2015 NFL Week 1 Preview & Betting Tips

The madness of the NFL preseason is finally over which means we are just days away from the first week of the regular season. Teams will now be at full strength and we will no longer see sides fielding third and fourth string players. Each week in our NFL betting tips article we will be taking an in-depth look at the matches we believe offer the most value and opportunity for punters to receive an edge in the market.

Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills (Monday 3am AEST)

The Colts will be kicking off their 2015 campaign with a lot of confidence after coming off a season that saw just one win away from a Superbowl appearance. There was a lot of controversy to come out of that game with the Patriots and the “deflategate” scandal. However, that is all behind everyone and the Colts are ready to field one of their strongest sides in years. Quarterback Andrew Luck is becoming an elite quarterback and as he heads into his fourth season as a pro he has enough key members around him to improve on the 40 touchdown season from last year.

Meanwhile the Bills are still in a rebuilding phase and whilst there is improvement in the squad they will still struggle offensively and be unable to shutdown the potent offence of the Colts.

TIP: Colts Halftime/fulltime @ $2.37 with Sportsbet

Greenbay Packers at Chicago Bears (Monday 3am AEST)

The Packers are another side that was within just one game of a Superbowl appearance but they will feel like they were a lot closer than that. It will be a bad memory for Greenbay fans to look back on as the Conference Final match looked all but won against the Seahawks before a late comeback sealed their fate. They will be out for reckoning this season and the Bears will be their victims this weekend. The big loss of Jordy Nelson will see quarterback Aaron Rodgers looking for a new target and wide receiver to step up this season and the quality of Rodgers will show through as he will make the players around him improve.

Whilst Jay Cutler has a lot to prove for the Bears after being disappointing last season despite throwing a career high in touchdown passes. Cutler lead the league in turnovers as he threw 18 interceptions and fumbled the ball on six occasions. This is unacceptable for a side that has aspirations of making the playoffs. If he finds coverage or fumbles the ball this weekend, it will be a walkover for the Packers.

TIP: Packers -7.5 @ $2.14 with Crownbet

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals (Monday 6.05am AEST)

The Cardinals season was ruined last year due to their starting quarterback Drew Stanton going down with an ACL tear. He returns to the starting line up for this season but it could take him a while to return to the full confidence and with an offensive line that has looked shaky throughout the preseason he could feel the pressure early on. The Saints have also improved their offence drastically since last season and it is apparent they will be a run heavy side, which will release a lot of the pressure on elite quarterback Drew Brees. This will open up a lot of play action options down field for Brees and will improve his efficiency overall as the defence will focus on the run more often than not.

TIP: Saints @ $2.16 with Palmerbet

Detroit Lions at San Diego Chargers (Monday 6.05am AEST)

This will be an entertaining match up with the Lions strong wide receivers Calvin “Megatron” Johnson and Golden Tate up against the strong defence of the Chargers. Last year they ranked 4th in pass yards allowed so this contest will come down to who can get the better in this area. However, the Lions have an underrated running game and if they can utilise that, it will allow their receivers to be given more space and it will be game over.

TIP: Lions @ $2.25 with William Hill

Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons (Tuesday 9.10am AEST)

The Eagles made a lot of changes over the offseason and none were bigger than trading their starting quarterback Nick Foles for Sam Bradford who has been injured the past two seasons with knee problems. There will be a load of pressure on the new quarterback but throughout the preseason he has looked the best and with running back Demarco Murray joining the Philadelphia side too they will be strong in both areas of their offence. A lot of the credit for Murray’s strong season last year went to the offensive line and rightfully so, but Murray was still performing at a high level and he will look to prove his doubters wrong this year. The Falcons will struggle to stop this and it could turn ugly for them if their defence is stuck on the field for long periods of time and grow tired towards the end of the match.

TIP: Eagles -3 @ $1.95 with Ladbrokes

Take note: The tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly.