NFL Betting: Manning, New-Look Broncos vs Flacco and Title-Hopeful Ravens

Posted by Daniel Strum on Friday,September 11, 2015 10:41, EDT in

The Broncos (12-5 SU, 8-9 ATS) have a whole new makeup to them as they get set for the 2015 NFL regular season in hopes to get to Superbowl 50, but you’d never know anything has changed as Denver easily brought home the bacon by winning three of their four preseason dates. The Ravens (11-7 SU, 10-8 ATS) may be legitimate Super Bowl hopefuls, but Baltimore didn’t look very impressive in dropping three straight preseason games after winning their opener. Now, let’s find out who’s going to cash in for NFL betting buffs in this huge Week 1 pairing.

Baltimore at Denver NFL Week 1 Game Information and Odds

When: 4:25 PM ET, Sunday, September 13, 2015
Where: Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
NFL Odds: Denver -4
Over/Under: 52

Following last week’s final cuts, Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh decided to keep a few additional defenders on their roster. That’s good, because the Ravens will almost assuredly need them against Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Either way, the Ravens are ready for their regular season opener according to head coach John Harbaugh.

John Harbaugh

“One of the things we’ve talked to our guys about is the fact that you put so much work into building up to the first game, the first regular season game,” John Harbaugh said recently. It seems like a pinnacle – it seems like an end – and you’re wondering what kind of a team you have, and you’re looking forward to seeing it. I know the fans are (excited), and we are, too.”

Gary Kubiak

Denver has made a bunch of changes to this season’s team, starting with head coach Gary Kubiak coming on board to replace the fired John Fox. The first-year leader and former Houston Texans head coach has made some tough decision like cutting running back Montee Ball among others. “There were some tough, tough decisions,” Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said.

Von Miller

Kubiak and the Broncos will run the ball a lot more than they ever did under Fox. Even better is the fact that the Broncos averaged a league-best one sack every seven pass plays and have a slew of gifted linemen and linebackers, starting with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware but being bolstered by youngsters Shaquil Barrett and Shane Ray. “We’ve got a good group of guys,” Kubiak said. “It’s time to go to work. We’ve got a tough early schedule here. Nothing is bigger than what we’ve got going on next week.”

Game Analysis: While 51 percent of simulations and 61.8 percent of the betting public likes Denver to bring home the bacon in this opener, I believe this matchup has the look of a classic field goal game that is decided by three points, especially with Denver running the ball a bit more and probable scoring fewer points this season than they have in the past.

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore has gone 6-1 SU in their last seven regular season openers and a near-perfect 5-1 ATS as an underdog or Pick ‘Em in 2014. Denver is 1-3-1 ATS in its last five games in the month of September while Baltimore has gone 4-1 ATS in its last five road games. Sealing the deal for me however is the fact that Baltimore is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games against Denver. The Ravens cover by the hairs of their chinny chin chins.

The Pick:

Baltimore +4 Points