot of the pieces needed to make the playoffs but the big missing piece happens to be at the most crucial position, quarterback.

Thankfully for Vikings backers, all teams in the NFC North have a question mark behind center, and no other team in the division features a playmaker like Peterson.

Minnesota fans expect a huge encore from Peterson, who rushed for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns in 14 games. However, Peterson missed two games with a knee injury in 2007 and, after missing a large chunk of the 2006 college season to injury, there is cause for concern.

That’s where backup Chester Taylor comes in. With more than 800 rushing yards last year, Taylor compliments Peterson in the backfield and gives the Vikings the top rushing game in the NFL. That’s crucial to two alleviate pressure off Jackson at quarterback.

Entering his third season, Jackson has to show signs of improvement if the Vikings expect to be a legitimate contender in the NFC. To start his progression, the former second-round pick has to remain on the field.

Injuries have limited him in his first two seasons, missing time to a groin injury as a rookie while a finger injury limited his availability in practices last year before a concussion sidelined him for four games.

Defensively, Minnesota made a big splash in the offseason with the addition of defensive end Jared Allen from the Kansas City Chiefs. A Pro Bowler who had 15 ½ sacks in 2007, Allen joins a defense that has led the NFL in run stuffing each of the last two seasons.

The Vikings only gave up 74.1 yards a game on the ground last year and if they can figure out how to shut down a passing game, it would go a long way in getting this team into the playoffs.

Minnesota won eight games last year and in a division that should be close, oddsmakers are leaving it up to bettors to choose whether the Vikes get over the hump by setting the regular season win total at 8 ½.

Green Bay Packers (2:1)

The Green Bay Packers thought they had moved on from the Brett Favre era but the Hall of Fame quarterback just won’t go away.

Oddsmakers definitely think they can, listing the Browns at 8-5 odds to win one of the toughest divisions in the NFL.

Patiently waiting for the whole saga to end, Aaron Rodgers starts training camp as the Packers’ quarterback for 2008 and he’s a large reason why the team hasn’t exactly opened the doors for the return of the aging Favre.

Rodgers enters his fourth year and while following in the footsteps of a local legend is never easy, management hopes that the three years on the bench have given him the chance to watch and learn everything he needs to know.

The 24-year-old has seen limited game action, but performed admirably last year in a 37-27 loss at Dallas, completing 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown after Favre left with a wrist injury.

It was a great performance by Rodgers and most of the offensive players return to what should be a strong unit if the team can get consistent production from the running game.

Minus the loss of defensive end Corey Williams to Cleveland, the Packers defense is much the same as well. The consistency of returning players should only help a unit that ranked 11th in the NFL, giving up just 313.3 yards of total offense.

After winning 13 games last season, oddsmakers have set the Packer’s regular season win total at 8 ½.

Chicago Bears (3:1)

Much has changed in Chicago, unfortunately for fans, nothing has changed at quarterback.

The Bears enter 2008 with the same question they seemingly always have, who will guide this team at quarterback?

A better question may be who wants to play quarterback for the Bears? Whoever wins the QB battle between Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton gets the unenviable task of taking the field with an offense that is missing its three top producers from last year.

After three largely unproductive seasons and an offseason full of encounters with the law, former first round pick Cedric Benson was officially declared a bust and let go. Benson led all Bears with 674 rushing yards last year.

The top two receiving targets in Chicago have also left the Windy City. Bernard Berrian relocated to Minnesota while Muhsin Muhammad returned to Carolina after his release in the offseason.

As bad as the Chicago offense has been in recent years, 2008 could be the ugliest yet.

The Bears have won without the offense before though, getting to the playoffs in 2005, the Super Bowl in 2006 and winning seven games last year. That’s why oddsmakers aren’t counting them out in the NFC North and have set a lofty win total of eight wins.

Chicago needs to improve the defense to reach eight wins this year. Brian Urlacher and Co. were on the field too often last season, in large part to an ineffective offense. That led to the Bears giving up 354.7 yards per game and, unlike previous seasons, they didn’t generate turnovers.

The Bears finished with a -1 turnover ratio in 2007, after a +8 ratio in 2006. They’ll need to get back to creating turnovers and touchdowns if they expect to win in 2008.

Detroit Lions (6:1)

After a promising 6-2 start to the 2007 season, the Lions won just once in the second half of the season, ending with a 7-9 record.

While it was a disappointing ending, Detroit backers have reason for optimism as the team enters 2008 in search of its first winning season since 2000.

Detroit’s offense features two great receivers in sophomore Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams while the unheralded Shaun McDonald, who actually led the team with 943 receiving yards last season, is out to prove his success in ’07 wasn’t a fluke.

While not in the top tier of quarterbacks, veteran Jon Kitna put up massive numbers, throwing for just more than 4,000 yards and 18 touchdowns last year. The one problem was his 20 interceptions but if the Lions can get any help from the running game, the passing game may not be as predictable.

The Lions averaged just 80.1 yards a game on the ground last season, second worst in the league. In the offseason they released former first-round pick Kevin Jones, whose career has been derailed by injuries.

Kevin Smith, a rookie out of Central Florida, will get a chance to earn the starting role in the backfield, competing against Tatum Bell.

On the other side of the ball, Detroit has made a number of moves but has not brought in any big names to help fix a defense that ranked dead-last in the NFL, giving up 377.6 yards a game last year.

In fact, Detroit traded one of their top players, defensive tackle Shaun Rogers to Cleveland.

It’s a patchwork defense but management is hoping the addition of cornerbacks Leigh Bodden and Brian Kelly can help improve a weak secondary.

If the defense shows any signs of improvement, it would make the 6 ½ game regular season win total an intriguing one.

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