2019 NFL Week 1 Complete Betting Guide

2019 NFL Week 1 Complete Betting Guide

Written by on July 15, 2019

The 2019-2020 NFL Regular Season starts on Thursday, September 5, when the Chicago Bears host the rival Green Bay Packers. September 5 sounds like a long way from now. It’s not! Check out a complete betting guide to NFL Week 1!

2019 NFL Week 1 Complete Betting Guide

Really consider the big change that some NFL squads went through

Some big changes will help teams cover the spread in Week 1. Other changes might hurt a team’s chances to cover the spread. Let’s take Packers-Bears as an example.

Chicago is a -3 ½ home favorite. The Bears are one of the betting choices to win the Super Bowl. Green Bay is the second choice to win the NFC North Division after Chicago. The Packers went through, arguably, the biggest change of the offseason when former L.A. Rams and Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur became their head coach.

Will LaFleur’s system flatter quarterback Aaron Rodgers? How will Rodgers play against Chicago with the new system?

Those are the questions to ask. Think about another team that went through a massive change, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa is a -1 home favorite versus San Francisco in Week 1. Tampa Bay’s new head coach, Bruce Arians, turned the Arizona Cardinals into an NFC West contender. Arians has made big moves already. He wants to put his stamp on the Bucs. Does that mean Tampa is vulnerable in Week 1? Or, does that mean Arians makes Tampa Bay a contender right away?

Don’t discount NFL squads that stayed consistent

Consistent NFL teams should prevail against the spread in Week 1. The New Orleans Saints battle the Houston Texans in Week 1 as a -7 home favorite. That seems like a lot of points, but the Saints are a cover darling. They have been for the past couple of seasons. They should cover again.

The Patriots take on the Pittsburgh Steelers as a -6 favorite. Talk about big changes! The Steelers will play for the first time in years without wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell. New England, even without Rob Gronkowski, has the edge.

Going back to Green Bay versus Chicago, the Bears should have the edge based on consistency. LaFleur’s offensive system isn’t easy to grasp. Rodgers will do it, but unless his supporting cast does as well, forget it. The Bears should cover.

NFL Week 1 Full Betting Game Guide

Check out a full run down of the NFL Week 1 games!

  • Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears -3 ½ – Will the Bears or Packers solidify themselves as a top Super Bowl contender?
  • Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings -4 – Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins must start justifying his massive, fully guaranteed, contract from last season. It starts in Week 1 against Atlanta.
  • Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles -8 ½ – Philadelphia is now Carson Wentz’s team. If Washington starts rookie Dwayne Haskins, how will he play versus a tough Philly defense?
  • Buffalo Bills at New York Jets -3 ½ – The Jets are supposed to be much improved. So are the Bills. This could be another great matchup.  
  • Baltimore Ravens -4 ½ at Miami Dolphins – The Dolphins are projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL. If Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has gotten any better, he might show why that’s true.   
  • San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers -1 – Tough game for both teams. San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo must prove he’s back from last year’s season ending injury.
  • Kansas City Chiefs -3 ½ at Jacksonville Jaguars – Has the Jaguars improved enough to hang with mighty Kansas City? That’s the biggest question.
  • Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns -5 ½ – The hype surrounding Cleveland is deafening. Tennessee is a solid squad. Quarterback Marcus Mariota knows this is a make or break season for him.  
  • L.A. Rams -3 at Carolina Panthers – Will the Rams use the Super Bowl loss to motivate themselves this season? Or, will they suffer a mental breakdown and fail in Week 1?
  • Detroit Lions -2 ½ at Arizona Cardinals – How good, exactly, is Arizona rookie quarterback Kyler Murray?
  • Cincinnati Bengals at Seattle Seahawks -8 – The Bengals could be an awful team. The Seahawks should be good, but of every game  in Week 16, they might be the most vulnerable favorite against the spread.  
  • Indianapolis Colts at L.A. Chargers -3 – Hands down, Colts-Chargers is the most competitive matchup in Week 1. Both are solid choices to win the Super Bowl.  
  • New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys -7 – The Cowboys might be an overlay at -7. That’s how awful the New York Giants look on paper.
  • Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots -6 – If the Steelers are as effective on offense without Antonio Brown, they could surprise the Patriots in Week 1.
  • Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints -7 – The Texans’ defense is a year older while the Saints are solid across the board. 7 points feels like a lot, but New Orleans is a real contender for the Vince Lombardi Trophy this season.