2014 NFL futures betting: Breaking down the NFC South

In a division that looked like it would be settled by the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, it was instead the Carolina Panthers who broke through and claimed the NFC South title a year ago.

The Panthers' 2013 season didn't inspire much confidence in the club among oddsmakers, as seen in the odds comparison below.

Odds courtesy BetOnline, Bovada, Sports Interaction.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints ranked fourth in the league in offense a year ago, but have some turnover to deal with on that side of the ball.

Darren Sproles and Lance Moore will be missed as pass-catching targets for Drew Brees. Khiry Robinson and Brandin Cooks will step into bigger roles in their stead, though there will be some growing pains along the way. Joe Lombardi's absence on the sideline will hurt, but Sean Payton is still around. The unit should be fine, but they don't have enough depth to weather many injuries.

Rob Ryan's defense took a big step forward last year. That momentum should continue with the additions of Jairus Byrd and Champ Bailey, and another year of development for budding stars like Cam Jordan and Junior Galette. They'll be even better against the pass, though how they fare against the run is a bigger concern.

Atlanta Falcons

It's the offense that is supposed to be the strength of this Falcons team, but the unit enters this upcoming season with a number of question marks.

The loss of Tony Gonzalez will hurt more than many expect it to, and another year of wear and tear on Steven Jackson and Roddy White is not what the doctor ordered. All reports out of camp indicate Julio Jones is looking like his old self, and he was on pace for a special 2013 before going down.

General manager Thomas Dimitroff spent the offseason re-tooling the team's defense. With that said, defensive coordinator Mike Nolan still doesn't have a lot to work with. The Falcons will again have plenty of trouble getting to the quarterback after finishing 30th in the league in sacks a year ago, and the loss of Sean Weatherspoon is more devastating than they're letting on.

Carolina Panthers

Too much has been made of the Panthers' turnover at the wide receiver position. Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell may be gone, but Kelvin Benjamin and Jerricho Cotchery join tight end Greg Olsen to form a pass-catching unit that's more talented than last year's edition.

There are some concerns with who will be blocking Cam Newton's blind side following the retirements of Jordan Gross and Travelle Wharton. That's going to create issues in the team's run blocking as well, which could be trouble for a running back corps that was hoping to take a step forward with a healthy Jonathan Stewart in tow.

It was the defense that carried the Panthers to the division title in 2013, and that unit will need to excel again if Carolina hopes for a return trip to the postseason. The team's front seven is as good as any in football. Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy combine to form one of the better defensive end tandems in football, and defending Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly heads a linebacking corps that joined the elite ranks last season. It's the team's rebuilt secondary that will give Ron Rivera headaches.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bringing in Lovie Smith as head coach should do wonders for a Buccaneers team that had far too much talent to justify its poor record a year ago.

The team's offense will lean heavily on a deep stable of running backs, headlined by a returning Doug Martin. When they put the ball in the air, Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans will pose a matchup nightmare for opposing secondaries, particularly in the red zone. Whether journeyman Josh McCown can get the ball to them is yet to be seen, but a very capable Mike Glennon is waiting in the wings.

The Buccaneer defense didn't take the step forward many expected it to last season, so general manager Jason Licht threw some more money at the problem, bringing in Michael Johnson and Alterraun Verner. With as many playmakers as they have on defense, and Smith in to coach the unit, the Buccaneers could very well be in for a similar leap forward as what we saw from the Panthers a year ago.

Where to put your money

Getting behind the Saints at +125 on Sports Interaction is a fine move. They're priced pretty favorably there for a clear-cut favorite. Beyond that, the Buccaneers could surprise some this season after a real down year in 2013. There are worse things one could do with their money than drop a Jackson on the Buccos at +600 on BetOnline.

More 2014 NFL futures betting articles:

AFC East | AFC North
AFC South | AFC West

NFC East | NFC North
NFC South | NFC West

Super Bowl odds | Yardage leaders odds
MVP odds | Win total odds
Super Bowl odds II