It might sounds strange, but if you have placed an NFL bet at all in the past five years, you know the Dallas Cowboys are always the talk of the town. Interestingly enough, things are pretty quiet around Texas Stadium and nobody is talking about the Cowboys as a Super Bowl – or even playoff – team.

That’s a stark contrast from last year.

Last season, the Cowboys had made a couple of big-name draft picks in the first-round (Michael Jenkins and Felix Jones), made a few big name signings in the offseason like Pacman Jones, then acquired Roy Williams (receiver), and the only thing that was expected from the Cowboys was a Super Bowl.

But sometimes that kind of pressure can force a team to collapse, regardless of how talented they are.

At the end of the day, the Cowboys couldn’t handle it but now they might be a solid NFL bet. Undervalued, even.

The Cowboys still have a very talented offense. They still have a Pro Bowl wideout in Williams, even though Owens is gone, they have a Pro Bowl running back in Marion Barber, a Pro Bowl quarterback in Tony Romo and a Pro Bowl tight end in Jason Witten. Not to mention, they have a couple of Pro Bowlers on their offensive line.

This is still a unit that will be able to match points with almost anyone – and we haven’t even mention Felix Jones.

On defense, there is a ton of talent around as well.

Most importantly, this is still a sharp coaching staff with offensive genius, Jason Garrett and defensive guru, Wade Phillips on the staff. This team can win a Super Bowl and can do it this year. Now that the pressure is off and there is no spotlight on them, look for them to have a playoff season.

With the NFL week 1 odds already posted, a lot of people have been examining the card and making their picks. We’ll have a wide variety of games ranging from Thursday night to a Monday night doubleheader – the second Monday night game starts at 10:15 PM ET??? – and it should be an action packed weekend.

One betting line that stood out to me very early on was the San Francisco 49ers being a seven-point underdog in Arizona. Granted, the Arizona Cardinals went to the Super Bowl representing the NFC, they aren’t as strong as they were. And they weren’t that strong to begin with.

The Cardinals won only nine games last year and six of those wins came in the division. Clearly, this is an overrated squad who caught fire at the right time.

Secondly, the Cardinals have had a lot of overhaul on the staff, losing their offensive and defensive coordinators, which is a lot to overcome. They’ve also lost some talent off the roster.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers aren’t a great team but they are a team that flies under the radar. They should be solid pluggers and while they won’t win a ton of games, they’ll probably covered a lot of spread. They are worth a look in Week 1 as a seven-point dog.

The NFL betting season is just around the corner for most but now that the sportsbook lines are posted, the betting season has really gotten underway for all the hardcore bettors.

With futures up on Super Bowl odds, regular season win totals and divisional props, there is a smorgasbord to choose from right now.

As far as the divisions go, it’s hard not to envision the New England Patriots winning the AFC East and the San Diego Chargers winning the AFC West. The Patriots do have a few teams to contend with, like the Buffalo Bills – if everything goes right for them – and maybe the Miami Dolphins – if they can weather their crazy schedule, but realistically, no one in the East will touch the Patriots if they are healthy.

In the West, the Chargers should also reign supreme rather easily.

San Diego is in a division with three rebuilding projects. The Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders are all under construction while the Chargers are a Super Bowl contender. Should be an easy time for them.

The AFC South and North could be tricky. While many people want to stick with the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are tried tested and true, the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans will be looking to usurp control.

Also, the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans might surprise.

In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks should be crowned in the West while the North, South and East are all a crap shoot. If you can pick who wins those divisions, you can probably predict the lotto 649 as well.

Should be a fun year all around so get those coins going and do your NFL betting early to hop on this value.