This weekend the new NFL Season gets underway. Thursday night in the United States (or early morning Friday morning here in the UK) the first game of the year, the Dallas Cowboys travelling to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, takes place.
This season sees an additional regular season game for all teams, with 17 matches to be played across the regular season, followed by the new look playoffs which sees seven teams in each Conference earning a spot in the post season.
It should be an exciting campaign ahead and it gets started this coming weekend and we have decided to go through the full list of games to bring you our verdict on which teams will take the win and which teams will be heading to week two still looking to earn a first victory of the season.
If you want extensive NFL betting in the UK, then check out the wide range of bets available with Bet365 Games sister site bet365 Sport. Each week of the season, there are hundreds of bets available on each game, both pre-game and also In Play.
And in the United States, check out BetRivers Sportsbook excellent NFL betting service, which features a number of less well-known bets, as well as all the usual betting markets you would expect on the NFL each week.
Let’s now take a look at each of Week One’s match-ups and give you our top tips for each, which for these games we have gone with a selection of bets we like the look of.
NFL Week One
Dallas Cowboys @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dallas’ high power offense will win a fair few games this season, but this isn’t going to be one of them. Tampa’s defence is arguably the best in the league and with Tom Brady and company going the other way, the Bucs should prevail, but I do fancy Ezekiel Elliott to announce his return with a TD.
First Touchdown Scorer – Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys) – 15/2
Arizona Cardinals @ Tennessee Titans
I’m expecting a high scoring affair in Nashville between two teams who have some of the top offensive talents in the NFL. Home advantage and some tweaks in defense means I am just going with the offensive powerhouse Titans to land the victory and to score over 30 points in the process.
First Team to 30 Points – Tennessee Titans – 5/4
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans
How will the Trevor Lawrence era begin for the Jaguars? Well I think it could be a positive start for them against a team I feel will be the worst in the NFL this season. The Texans are in huge need of a big rebuild and they’ll pay the price for that this season.
Winning Margin – Jacksonville Jaguars 1-6 points – 10/3
Los Angeles Chargers @ Washington Football Team
This will be a close one. Washington’s defence will keep them in this game I am sure but I just feel the smart moves made by the Chargers in the draft and free agency have made them stronger on offense and I think as a result they may sneak the win here in a close contest.
Winning Margin – Los Angeles Chargers 1-6 points – 7/2
Minnesota Vikings @ Cincinnati Bengals
I think Dalvin Cook is going to be the key difference between these two teams at the moment. Both are in the middle of a rebuild but I just feel the Vikings are slightly ahead of the Bengals in the process. I do expect points to be scored here, hence my tip below.
Result & Total Points – Minnesota Vikings & Over 47.5 points – 15/8
New York Jets @ Carolina Panthers
I think the Panthers are going to benefit from Christian McCaffrey’s return against a remodelled Jets. I like what the Jets have done this season, but I still feel they are some way away from being a real contender in their division and as such, I think the Panthers land the win here.
Team Touchdowns – Carolina Panthers Exactly 3 Touchdowns – 13/5
Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons
I think the Philadelphia Eagles could be in for a tough season after their issues with the salary cap in the off season meaning a limited opportunity to rebuild. The Falcons are not a great deal better in my view, but I think they have more than enough to get over the line here and score some points in the process.
Team Points 3-way – Atlanta Falcons – Over 27 Points – 6/5
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills
I have to admit to being a bit worried that the Steelers are on the decline after their tail off in performance last season. The Bills will be a huge test for them and I think it is one the Bills will thrive in and land the victory in what could be a key win for them.
Team to Score in Every Quarter – Buffalo Bills – Yes – 6/4
Seattle Seahawks @ Indianapolis Colts
This looks to me to be a very even g ame with two teams that are solid on both offense and defense. I can’t see too many points being scored in this one and while I just about favour a Colts win, I think the best value bet is the Seahawks to put up under 24 points against this tough Colts defense.
Team Points 3-Way – Seattle Seahawks – Under 24 – 23/20
San Francisco 49ers @ Detroit Lions
This should be one of the mismatches of the weekend. The 49ers look a Super Bowl ready team, while the Lions are in yet another rebuilding phase. Even with home advantage, this should be a very comfortable win for the visitors.
Team Touchdowns 3-way – San Francisco 49ers – Over 4 – 3/1
Cleveland Browns @ Kansas City Chiefs
What a game this should be. If both offenses can click into form quickly then we could have a shootout on our hands. I think the Browns will give the Chiefs plenty of problems, but I am backing the Super Bowl runners up to land a victory in their season opener on home soil.
Team Points 3-Way – Kansas City Chiefs – Over 31 Points – 20/21
Denver Broncos @ New York Giants
I think both of these teams are going to struggle on offense this year. The Broncos lack of top quality signal caller is going to be their achilles heel, while you can say the same for the Giants. That Broncos defense is top quality though and I think they will be the key to the Broncos winning here.
Team To Win Both Halves – Denver Broncos – Yes – 12/5
Green Bay Packers @ New Orleans Saints
Aaron Rodgers remains in Green Bay while Drew Brees retired in New Orleans and now Jameis Winston has the reins. As such, I can see both teams putting up points in what should be a high scoring game but one that I feel the Packers will most likely land the win in.
Team Points 2-way – Green Bay Packers – Over 27.5 – 5/6
Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots
The Bills should win this division, but I feel that the winners of the two divisional games between these two teams could stand a chance of second spot and a playoff berth. Miami tend not to travel too well when they head North, and as such I am backing the Patriots to land the win here.
Team Points 3-way – New England – Over 24 – 23/20
Chicago Bears @ Los Angeles Rams
Two teams that I feel have some similarities in defense, with some stellar players like Aaron Donald (Rams) and Khalil Mack (Bears). However for me, the Rams offense is a much more polished article and I can see them putting up a fair few points in this season opener against Chicago.
Team Points 3-way – Los Angeles Rams – Over 27 – 5/6
Baltimore Ravens @ Las Vegas Raiders
I think both these teams have made significant improvements to their team over the course of the off season but the Ravens are for me much the better team and I think their running game will be the dominant feature and lead to them kicking off the season with a win.
First Score Method – Baltimore Ravens – Field Goal – 15/4
*All odds in this article were correct with bet365 Sport as of Wednesday 8th September 2021.
