Many gamblers will be focused on the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints in NFL preseason betting but the three other NFC South teams are also worth watching. The Saints do not have history on their side as defending champs sometimes struggle vs. NFL preseason odds. There are some interesting battles that will be worth watching in the NFC South this preseason.NFL preseason betting on the Saints begins on August 12th as they visit the New England Patriots. The Saints have their work cut out for them this season as there has never been a back-to-back winner of the NFC South since the division started in 2002. The Bucs won the Super Bowl and the Panthers were a runner-up and neither team even made the playoffs the following season. The Saints would seem to be in a better position than those two teams but you never know.
Each team has questions to answer in NFL preseason odds. The Saints toughest task will be putting last season behind them. The Falcons are the team most likely to challenge the Saints so the preseason will be important as they look to gain confidence. The Falcons need to find out if defensive end John Abraham can be a factor. He had just 5.5 sacks last season and if Atlanta is to improve defensively, they need the 32-year old Abraham to be a factor.
Carolina is turning the quarterback job over to Matt Moore and they are starting the season expecting that he will play well. If he struggles, rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen could be waiting. The preseason will be a time to see just how good Clausen can be. The Panthers need to find out of Dwayne Jarrett can be a solid NFL receiver. Steve Smith is injury prone and Mushin Muhammad retired. The Panthers drafted Brandon LaFell and Armanti Edwards and they could push Jarrett for a starting spot.
Tampa Bay is not going to be very good and they have a lot of question marks. They need Josh Freeman to be more consistent in his second season and they need someone to catch the ball this season. They let receiver Antonio Bryant go in free agency so the preseason will be about finding someone to step up and catch the ball. Tampa has rookies Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams who should get a long look in the preseason.