If you're even slightly interested in Sports Betting you probably already know the NFL is always full of surprises. That's because it's hard to predict which players are going to unexpectedly make an impact, and which players are going to unexpectedly lose some of their effectiveness.

1. The New England Patriots Are Back The New England Patriots are still one of the best teams in the NFL, if not THE best team in the NFL. If it wasn't for a fluke loss against the Broncos in last year's playoffs, they would have probably won the Super Bowl. You will go broke betting against this team. Tom Brady is the nest QB in the NFL, and their defense is quietly solid.

2. The Steelers Defense is Still Tough Don't let the early season results fool you. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is still one of the toughest in the league. The problem early in the season has been turnovers, and a sluggish Pittsburgh offense. Look for the Steelers to go on a defensive terror in the next several weeks now that they're playing in desperation mode. Troy Polamalu may be the best defensive back since Ronnie Lott.

3. Some Teams REALLY Stink! There are a handful of teams that I wouldn't want to be caught dead betting on. They are Buffalo, Miami, Oakland, and Detroit. I left out Arizona because they might get better as the year goes on. I doubt it, but they might. The other team that really stinks is Detroit. I didn't include them in the teams I wouldn't bet on because they play Miami in a few weeks.

4. New Orleans is NOT for Real' Look for the Saints to crumble as the year goes on. If they finish better than 9-7 it will be a surprise. The Saints have won some lucky games this year against some bad teams, and against some good teams that had a bad week. Don't be fooled by their early season record. They aren't going to be taken lightly the rest of the season, which means that they will have trouble winning the rest of the season.

5. Atlanta Has NO Defense The Falcons defense had the benefit of their offense controlling the clock early in the year. As the season progesses, teams are going to notice that the Falcon's defensive secondary is pathetic. Look for high scoring games the rest of the season.

So there you have it, the top 5 things anybody serious about Sports Betting needs to know about the NFL season.