Brett Favre is Back With Vikings: Bookies Licking Their Chops

With Brett Favre announcing his intentions to stay on with the Minnesota Vikings and play another season, oddsmakers at Sportsbetting.com have once again began offering betting on the Vikings chances at winning the NFC North.  It is a tight race with the Vikings listed at +130 and the Green Bay Packers at +110.

The 40-year-old quarterback returned to Minnesota on Tuesday, arriving in a private jet trimmed in the Vikings' purple and gold with three teammates -- guard Steve Hutchinson, defensive end Jared Allen and place-kicker Ryan Longwell -- who were sent to Hattiesburg, Miss., to bring him back for one more shot at a Super Bowl, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports. 

Longwell confirmed before Wednesday’s scheduled press conference with Brett Favre that the quarterback would indeed play.

"We simply went down there to get an answer and after talking for a while, his answer was 'yes,'" Longwell said in the message. "He loves the guys in the locker room and is doing it for all of us."

The three-time MVP has been thinking about retirement again this year after injuring his ankle in the NFC Championship Game loss to the New Orleans Saints in January.

The Star Tribune’s Judd Zulgad reported Favre’s base salary is expected to be $16.5 million instead of $13 million and he could earn another $3.5 million in incentives based on the Vikings' postseason success (i.e. making it to the Super Bowl and perhaps ultimately winning the big one).

Oddsmakers have been holding out putting a price on Minnesota while sports bettors have held back placing bets.

“The bookies are thrilled,” confesses Don Shapiro of Gambling911.com.  “The NFC North is a heated battle and should get plenty of action but over the past few weeks oddsmakers were cautious about accepting bets to win this division.”

Mary Montgomery, Gambling911.com