2018 NFL Week 1 Betting Trends to Be Aware Of

The 2018 regular season of the National Football League is almost upon us, which means that one of the most popular sports betting seasons is about to get underway. There is some serious money to be made by betting on pro football, and Week 1 is a great time to start raking in the profits. We have identified some NFL Week 1 betting trends for you to consider as you make your wagering choices for the 2018 regular season.

2018 NFL Week 1 Betting Trends to Be Aware Of

Report: Rodgers expected to sign largest deal in NFL history by Week 1 https://t.co/YSZWR9NhqR pic.twitter.com/MBJeb23pNW

— theScore NFL (@theScoreNFL) August 29, 2018

The Super Bowl Hangover

Teams that play in the Super Bowl tend to have a bit of a letdown in the opening week. Last year, the defending champion New England Patriots welcomed in the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night to open the regular season, only to take a pounding. The team that lost the Super Bowl two years ago, the Atlanta Falcons, won in Week 1 in a 23-17 victory at Chicago, but the Bears had a chance to score as time expired but dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone — and the Falcons didn’t come close to covering. Your defending Super Bowl champions this year are the Philadelphia Eagles, who are likely to start Nick Foles at quarterback, as Carson Wentz has not appeared in preseason action. Foles has struggled mightily in the preseason so far. The defending Super Bowl runners-up are the New England Patriots, who open against a game Houston Texans team. Picking both the Pats and the Eagles to lose against the spread makes a lot of sense.

Go with home underdogs

The Cleveland Browns have not won a season opener in 14 years. In 2017, they hosted Pittsburgh at home to start the season, as they do this year. The Steelers were 10-point favorites and ended up winning — but just by three, in a 21-18 squeaker. So the Browns ended up covering the spread — but just for the fourth time in the last 20 season openers for Cleveland. This year, that spread is Pittsburgh -6.5 despite the massive talent upgrades the Browns have made on offense. In the betting public, there just isn’t the sort of confidence that the Browns can push the Steelers late. That’s one home underdog that I’m going to back.

Pick the Saints for NFL Week 1

When the Tampa Bay-New Orleans game first got a point spread, the Saints were favored by seven points. Since then, Buccaneer quarterback Jameis Winston has picked up a suspension that keeps him out the first three games of the season. New Orleans tailback Mark Ingram will miss the first four games because he failed a drug test. As a result, the line has moved as high as New Orleans -9.5. The Saints have Alvin Kamara in their backfield as well, so Ingram’s absence isn’t that huge of a factor. However, with Ryan Fitzpatrick running the Tampa Bay offense against an opportunistic New Orleans defense, that game could get ugly in a hurry. I’m taking New Orleans even with a 10-point spread. The Saints will be ready to make a statement after that shocking loss to Minnesota in the divisional playoffs last year.

Pick the Cardinals for NFL Week 1

Washington and Arizona have a pick-em line on many sports books. Both teams have new starting signal callers, as Alex Smith has come to Washington, and Sam Bradford is now in the desert. The Cardinals also have a brand new coaching staff. The Cards’ defense has looked solid in the preseason, and while Washington has been able to move the ball somewhat, we’ve seen a lot more Colt McCoy than Alex Smith. Washington has a defense that can be porous at times, and Arizona also welcomes tailback David Johnson back from an injury that kept him out for all of 2017. I like Bradford and the Cardinals to open at home with a win. Smith will develop some chemistry in Washington and move the ball, but he will struggle against an Arizona defense that has talent at all three levels.