As we inch towards opening night of the season I’ll address a few of the NFL Week 1 line moves the boys didn’t cover on this weeks NFL Podcast. Deciphering which moves are real positions, and which were made for a better grab later on can be the difference between being in the red or the black at years end.
Here are three Week 1 Line Moves to monitor throughout the week:
Philadelphia PK (-120) @ Washington
BetOnline.Ag opened the game with Washington a -2.5 favorite back in April, and they remained chalk midway through August. We’ve seen Eagles money come in since then, moving across the market to pick/-1 depending on the shop. The Eagles have a strong defensive front seven, and hopes that year two for Carson Wentz under center will be a big one. Washington has some questions on the defensive front and injuries on the offensive side of the ball. There’s a better chance this number gets to Philadelphia -3 before Washington becomes the favorite again.
Arizona -1.5 (-110) @ Detroit
Detroit opened -3 (+100) at BetOnline.AG, but steady professional money on the underdog Cardinals has pushed them into a small favorite on the road. Detroit’s win total has taken heavy money Under 8, pushing it to 7.5 across the market. This comes as no surprise, Detroit faces one of the toughest slates of pass rush defenses this year and with no sign of a formidable run game Matthew Stafford could find himself on his back quite a bit this season.
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Los Angeles Chargers @ Denver -3.5 (-104)
Denver opened -4 (-110) at BetOnline.Ag in the summer, but that line has since dropped to a soft 3.5 with even some 3 available in the market. With the AFC West up for grabs, this could be a pivotal game for the division title later in the year. The Chargers have been a favorite of professional bettors (win total moved from 7 to 7.5 (-150)), while Denver has taken some sharp money Under 8.5, driving it to 8 flat. I would not be surprised to see this game drop to Denver -3 across the board before kickoff. Los Angeles is finally (somewhat) healthy, with Phillip Rivers primed for a big year. With Denver losing safety T.J. Ward this week, it will be interesting to see of the back end of the defense can hold against a formidable passing attack.
Week 2 Lines from Cantor Gaming:
Home Spread Away
Bengals -3 Texans
Colts +3.5 Cardinals
Panthers -8 Bills
Buccaneers -6.5 Bears
Ravens -7 Browns
Steelers -7 Vikings
Saints +6.5 Patriots
Chiefs -4 Eagles
Jaguars +2.5 Titans
Chargers -4 Dolphins
Raiders -16.5 Jets
Broncos +1.5 Dallas
Seahawks -11.5 49ers
Rams PK Redskins
Falcons -3 Packers
Giants -6 Detroit
Some Week 2 look ahead spreads are definitely warranted, while others can move a couple points based on the perception of Week 1 results.
