posted April 18, 2008 at 12:54 EST in NFL Free Picks

BetUS Sportsbook has just revealed its 2008 odds to win the AFC and NFC titles, as well as the Super Bowl, and it is no surprise that the New England Patriots are the solid favorite to be the AFC rep once again. But Bill Belichick's team is not the one we are going to examine today.

Let's start things out by listing the odds to win the AFC Championship, as they appear in BetUS Sportsbook:

BetUS NFL Futures Odds

To win the AFC Championship:

New England Patriots: 3/2

San Diego Chargers: 9/2

Indianapolis Colts: 5/1

Jacksonville Jaguars: 17/2

Pittsburgh Steeelers: 12/1

Cleveland Browns: 16/1

Tennessee Titans: 20/1

Denver Broncos: 22/1

Cincinnati Bengals: 22/1

Baltimore Ravens: 25/1

Houston Texans: 30/1

Buffalo Bills: 45/1

New York Jets: 60/1

Miami Dolphins: 66/1

Kansas City Chiefs: 66/1

Oakland Raiders: 100/1

Our emphasis in this piece is going to be the MIAMI DOLPHINS, who are listed at 66/1 in the BetUS NFL betting futures. The reason for that is two-fold - because Miami has the first pick in the NFL draft, and because the franchise has now hired former Giant, Jet, Patriot and Cowboy coach Bill Parcells as its head of football operations. will either of those things have any substantial impact?

Parcells has come into Miami and brought aboard people he is comfortable with, as he's done everywhere else. That includes head coach Tony Sporano, a former offensive line coach for Parcells' Dallas Cowboys whose only head coaching experience has been at the University of New Haven, and Jeff Ireland, the new general manager, who was vice president of college and pro scouting for the Cowboys.

I think the Dolphins are on the verge of making a couple of critical mistakes. One of them will happen if they do not trade the first pick for multiple players who can help them. Miami, at 1-15, was easily the worst team in the NFL last year, and they need a lot of personnel. Indications are that the Dolphins have spoken with representatives of Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, who would presumably be shifted from the right side of the line over to the left. Then Ireland said this, intentionally or not, at a press conference:

"This is the first pick in the draft. This guy is going to be — you hope that he's a pillar of your defense for a long time."

It is no secret that Virginia defensive end Chris Long and LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey are also being considered. But maybe the only guy in the first round who is going to make an immediate tangible impact is Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, and the Dolphins may consider themselves set at running back, with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams returning from injuries, and third-down back Lorenzo Booker also in the fold. And the running game actually worked to an extent last year, when it was healthy. The team has already invested money in Brown, who was the second overall pick in 2005. And if Williams could come back and be effective as a role player, that would be a huge help.

There are many more offensive needs. There is going to be little explosiveness at wide receiver if Ted Ginn Jr. doesn't make major strides. And Miami could certainly use a guy who can spend a career at left tackle, which explains their interest in Michigan's Long.

The defensive secondary was plagued by injuries, and could improve as it gets healthier. The linebacking corps got what it was looking for from ex-Steeler Joey Porter toward the end of the year, but Zach Thomas, a mainstay for many years, is gone. The defensive line is capable but aging, which is why Parcells is interested in Virginia's Long or LSU's Dorsey.

At quarterback, there is a huge hole. Last season the Dolphins started with Trent Green until a concussion knocked him out or the season. Cleo Lemon and John Beck did the mop-up work for the rest of the year. Beck had precious few "moments" and Lemon showed himself to nothing more than a backup. Parcells talked to Green about the possibility of coming back, but nothing could be worked out. So Green went to St. Louis to back up Marc Bulger, and Lemon is off to Jacksonville. John McCown (901 yards, 9 TD's, 10 INT's) was signed from Oakland, but that just brings more mediocrity to the position. Even though a signal-caller may be selected on a subsequent round, Parcells does not generally like young quarterbacks, but assuming he doesn't dig up Vinny Testaverde yet again, his choices are either McCown, who really provides very little, or Beck, last year's second-round choice, who may have an upside. If he doesn't have one, the outlook could be bleak.

This is a team that is not one player away from a championship; it is many players away from contending. And it will be a long process. The problem is, Parcells may not be around to see it through. It is almost common opinion around the league that the Big Tuna will walk out before the end of his contract, and nobody knows when that will be. For now, he has hand-picked a head coach who, try as they might to claim otherwise, is a puppet (Sporano). And I wonder how many situations like that, outside of Oakland, ever resulted in a Super Bowl ring. Remember, for all of Parcells' success as a head coach, he's relatively untested in the executive-only role. And it is simply an error to take the attitude that you are going to shun the press as he's doing, particularly since after a 1-15 season you need all the positive public relations you can get. When things start to go bad, expect reporters and fans alike to turn on this regime.

Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller may have brought plenty of misery to the south Florida area, Miami may be in for another disastrous period, which may take more years to recover from. I think, when all is said and done, hiring Parcells with the hope that he can right this ship may be the biggest mistake of all. In the BetUS odds to win the AFC title, the Dolphins, because of the presence of Parcells, are probably getting too much respect at 66/1. The Denver Broncos, for example, at 22/1, offer infinitely more value.

JAY'S PREDICTION FOR 2008:

Miami Dolphins: 3-13

The 2008 NFL betting season is coming, and 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 games, totals and propositions, and you will also find NFL future lines up for the Super Bowl as well. Join BetUS today and we'll help guide you right through to Super Bowl XLII and beyond!

(Charles Jay of http://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)