NFL week 1 is almost here – we’re just days away from the Texans vs. Chiefs on Thursday night.
One thing we pride ourselves on here at ScoresAndStats is tracking betting lines. As some of you likely know, NFL week 1 odds are released months in advance of the regular season.
This gives NFL handicappers plenty of time to analyze the market to get the best price.
Speaking of handicappers, check out Coach Rick’s NFL picks and Dave’s NFL week 1 predictions.
We’ve been tracking NFL week 1 betting lines (point spreads and totals) and we’re going to analyze which games have seen the biggest line movement since the odds were released. Make sure you utilize all of the NFL betting data here at SAS.
NFL Week 1 Point Spreads That Have Moved the Most
Three NFL week 1 match-ups have seen the point spread move at least 1.5 points.
It’s fairly rare to see big NFL line movements on point spread markets. However, with the crazy off-season we’ve had because of COVID-19, I’m actually surprised we haven’t seen more movement.
Here are the three NFL week 1 games that have had the biggest line movement (ATS):
The Las Vegas Raiders have gone from a PK to a –2.5 favorite against Carolina.
The Detroit Lions have gone from a PK to a –3 favorite against the Bears.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone from a FG favorite (-3) to –4.5 against the Giants.
The sharps jumped on the Raiders and Lions when the NFL week 1 lines were released.
Las Vegas open on the road against the Panthers. I think this line movement is because of the hype with the Raiders moving to Vegas. Carolina could be a playoff sleeper with Teddy Bridgewater.
Detroit haven’t improved much this off-season, but the Bears didn’t either and they still haven’t even determined who will start at QB in week 1. That’s why we’re seeing big money on Detroit.
Ben Roethlisberger is healthy and has looked good in practice, but this is another game where I’d wait until a bit closer to kick-off on Monday night and take the points with the Giants.
NFL Week 1 Totals That Have Moved the Most
A total of six NFL week 1 totals have moved at least 1.5 points since the opening line was released.
Here are those games:
Texans vs. Chiefs – Total moved from 56.5 to 53.5 points.
Eagles vs. Washington – Total moved from 45.5 to 43 points.
Chargers vs. Bengals – Total moved from 46.5 to 44 points.
Cardinals vs. 49ers – Total moved from 45.5 to 47.5 points.
Cowboys vs. Rams – Total moved from 50.5 to 52 points.
Titans vs. Broncos – Total moved from 42.5 to 41 points.
Four of the totals moved up, while just two moved down by 1.5+ points.
Get the Best NFL Week 1 Odds
Do you want to read a full analysis detailing the line movement for every NFL week 1 game?
We published a complete NFL week 1 odds comparison guide at GameAdvisers.com.
The GameAdvisers Betting Academy is the home to our free picks and advice. You don’t even need to open a GA account to access this content, so what are you waiting for?
Make sure you read our full game previews for every NFL week 1 game, which will include real-time odds from the best online bookies, ensuring you get the best NFL odds for every bet next week.