Week 1 kicks off with the Super Bowl champion, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as they face the Dallas Cowboys, who have Dak Prescott back in action. There are plenty of enticing games as Julio Jones makes his first regular-season appearance with Tennessee against the Cardinals and Justin Herbert squares off against Ryan Fitzpatrick in Washington. Sam Darnold gets his revenge game out of the way early, taking on the Jets at home. There is no MNF doubleheader this year, but the Ravens will face the Raiders on Monday Night Football. Matthew Stafford sees a familiar opponent despite moving out west, as the Rams face the Chicago Bears.
The defending champions have the league’s second-shortest odds to win Super Bowl LVI and are the heavyweight preseason pick in the NFC at 3-1. As you might expect, they’re also favoured in Week 1 as 7.5-point favourites. Tom Brady’s first season in Tampa Bay couldn’t have gone much better. His 40 passing touchdowns were the most he’d thrown since 2007. Brady’s 22 touchdowns to four interceptions over the regular season’s final month and playoffs propelled the Buccaneers from 7-5 to a dominant Super Bowl victory. He just turned 44, but Father Time doesn’t seem to be slowing him down just yet. Oddsmakers give Brady the fourth-shortest odds to win MVP.
Dallas is a bit of a wild card in 2021. The Cowboys rallied back from 2-7 to have a shot at the NFC East in Week 17 despite losing Dak Prescott after just five games. Prescott returns to the field with the fourth-shortest MVP odds and the favourite to win Comeback Player of the Year. There’s no denying what Dallas’ offense is capable of at full strength after averaging 32.6 points per game between Weeks 1-5. The Cowboys’ season rides on their defensive improvements.
There have been some changes made for the 2021 season, the most notable being the addition of a 17th regular season game onto the schedule. This—coupled with the expanded 14-team playoff field that was introduced last year and returning for the 2022 NFL playoffs—sets up an extended campaign for fans to enjoy. Sports bettors should also be thrilled about the lengthened season. The additional contests to wager on are a welcome sight, especially after a long offseason devoid of any meaningful action since the Super Bowl.
If you are one of the countless football fans who bet games against the spread, partake in survivor contests or participate in any other sort of picks pool, it’s time to start making your predictions for Week 1. Beginning the year on a high note will go a long way towards having a successful 2021 NFL betting season.
Words of warning to all those picking Week 1 NFL games: Expect the unexpected
Even with three preseason games this year, compared to none last season because of COVID-19, it’s always tough to try and get a gauge on how good teams are in Week 1.
That’s why picking games is a challenge early in the season. Some teams played starters in the preseason, while others did not. Some showed stuff, while most did not. Evaluations are always tough coming out of the preseason. There are no double-digit spreads this week, with three games tied for the biggest at 7.5 points. Those three games are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers favoured over the Cowboys, the San Francisco 49ers over the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams over the Chicago Bears.