Early Super Bowl Betting: It’s a mere three weeks until the real NFL season kicks off and teams begin the march to the Super Bowl.

While rosters are being slowly filled in during preseason football and sports bettors are warming up their handicapping skills, there continues to be a decent amount of action at the online sportsbooks on the NFL future odds option of “Which team will win this year’s Super Bowl”?

BetRepublic.com looks at the teams that have the best shot, the ones that offer the best value and we look for a longshot or two that might be worth wagering a few dollars on.

Last year’s Cinderella team, the Arizona Cardinals came within seconds of pulling off the largest upset since the 1969 Jets win over the Colts.

At the beginning of the year, the Cards odds of winning the Super Bowl were at +3,000 for a payout potential of $3,000 on every $100 bet. There weren’t many who had the Cards as a future wager, but what a painful loss for those who did, as they cam so close. That said, we’re sure almost everyone holding an Arizona ticket would have hedged their bets to ensure a profit last Super Bowl Sunday.

Who will that dark horse be this year? Is there a dark horse or will the league resumes its natural state and send only the heavy favorites to the dance?

According to one of BetRepublic.com’s sponsor books, Diamond Sports, the New England Patriots, to nobody’s surprise, are the favorites once again this year at +500.

Over in the NFC, the Giants are the favorites at +1100 and should be a refocused team after last year’s dismal playoff performance. They are healthier and ready from day one to move forward without Plaxico Burress. The defense will keep them in every game and it wouldn’t be a stretch to see a repeat of the 2008 Super Bowl between the Giants and Patriots.

Around the middle of the pack the Saints at +2000, the Falcons at +2500 and the Packers at +2800 are intriguing for bettors.

The Saints are going to move the ball up and down the field all day long and if they can get some improved play on the defensive side of the ball, which they should with Greg Williams managing the defense, then they will compete for the Conference title.

The Falcons are a very solid team with a great running game and the addition of Tony Gonzalez will really benefit QB Matt Ryan. They have improved on the defensive side of the ball, but we think this team might actually slide back a bit from last year’s impressive campaign. We won’t be putting anything down on them.

The Packers are another story. This is a team that will be able to put up points and we believe they’ll take a very nice step forward on the defensive side of the ball with attacking defensive coordinator Dom Capers now in charge. Aaron Rodgers looks sharp in preseason and with Favre now in Minnesota, Rogers will be keen to prove he is the best QB in the NFC North and one of the top talents in that second tier of QBs (behind Brady and Peyton Manning).

We do have a wager on Green Bay as one of our longshots, as can see them having an opportunity to win the NFC, especially if they can secure home field in the playoffs.

In the AFC, the Steelers and Chargers are both listed at +1000 and will give the Patriots a run for the AFC title. There haven’t been too many changes to either team but both clubs are full of talent and the Chargers, with a group of savvy veterans, are hungry for a championship. In San Diego it really is go-time, as they have to make their run this year before the talent wanes and/or leaves.

The Steelers will be battling with the Patriots to lay claim to the title of ‘team of the decade’ and should be considered as the number two favorite.

The Houston Texans at +4000 are a great dark horse in our opinion. Yes, it unlikely they find their way to the big game, but that’s why they’re a darkhorse selection. This club will have an aggressive defense and their offense will be much improved this year as Andre Johnson and Steve Slaton should continue to put up impressive numbers.

Another really big darkhorse is the Cincinnati Bengals who are listed at +8000. Carson Palmer is healthy and looking good in camp and preseason. He has three quality receivers with Chris Henry, Laveranues Coles and Chad Ochocinco and a good running game with Cedric Benson. The Bengals are young defensively but have some very gifted players that finally give Marvin Lewis some talent to develop. We actually think they are going to surprise people this year (if Palmer stays healthy).

Finally the Arizona Cardinals, listed at +2800, could still be a nice pick. They will have a better running game with Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower in the backfield, which makes them more then one-dimensional on the offensive side of the ball. They will need to be more consistent on defense and don’t have enough players to pressure the quarterback but the offense is strong.

The betting action continues to flow in on the Patriots, Steelers and Giants, but its fun to have a longshot bet or two in your pocket as the long season gets going.

Enjoy all the action.

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