NFL Week 1 Betting Preview
NFL Week 1 Betting Preview
The long wait is over for the much-anticipated start of the 2014 NFL regular season and bettors will be treated to an intriguing matchup right out of the gate this Thursday night. Sunday’s slate is chock-filled with 13 matchups and, following the tradition for the past few seasons, Monday night will feature a NFL double-header on ESPN starting at 7 p.m. (ET).
Thursday’s season opener on NBC features a NFC showdown between the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks and one of the top favorites to win it all this season, the Green Bay Packers. BetOnline has the Seahawks currently listed as six-point home favorites in a betting line that has continued to rise since opening at five points on most sportsbook’s board. The total for this game has been set at 46.
There are five division clashes on Week 1’s schedule including two matchups in the AFC North. Cincinnati will be on the road against Baltimore as a 1.5-point underdog and Cleveland will pay a visit to Pittsburgh as a seven-point road underdog.
A huge tilt in the NFC South sends New Orleans on the road to the Georgia Dome to face Atlanta in a battle between the last two title winners in that division. BetOnline has the Saints favored by three points with the total set at 51.5.
Another division matchup sends New England on the road against Miami with the Patriots favored by five points. The total in that game has been set at 47. New England is a prohibitive -340 favorite to win its sixth-straight AFC East title and Miami is a distant second-favorite at +650.
The final division showdown of the day pits Carolina against Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers favored by two points at home. BetOnline has set the total for this other NFC South clash at 39.5.
Turning to Sunday night’s featured game, Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts will look to get off to a strong start with a victory over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos as 7.5-point underdogs on the road. The total has been set at 55 in a battle between two of the most prolific offenses in the league.
Monday’s slate starts out with the New York Giants on the road against Detroit. The Lions are currently 5.5-point favorites with the total set at 47. Later that night, Arizona will play host to San Diego in an inter-conference matchup as a three-point home favorite. The total for this game has been set at 45.
