All you can eat NFL serves up another dish for sports bettors in Week 1, rounding out the card with a Monday Night Football doubleheader.
Two of the biggest heavyweights in the NFL are set to take the field on Monday Night Football and even though they won’t be playing each other, it still gives football bettors a good opportunity to consider some action.
New England and San Diego are the two favorites for the Week 1 doubleheader and judging by the line movement at online sportsbooks, both teams are the betting public’s pick to win big. The Patriots have been a double-digit favourite since odds first went up, with the current line set at most books as Pats -11. It’s only a one-point move and it’s not surprising considering Tom Brady’s return to the line-up – and the Buffalo Bills’ apparent futility. Buffalo’s first team offense was held scoreless in each of the team’s last three preseason games.
Movement in the Chargers game vs. the Oakland Raiders is another story. Most online sportsbooks had the Bolts figured for a one-TD advantage but can hardly keep up with money the Chargers are attracting.
Sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com is reporting almost 80% of all the betting action coming in on this game showing up on San Diego. The books NFL lines show the Chargers favored by 10 points.
Double-digit road favs on Monday Night are not all that common. One reason is that the league, when picking its combatants for the marquee games, usually try to pick a pair of decent teams; a good matchup that will attract a lot of attention. The second reason is sports bettors. Experience tells a lot of bettors what happens to double-digit Monday Night favs (2-6 ATS since 2006) and there is usually a decent number who find taking the points on the underdog an attractive option.
Expect both teams to be up for this contest. Not only is this the season opener for all four teams, and it’s on Monday night in front of a national audience, but these matchups have both also been designated as Legacy Games. That’s the NFL’s way of helping celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the American Football League. All four of these franchises were there on Day 1 and are putting an extra emphasis on trying to win these Legacy contests.
The only Legacy Game thus far in 2009 was in Canton, Ohio for the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Tennessee -3 edged Buffalo team by three points and bettors on the Bills were given a gift-push when Tennessee ran out of bounds in the end zone, giving the dog bettors a freebie safety. Don’t expect the same type of charity from any of these four teams tonight!
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