The NFL has three prime time games per week now, what with Sunday, Monday and Thursday nights offering pro football action. Each team takes part in one of the Thursday night affairs, which means that some matchups are more entertaining — and suspenseful from a sports betting perspective — than others. The Sunday and Monday night schedules are generally planned to bring exciting matchups, but thanks to injuries those games can turn into clunkers too.
Even so, we have picked a few prime time NFL matchups that every bettor should put money on.
NFL News: Top Prime Time Betting Games of 2021
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots (Week 4)
Sunday, October 3, 8:20 pm ET, NBC
Tom Brady comes back to New England to face Bill Belichick for the very first time. Brady comes in with yet another Super Bowl title, while Belichick’s Patriots missed the playoffs with Brady down in Florida. COVID-19 opt-outs hurt the Pats’ defense last year, and the COVID-19 struggles of Cam Newton bogged down the offense as well. The Patriots added two tough tight ends atop a list of other key additions. The Buccaneers should win this game, but no game planner has more savvy than Belichick.
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (Week 5)
Sunday, October 10, 8:20 pm ET, NBC
This is a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship, and Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen should be at or near the top of the list of 2021 MVP candidates by this time. The Bills bring back the NFL’s leading wide receiver in Stefon Diggs (127 catches for 1,535 yards), and Cole Beasley almost got to 1,000 yards catching passes out of the slot. The Chiefs have Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce back, giving Mahomes two trusted targets. The Bills solidified their pass rush in the off-season and already have this date circled.
Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 1)
Thursday, September 9, 8:20 pm ET, NBC
The Buccaneers return all 22 starters, along with the head coach and both coordinators. Dallas as Dak Prescott back healthy — at least we’re hearing that, although a shoulder strain in training camp has kept him off the field and in the MRI machine. Prescott threw for an average of 422.5 yards per game in Weeks 1 through 4 last season. However, the defense was the worst in the history of the franchise, and while Dallas focused on the D in their draft, that means it’s a young unit just getting its first regular-season action. The Cowboys will put forth more effort than they showed at times last season on the defensive side of the ball, but the steep learning curve could make this a big win for the Bucs.
Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens (Week 2)
Sunday, September 19, 8:20 pm ET, NBC
A matchup between Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes will feature electric offense, as two of the last three NFL MVPs will square off. The Chiefs had Sammy Watkins running routes for them last year, and now he’s a Raven. The teams had a pre-draft trade that saw Odafe Oweh, a terrific edge rusher, go to Baltimore in the first round, while Kansas City got Orlando Brown to bolster their pass protection. The Chiefs have gone to the last two Super Bowls, so the Ravens have to be hungry to knock off this team and stake their own claim as an AFC contender.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals (Week 4)
Thursday, September 30, 8:20 pm ET, NFL Network
Seriously? Jaguars-Bengals? Sure, these two teams are unlikely to be in the playoffs, but this game will pit two of the next generation’s elite quarterbacks against one another, with Trevor Lawrence going up against Joe Burrow. Both quarterbacks have underrated wide receiving corps, and you know Trevor Lawrence wants some redemption against Burrow. After all, the last time they were on the same field, Burrow was routing Lawrence’s Clemson Tigers in the national championship in 2019.
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