Atlanta Falcons

One year ago, the Atlanta Falcons were a team in transition. They were the longest shot to win the division in the NFC South according to the NFL betting odds and nobody expected anything from them. A year later, they are the favorites. With Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White, the Falcons are loaded on offense. More importantly, they have worked on their defense to improve it and potentially get in the Top 15, which is something they couldn’t do last year. Look for this team to be consistent this year but maybe not as strong as last year, since they won’t surprise anyone.

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers also surprised bettors when they exploded for 12 wins last year, but again, people aren’t sure whether they can be trusted on the Super Bowl odds. It’s clear that they have a good offense; with two lethal running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, along with a road-grading offensive line, they’ll run the ball on everyone. But quarterback Jake Delhomme is a question mark. Even so, the Panthers have a good defense and as long as Delhomme doesn’t make mistakes consistently, this is a team that will win close to 10 games.

New Orleans Saints

It seems like the team that finishes dead last in the NFC South always has a great chance the following year. Last year, the Saints finished last and this year they look like they could win it. With Drew Brees, Marques Colston and Reggie Bush, the Saints will score points. The issues all stem from their defense, but that could change this year. The Saints may be without Charles Grant and Will Smith for four games, which has impacted the NFL week 1 odds, but when playing healthy - and when combined with all-rookie tackle Sedrick Ellis - the Saints could have a very good line. In the secondary, the team added veteran safety Darren Sharper, veteran corner Jabari Greer and drafted Malcolm Jenkins to secure a corner spot. This secondary – and defense – should be vastly improved as the Saints get set to contend for an NFC crown.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers are clearly the team in transition in the division, but they might be a little better than people think. They’ve experienced a lot of turnover, losing their head coach, defensive coordinator and starting quarterback, but they still have a solid offensive line and some good pieces on offense. The Bucs will run the ball with Earnest Graham and Derrick Ward, and they have good receiving weapons with Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant. The question is, who will get them the ball? Football wagering fans know that Josh Freeman is the future but Luke McCown or Byron Leftwich will start for now.