Philadelphia Eagles v Atlanta Falcons
Friday, September 7 10:20am at Philadelphia
The NFL season begins in Philadelphia with the two NFC title winners from the last two seasons. The Eagles finally ended their Super Bowl drought with an epic win over the Patriots last season. After losing QB Carson Wentz, Nick Foles stepped up in the role and earned his MVP award in the win. The Falcons also faced the Patriots in 2017 and went down on that occasion. But they’re always a tough side to play against with Matty Ryan under centre. The two sides played together in the playoffs last season and in a very close encounter, the Eagles prevailed at this venue 15-10. So Atlanta should be looking to avenge that loss. In the end, the odds are predicting another close game and picking a winner is a tough bet. The Eagles would love to kick off the season with a home win, especially after last season’s Super Bowl victory. But in a week 1 game and coming off preseason action, I think both sides won’t be at their 100% best, particularly defensively. So I like the overs to start the season, which is 4-1 when these two sides play together in the regular season since 2010.
Stadium Record
The Falcons have lost 2 in a row at this venue since 2016. Philadelphia held a 9-1 home record last season.
Head to Head Record
Since 2010, the two sides are locked at 3-3 in the 6 meetings.
Best Bet
Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears
Monday, September 10 10:20am at Green Bay
Monday morning’s NFL action concludes with the traditional rivalry between the Packers and Bears at Lambeau Field. The Pack should have renewed hopes of reaching the playoffs in 2018 with Aaron Rodgers back at the helm. He suffered an injury halfway through last season, which ultimately cost the Packers a playoff spot. He loves facing the Bears and I expect he’ll be great against them once again. They also love playing the Bears at Lambeau with a 3-1 record since 2014. Also, the Packers hold a 14-3 record against the Bears since 2010. The concern will likely be how they can outscore the Packers with Rodgers. Bears QB Trubisky is still inexperienced at NFL level and he doesn’t have an overly strong running game to build of. So I’m backing the Packers to start the season with a comfortable win. They have an average winning margin at this venue of 18 points against the Bears and that should mean they can cover the 7.5 point line. The line is also 6-3 in the Packers favour when the Bears are underdogs in Green Bay.
Stadium Record
The Packers recorded 4 wins and 4 losses at this venue last season. Chicago lost 35-14 in Week 4 last season.
Head to Head Record
Green Bay is looking for their 5th straight win over the Bears and have won 14 of 17 since 2010.
Best Bet
Detroit Lions v New York Jets
Tuesday, September 11 9:10am at Detroit
An interesting clash starts on Tuesday morning with the Lions hosting the Jets. Detroit just missed the playoffs last season with a 9-7 record and will be expecting to go one better in 2018. They were particular strong against their division, going 5-1. With Matt Stafford under centre and home field advantage, I think they’ll take care of the Jets. New York is coming off a 5-11 season and they’ve decided to start rookie QB Sam Darnold for this week 1 encounter. Starting your first game at QB in the NFL isn’t easy and it should be even tougher on the road in Detroit. As a team, road games were trouble for the Jets last season as they went 1-7. At this venue, the Lions went 4-4 last season so that should give them motivation to start the season with a big win in front of their home fans. So I like the HT/FT bet here for the Lions.
Stadium Record
The Lions are 10-6 at home in the last 2 seasons. New York won in overtime when they travelled to Detroit in 2010.
Head to Head Record
The last meeting was back in 2014 with the Lions getting over the line 24-17.
Best Bet
Oakland Raiders v Los Angeles Rams
Tuesday, September 11 12:20pm at Oakland
Week 1 concludes in Oakland with the Raiders playing the Rams. Both sides had an interesting offseason and I believe they’re probably going in different directions. For the Raiders, Jon Gruden is back as Head Coach and he’ll be looking to rebuild the Raiders poor roster. They finished with a 6-10 record last year and have already shipped key defensive player Khalil Mack to the Bears. In contrast, the Rams were huge spenders in the offseason after a 11-5 season. They ended up losing to the Falcons in the playoffs but the experience would be beneficial for a young roster. On offence, they added the speed of Brandin Cooks at receiver. With Jared Goff and Todd Gurley, they’ll be a tough threesome to stop for opposing defences this season. The defensive upgrades include veteran experience with Ndamukong Suh and Aqib Talib. As well as young cornerback Marcus Peters. Suh should help them stop the run and Talib/Peters will be a tough combination to pass on. So in the end, I don’t see the Rams dropping this game and it could get ugly for the rebuilding Raiders. The Rams offence is looking like one of the best on paper in the NFL and the defence could be equally as strong. So they should easily win by 3+ points.
Stadium Record
Oakland went 4-4 at home last season. As the St. Louis Rams in 2010, they lost here 16-14.
Head to Head Record
The last time these two sides met, the Rams crushed the Raiders 52-0!
Best Bet
Other NFL Week 1 Tips:
| Game | Date / Time (AEST) | Venue | Best Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts | Monday, September 10 3:00am | Indianapolis | Colts WIN $1.64 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns | Monday, September 10 3:00am | Cleveland | Browns +5.5 $1.82 |
| Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins | Monday, September 10 3:00am | Miami Gardens | Titans WIN $1.82 |
| San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings | Monday, September 10 3:00am | Minnesota | UNDER 46.5 points $1.85 |
| Houston Texans at New England Patriots | Monday, September 10 3:00am | Foxborough | OVER 48.5 points $1.70 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints | Monday, September 10 3:00am | New Orleans | OVER 48.5 points $1.85 |
| Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens | Monday, September 10 3:00am | Baltimore | Bills +8.5 $1.74 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Giants | Monday, September 10 3:00am | East Rutherford | UNDER 44.5 points $1.80 |
| Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers | Monday, September 10 6:05am | Carson | Chargers -3 $1.80 |
| Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos | Monday, September 10 6:25am | Denver | Seahawks +3 $1.85 |
| Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers | Monday, September 10 6:25am | Carolina | Panthers WIN $1.68 |
| Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals | Monday, September 10 6:25am | Glendale | OVER 42.5 points $1.73 |
For the latest NFL Week 1 markets, click here.
