NFL Week 1 – Games to Watch
Thursday – Texans at Chiefs
The season opener has the highest total of any Week 1 game. Deshaun Watson led the Texans to a 31-24 upset over the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium last year, and many are calling for fireworks on Thursday night.
Bettors looking to build their bankrolls on this game as it kicks off the NFL Season.
Patrick Mahomes has been revolutionary since taking over as the starter in Kansas City two years ago, so the Chiefs are almost double-digit favorites by the NFL betting odds despite losing to the Texans here last year.
This is a nice spot to go with the underdog Texans. J.J. Watt is healthy and ready to go once again, and the front seven is underrated.
There will likely be some rust with all offenses given there are no preseason games to really test teams, so Mahomes probably won’t be at his full power and 10 points is a lot.
Sunday – Dolphins at Patriots
We haven’t heard good reports out of Patriots’ camp. Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham have both had their issues in Josh McDaniels’ offense, and we always knew it was going to be difficult to replace Tom Brady.
The defense is very shorthanded too, especially in the front seven, as Dont’a Hightower decided to opt out along with other key players like Patrick Chung.
Miami upset New England in Foxboro in Week 17 last year to force the Patriots into the Wild Card Round.
The Dolphins looked much better as the season went on, as their young players stepped up following the offseason selloff, so they have a decent chance of pulling off the upset here.
Sunday – Browns at Ravens
Perhaps everyone was a year early with Cleveland. The Browns were the favorites to win the AFC North last year, but they ended up missing out on the playoffs once again.
Baker Mayfield took a big step back in his second season, yet this team might be primed to finally break through this season.
Everyone spent the offseason scheming against Lamar Jackson. The reigning NFL MVP was incredible throughout the 2019 with his legs opening things up, but the Ravens still don’t have many real weapons for Jackson in the passing game.
Cleveland is likely to have something up its sleeve to slow down Jackson, and the hook might be the key to a cover here.
Sunday – Buccaneers at Saints
This is one of the highest totals of Week 1. There are some pretty big concerns with both offenses though, so the under is a great bet.
Drew Brees no longer has the arm strength he did earlier in his career, and Tom Brady is a much bigger question mark than the national media would have you believe.
Daily Fantasy Player will be focusing on this matchup according to rotogrinders.com.
It will likely take time for Brady to develop chemistry with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski is an unknown given his early retirement and previous concussion issues. Both teams have underrated defenses, so we could see a relatively low scoring game.
Monday – Steelers at Giants
The loss of Ben Roethlisberger put the pressure on Pittsburgh’s defense last season. Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges both had major problems moving the chains, but the Steelers nearly made the playoffs as Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cameron Heyward, and T.J. Watt were exceptional.
Roethlisberger’s return makes Pittsburgh something of a dark horse this season. He is not far removed from being one of the game’s best quarterbacks, and if he is 80 percent of what he was two years ago, the Steelers can win 10 or more games with this defense.
The MNF matchups always receive a ton of action and you can view the public betting trends at sharpside.com.
NFL Week 1 Best Bets
(Note: These are advanced picks and not the same picks used in Benny Diamond’s late phone service.) Click Here for Benny Diamond’s Gameday NFL Best Bets!
- Favorite: Broncos +2.5
- Underdog: Cardinals +7.5
- Over: Kansas City-Houston 53.5
- Under: New England-Miami
