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Watch as Hollis Barnhart, Zack Cimini, and John Cranton discuss NFL value on futures post week nine.

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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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