The wait is over! The 2020 NFL season kicks things off on Thursday, Sept. 10 with an AFC clash between the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs. The game will be played in Kansas City as a result of the Chiefs’ run to last season’s Super Bowl title.
The betting action really heats up on Sunday, Sept. 13 with a full slate of 13 games. The final two season openers will be played as part of a special Monday Night Football doubleheader.
The betting lines for NFL week 1 have been posted for months in anticipation of the 2020 season. While the lines at the top online sportsbooks have moved slightly since then, every NFL bettor should already know how they would bet the games.
Given the extended advanced preview, Week 1 offers up an excellent betting opportunity for some winning parlay plays. The following is a look at a few parlay plays offering the best value in the current betting lines.
Winning Expert NFL Picks and Game Previews
Going Chalk on Heavy Favorites
Using the 2020 NFL Super Bowl futures as a guide, Kansas City along with the Baltimore Ravens are the top two favorites to win the AFC. They are also the top two teams on the list to win Super Bowl LV.
The Chiefs are now nine-point favorites in Thursday night’s game against Houston. The Ravens are eight-point home favorites against the AFC North rival Cleveland Browns in an early start on Sunday.
Each of these teams will be looking to make a strong statement in Week 1 with double-digit victories.
New Faces in New Places
Tom Brady is the new starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cam Newton took his place as the new starter in New England. Long-time Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers has taken over that role with the Indianapolis Colts.
All three of these veterans have enjoyed successful NFL careers by playing the quarterback position at a high level. All three are trying to make a strong impression with their new team. Football may be a team sport but excellent play at the quarterback position normally leads to impressive victories.
Extending this parlay play to three teams, you should go with:
New England (-6) over Miami
Indianapolis (-8) over Jacksonville
Tampa Bay (+3 ½) over New Orleans
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NFL Week 1 Parlay Predictions (Underdogs)
The first week in a NFL new season is always filled with a few big upsets. Nobody can predict how all the various changes in personnel will impact a team. The lack of preseason games heightens the rust factor, especially on offense. It is hard to know what to expect in Week 1.
Certain teams stand out more than others. The San Francisco 49ers (+120) are favored to win the NFC West with the Arizona Cardinals bringing up the rear at +600 betting odds.
These two rivals face-off in a late start on Sunday with San Francisco favored by seven points at home. Past betting trends between these two teams heavily favors the Cardinals with a 4-0-1 record against the spread in the last five meetings. The 49ers need to quickly shake off a bitter loss in Super Bowl LIV.
Another intriguing matchup pits the Los Angeles Rams as three-point home underdogs against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.
The Rams suffered through their Super Bowl loss hangover last season in a slip to 9-7 overall. The Cowboys are trying to turn things around from a disappointing 8-8 straight-up run with Mike McCarthy as the new head coach.
The Dallas Cowboys are overvalued in this game due to the betting public. The Rams still have enough talent to compete for a NFC title this year.
Take Arizona and Los Angeles in this two-team upset special.
