NFL Odds Week 1

By Ian Palmer

The NFL is all ready to kick off this Thursday Sept. 4 when the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks take on the Green Bay Packers at home at CenturyLink Field. The first week of the season is typically the hardest to predict since there are so many unknown factors. If you’re checking out the games and lines, here’s a quick look at all of the first-week match-ups and NFL Odds for Week 1.

Thursday, September 4th

Green Bay Packers vs Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field (8:30 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • Green Bay +5.5 at 10/11, Seattle -5.5 at 10/11
  • The Seahawks went 6-4 against the spread (ATS) last season including the postseason and 9-1 straight up (SU). They’re at home and will be pumped and ready to go, that goes for the crowd too. The Packers have an excellent collection of receivers, but Seattle’s Legion of Boom should be able to handle them.
• Key Injuries:
  • Green Bay: TE-B. Bostick (leg), DT-L. Guion (hamstring), T-J. Tretter (knee), T-D. Barclay (knee), DE-B. Raji (bicep), and WR-J. Abbrederis (knee)
  • Seattle: S-K. Chancellor (hip), DE-B. Irvin (hip), LB-H. Farwell (groin), G-C. Davis Jr. (calf), and CB-A. Jefferson (ankle)
• Head to Head:
  • Green Bay is 3-1-2 ATS in their last six meetings

Sunday, September 7th

New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome (1:00 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • New Orleans (-3.0) at 1/1, Atlanta (+3.0) at 5/6
  • New Orleans had a hard time covering the spread on the road last year and was 1-7 ATS. Atlanta should be a better squad in 2014 with star receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones healthy and ready to go.
• Key Injuries:
  • New Orleans: WR-K. Stills (quadricep)
  • Atlanta: DT-C. Peters (Achilles), S-Z. Motta (neck), WR-D. Davis (foot), T-S. Baker (knee), LB-M. Spruill (knee), and LB-S. Weatherspoon (Achilles)
• Head to Head:
  • Home team has gone 5-0 ATS in their past five meetings

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Minnesota Vikings vs St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome (1:00 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • Minnesota (+4.0) at 10/11, St. Louis (-4.0) at 10/11
  • The Vikings will be starting Matt Cassel at quarterback while the Rams are looking for somebody to replace the injured Sam Bradford, who’s out for the season with a torn ACL. This might not be the most attractive game of the weekend, but it could be interesting.
• Key Injuries:
  • Minnesota: WR-J. Simpson (suspended until week four), and S-J. Sanford (quadricep)
  • St. Louis: T-R. Saffold (ankle), CB-T. Johnson (knee), G-B. Jones (back), WR-S. Bailey (suspended until week six), and QB-S. Bradford (knee)
• Head to Head:
  • Favorite team has gone 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings

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Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field (1:00 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • Cleveland (+6.5) at 10/11, Pittsburgh (-6.5) at 10/11
  • Over the past few years the Steelers have basically owned Cleveland, especially when playing them at home. The Steelers have gone 10-0 against the Browns this decade and are 7-3 ATS. Pittsburgh has won their last half dozen meetings by over 10 points. Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer will definitely miss receiver Josh Gordon who’s out for the season with a suspension.
• Key Injuries:
  • Cleveland: WR-T. Benjamin (knee), WR-J. Gordon suspended for season), T-M. Bowie (shoulder), G-N McDonald (wrist), and LB-D. Eubanks (shoulder)
  • Pittsburgh: LS-G. Warren (knee), RB-L. Bell (personal issue), RB-L. Blount (personal issue), and LB-J. Zumwalt (groin)
• Head to Head:
  • Browns are 3-7 ATS in their past 10 games in Pittsburgh.

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Jacksonville Jaguars vs Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field (1:00 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • Jacksonville (+10.0) at 10/11, Philadelphia (-10.0) at 10/11
  • The Eagles haven’t covered a game when they’ve been favored by at least a touchdown or more. On the other side of the coin, Jacksonville covered four out of their past five road games going back to last season with three of them coming when they were double-digit underdogs.
• Key Injuries:
  • Jacksonville: K-J. Scobee (quadriceps), TE-C. Harbor (calf), G-A. Pasztor (hand), WR-J. Blackmon (suspended for season), WR-A. Sanders (suspended until week five), and CB-A. Colvin (knee)
  • Philadelphia: T-L. Johnson (suspended until week five)
• Head to Head:
  • No trends

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Oakland Raiders vs New York Jets at MetLife Stadium (1:00 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • Oakland (+5.5) at 10/11, New York (-5.5) at 10/11
  • The Jets managed to beat the Raiders by 10 points at home last season when they were favoured by three points. The Jets have a solid defense again this season and some of the skill positions have also been improved, which bodes well for quarterback Geno Smith.
• Key Injuries:
  • Oakland: LB-S. Moore (neck), WR-B. Butler (concussion), TE-D. Ausberry (knee), and TE-N. Kasa (knee)
  • New York: WR-S. Evans (shoulder), OL-W. Colon (knee), CB-D. Milliner (leg), LB-A. Barnes (knee), and CB-D. McDougle (knee)
• Head to Head:
  • Home club is 6-1-1 ATS in their past eight meetings.

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Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium (1:00 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • Cincinnati (+1.5) at 10/11, Baltimore (-1.5) at 10/11
  • Baltimore hasn’t ever lost to the Bengals with Andy Dalton at starting at quarterback. They’ve gone 3-0 with him in the game and won all three encounters by a minimum of three points.
• Key Injuries:
  • Cincinnati: G-M. Pollak (knee), CB-D. Dennard (hip), TE-T. Eifert (shoulder), T-A. Smith (concussion), CB-C. Lewis-Harris (suspended until week three), RB-R. Burkhead (knee), and WR-M. Jones (foot)
  • Baltimore: CB-L. Webb (back), DB-W. Hill (suspended until week seven), NT-T. Cody (hip), RB-R. Rice (suspended until week three), G-W. Rackley (concussion), DE-K. Lewis-Moore (Achilles), DB-A. Ross (Achilles), and DE-B. Urban (knee)
• Head to Head:
  • The home team is 4-0 ATS in their past four meetings.

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Buffalo Bills vs Chicago Bears at Soldier Field (1:00 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • Buffalo (+6.5) at 10/11, Chicago (-6.5) at 10/11
  • The Chicago Bears have a pretty strong offense with numerous weapons to do damage. They can rack up the points in n time, especially when playing at home, such as scoring 45 against the Dallas Cowboys in their showdown last December. The Bills’ offense can’t match them and the team didn’t look too solid in the preseason, This includes EJ Manuel and the defense may also not be as good as last season.
• Key Injuries:
  • Buffalo: DT-M. Dareus (waiting for disciplinary hearing), WR-S. Watkins (ribs), S-J. Meeks (neck), LB-N. Bradham (suspended until week two), LB-K. Alonso (knee), TE-T. Moeaki (hamstring), CB-B. Felder (groin), CB-M. Butler (ankle), and LB-S. Sylvester (knee)
  • Chicago: WR-M. Wilson (collarbone), and TE-Z. Miller (foot)
• Head to Head:
  • No trends

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Washington Redskins vs Houston Texans at NRG Stadium (1:00 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • Washington (+3.0) at 4/5, Houston (-3.0) at 21/20
  • The Texans J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney shuld be able to give Washington quarterback RGIII a pretty rough time of it and look for Arian Foster to run against a rather mediocre Redskins defense.
• Key Injuries:
  • Washington: WR-L. Hankerson (knee), T-M. Moses (knee), S-B. Meriweather (appealing a two-game suspension), NT-C. Neild (knee), DE-S. Bowen (knee), LB-D. Sharpton (ankle), and TE-M. Caussin (knee)
  • Houston: WR-A. Johnson (hamstring), RB-A. Foster (hamstring), G-C. White (Achilles), T-W. Yeatman (concussion), and T-D. Quessenberry (non-Hodgkins lymphoma)
• Head to Head:
  • No trends

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Tennessee Titans vs Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium (1:00 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • Tennessee (+3.5) at 10/11, Kansas City (-3.5) at 10/11
  • Kansas City will be without Dwayne Bowe, who is their best wideout as he’s sitting out a suspension. Tennessee has some pretty good options when it comes to receiving and they should be able to take advantage of Kansas City’s diminished secondary.
• Key Injuries:
  • Tennessee: RB-S. Greene (knee), DL-A. Johnson (knee), G-C. Spencer (ankle), LB-C. McCarthy (shoulder),
  • Kansas City: WR-K. Williams (knee), LB-T. Hali (knee), QB-T. Bray (ankle), LB-J. Mays (wrist), WR-D. Bowe (suspended until week two), OL-D. Stephenson (suspended until week five), and DB-S. Commings (ankle)
• Head to Head:
  • Visiting club has gone 5-1 ATS in their past six meetings.

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New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium (1:00 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • New England (-4.5) at 10/11, Miami (+4.5) at 10/11
  • New England has had a lot of success over the past several years down in Miami with five wins in the past seven road encounters. All of the victories came by at least a touchdown. New England should be able to run against Miami as the Dolphins allowed 125 rushing yards against them per game last season.
• Key Injuries:
  • New England: TE-R. Gronkowski (knee), CB-B. Browner (suspended until week five), RB-T. Gaffney (knee), and LB-C. Gordon (undisclosed)
  • Miami: C-M. Pouncey (hip), S-R. Jones (suspended until week six), DE-D. Jordan (suspended until week six), DT-A. Francis (knee), RB-M. Gillislee (hamstring), and TE-A. Lynch (back)
• Head to Head:
  • Home team is 4-0 ATS in their past four meetings

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Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium (4:25 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • Carolina (+1.0) at 10/11, Tampa Bay (-1.0) at 10/11
  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be an improved team this season with the addition of Josh McCown and some pretty good youngsters through this year’s draft. However, they are probably a season away from gelling as a cohesive unit. Carolina has the edge here when it comes to experience and talent and should do enough to take this game if quarterback Cam Newton has recovered from his rib injury.
• Key Injuries:
  • Carolina: B-J. Stewart (hamstring), WR-D. Presley (leg), G-E. Kugbila (back), DE-F. Alexander (suspended until week five), QB-M. Blanchard (concussion), and C-K. Matthews (shoulder)
  • Tampa Bay: S-D. Goldson (ankle), RB-M. James (shoulder), and RB-C. Sims (ankle)
• Head to Head:
  • The favorite has been 6-1 ATS in their last seven encounters.

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San Francisco 49ers vs Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium (4:25 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • San Francisco (-4.5) at 10/11, Dallas (+4.5) at 10/11
  • San Francisco was one of the top road clubs last season as they went 6-2 and were (6-1-1 ATS). Even though Aldon Smith and NaVorro Bowman won’t be in the lineup the 49ers still have one of the best defenses in the league. We can’t say the same thing doe the Cowboys defense as it’s quite leaky.
• Key Injuries:
  • San Francisco: RB-L. James (elbow), DT-R. McDonald (possible suspension), LB-A. Smith (suspended until week 10), DL-G. Dorsey (bicep), TE-G. Celek (back), DE-K. Ramsey (undisclosed), LB-N. Bowman (knee), S-A. Bethea (concussion), CB-K. Reaser (knee), T-B. Thomas (knee), and RB-K. Hunter (knee)
  • Dallas: DE-G. Selvie (shoulder), RB-J. Randle (oblique), DE-A. Spencer (knee), DB-J. Hamilton (suspended until week five), B-C. Lawrence (foot), CB-O. Scandrick (suspended until week five), DE-B. Gardner (shoulder), and DT-A. Okoye (illness)
• Head to Head:
  • The home side has gone 3-0-2 ATS in their past five meetings.

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Indianapolis Colts vs Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High (8:30 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • Indianapolis (+7.5) at 10/11, Denver (-7.5) at 10/11
  • Indianapolis surprised quite a few fans last season by beating San Francisco on the road last year when they were 10.5 underdogs as well as Seattle at home as three-point underdogs and Denver as home underdogs at 6.5. This is basically because quarterback Andrew Luck seems to excel when the pressure’s on him.
• Key Injuries:
  • Indianapolis: C-K. Holmes (ankle), WR-R. Wayne (knee), G-J. Reitz (ankle), FB-S. Havili (undisclosed), G-D. Thomas, (quadriceps), LB-R. Mathis (suspended until week five), DE-F. Moala (knee), RB-V. Ballard (Achilles), T-U. John (ankle), and RB-D. Karim (undisclosed)
  • Denver: RB-M. Ball (appendix), WR-W. Welker (concussion), K-M. Prater (suspended until week six), LB-D. Trevathan (knee), and WR-J. Norwood (knee)
• Head to Head:
  • Indianapolis is 6-0 ATS in their past six meetings.

Monday, September 8th

New York Giants vs Detroit Lions at Ford Field (7:00 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • New York (+4.5) at 10/11, Detroit (-4.5) at 10/11
  • The Giants were one of the stronger clubs at the end of last season when they went 4-1 ATS during their last five games on the road. Their last win in that stretch win just happened to be in Detroit when they were 9/5 underdogs but came up with an impressive 23-20 victory.
• Key Injuries:
  • New York: WR-O. Beckham (hamstring), T-W. Beatty (leg), G-E. Herman (suspended until week five), CB-J. Hosley (suspended until week five), WR-M. Manningham (calf), WR-T. Holliday (hamstring), S-C. Taylor (foot), and WR-M. Harris (hip)
  • Detroit: LB-K. Van Noy (abdominal), and WR-T. Jones (shoulder)
• Head to Head:
  • The visiting team is 5-0 ATS in their past five meetings.

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San Diego Chargers vs Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium (10:20 PM ET)

• Spread and odds:
  • San Diego (+3.0) at 20/21, Arizona (-3.0) at 20/23
  • Arizona’s secondary should be able to shut down the Chargers passing game while quarterback Carson Palmer has a couple of good receivers to pass to in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd. The chargers were pretty brutal last year when it came to shutting down the opponent’s passing game as they allowed 259 yards against per game, which was second which was third worst in the NFL.
• Key Injuries:
  • San Diego: LB-M. Te’o (foot), DT-S. Lissemore (ankle), G-J. Clary (hip), CB-M. Cromartie (groin), DT-K. Geathers (knee), and DT-R. Tjong-A-Tjoe (knee)
  • Arizona: LB-K. Minter, (pectoral), NT-A. Ta’Amu (knee), S-T. Mathieu (knee), LB-D. Washington (suspended until the 2015 season), and DT-D. Dockett (knee)
• Head to Head:
  • No recent trends