The largest item they are discussing is the best way to split the revenue which is anticipated at nine (9) billion dollars. The agreement ready to expire would allow the owners a one billion cut of the top and the owners want to increase that amount to two billion before any money is dispersed to the Players Association.

In addition the NFL Owners want to increase the number of regular season games from sixteen (16) to eighteen (18) and lowering the number of preseason game by two games. The problem here is that if the season is extended then the NFL Players Association will want improved health care benefits and improvement of the NFL retirement plan.

An issue that the NFL owners are very adamant about is that they want to reduce or set a limit on the salaries of rookies with a wage scale for rookies that would limit the amount rookie placers can receive as well as limit the time for which unproven rookie players can sign contracts.

The last time the NFL had a lockout was back in 1987 there was a player lockout that resulted in the season being reduced from 16 games to 15 games. The fourth thru the sixth weeks of the season were played with substitute or as they called it, replacement players. Many fans were very upset with these games and the replacement players and called the games the “unwatchables.”

At least it presently appears that both sides are interested in a new agreement, but when and how is the important question. The Owners and the Players have had seven consecutive day negotiating before federal mediators and those talks ended last Thursday 02/24/2011 and are to resume on Tuesday 03 01 2011! The basic outcome thus far as stated by the Chief Federal mediator George Cohen that the sides had both made progress but some strong difference remain!

Now it will be interesting to see the progress between now and this Thursday when the contract expires and what happens with the draft and free agency and will we be looking and NFL Odds at the SBGGlobal.com sportsbook in 2011?

The AFC North winning Pittsburgh Steelers (13-4) and the NY Jets (13-5) are set to do battle in what will no doubt be a matchup dominated by two of the most fierce defenses in the NFL. Both teams have had some very tough games so far in the 2011 playoffs and both teams battle tested and more than ready for this AFC championship matchup.

The Steelers knocked off their hated division rival in a slugfest last weekend at Heinz Field to come form 14 points down in a come from behind win in the 4th quarter. The Jets have had to play and defeat 2 quality opponents on the road (Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots) in order to get opportunity to play in this weekend’s AFC Championship game and playing on the road –yet again- should have little effect on this group.

Kickoff for this Sunday matchup is set for 6:35 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Steelers as a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under total at 38.5. The over/under on this game is telling as not many points are expected to be scored. Both of these teams are defined by their defenses which 1st (Steelers 14.5 ppg) and 6th (Jets 19.0 ppg) in scoring. When it comes to odds NFL experts like the home team by a slim margin in what should be a low scoring game.

Last weekend both teams surprised fans and experts alike by exploding for an offensive outpouring of a combined 51 points. But don’t expect that again this Sunday.

Neither team has a very impressive offense (Steelers are averaging 23.4 ppg, Jets 22.9 ppg) and the defense should set the tone. Neither team will likely be able to move the ball on the ground as these are two of the premier rush defenses in the NFL (Steelers #1, Jets #3) and that could make it very difficult for either team to move the ball as neither side is likely to take big risks in the passing game. Look for a low scoring game and a Steelers win what should be a low scoring NFL gambling matchup.

For starters the Bears have been a very good team over the course of the 16-game regular season. They are the #2 seed in the NFC, won the NFC North, received a first round bye and have one of the best records in the NFL.

Judging by the stat sheet and the win-loss column, the Seahawks, on the other hand, have accomplished virtually nothing that would indicate they had a successful season other then becoming the first team in NFL history to win a division with a losing record (7-9).

But the Seahawks accomplished one magnificent accomplishment this season when they beat the defending Super Bowl champion Saints during the Wildcard Weekend. And for that reason -and that reason alone- the Seahawks have lived to see another improbable playoff matchup this weekend in Chicago.

Kickoff for this Sunday matchup is set for 1:05 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Bears as a 10-point favorite with an over/under total at 41. This is the widest point spread in the NFL betting odds action this week and double-digit spread in a Divisional round playoff game is almost unheard of. But it speaks to the wide disparity in talent between these two clubs.

The Bears rank 4th in the NFL in total defense (17.9 ppg) and it’s past two meaningful games to close the offense averaged 39.0 ppg including a win over the playoff bound New York Jets (38-34). QB Jay Cutler has been playing the best football of his professional career (3,274 yards, 23 TDs, 16 INTs) and there seems to be little chance that this team will be beaten by the Seahawks.

But that’s exactly what the Super Bowl champion Saints thought and here we are. The Seahawks played their best game of the season last week and looked like a completely different team. QB Matt Hasselbeck had the game of his life tossing 4 TDs and the offense racked up its highest point total of the season (41 points). Still, the clock will strike midnight on Sunday and this NFL gambling Cinderella story will end beside Lake Michigan.

The Houston Texans started off with the early lead in this division but have since fizzled a bit and now sport a 4-4 record. Likewise with the 4-4 Jacksonville Jags which has been treading water for most of the season, but QB David Garrard quietly putting together a fine season this team is poised to make a run.

Kickoff for this Sunday matchup is set for 1:05 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Texans/Jags PK with an over/under total at 50.

This game is simply too close to call and as with most division rivalries in sports betting you can expect a tight game.

Both of these teams have struggled on defense and have been outscored by opponent by a considerable margin this year (Jags: 165-226; Texans 193-26). In fact, fans should not tune into this matchup expecting big stops as these two teams rank 29th and 30th in the league in defense.

The Jags are giving up 28.3 ppg and 386.3 ypg. The Texans are giving up 28.3 ppg and 399.5 ypg. On any given Sunday these could be the worst defenses in the league.

But these teams are more adept on the offensive side of the ball and we should see a high scoring game as the over/under indicates.

Defensively these teams are a wash and this game should boil down to a battle of offenses. This is a battle that the Texans win easily. Houston is averaging 24.1 ppg and have changed from high flying passing team to the 6th best rushing team in the NFL (136.5 ypg) behind the breakout season of the NFL’s leading rusher, RB Arian Foster.

The Jags simply don’t have the rush defense to slow down the A-Train and this game will be won in the trenches for the Texans who should win this NFL betting odds contest on the road.

Even though the Saints (5-3) are coming off a major win of the Steelers at the Super Dome and look to be playoff contender, picking the Panthers to lose has more to do with how awful the Panthers are rather than how good the Saints are.

Kickoff for this Saturday matchup is set for 1:05 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Saints as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under total at 41.

A solid case can made for the Saints however and the Drew Brees led offense looked terrific last week against the #1 defense in the NFL (Steelers are allowing just 14.6 ppg) scoring 20 points and doubling up Pittsburgh on the scoreboard (20-10 victory).

Aside from a 4 INT performance against the Browns in the Week 8 NFL gambling action Brees has been playing as his usual high level (291.8 ypg, 16 TDs, 11 INTs). The offense has fallen off a bit this season after leading the NFL in scoring last year but with its top 2 RBs out with injuries (Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush) it’s no secret why.

On defense this team has been surprisingly good as well. Last year this was the team’s main weakness but it was able to overcome its shortcomings by producing a heap of TOs. This year the team has 15 TOs in 8 games (middle of the pack) but is playing much better all around D. The Saints rank 8th in the NFL in allowing just 18.5 ppg and its 287.3 total yards per game is a testament to how much this unit has improved over last year’s ball hawking squad.

And that in a nutshell is why the Saints will crush the Panthers in this week’s sports betting challenge (-not to mention the Panthers are horrible).

This weekend the banged up Green Bay Packers (4-3) will look to become just the second team to hand the Jets a home loss in their new digs, but it’s going to be an uphill battle. All from the NFL gambling odds makers, to stadium janitors like the Jets chances in winning this game. And while the Jets may well indeed win this game, the Packers might have a better chance than most people might think.

Kickoff for this Sunday matchup is set for 1:05 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Jets as a 5-point favorite with an over/under total at 42.

Everyone knows the Jets are a great team. They’ve got the #4 ranked defenses in the league and are giving up just 16.7 points per game. Top CB Darelle Revis recently declared himself 100% healthy after missing action early in the season with a pulled hammy. On offense QB Mark Sanchez has been superb. He’s only got 1,100 yards in 6 games but his 9TDs to 2 INTs ratio is phenomenal. Plus, with Jets rolling up 159.2 yards a game on the ground he doesn’t have to throw for 300 yards every week.

But this team does have a weakness. This team has been very vulnerable to the passing attack and deep balls this season. Its overall defense is solid but the stats are skewed. Against the run the Jets are among the very best giving up just 90.0 yards per game. But against the pass this team has been very soft. It’s giving up 229 yards a game passing to opponents and worse it’s already given up 10 passing TDs and has just 5 INTs and 13.0 sacks.

A top QB like Aaron Rogers should be able to exploit those holes.

This probably isn’t going to be shootout and if Rogers plays a good game the Packers should probably be able to at least beat the NFL betting odds spread.

At 29.5 points per game no team has scored more points than New England which has some wins against some very quality teams (Baltimore).

The Minnesota Vikings were supposed to be among the top tier teams this season with the return of Grandfather Brett Favre, one of the top defenses in the NFL from a year ago and a beast in the backfield by the name of Adrian Peterson.

But nothing has gone according to plan for the Vikings except for Peterson being a beast (114 ypg, 5 TDs). The team has sputtered to a 2-4 record, the D is giving up nearly 20 ppg (19.3) and Favre has been doing a great Jake Delhomme impression so far this season (10 INTs in 6 games).

Kickoff for this Sunday matchup is set for 4:20 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook will have a line available for this and all the NFL Week 8 games.

The fact that Favre will likely miss this game and his 291 consecutive games started streak will come to an end is more worrying for the Vikings. Not that Favre has been having a great season but with backup Tavaris Jackson behind center the team’s chances in the sports betting lines grower dimmer still.

The fact of the matter is Pat’s QB Tom Brady has the offense humming. His numbers aren’t that impressive (227 ypg, 11 TDs, 4 INTs) but he uses every single player in the offense and can beat a defense about a million different ways.

The Pats D is suspect (23rd) in the NFL but it’s been racked with injuries and is starting to get healthy. And that’s not as big of concern as it might be elsewhere since the Pats dink and dunk offense chews up major minutes.

It’s very hard to find a compelling reason why the Vikings would win this game and the smart NFL gambling move is to bet the house on the Pats.

Or you could point to the fact that the Steelers, despite a pretty tough schedule still managed to win 3 of 4 games early in the season without All Pro QB Ben Roethlisberger who was suspended for putrid behavior.

But the one stat that is often overlooked and is the true measure of a good NFL team is its road record. And so far this season the Steelers are a perfect 3-0 when playing outside the windy, Steel City Beer infused, confines of Heinz Field.

This weekend the team will try to run its record to a perfect 4-0 in the Super Dome against the team that took the Super Bowl trophy from it: the 4-2 New Orleans Saints.

Kickoff for this Sunday matchup is set for 8:25 Eastern Time and SBG Global Sportsbook opened with the Saints as a 1-point favorite with an over/under total at 44.

No doubt both teams will be looking to prove something as the two most current holders of the Lombardi trophy and the fact that this is the Sunday Night Game of the Week broadcast to a live national audience ought to crank the action up a notch as well.

On paper this is a matchup of one of the best QBs in the NFL, Drew Brees (2,029 yards, 289.9 ypg, 14 TDs, 10 INTs) against the best defense in the league, the aforementioned Steelers.

That’s the key storyline here and the one that the sports media and most of the sports betting fans will be focused on.

But that negates a very big piece of the puzzle, namely Big Ben.

The Steelers defense gets all the headlines and all the credit but this Steelers offense, with Big Ben at the helm is one of the most balanced and most effective units in the league.

Brees and the Steelers’ D will battle all night but it’s likely Roethlisberger and his troops will win this NFL betting odds war with a strong running game and a deep strike passing game.

But despite the circus surrounding this game at its core is two very good teams –despite what their records might indicate- playing an NFL North division rivalry that could have a huge impact on who wins the division.

Minnesota (2-3) has gotten off to a very slow start but is starting to hit its stride while Green Bay (3-3) has been nearly incapacitated by injuries.

Kickoff for this Sunday matchup is set for 8:25 Eastern Time and sbg sportsbook opened with the Packers as a 3-point favorite with an over/under total at 44.

One of the biggest story lines heading into this NFL gambling matchup is the health of a Packers QB Aaron Rogers. After suffering a concussion in last weekend’s loss and is listed as probable for the Week 7 start.

If Rogers doesn’t start or isn’t effective the Vikings are a lock to win this game. But even if he does play you’ve got to like the Vikings’ chances.

With Favre returning to Green Bay you can be sure that he’ll up his game a bit. Say what you will about Favre but he generally rises to the occasion and this will be the biggest game of the year so far for the Vikings. He’ll have plenty of help as well as WR Randy Moss will likely be even better after another week of practice, as will WR Percy Harvin.

But the passing game may not even need to do the heavy lifting as the Packers D is soft against the runs and is giving up 112.3 ypg and that means that RB Adrian Peterson (110.6 ypg) could be in for another monster day.

On offense Green Bay is just so banged up it’s hard to know how this unit will perform. It’s lost its last 2 games and scored just a combined 33 points in the losses.

It’s tough to imagine this talented Packers squad losing 3 games in a row but the Vikings look the winner in this sports betting contest.

But those numbers don’t tell the whole story and while the team may be tied for last in the division, they’re also just 2 games out first place and two of their losses have come against two of the best teams in the NFL (Baltimore and Indianapolis).

Those also don’t tell you that QB Kyle Orton have been a top 3 QB in the league thus far and that the passing game is the second best in the NFL (346.6 ypg and 8 TDs). All things considered this Denver team has its flaws but it’s much better than its 2-3 record indicates and it will likely beat the Jets (4-1) this weekend in Denver.

Kickoff for this Sunday1matchup is set for 4:10 Eastern Time and sbg sportsbook opened with the Jets as a 4-point favorite with an over/under total at 41.

Granted, the Jets are the real deal and one of the top teams in the NFL betting odds action and front runner to win the Super Bowl. But if there’s a team out there that can beat the red-hot Jets right now it’s the Broncos. New York has won 4 straight games and in the parody riddled NFL that streak can’t last forever.

The Jets biggest weakness all year has been its pass defense which ranks 23rd in the league and is giving up 234.6 yards per game. It’s also given up a heap of passing TDs (9) and looks ripe to be picked apart by Orton. Orton has played brilliantly this year with a 97.8 passer rating, 1,733 yards, 8 TDs and just 3 INTs.

The last decent QB this team faced was Tom Brady and New York held him in check. However, they also gave up over 300 yards to Miami QB Chad Henne and 3 passing TDs to Brett Favre.

Coming off a short week after a taxing Monday Night game against the Vikings this Jets squad will not be in top form and the Broncos look to be in good position to take advantage.

Pick the Broncos to pull off the sports betting upset.