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It might not be wise to lay down money on the Falcons in a futures bet but Harrington could help Atlanta pay out more times than many are anticipating.

Harrington and the Atlanta Falcons will next face the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night and are listed as a 3-point underdog. They close off the preseason against the Baltimore Ravens.

Will bettors fly the friendly skies with the Jets in 2007?

Quick question. Who led the NFL with the best ATS record last year? I’m sure some of you will be surprised to hear that it was the New York Jets.

Picked by many to dwell near the bottom of the AFC East in 2006, the Jets were the surprise team of the NFL going 10-6 and clinching a Wild Card berth.

On the betting side of the equation, the NY football Jets went 11-5 against the number with 9 overs and 7 unders, but you might want watch them in exhibition before you start wagering your bankroll on them.

Just like a Chevy, Curtis Martin was a rock for the Jets’ offense the past eight years. Unfortunately, he showed signs of wear and tear and retired during the offseason.

The Jets signed Thomas Jones from the Super Bowl runner up Chicago Bears, but he is suffering from a strained calf and his agent told ESPN that it could be a week-to-week injury.

Jones expects to be ready for the seasons start, but if the injury doesn’t heal properly, it could hinder him throughout the season.

The RB by committee approach didn’t really work for the Jets after Martin was injured last year as the team finished the season averaging 3.53 yards a rush and 108.7 yards a game.

Although QB Chad Pennington posted solid numbers (3352 yards passing and 17 TDs) and took every snap last season, he has had shoulder surgery twice and could be a hit away from another injury.

New York’s offense calls for a lot of short passes and although they do have a lot of WRs that fit that bill, they don’t have someone who is a threat deep.

Their defense, which ranked 20th in the entire NFL last year, didn’t make any significant upgrades and that could be trouble as well.

The final opportunity to evaluate how potentially profitable the Jets will be, is this coming Thursday when they travel to Philly.

Training camp and exhibition is a time for coaches to evaluate their teams and tinker with schemes. Bettors can use it as a time to do their homework for the regular season as well.

The work in the preseason could be of benefit during the regular season.

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