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The word “trend” is tossed around by a sports handicapper as habitually as a person texts “LOL” on a daily basis. It’s an embedded research tool that some handicappers base their top picks and situational games off of. I’m shocked to see that there has not been any coverage on the obvious trend of 2014.

It’s been a year of champions being crowned champions again. The UConn Huskies won their fourth NCAA title in men’s basketball. They won it in 1999, 2004, 2011, and 2014. The women’s team won yet again and added to their illustrious domination of college women’s basketball.

In golf, Bubba Watson won the Master’s tournament again. Over in the NBA the Spurs knocked down the Miami Heat to finish what they thought they had done the year prior. And now in baseball the San Francisco Giants are four games a way from winning their third title in five years.

I’ve glorified this trend on twitter before but now it’s time to get out in front for the NFL this season.

Will it be the 3-3 New York Giants that stave off their injuries and personnel issues to make another title run for Tom Coughlin? It sounds preposterous now but should it be laughed about that hard? Probably not. At 125-1 odds, the Giants may be worth a stab from my wallet. After all the NFC East has been a division notorious for 9-7 division winners. Philadelphia has won some games by playing an ugly style and Dallas is starting to look like an elite team. But knock out Tony Romo with his bad back or DeMarco Murray and what happens in Dallas? Their offense doesn’t control the game anymore which puts their susceptible defense back onto the field for longer durations.

The Baltimore Ravens are 26-1 before week seven’s game against the Falcons. They’re not being discussed as a top team just yet but have the formula to get back in the winner’s circle. Their defense is flying after the ball again, and their ace quarterback has found his 2012 rhythm again. Veteran additions such as Steve Smith are paying dividends and the big driver no one can forget is the team is playing with ammo after the Ray Rice incident. The bottom line is they’re playing great football in a division that might be the best in football.

An even larger Super Bowl odd are the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re 130-1. At 3-3 and with their history this seems awfully odd. Big Ben has won two Super Bowls and the first was with a team that barely snuck into the playoffs. Coach Mike Tomlin has his hands full but this team is not a 130-1 type of team to me. In fact their team reminds me of the Ravens team of two years ago. Their defense has a lot of aging players like the Ravens did with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. But the offense may be in position to outscore opponents and aide their aging defense.

Last but not least are the New England Patriots. The media beaten down team of just three games ago has silenced their critics with three straight wins. This is the team that fits the mold the best of comparable other sports teams like the Spurs and San Francisco Giants. At 13-1 right now could value be any higher on a team led by Bill Belicheck? Does the coach and his quarterback Tom Brady have one last ride in them?

I don’t about you but I’ll be spreading some wagers across all four of these teams. The Seahawks, Broncos, Cowboys, 49ers, Packers, and other people’s spur of the moment teams can have their shine right now. When it’s all said and done we will have another repeat champion crowned.

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Watch and listen as Zack Cimini, Hollis Barnhardt, and John Cranton break down this week’s San Francisco vs Denver matchup.

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Watch and listen as Zack Cimini, Hollis Barnhardt, and John Cranton break down the Saints vs the Lions for week seven of the NFL.

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Watch as myself, John Cranton, and Hollis Barnhardt preview Monday Night football’s matchup between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers.

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I’ve been amazed lately to see how money has been bet on poor teams over the last month in the NFL. There have been several examples of this and two just happened in week six with Tampa Bay against the Baltimore Ravens and the 49ers against the Rams.

How on Earth people would bet on these teams just blew my mind away. Tampa Bay’s money was masked a little bit because of their miracle win against Pittsburgh and battle against New Orleans. But even in those games there were signs that a drubbing was forthcoming against Baltimore. Against Pittsburgh they jumped out to a fortunate 10-0 lead thanks to an early Big Ben turnover. That lead quickly evaporated and could have been sealed if Antonio Brown held onto a deep ball off a flea flicker.

Against the Saints they were down double digits, regained the lead by double digits, and lost in overtime.

St. Louis was drubbed opening day by Minnesota, blew a lead to Dallas, and were spanked again by the Eagles even though the final score didn’t indicate that. Sure, San Francisco had been kicking more field goals than scoring touchdowns, but they were due to handle a pour Rams defense and did so.

Over the next three to four weeks a prime area to look for a gained edge on the books is at the quarterback position. Jobs are on the line in the coaching ranks and the first place coaches look to go for a shake up is at quarterback. Buffalo pulled this off earlier than anticipated by benching EJ Manuel for Kyle Orton.

Other shake ups are already being discussed as in New York with Geno Smith and Mike Vick. Oddsmakers have already adjusted their lines based on Smith’s play and the inevitable benching upcoming.

That’s not where I want you to go for line value. We want to look at quarterback situations not being discussed and where point spreads have not been affected because of this.

Here are the teams I believe value against is high on the point spread barometer over the course of the next several weeks.

**Houston- The Texans woes at quarterback with Ryan Fitzpatrick have been masked because of their opportunistic defense. Their defense is not playing at a high level but is somehow getting fortunate breaks via fumbles, interceptions, or special teams. Against Washington they blocked a punt for a td, against Dallas they got redzone turnovers, and against Indianapolis they got a JJ Watt recovery for a touchdown. It’s all going to come crashing down as that style just doesn’t hold up. Fitzpatrick has struggled mightily and the Ryan Mallet era is just a matter of time under first year head coach, Bill O’Brien.

**Arizona- Arizona is another team that’s record looks fantastic at 4-1. They’ve held up thanks to a great fan base and big plays from the receiver position and Andre Ellington. But they’re also one of the few teams in the NFL that has battled through injuries, suspensions, and season-ending injuries well. Carson Palmer’s injury is something that doesn’t just go away. He’ll be evaluated on a week to week basis. Drew Stanton was said to be able to go Sunday after being cleared from a concussion suffered against Denver. At Palmer’s age and injury history and with Stanton’s concussion history, Arizona’s hot start might be one to fade ATS.

**Tennessee- Jake Locker’s time as a starter I believe is in its last stage. If it’s not his health it’s his inconsistent play on the field that leaves his future in jeopardy. I was actually impressed with the way Charlie Whitehurst played against the Jaguars this past week. That’s not saying a whole lot but the separation from starter and backup is of the smallest of margins on the Titans.

**Miami- Miami seems to be one of those teams that can’t get over the quarterback hurdle. Ryan Tannehill has had his fine moments but does not seem to have the skill set to play a complete game. Mike Wallace seems frustrated on the field because of Tannehill’s inconsistencies. Three games ago whispers were that Miami thought about benching Tannehill for Matt Moore. After a tough loss to Green Bay it’ll be interesting to see how Tannehill responds this week.

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Watch and listen to myself, Hollis Barnhardt, and John Cranton break down Monday Night’s San Francisco 49ers vs St. Louis Rams game ATS.