posted June 11, 2008 at 15:19 EST in NFL Articles

Relatively predicted by NFL betting faithful Earlier this week, the NFL parted ways with Michael Strahan, the loud-mouthed, gap-toothed defensive-end who helped lead the New York Giants to a stunning Super Bowl victory. Yet now, at the apex of his career, Strahan is walking away from the game on top. Strahan is certainly a Hall of Fame candidate, but the more immediate impact for sports betting and football wagering fanatics will be on the football field.

As Strahan undoubtedly pursues a career in the booth, the Giants football betting faithful will be wondering who will be taking his place in the line. Aside from Osi Umemyiora, the chest dumping maniac himself, the only other viable candidates to take his place in line are Mathias Kiwanuka, who’s really a linebacker, and Justin Tuck who was barely used last year.

Yet the real loss here is leadership. Since Tiki Barber (thankfully) left, Strahan has been the only visible leader on a team that desperately needs one. Eli Manning is still a young buck, for all intents and purposes, while Amani Toomer is slowly fading performance wise. To be a leader, you need to be on the field.

So what does this mean for the Giants, who have +1800 odds to repeat as Superbowl Champions? A lot. They not only lose one-half of the menacing defensive-end combo, they lose the only real leader that they have. With the volatile Tom Coughlin at the helm, there will be nobody in the locker room to speak “for the people”. That means trouble for a team that has a stiff schedule, an even scarier divisional opponent in the Cowboys, and a massive void to fill on their defensive line. Things do not look good.

Truly, this only means good things for the Dallas Cowboys. With Donavan McNabb already injured (and the freaking season hasn’t even started), the Redskins still trying to find their flow after virtually rebuilding through the draft, and the Giants losing their big chief, the Cowboys look like a mortal lock to win the division. Of course, anything can happen, but as -115 favorites to win the NFC East, and a potential first-round bye in the playoffs, the Cowboys are still looking like the best bet in the NFC.

Strahan’s out. Giants lose. Cowboys win. Dallas’s NFL betting faithful cash in huge.

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