The 2010 NFL season gets underway on Thursday with a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship, pitting the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints against the Minnesota Vikings.  Future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre returns for one final season in hopes of leading the Vikings to the ultimate prize in American football, providing quite a storyline.

But is Minnesota worth backing considering Favre will be playing on a surgically repaired ankle he injured against the Saints, and the team’s defensive secondary will only have three healthy cornerbacks to try to contain Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees and the New Orleans receivers?  The Vikings likely would have been playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy if they did not turn the ball over five times against the Saints in the last meeting, including a fourth-quarter interception thrown by Favre that cost his team a chance to kick the potential game-winning field goal.

New Orleans had lost the previous four meetings with Minnesota before the NFC Championship and has been the wrong side to back in the last five games between the teams, as the Vikings have taken the money each time.  Favre threw for over 300 passing yards despite the loss and appears to be a popular bet to back him going OVER 220.5 (1.24, -417) in the rematch.  However, it might be worth backing Brees to throw OVER 290.5 (1.79, -127) since the Vikings will likely have trouble in coverage.

Another wager worth considering is backing Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson to go OVER 85.5 rushing yards (1.62, -161).  Peterson totaled 122 yards on the ground in the last meeting against New Orleans and scored three touchdowns even though he got more press for his two fumbles in the game.  The Saints were vulnerable against the run last season, giving up 122.2 yards per game to rank 21st in the NFL while also surrendering 19 touchdowns on the ground (tied for fourth-worst).

Keep in mind that the last meeting between these teams also saw 21 points scored in the first quarter and only seven in the second.  In the second half, 14 points were scored in each of the last two quarters before New Orleans kicker Garrett Hartley kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime. If you really want to wager on something with a potentially high profit, back that the teams will play OT again (10, +900).