Pros and Cons of Betting NFL Games Early in the Week

There are pros and cons when betting on NFL games early in the week. We’re going to discuss both in this betting guide to help NFL bettors understand when they should place bets for the upcoming week.

Where to Bet NFL Opening Lines

During the NFL season, most online sportsbooks will start releasing odds on Sundays.

For example, NFL week 1 Sunday games are on September 11th 2022 this season. Bookies will start releasing NFL week 2 odds on this day, giving handicappers a week to bet on the games.

Pros of Betting NFL Opening Lines

Here are some pros of betting NFL opening lines early in the week:

Bet Bad Lines: Sharp handicappers can identify bad lines when they open. These lines won’t last too long, as once the sharps start betting, the line will begin to move.

It’s common for NFL point spreads to move multiple points during the week. Jumping on the lines you expect to move against you early is one of the top ways to beat the closing line.

Betting on Public Teams: In most cases, betting on popular public teams like the Buccaneers early in the week will offer the best price. This is because the public often bets later in the week (Saturday or the Sunday when the games are being played) and will move the line.

If you expect a team to get the majority of the public betting action, bet on them early in the week.

For example, if the Buccaneers are -6.5 when the lines are released and you expect them to cover, bet them right away because once the public starts hitting the line, it’ll move higher.

Middling Opportunities: Some of the best NFL handicappers look for middling opportunities early in the week. By betting lines early, you give yourself the ability to bet the middle.

You need to have an understanding of how lines are likely to move during the week.

For example, a popular underdog might open up at +3.5 points, but with sharp and public money coming in on them throughout the week, the line could drop by a few points where the underdog closes at a PK.

You can then bet the opposing team at a PK to have a good chance to hit the middle. If the opposing team wins by 1-3 points, you’ll win both bets. At worst, you’ll lose a bit of juice on the wagers, as one of the bets will cash regardless of what happens. Middles allow for reduced risk and the chance to hit big.

NFL OddsandNFL Picks

Cons of Betting NFL Opening Lines

Here are some cons of betting NFL opening lines early in the week:

Injuries: When betting early in the week, you won’t know which players are going to be out due to injuries, as they’ll only be listed as questionable and this can impact the betting lines.

Tracking the status of important players is necessary, but that’s difficult to do early in the week.

Avoid Betting Against Public Teams: If you expect a team to garner most of the public action and you want to bet the opposing team, wait until later in the week to place your wager.

You’ll often get a better line when betting against the public later in the week. Waiting for the public money to come in to move the line in your favor is worth it even if you only gain a ½ point on the spread.

Less Time to Handicap Games: It’s tough to digest what just happened during the current week and then handicapping games for the following week when betting opening lines.

By waiting until later in the week, you give yourself more time to prepare and to adjust to breaking news or analyze NFL statistics, but you may also miss out on a better line. Finding a balance is important.

Bet opening lines when you feel strongly about an edge in the market or when you expect the line to move against you throughout the week, but in some cases, waiting is the best move.

There are pros and cons to betting NFL games early in the week.

There are multiple factors to consider before placing bets when the lines open. You don’t need to place all of your bets early in the week, but there are situations where it’s beneficial.