It was upsets galore in the opening round of the NFL season last weekend, as bookmakers rubbed their hands with the plethora of surprise results across each division.
As we’ve seen in previous years however, results from week 1 should be taken with a grain of salt, with false indicators leading to many misleading assumptions about the season ahead.
One brilliant week of performances does not make a 16 game season and expect the top teams who took a dive in week 1 to rebound hard.
To help bettors also bounce back off the canvas, we’ve previewed three standout fixtures of this weekend’s action to see where the best value lies.
After their first week 21-21 tie against perennial strugglers the Browns, Pittsburgh players left the pitch in anger and disgust.
Seemingly surprised by a rejuvenated Cleveland outfit, the Steelers were sloppy with three interceptions by Ben Roethlisberger and a flimsy defensive effort which allowed too many yards against the run.
The last time Roethlisberger performed this poorly was in week 5 of last season against Jacksonville. In the following week, the Steelers faced Kansas City and the star quarterback had a game to remember, completing 68% of his passes in a 19-13 victory.
It’s only fitting that Roethlisberger’s opportunity to bounce back this week will come against Kansas City once again, however the task that lies ahead won’t be as straightforward as it was last season.
A week 1 win over the Chargers has Chiefs fans singing the praises of rookie ‘franchise quarterback’ Patrick Mahomes. The former Texas Tech slinger showed off his potential not only in ability, but as a leader in attack after he produced an outstanding four touchdown performance.
Kansas City do possess all the tools needed to be a real Superbowl contender this year, however the only question mark surrounds is whether Mahomes is ready in his first full season.
Key NFL Betting Statistics
Kansas City’s blistering-fast Tyreek Hill (a focal point in attack) is coming off a three-touchdown game against the Chargers. However, last season he was held to a season-low 34 yards receiving against Pittsburgh.
Impressive as they were, the Chiefs still gave away 424 yards to the Chargers. Against a Steelers team who loves to pass, expect free flowing football resulting in a high scoring contest.
Free NFL Expert Pick: Steelers to cover the line -3.5 @ $1.92
Reasoning: Pittsburgh at home are a completely different machine to when they travel. Expect ‘Big Ben’ to rebound strongly. Despite his heroics last week, Patrick Mahomes is still unproven and you can expect the experience and class of Roethlisberger to get the Steelers home.
In the season opener against Atlanta, the Philadelphia defence came through in spades, harassing Matt Ryan into multiple mistakes.
Whilst not looking like the defending Superbowl champions for most of the game, the Philly found a way to win like all champion teams do. The well-rested Eagles now travel to Tampa to face a team who vastly over-delivered in New Orleans.
The Buccaneers’ impressive performance in week 1 will no doubt be an outlier this season. A shocking performance from the New Orleans’ defence saw QB Ryan Fitzpatrick throw for 417 yards and four touchdowns. A repeat of that occurring here is next to no chance.
Philadelphia have arguably the best defence in the NFC and you can expect them to be all over Fitzpatrick in this one.
Key NFL Betting Statistics
The Eagles are 4-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last four overall and 4-1 ATS versus a team with a winning record. Philly is 10-3 ATS in their last 13 versus the NFC and 5-2 ATS in their last seven road games.
Free NFL Expert Pick: Eagles to cover the line -3 @ $1.85
Reasoning: Tampa entered week 1 with the highest odds on head-to-head markets at $4.50. Bookmakers have clearly been swept up in the Buccaneer buzz and overreacted to that win by pricing them at $2.45 against the defending champions, who boast a water-tight defence. Look for this result to turn ugly for Tampa. Eagles to cover the line is a great anchor for your weekend multi.
The primetime Sunday Night match will contest two NFC East teams coming off week 1 losses.
The Giants were solid in their loss to the Jags, with a fourth quarter pick-six intercept deciding the tightly contested battle.
In terms of offense, New York hold the edge over Dallas.
Rookie running back Saquon Barkley looked right at home in the NFL, adding a 68-yard run to his already impressive college highlight reel. Eli Manning may be entering his twilight years, however still possesses one of the sharpest minds in the game, able to get that crucial score when it matters most.
For Dallas, their attack is wavering. The 16-8 loss to Carolina extended them to a 4 game streak where they have failed to score more than 20 points. Cracks are appearing quicker than they can be patched with their offensive line a significant weakness.
Coach Jason Garrett will be feeling the heat, with big questions over how the Cowboys offensive line allowed QB Dak Prescott to be sacked 6 times.
Key NFL Betting Statistics:
Dallas hold a stranglehold on the Giants, winning 7 out of theor last 10 meetings.
The Giants have dropped 9 of their last 11 games against divisional opponents on the road
The Cowboys are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven games as a favourite.
Free NFL Expert Pick: Giants to win on the moneyline @ 2.30
Reasoning: The Giants are a competitive team this year and could very easily creep into playoff contention. Dallas are really struggling to find any form of potency in attack with a very thin wide receiver corpse allowing Ezekiel Elliott to be jammed on the run. In a tight contest, expect Eli’s Giants to take the win back home to New York.