posted July 14, 2008 at 15:59 in NFL Free Picks

This prop is NOT about who will lead the NFL in rushing. It IS about who will have the most rushing yards out of the people in this list.

Hopefully, the folks at BetUS Sportsbook will give us more of an opportunity to follow up on this as we get closer to the season.

For now, though, let's "take stock" of the field in front of us:

BetUS NFL Futures Betting Odds

To Have Most Rushing Yards

Adrian Peterson +250 -- What I envision here is that Minnesota, which fashions itself a division title contender (and rightfully so) wants Peterson to be the focus of its offense, but at the same time wants to avid wearing him out for the post-season. And they have just the guy who can come in and spell him for meaningful carries (Chester Taylor). Of course, on the other hand, if Peterson hadn't missed some time, he would have won the rushing title. LIGHT BUY

LaDanian Tomlinson +250 -- Tomlinson got plenty of carries, even though he had a perfectly capable backup (Michael Turner). Noe that Turner is gone, I see the Chargers relying on him even more heavily. This may be worth the price. HEAVY BUY

Steven Jackson +700 -- If Jackson doesn't break down, I see him having a chance for a very big year. After all, unless unforeseen tragedy hits again, the Rams are going to have a healthier, better offensive line for him to run behind. And Scott Linehan is the type of coach who will want to establish the run to set up the pass. Jackson has a shot at this thing. HEAVY BUY

Jamal Lewis +900 -- There's something about Lewis where I just don't see him having the same kind of year as he did in 2007, and that's partly because I don't see him healthy for the full season. The Browns, who have now acquired Donte Stallworth, are going to be even more pass-happy than they were last year....if that's possible. NO BUY

Willie Parker +1200 -- Well, we know Parker is perfectly capable of leading the league in rushing. He was on his way to being one of the kingpins when he went down with injury. But coach Mike Tomlin seems dedicated to having Parker give way, at least to a certain extent, to rookie Rashard Mendenhall, who will take some of the pressure off the Super Bowl hero. Otherwise, they wouldn't have spent a first-round pick on Mendenhall. NO BUY

Marion Barber +1400 -- Barber certainly managed to knock Julius Jones out of all relevance in Dallas. And I don't see the other Jones - Felix - getting enough carries to take "workhorse" status away from Barber. But I don't know that the Cowboys are best served by having Barber pound the ball on down after down. NO BUY

Brian Westbrook +1500 -- Westbrook is much more of a contender in the "all-purpose" category. He generally splits up his yardage pretty well between the run and the pass. So I don't see him as a genuine contender here. NO BUY

Clinton Portis +1400 -- Portis has all the capability in the world to climb to the top of the heap. He is explosive enough to go on long runs. And he can be a workhorse-type. Ladell Betts will also get a significant amount of time in the backfield, though, and that will cut into Portis' numbers. And then there's the question of Portis' health holding up enough for the entire season. LIGHT BUY

Frank Gore +2000 -- Gore hasbeen a rushing leader before, but I just don't see him making that kind of advance in Mike Martz's newly-installed offensive system. NO BUY

Joseph Addai +1400 -- Addai is a component of a well-rounded offense, rather than a corner stone of it. The Colts re-acquired Dominick Rhodes for the purposes of getting all the pressure off Addai anyway. So while it will not be "running back-by-committee" in Indianapolis, there probably won't be enough room for Addai to beat everyone else's numbers. NO BUY

Larry Johnson +1800 -- Johnson's abilities are unquestioned. But the rapidity at which the Chiefs' rebuilt offensive line can develop IS a big question. NO BUY

Ryan Grant +1500 -- I like Grant and I think that he can transform himself form being a very nice change of pace to a vital cog in the Green Bay offense. But was he a beneficiary of defenses having to concentrate on what Brett Favre was doing? And was his big year in 2007 (and part of 2008) a fluke? LIGHT BUY

Willis McGahee +1200 -- McGahee is a back of great ability, but for this Baltimore "offense" I can't say I see any value in him. NO BUY

Marshawn Lynch +2500 -- I could see Lynch possibly being able to make some noise here. Buffalo is going to get better, plays a lot in cold weather and should have a more balanced offense with the development of Trent Edwards and the addition of rookie wide receiver James Hardy. LIGHT BUY

Brandon Jacobs +2800 -- The Giants have too much of a "committee" (and a good one) at this position. NO BUY

Laurence Maroney +2800 -- I really love Maroney, and if the Patriots' offense was built around his talents he'd have a very good shot at this. But there is just too much of a commitment to Tom Brady and the passing attack right now. NO BUY

Lendale White +3000 -- White will get plenty of opportunity, but whether he's plenty good enough is another question entirely. NO BUY

Michael Turner +3000 -- Here is my value pick. You know that Atlanta is looking to become a power team again under new coach Mike Smith, and that was the rationale behind acquiring LaDanian Tomlnson's former backup, who doesn't have a lot of wear-and-tear on him. True, Jerious Norwood will also be getting carries, but my guess is that he will be underutilized as usual, which will leave Turner in a workhorse role. HEAVY BUY

Thomas Jones +4000 -- I have never been a huge believer in Jones, and even though the Jets' offensive line is rally emerging, I think eventually this team will start looking for a better solution at running back. NO BUY

Darren McFadden +4000 - Although I know Justin Fargas is also in the Raiders' backfield, I can really imagine McFadden having a Peterson-type season. Remember, rookie running back, who are fresh, tend to emerge quickly, so with this guy's speed I would not be surprised if he bolted to the top in a hurry. For the price, it's worth a pop. HEAVY BUY

Ronnie Brown +2000 -- Brown is capable, but he's not going far with this Miami offensive line. Not yet anyway. NO BUY

The 2008 NFL betting season is around the corner! If you like to bet on the NFL, you are in the best possible place for online betting. The BetUS sportsbook has NFL odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find NFL lines up for early games as well. Join BetUS today and we'll help guide you right through to Super Bowl XLIII and beyond!

(Charles Jay of www.ebookies.com is a member of the NFL too - that is, "not for long" if you don't get results. He is now a regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room)