Running Teams Still Win in Football Betting. The New York Jets led the league in rushing last season and they finished 9-7 vs. the NFL football betting odds. The Tennessee Titans were second in the league in rushing but then stumbled to a 6-10 record vs. the spread although they were 5-5 after starting the season 1-5.
Football betting in recent seasons has seen teams throw the ball more but the Jets proved that running the ball still works. The Tennessee Titans had the league’s leading rusher in Chris Johnson and they did okay after a very poor start. The Minnesota Vikings have Adrian Peterson and when he is running the ball and not fumbling they can be effective. The Carolina Panthers are another team that runs the ball well and can cover the spread. They have the dynamic duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
Another team that ran the ball well last season and covered the NFL football betting number more often than not was the Baltimore Ravens. They have a solid group of running backs led by Ray Rice and Willis McGahee. The Ravens upgraded their passing attack in the off-season with the addition of Anquan Boldin but the Ravens are still going to run first.
What teams could be improved this season in the running game? The Cleveland Browns were very successful vs. the spread last season going 10-6 and they could be improved this season. The Browns ran the ball very well down the stretch last season with Jerome Harrison and they could have more success this season. The Washington Redskins have a new head coach in Mike Shanahan and his teams normally run the ball very well. Clinton Portis could be in for a big year for the Redskins in 2010 and that could mean that Washington has a winning record vs. the point spread. The Atlanta Falcons are another team that should be improved running the ball this season. Michael Turner was hurt last season but he is healthy now and that should mean a lot of running success for the Falcons this year.
Passing teams get a lot of attention from fans but many times it is teams that run the ball effectively that bring home the money for gamblers.