The final NFL betting odds of the 2010 preseason will be played on Thursday with final preparations for the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints regular season week 1 opener on September 9th. Sportsbooks have the Saints -4.5 favorites at home in NFL week 1 odds vs the Vikings for the opening game on NBC with an over/under betting total of 49. Minnesota will play the Denver Broncos as -4.5 favorites at home for their final preseason match-up while New Orleans will head out on the road vs the Tennesse Titans as 7.5-point underdogs in NFL picks. Both teams are early favorites at online sportsbooks in odds to win Super Bowl XLII with Vikings 10-1 and the Saints 9-1 to repeat as champions.

As we get closer to the opening games in NFL week 1 odds, many sports betting handicappers are still analyzing whether or not the surgically repaired ankle on Brett Favre can withstand the rigors of the entire 2010 NFL season. Favre has gone 17-27 during the preseason for 200-yards and has been had of the highest passer ratings in the league (107.2) during his career but that could all be for nothing if the ankle doesn’t hold up. “I don’t know. I have no idea, really,” Favre said this week. “My ankle just seems to get easier to sprain. Now we’ll see if I can make it. My mind’s telling me one thing, but my body’s telling me something else.”

The Saints are sitting in a perfect position to repeat as world champions with everyone healthy and a determined Drew Brees. New Orleans has gone 2-1 in the preseason with Brees going 32-50 for 331-yards and two touchdowns with Chris Ivory rushing for 141-yards including a touchdown while Marques Colston and Adrian Arrington have averaged over 16-yards per catch. While the controversy regarding the recruiting violations of Reggie Bush at USC might be a slight distraction for the team, the focus remains the same with Ivory also proving to be a powerful force in the backfield heading into NFL week 1 as betting favorites at home. “Chris just consistently has been able to get positive yards,” said Saints head coach Sean Payton this week. “He’s got size and speed. He’s been able to take those assets and transition them.”