This year’s Super Bowl odds are focused around the two quarterbacks of the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. Manning won the MVP race, but is he really the better quarterback?

Manning won his record fourth MVP award during the regular season, and he may have had his best season ever after a slew of changes. His favorite target, Marvin Harrison, was let go by the team, Tony Dungy left and Jim Caldwell took over as the coach, Anthony Gonzalez got hurt in the first game of the season, and the Colts haven’t got a ground game to speak of. Manning took control of the team and led them to 14 straight wins before the starters were rested, and then two more in the playoffs.

Brees finished second to Manning in the MVP race, but he was the highest-rated passer during the regular season and the Saints had the best offense in the league. Brees isn’t a physical specimen like Manning as he’s very small for an NFL quarterback, but his offensive line is great at giving Brees lanes to see downfield, and he’s as accurate as any quarterback in the NFL.

The Colts are 4.5-point favorites in this contest, and you have to give the edge to Manning, if not for anything else but his experience. Manning has been here before, leading the Colts to the Super Bowl and winning the game’s MVP award four years ago, also in Miami. Brees may struggle under the bright lights of his team’s first appearance in the Super Bowl, so we’ll be wearing the No.18 Indianapolis jersey on Sunday.

Super Bowl prop betting is one of the most exciting things about the big game, and the biggest prop may be the MVP award. This year’s favorites are no surprise as the two quarterbacks lead the way.

Indy’s Peyton Manning is the favorite at -250, and the four-time regular-season MVP also won the Super Bowl MVP when the Colts won four years ago. He beat out New Orleans’ Drew Brees for the regular-season MVP, and the Saints’ pivot is listed at +300. These are two of the most explosive offenses in the league, and Manning and Brees will be at the center of everything that happens on Sunday. Gameplans are being formulated to stop them, and tape is being watched to figure out how to get pressure on them. The difference is experience, and Manning has been here before. He also sees his chance to move up into the upper echelon of all-time quarterbacks, if he isn’t there already. Manning has more control of his offense than anyone in the NFL, and that’s not to say that Brees doesn’t have control of the Saints. But it would be a bigger difference if you took Manning away from the Colts, and he’s the reason they’ll win this game.

Super Bowl MVP pick: Peyton Manning -250

Super Bowl odds are about to take over, and this year’s game should be a great excuse to get together with friends, make a feast and watch the two best teams in the NFL go at it as Indianapolis and New Orleans prepare to take to the field in Miami.

Saints vs Colts odds – Sunday, February 7, 6:20 PM ET

The Saints were the top seed in the NFC, and they’re led by Drew Brees, the top-rated passer who finished a distant second to Indy’s Peyton Manning in the NFL’s MVP race. The x-factor may be the versatile Reggie Bush (who you may know as Mr. Kim Kardashian), who was the key in a rout of Arizona two weeks ago.

The Colts have Manning, the four-time MVP who also won the Super Bowl MVP when Indy won it all four years ago. Manning has complete control of this offense, and the defense is very underrated, and they have the speed to keep up with a fast New Orleans offense.

The Colts are 5.5-point favorites in this contest, and they have yet to lose a game in which they were at 100% (their two losses late in the season came when they decided to rest their starters). The Saints showed some holes in their armor against the Vikings, and the Colts will capitalize.

NFL picks: Colts -5.5

While the Super Bowl line has everyone excited, there are still two weeks left until the big game. Until then, NFL betting players will have to amuse themselves with the Pro Bowl on Sunday, and thanks to some injuries to the AFC, the NFC is in the running to win their third straight in this event. There is no line for the Pro Bowl yet, as linesmakers await more players to drop out.

AFC vs NFC odds – Sunday, January 31, 6:20 PM ET

The AFC learned that New England’s Tom Brady and San Diego’s Philip Rivers will skip this event, held for the first time in 30 years outside of Hawaii, which leaves Houston’s Matt Schaub to share time with Tennessee’s Vince Young and Jacksonville’s David Garrard. Young almost led the Titans to the playoffs after a terrible start, but Garrard? Look for a lot of handoffs to Offensive Player of the Year Chris Johnson, Young’s Tennessee teammate.

The NFC will be powered by Minnesota’s Brett Favre and the man who replaced him in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers. The Pro Bowl is built on offense and points (only one of the last 10 have had 40 points or less), so it’s all about the teams that can air it out. Look for Favre and Rodgers to look towards Minnesota’s Sidney Rice, who had a massive season with Favre in the Metrodome.

NFL picks: NFC

Super Bowl odds are all over the place right now, as the NFL season comes down to their version of the Final Four. Here are some betting tips so you can get in on the action.

Jets vs Colts odds – Sunday, 3:00 PM ET

The Jets have a rookie head coach in Rex Ryan, and a rookie quarterback in Mark Sanchez. That usually doesn’t bode well for a team. The Jets beat Indy in Week 16, but the Colts took out their starters to rest for the playoffs, and you can bet that they’ve heard the trash talk from the Jets camp. The Colts were winning by five when they took their starters out. This game won’t be that close.

Vikings vs Saints odds – Sunday, 6:40 PM ET

The Saints seem destined to go to their first Super Bowl, but they’ll only do so if they can stop a vicious Minnesota pass rush that dominated Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys last week. The Saints are led by Drew Brees and an explosive offense, but their defense has improved this year and they’re underrated. They’re also at home in the Superdome, one of the loudest places in the league, and the Vikings lost their last three road games.

NFL picks: Colts -7.5; Saints -3.5

Coach Rex Ryan thinks his Jets should be NFL betting favorites for the Super Bowl, and they continue their hot streak with a thorough beating of Cincinnati on the road. Can they continue this when they head west to face the rested San Diego Chargers?

Jets vs Chargers betting – Sunday, January 17, 4:40 PM ET

The Jets executed their gameplan to a tee in a 24-14 win at Cincinnati, running the ball for 182 yards, while keeping the passing game simple for rookie pivot Mark Sanchez. The defense was ranked No.1 in the regular season and for the second straight week, they completely shut down the Bengals’ offense.

The Chargers won their final 11 games of the season and are probably the hottest team in the NFL. Philip Rivers has a disgusting amount of weapons at his disposal, led by Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates. Their defense gives up yards, but they come up with big plays when they need to.

The Chargers are 7.5-point favorites according to bookmaker odds (bookmaker reviews) in this contest, and they’ve won their last two meetings with the Jets. New York needs to get a lead early against the Chargers, because they don’t want it all resting on Sanchez. Rivers and the San Diego offense won’t be flustered by the blitzing New York offense as they’ve seen it plenty when Ryan was defensive coordinator in Baltimore. It’s tough to pick a rookie quarterback in the playoffs, as well.

Sportsbook pick: Chargers -7.5

Oh look, UFC 104 odds have arrived! Wherefore were thou, UFC? It was a whole two weeks without any Fight Nights, Fight For The Troops, Ultimate Fighter Super Battle Showdowns… I was getting worried. You know I worry about you, UFC. I almost had to get into betting on boxing…who knows how THAT would turn out. Even though I know just to always put money on Pacquiao, all the time.

Anyway, here we are with UFC 104 action, so I figure it’s worth taking a look at the main two fights on the card. Although I’m thinking we’ve still got a few more events to go before the UFC stable of fighters recharges completely - and then we’ll get back quality fighters like GSP and Brock Lesnar - the main matchup of Machida vs Rua is a quality one in itself. Lyoto Machida is one mean, mean defender, and that’ll definitely be put to the test against Shogun Rua.

Shogun’s a brutal fighter himself, but his main tactic is to wait for an opening - or to take advantage of a slower, older opponent - and he’ll have none of that in Machida. Machida’s got the talent and the skills, and most impotantly, the patience. He’ll be like a cobra, just waiting to strike. (Cheesy, I know. Sorry.)

Now, it’s not really marquee, but I also want to take a look at Joe Stevenson vs Spencer Fisher for a sec. I’ve always thought Daddy was a solid fighter, even though he’s had a few ups and downs lately. He’s strong, but he might have some problems going up against the technical prowess of Fisher. Daddy’s best bet will be to take him to the mat, but good luck with that. I’m thinking Fisher may outstrike him this time around.

Now, go forth and bet on UFC! You know it’ll be a good one.

Okay, stop the presses, hold the phone, etc. etc. It’s time to discuss the one NFL betting line that means the very most in this coming Week 4 of matchups: the Packers vs Vikings odds, of course. And, of course, this man:

I love a good revenge tale as much as the next girl. We’re a vindictive gender, as I’m sure most of you men out there are aware of. (Kill Bill is indeed one of my favorite movies.) And as much as I’m not that fond of one Mr. Favre - he’s overrated, in my opinion - he’s actually been chugging along better than expected for the boys in purple. True, I think Minny’s REAL star is this guy right here:

..but Peterson can’t carry the team by himself, especially against Green Bay in next week’s Monday Night Football betting match. True, Peterson looked a bit shaky against San Fran the other week, but even an off-day for him is a good day for most NFLers. As far as defense goes, both teams are deadlocked in terms of strength and skill, so I’d be looking at the offense to be the difference-maker here. The Packers are still uneven in this fourth week of play, whereas the Vikings are scarily solid.

Take the Vikings in this contest, and take the over while you’re at it.

You know how much I love hockey. You know how much I adore the NHL. All of this does not need to be stated more than once. I spent a pretty large amount of time last season writing about NHL odds, and since we’ve just finished the 2009-10 preseason, I’m more stoked than ever for the actual season to kick off on Thursday. Bring it on, hockey goons!

Alright, so here’s who I like to dominate the league - and who I’ll be doing some online sports betting on, once the lines come around - judging by their preseason performances:

Toronto Maple Leafs. Look, I don’t care. I don’t care about the negative naysayers, the jaded critics and the disbelievers. This is their year. I’m not so crazy to think they’ll be your best Stanley Cup pick, but with Burkie leading the charge and the blueline flattening anyone in their way (can’t wait to see them taking on Boston!), they’ll definitely make it to the playoffs this year. If they keep newbie Victor Stalberg as a regular on the team, watch for him to light up the scoreboard. I like that kid.

Boston Bruins. Speaking of Boston, the Bruins are one of my top two picks to make it to the final show. They got so achingly close last year, but now I’m betting they took the time in the offseason to fix the little mistakes that held them back. Chara is awesome, Tim Thomas is a force in net and I have a soft spot for Lucic. Keep an eye on these guys — especially Marc Savard, who’ll have another banner year even without Phil Kessel.

Vancouver Canucks. Yes, another Canadian team, and the only other one I favor to make a mark in hockey betting. (Sit down, Habs.) They’ve been looking stronger than ever in their preseason matchups, coasting high on the skills of Roberto Luongo (who looks like he’s thankfully shaken off any self-esteem issues after last year’s implosion) and the uber-skilled Sedin twins. Alex Burrows will be a consistent scoring machine, and if Sami Salo can stay healthy this time around, he’ll make a mark. Again, like Toronto, they’ll make a good playoff run but I don’t think it’s their time for the Cup just yet. But watch for the fireworks.

Chicago Blackhawks. They’re young, they’re fast, they’re feisty, and they’re ready to take back their 20 cents change. Jonathan Toews, Patricks Kane & Sharp, and impressive new acquisition Marian Hossa will definitely blow the roof off. They’ll miss Martin Havlat, though I think Dustin Byfuglien will step up in his place. I’m sort of iffy on their goal - Cristobal Huet has never really proven himself to be a steady #1 netminder, under pressure especially - and this could be the Hawks’ only weakness — that is, if they let their opponents get close to the net. Which is a serious “if”.

Other teams on my radar: Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils.

Teams so far off the radar they might as well be in Timbuktu: New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche.

NFL Week 3 odds are comin’ atcha fast these days, as we approach the end of September. Really? Already? Pretty soon we’ll be back to seeing NFL players tackling each other as snow comes down. Anyway, there’s some good matchups as per usual, so here’s my two picks for next week:

Colts vs Cardinals odds, for one. I mean, really - Peyton Manning vs Kurt Warner? Uh, yes please. Quarterback battles are always entertaining. These two teams are going to run each other into the ground, by the looks of it, and it’ll be one of the more hardcore football games on this Sunday. Watch for a high-scoring and very tight race, but I like the Cardinals a little better on the road here. They just have more depth, whereas the Colts are relying a bit too much on Manning. That’ll come back to bite them.

And you know, Monday Night Football betting looks like a good choice this week, too. It’s the Panthers going up against the Cowboys, and I gotta say, it’s been interesting to try and figure out what direction the Cowboys are going to go this year. Even with their new bazillion-dollar stadium and the love of many patriotic Americans, Dallas just…never really lives up to expectations. This year doesn’t look to be any different. Sure, they’re not gonna lose at home for a third week in a row, but the Panthers will be hungry and desperate to not start off their season with a bunch of losses. Carolina will put up a fight, for sure, but Dallas will own this one. At least, for the sake of my online sports betting account, I hope.