NFL Betting – Be Wary Of Division Rivalries On Any Given Sunday

Posted October 6, 2011 – 12:27 pm in: Sportsbooks

Every NFL season it happens, and every NFL season the general public delivers the same surprised reaction. Perhaps those that don’t study their history are doomed to repeat it after all, so going off the board for NFL trends heading in to week five of the regular season, this is one of the most important factors to consider heading in to the weekend action: Do not assume that the better team will always come out in division games. The fact that the Buffalo Bills beat the New England Patriots, or that the Seattle Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals are excellent stories, but for those that have paid close attention, they shouldn’t be considered major sports betting surprises. The rule is that whenever there are two teams from the same division clash, there are no guarantees.

Heading in to week five of the NFL regular season, there are a couple of games that this rule will apply to. The New Orleans Saints head to Carolina to take on Cam Newton and the Panthers with three straight wins under their belt, but in the second of a season-high three-game road trip they could be caught looking ahead to next week’s first place showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots are favored against the New York Jets with the latter looking pretty desperate after consecutive losses, while the Detroit Lions return to Monday Night Football with a visit from the Chicago Bears. All three of these pay per head games represent the same type of contest that many will say that they are surprised about if the favorite loses, but as in the case with division rivalries, there is no guarantee that the consensus pick will come out on top against the spread.

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