College Football Week 1 Opening Line Report
August 23, 2021
Week 0 College Football Odds and Movement (August 28)
August 23, 2021
We are a month away from the start of training camp. Players, fans, and bettors alike are already giddy for the start of football season. The offseason storylines have held us over, but nothing beats the feeling of when toe meets leather for the first time in the fall. The defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers will kick things off on Thursday Night Football.
Week 1 Schedule
Thursday, September 9
Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6.5, O/U 52)
Dak Prescott is ready to light up the league again after recovering from a broken right ankle that sidelined him for most of the 2020 season. The Cowboys offense figures to be one of the NFL’s most productive units once more with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb out wide, but the Buccaneers don’t want their home opener spoiled.
Sunday, September 12
Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans (-2.5, O/U 51)
The Titans announced they are in win-now mode with the addition of Julio Jones. The long-time Atlanta receiver was traded to Tennessee this offseason, and he will make this offense even better. Derrick Henry could have a big day running against this Arizona defense, but the Cardinals might be able to get to Ryan Tannehill with Chandler Jones healthy once more.
Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons (-3.5, O/U 46.5)
Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals (+3, O/U 48)
The No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft will have a new favorite receiver this season. Cincinnati drafted Ja’Marr Chase early in the first round to give Joe Burrow his favorite target from LSU. The Bengals’ playoff hopes may rest in the hands of 2019 first-round pick Jonah Williams though as Cincy has had a dreadful offensive line the last few seasons.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (-6, O/U 50.5)
Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts (-2.5, O/U 52)
Quarterbacks get a ton of attention in today’s game, and there have been major stories about both these teams’ signal callers this offseason. Russell Wilson has been rumored to want out of Seattle since the end of last season, and Indianapolis dealt a boatload to Philadelphia for Carson Wentz. The Colts are hoping that Wentz’s poor performance last season was an aberration.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (+2.5, O/U 45.5)
San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions (+7.5, O/U 46)
Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t looking over his shoulder just yet, but he knows he doesn’t have much margin for error. San Francisco took Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick, and while the 49ers are likely to let Lance learn under Garoppolo, a couple bad performances from Jimmy G could lead to his being replaced. Detroit has a new signal caller too as Jared Goff is taking over for Matthew Stafford following their blockbuster trade.
New York Jets at Carolina Panthers (-4, O/U 43)
Los Angeles Chargers at Washington Football Team (+1, O/U 44.5)
Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs (-6, O/U 53)
Although the Chiefs lost the last Super Bowl, they are the favorites to win again this year. That’s what happens when you have Patrick Mahomes and an abundance of talent at the skill positions, and Kansas City should once again have a top-five offense as long as Mahomes doesn’t get hurt. Cleveland’s defense figures to be better though with the additions of Jadeveon Clowney, Greg Newsome, and John Johnson III.
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (-2, O/U 45.5)
Denver Broncos at New York Giants (+1, 42.5)
Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints (-2.5, O/U 51)
Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams (-7, O/U 45.5)
Fans in both Chicago and Los Angeles can’t wait to see their teams’ new starting quarterbacks. The Bears are thinking they have a franchise quarterback in rookie Justin Fields, while the Rams are happy to have a proven signal caller in Matt Stafford. Fields is currently behind Andy Dalton and Nick Foles on the depth chart, but Fields might be the Week 1 starter.
Monday, September 13
Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders (+4.5, O/U 51)
Raider Nation is ready to rock in Las Vegas. The Raiders weren’t allowed to host any fans in their brand new stadium last season, but this will be the hottest ticket in town in 2021. It won’t be easy for Las Vegas to beat Baltimore though.
