Saturday, May 18 NBA Playoff Parlay Picks
May 17, 2024
MLB Same Game Parlay Picks, Odds & Predictions – Tuesday, May 21
May 20, 2024
With ESPN and the NFL Network showcasing the schedule release of all 32 NFL teams earlier this week, the groundwork has been laid for NFL bettors to dig into the opening week of the 2024 NFL betting season. Sharpen those pencils and fine-tune those algorithms – there are NFL betting lines to analyze, and we’ll do exactly that by reporting on the opening lines from Caesars Sportsbook and note any line movement to give a sense of the betting market’s initial take on all 16 Week 1 games. From the season opener in Kansas City to the week closer in Silicon Valley, here is a breakdown of the NFL odds and backdrop of every game set to play out the opening week of the 2024-25 season.
Bet Week 1 NFL Odds at Caesars Sportsbook
Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs (-3, 46.5)
With Derrick Henry taking over the RB1 reigns in Baltimore, you can bet your bottom dollar the Ravens won’t only run the football a total of eight times like it shockingly did in the 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in last year’s AFC title game. Patrick Mahomes will look to showcase his new-look pass catching corps spearheaded by free agent acquisition Marquise Brown and rookie Xavier Worthy with Rashee Rice likely to miss the game due to serving some type of early-season suspension. Early action at Caesars has seen the Chiefs move to full field goal favorites at reduced -105 juice with the O/U holding 46.5 regardless of jumping up to 47 and 47.5 at other outlets.
Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles (-1, 49)
The Packers and Eagles will lock horns in the first-ever NFL game to take place in South America when they square off in Corinthians Arena in Sau Paulo, Brazil on Friday night. All eyes will be on Jordan Love as he attempts to build off the incredible season put forth calling the shots as the Green and Gold’s QB1 that ended in a tough 24-21 defeat to the 49ers in the division round. Armed with an extremely young, yet talented wide receiver corps, Green Bay will test the Eagles new-look secondary that’s now anchored by a couple of rookies. Jalen Hurts will also have a new toy to work with in the backfield after Saquon Barkley jumped ship from the Giants to tote the rock for the City of Brotherly Love. Early line movement has gone in the direction of the Cheeseheads with the number to beat down a half-point to +1, while Caesars is the only sportsbook to move the total to 49.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Atlanta Falcons (-3, 43)
The Raheem Morris era kicks off in Hotlanta against the Pittsburgh Steelers with the teams crossing paths for the third time in the last six years. Will Mike Tomlin take another step towards another non-losing season in the Steel City, or will the Falcons win their home opener for the second straight season after dropping their previous five? This one likely needs a little more time to marinate with the side and total unchanged, though it should be noted that the Falcons are carrying reduced -105 juice at Caesars while some other shops have moved to -2.5.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Buffalo Bills (-7, 48.5)
The Buffalo Bills have picked up where the New England Patriots left off by winning four straight AFC East titles. Unfortunately, it’s amounted to nothing but heartbreak for the BillsMafia who’ve been forced to slam through tables while their team was bounced from the playoffs in the division round each of the last three seasons. The team will have a new look in 2024 with key pieces to the puzzle having since moved on. That however didn’t prevent linemakers from installing Josh Allen and co. hefty 7-point favorites to topple a Cardinals team that proved to be feisty under first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon covering the closing NFL odds at a 9-7-1 clip with four of those ATS wins occurring as 5+ point road underdogs.
Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears (-4.5, 44)
Do schedule makers think the Bears reside in the AFC South? A quick look at the opening schedule reads as such with Chicago set to take on the Titans, Texans, and Colts in their first three games. It’s a headscratcher, but Caleb Williams won’t partake in a divisional clash until Week 11 when the Packers pay a visit to Soldier Field. Regardless, all eyes will be on the former Heisman winner and No. 1 pick in this past year’s NFL Draft when he goes toe-to-toe with Will Levis and a revamped Titans offense that made a number of moves in the offseason to shore up one of the more stagnant offenses of a season ago. The point spread is yet to move off the opener, yet Caesars is the only sportsbook that moved the total up to 44. Will there be fireworks? Bears fans sure hope so!
New England Patriots vs. Cincinnati Bengals (-9, 42)
The end of the Patriots dynasty has been a tough watch for the Foxboro faithful. After going off the NFL betting board as underdogs 12 times last season, New England will kick off its 2024-25 campaign as substantial road dogs to the Bengals. Makes sense considering how little the offseason transactions made to improve the roster moved the needle. Even with rumors swirling that Joe Burrow won’t be near 100 percent recovered from the wrist surgery to repair a torn ligament, the betting market has jumped on the homebased Bengals moving them up to 9-point favorites from the -8 opener. The total is also down a half-point to 42 with NFL bettors likely skeptical of what a Jacoby Brissett-led offense brings to the table.
Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts (+2, 48)
As it stands right now, the Texans are one of only two teams to be laying points on the road in Week 1 NFL betting action. Last these division rivals locked horns, it was Marcus Stroud and Nico Collins that went HAM allowing Houston to secure the 23-19 win and cover as short 1-point favorites to lock down the AFC South title and punch a ticket to the playoffs. The loss is one Shane Steichen and his staff won’t have soon forgotten! But with all the names Houston added to the roster in the offseason, it’s the visiting Texans that’ve gotten most of early NFL bettors’ attention with the Texans bet up to 2-point road chalk and the O/U standing pat at 48.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins (-3.5, 49)
A good one is set to go down in Hard Rock Stadium Week 1 when the Jaguars and Dolphins square off for the first time since 2021. Miami exceeded oddsmaker’s expectations by winning 11 games to exceed its 9.5-game season win total, while Jacksonville regressed in year two of the Doug Pederson regime coming a lone win short of going over its 9.5-game impost. With all the offensive firepower each team brings to the table, it’s surprising to see total bettors initially leaning to the under with the number to beat down a half-point to 49. The point spread however is yet to move off the 3.5-point opener at Caesars with NFL bettors yet to show their hand.
Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints (-5, 40.5)
This AFC South rivalry has seen a sweep take place each of the last two seasons with the Saints taking home bragging rights last year by scoring 20-17 (-3) and 28-6 (-5.5) triumphs. Each match proved to be a low scoring snoozer moving the under to a moneymaking 7-0 the last seven times these squads ran up against one another. With that, it hardly comes as a surprise to see their Week 1 clash the owner of the lowest total on the NFL betting board. The betting market also looks to be of the belief that the Saints build off last season’s success against the Panthers with the number to beat up a half-point to -5 with other outs already painting -5.5. Bryce Young threw for 290 overall yards against New Orleans’ stout pass defense as a rookie!
Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants (-1, 41.5)
The GMEN surrendered a league-worst 85 sacks a season ago. While injuries played a major role in the catastrophic turn for the worst along the front wall, a lank of execution also played a major role. Reinforcements were brought in to shore up the deficiency in the offseason, and they’ll be tested right out of the chute in the form of a Vikings defense that blitzed at the highest rate in the league a season ago. New York also had major issues defending the run last season (#29), and it will face a stern test as well with Minnesota likely looking to pound the rock initially with newcomer Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler to allow either Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy to get their feet wet. With so many questions pertaining to both teams, this coin flip of a match has seen no line movement since initially hitting the board.
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers (-3.5, 43.5)
Think Jim Harbaugh didn’t catch wind of that 63-21 pounding his new team absorbed while coaching the Michigan Wolverines to the national championship last season? You can bet your bottom dollar he’ll be reminding the holdovers of that 42 point drubbing every chance he gets! The home team has come out on top of this rivalry each of the last seven times, and NFL bettors look to be of the belief that trend remains intact following this one with the point spread up to -3.5 at Caesars since first hitting the board -3 with other spots already up a full point to -4. I understand why with Vegas doing very little to rectify its issues under center! With that, it hardly comes as a surprise to see the total holding strong at the 43.5 opener.
Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks (-5, 42.5)
An ugly defensive battle is expected to play out in the Emerald City in Week 1 when the Seahawks welcome the Broncos into Lumen Field for the first time since the 2022 season when Russell Wilson’s first start calling the shots in Denver just so happened to come against his former team. Before that, it had been eight years since the Broncos invaded the Pacific Northwest! The new defensive minded shot caller in Seattle will get to open up his head coaching career against a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix, and also get the benefit of running his Geno Smith-led attack up against a nearly completely retooled Broncos defense. With that, it comes with little surprise to see the spread bet up from the 4.5-point opener and the total holding yet on the decline at other spots.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Cleveland Browns (+1, 44)
Due to the injury bug horrifically targeting the city of Cleveland, Browns fans were robbed of what could’ve been a memorable season. Armed with the league’s No. 1 ranked total defense that racked up 49 sacks with Myles Garrett doing his thing, Cleveland still managed to punch a ticket to the playoffs even without the services of Deshaun Watson and Nick Chubb. Each is expected to be healthy and back on the field for this Week 1 clash against Micah Parsons and co. who enters the NFL betting season with more question marks up and down the roster than I’ve ever witnessed under Jerry Jones’ watch. Still figured to be one of the NFC’s best, Dallas is getting the “America’s Team” treatment with it now the favorite after hitting the board short 1-point road dogs.
Washington Commanders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4, 42)
Defense will be the name of the game when Dan Quinn’s Commanders lock horns with Todd Bowles’ Buccaneers in one of the bigger rock fights of the Week 1 slate. Or will it – just what will Washington’s new OC in Kliff Kingsbury have up his sleeve with reigning Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 NFL Draft pick Jayden Daniels leading a Washington attack that’s shown glimpses over the last few seasons? Apparently, linemakers thought enough of what Baker Mayfield and co. did last season to win the horrid NFC South and defeat a bruised and battered Eagles team in the playoffs. I’m not so sure, and neither is the betting market with the side stagnant and the total up a half-point to 42 since first opening.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Detroit Lions (-3.5, 51)
Backed by the opening week’s highest total, the Sunday Night Football throw down between the Rams and Lions should bring in a ton of fanfare and betting action. And why not with Matthew Stafford returning to his former home once again after giving Motown an ulcer in the wildcard round before succumbing 24-23 as field goal underdogs? The number to beat for the rematch with Jared Goff hit the board -3.5 and hasn’t moved an inch since. The same can’t be said of the total which is down a half-point to 51 regardless of these teams combining for just short of 760 yards in the playoffs. Poor combined showings on third down and LA’s 0-for-3 showing in the red zone had much to do with that game falling short of the 53-point total.
New York Jets vs. San Francisco 49ers (-6, 45.5)
It’s only fitting that Aaron Rodgers second official start for the J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets! comes under the lights after his first one only managed to go four snaps before ripping his Achilles in front of a nationally televised audience. The football fan in me wants to see him play this whole season, while the Bears fan in me wants to see this season only go two snaps! All kidding aside, it’s now or never for the Niners who’ve made it to the Super Bowl two of the last five seasons only to see their hopes of championship glory get squashed by Patrick Mahomes. San Francisco went 5-3 SU and 3-5 versus the NFL odds as a host in the regular season last year, and enters 2024-25 having failed to cover the closing number seven straight times in front of the hometown faithful after winning but failing to hook their supporters up in playoff wins over the Packers and Lions. Even so, they’re laying 6-points for this one with the total holding firm at the 45.5 opener.
