With what promises to be a unique season right around the corner, it’s a good time to get in on some Week 1 betting action. There are a few value plays out there that may be gone when the rush hits leading up to game time. Let’s take a gander at some NFL odds for the first batch of games to start the 2020 season.
Besides, it’s not like you’re going, since it’s doubtful there will be fans allowed at any games to start the season, if not longer.
Thursday night’s opener on Sept. 10 featuring the Texans and Chiefs in Kansas City currently sits at KC -10.5 points.
NFL lines typically give three points for home-field advantage. With no fans, is that still relevant? Is it still being factored into the line? It feels like it is.
Even for the reigning champs, double-digits – and change – is an awful lot considering an abbreviated preseason, likely with no fans, along with the combination of a Thursday night and opener, both notorious for producing wonky outcomes and back-door covers.
On the other hand, betting against Patrick Mahomes is never a good idea. Ever.
A couple more interesting plays for Sunday of Week1 might be Seattle (-1) on the road against Atlanta. Or Philadelphia (-6) in D.C. against the Washington Football Team.
The Falcons rightfully get respect for what their core has accomplished in the past, but they’re a team trending down. This line doesn’t seem to reflect that, especially if Atlanta’s home-field advantage is negated. But the team had to scratch and claw in order to finish 7-9 in 2019 after starting the year 2-7.
Many thought the Seahawks would have a down season last year, but they rattled off an 11-3 start before eventually losing the Packers in the NFC Championship. And Russell Wilson has one of the best young emerging receiving tandems in the league in Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
In the other game, Philadelphia might finally feel relatively healthy after they essentially sacrificed team health for two seasons in order to win the Super Bowl in 2017 and going 9-7 last year.
Washington went 3-13 in 2019 and might be the worst team in the league before all is said and done in 2020. And there’s plenty of bad mojo around the team from ownership, to the name, to a roster full of question marks.
Whatever your bets are, being the early bird on some of these NFL odds certainly can have its advantages.
