2017 NFL Week 1 Betting Tips
The 2017-18 NFL season gets underway this week and we take a look at the three primetime matches in Australia and two other contests with the best value. Continue reading for our 2017-18 NFL Week 1 Preview and Betting Tips.
NFL Week 1 Betting Tips
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (Friday 10.30pm AEST)
The defending champions the New England Patriots will host the opening NFL game of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs. It comes as no surprise that the Patriots are ranked in first position in nearly every expert’s power rankings to start the season. With Tom Brady at the helm it seems as if there is no stopping the Patriots. However, the Patriots were dealt a blow with wide receiver Julian Edelman suffering an ACL injury in the final preseason game. This would cripple a lot of side’s chances but the Patriots have been successful with having the ‘next man up’ being just as good. Brady enters the season as a 40-year-old and it is possible he begins to deteriorate like Peyton Manning did, however, he still has tremendous game smarts and one of the best coaches of all time steering the team too.
The Chiefs were a playoff team last year and they haven’t made many changes. They will be a competitive side again this year with Alex Smith remaining in the quarterback position. However, the side will again rely on its defence to get them over the line. They will need to force turnovers in this one to earn the victory and while we don’t think that will happen, we do think they will do enough to keep this contest a low scoring one.
TIP: Total game points under 48.5 – $1.91 at William Hill
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (Monday 10.30am AEST)
The two heavy weight sides of the NFC East will do battle in a blockbuster game on Monday morning. The Cowboys earned come-from-behind victories in the two meetings between these sides last season and the Giants will definitely want redemption.
There isn’t much separating these teams heading into the start of the season. There are question marks surrounding the health of Odell Beckham Jr and whether Ezekiel Elliot will be successful in his appeal of his six-game suspension. Without Beckham, the Giants will struggle offensively as their running game is already terrible. They will need to have Beckham in the side to force the Cowboys defence into stopping the pass first before the run, which will in turn, open up the running game. Meanwhile, if Elliot isn’t able to take the field it will put a lot of pressure on quarterback Dak Prescot who is entering his second season in the NFL. He will still stand behind one of the best offensive lines in the game, which will give him plenty of time but if Elliot isn’t able to march down the field and take defenders away from him, he will feel the pressure and could have a troublesome day.
It will be a strong battle between the offensive and defensive lines of the two sides. It has been proven in the past that defence is greater than offence and we will stick with the defence for this contest.
TIP: Giants to win – $2.70 at Sportsbet
New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings (Tuesday 9.10am AEST)\
The Vikings season will be determined by one man – Sam Bradford. He was traded to the Vikings last year only eight days before the season began but he managed to have career highs in statistics. He lead the side to a tremendous start before he started to slow down and eventually he was injured. However, if he can have another great start to the year then the Vikings will be able to contend for a wildcard spot with their defence contributing in a big way.
Meanwhile The Saints are a side that is very unknown. The team has been notorious for having a poor defence and that has ultimately been their downfall since their Superbowl winning season. We know it is preseason but the numbers they put up suggest they are in for a good year defensively. They allowed just over 200 yards per game, conceded under 11 points per game and managed 15 sacks in the four games. If their defence can remain consistent then the Saints will be able to contest for a playoff spot themselves, especially if Drew Brees can remain an elite quarterback despite his age.
TIP: Saints to win – $2.40 at CrownBet
Seattle Sea Hawks at Green Bay Packers (Monday 6.05am AEST)
What a blockbuster game to have in the opening weekend of the NFL season. The Seahawks and Greenbay have built up a rivalry over the years with the two sides meeting in the playoffs. It is easy to argue they will meet again there this year and we get a taste for it early on.
The battle in this game will of course start with the quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers was absolutely clutch to finish the year last season as the Packers ‘ran the table’ to reach the playoffs but eventually they fell short of the Superbowl. He has barely played in August and we can see why, he doesn’t need to warm up and has earned the right to rest.
Meanwhile Russell Wilson was taking to the field and he was showing off at times. He made plays while running and scrambling which we are accustomed to but he looked most impressive out of the pocket. The Seahawks also have plenty of options at running back and we believe Eddie Lacy could come back to haunt his old team. Add to that the defence will be hard to get passed as usual and we smell an upset on the cards.
TIP: Seahawks to win – $2.41 at Sportsbet
Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears (Monday 3am AEST)
The Atlanta Falcons will be playing their first regular season match since their (forever) famous Superbowl blow up. We are still scratching our heads at how they managed to lose a 28-3 lead in the third quarter. However, we belive the side will be still hurting from the loss and the best way to get over it is to release your anger and that will be directed at the Bears on Monday morning.
The Falcons still boast one of the best attacks and despite having a new offensive coordinator, they will still be able to put huge numbers on the board this year. Matt Ryan is a terrific quarterback and he has a lot of weapons with Julio Jones at wide receiver and great running backs to rotate and hand the ball off too.
Meanwhile the Bears will have Mike Glennon starting for them at quarterback which won’t send too many shudders into any defensive line up. To make matters worse for Glennon, he will be without his best wide receiver option as Cameron Meredith is out with an injury for the season. We are predicting the Bears to have a tough start to the year on home soil.
TIP: Falcons at the line (-7) – $2.06 at Sportsbet
TIPS ARE SIMPLY THE AUTHOR’S OPINION. ALWAYS GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY
