TheLines: NFL’s surprising opening week results affect Week 2 lines

Seeing NFL teams in action can challenge expectations, and according to TheLines, that can affect betting lines even in ways fans might not expect.
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The opening week of the NFL season always brings more surprises than most weeks. Seeing teams in action can challenge expectations, and according to TheLines, which tracks odds in US-regulated sports betting markets, that can affect betting lines even in ways fans might not expect.

After the Green Bay Packers‘ lopsided loss to the New Orleans Saints, fans may be writing off Aaron Rodgers and his team, but oddsmakers are thinking differently. 

A consensus of the nation’s largest legal online sportsbooks — including BetAmerica, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, SugarHouse, and Unibet — places the Packers as 10.5-point favorites in their Week 2 game against the Detroit Lions. The point spread widened from the look-ahead line offered before Week 1, which had Green Bay as a 10-point favorite over the Lions.

Elsewhere, after beating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have moved from a lookahead 8-point favorite over the Atlanta Falcons to a 12.5-point favorite following the Falcons’ poor outing against the Philadelphia Eagles. Following the Tennessee Titans’ struggles against the Arizona Cardinals, the over in their Week 2 game vs the Seattle Seahawks moved from 49.5 to 52.5.

Brett Collson, lead analyst for TheLines.com, commented: “The first week always brings surprises, but it’s easy for NFL fans to overreact to what they’ve seen. Oddsmakers tend not to overemphasize small sample size results. 

“So, while teams might struggle in Week 1, and others post eye-opening performances, oddsmakers must weigh the results of the first week with what they knew about each team before the season. For this, Week 2 can present interesting and often tempting lines.”

The consensus point spreads for Week 2 games, as of September 13:

  • New York Giants at Washington Football Team (-4.5); over/under 42.5
  • Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears (-3.5); over/under 45.5
  • Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns (-11.5); over/under 48
  • Los Angeles Rams (-4) at Indianapolis Colts; over/under 47.5
  • Buffalo Bills (-3.5) at Miami Dolphins; over/under 48
  • New England Patriots (-4.5) at New York Jets; over/under 43
  • San Francisco 49ers (-3.5) at Philadelphia Eagles; over/under 48.5
  • Las Vegas Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5); over/under 48.5
  • New Orleans Saints (-3) at Carolina Panthers; over/under 46
  • Denver Broncos (-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars; over/under 44
  • Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals (-4.5); over/under 50.5
  • Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-12.5); over/under 52.5
  • Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers (-2.5); over/under 52.5
  • Tennessee Titans at Seattle Seahawks (-5.5); over/under 52.5
  • Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5) at Baltimore Ravens; over/under 55.5
  • Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (-10.5); over/under 49.5