The pro football betting landscape experienced a sudden jolt this offseason when Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor was traded to the Redskins. Taylor’s move to the Redskins will likely make betting football on Washington even more appealing this year, even though the Redskins are in what most pro betting analysts consider to be the most competitive division in the NFC. On the other hand, Taylor’s departure from Miami only makes betting football on that team even less appealing, and it clearly proves to pro betting fans that Miami is more interested in long-term success than success in the next year.
Pro betting on the Redskins has been somewhat puzzling over the past few years. The team is rarely recognized as an elite squad, but they did earn a wild card spot in the playoffs last year. With quarterback Jason Campbell quickly improving, pro betting expectations were already high in Washington this year, even though the NFC East has become extremely competitive. The arrival of a skilled veteran like Taylor will undoubtedly help the ‘Skins earn victories and cover the pro betting odds. However, it should be recognized that he was acquired in order to fill the gap left by the injured Phillip Daniels, meaning Taylor is not a drastic improvement to a position where the team was previously struggling. Nevertheless, pro football betting analysts are basically in agreement that Taylor will improve the Redskins and help make them very competitive within the NFC East.
On the other hand, the trade of Taylor is a clear indication that betting football on the Dolphins will not be pretty this year. After last season’s 1-15 debacles, when many gamblers shunned betting football on the Dolphins, it became clear that the team needed to undergo a severe rebuilding effort. But by getting rid of the team’s most talented and respected veteran for future draft picks, Bill Parcells has shown that the Dolphins are already looking several years down the road. In other words, pro betting fans can expect another painful year from the Dolphins, even if the team is able to win more than one game. Once again, the only value in pro betting on Miami will likely come when the pro betting odds feature the team as such a big underdog that they can cover the pro football betting spread without actually winning the game. Nevertheless, pro football betting on the Dolphins may be far different in a couple of seasons, at which time pro betting analysts may look back at this trade much differently.