American Football
NFL Week 1 preview: New York to upset odds in opening week
It’s that time again – the NFL is back! Get ready for all the thrills and spills as 32 of USA’s finest American football teams battle it out for the chance to appear at the Super Bowl early next year.
The NFL kicked off on Thursday evening with the Detroit Lions completing a stunning comeback to shock last season’s Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs, and there’s sure to be plenty more drama on the road to the Super Bowl.
Ahead of a scintillating rest of the first week of action we preview the standout ties.
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
Both the Cowboys and Giants made it to the playoffs last season, so this looks set to be a huge opening weekend clash in NFC East.
The Cowboys hold a significant head-to-head advantage over their New York rivals, having won an overwhelming 11 of their last 12 meetings, including twice last season.
Both of last season’s wins over the Giants were reasonably tight though, including the Cowboys’ road game when the sides were tied on 13 points after the third quarter and they needed a fast finish to secure a 23-16 victory. That suggests we could be in for another close encounter at MetLife Stadium, and while the Cowboys are strong 20/33 favourites on the money line there could be a surprise in store.
The Cowboys have some injury concerns, with the whole of the left offensive line on the injury report, including key offensive tackle Tyler Smith. That could force coach Mike McCarthy to turn to rookies such as T.J Bass and could be a pressure point the Giants can exploit.
The Giants have made some good additions to their squad, including ex-Raiders tight end Darren Waller and combined with the experience of quarterback Daniel Jones, they could be a potent combination this season. Waller is 2/1 to score a TD at any time.
Expect this to be a tight encounter, but there may be some value in the Giant’s price of 29/20 on the money line, especially with the Cowboys’ injury woes and if you fancy a bit of extra insurance the Giant are 5/6 at +3.5 in the spread.
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
The second of two games from the MetLife Stadium on the opening week sees the New York Jets clash with the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills hold a commanding recent advantage in their rivalry with the Jets having won seven of their last 10 meetings.
Last season, the Bills made the Divisional Playoffs, losing out to the Cincinnati Bengals and Sean McDermott once again has a talented squad at his disposal so will be aiming for the same, if not better, this campaign as they target a first Super Bowl success.
In Josh Allen they have one of the best QBs around and if he can combine with running back Stefon Diggs, who successfully received pass 108 times for 1,429 yards – fourth most in NFL – last season, then they will be a threat to most teams. Allen and Diggs are both 8/5 to score a TD at anytime against the Jets, while the Bills are favourites for the win on the money line at 20/29.
The Jets did manage a victory against the Bills last season, edging a thrilling encounter at the MetLife Stadium 20-17, and they can take confidence from that victory.
The big news for the Jets this season has been the star addition of four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers. In Rodgers they have a player that can unlock the tightest of defences and the star quarterback is expected to add plenty of bite to the Jets offensive line this season. Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson won Offensive Rookie of the Year in his first season in the NFL, recording 1,103 receiving yards – 15th highest in the NFL – and could build a strong partnership with Rodgers. Wilson is the Jets’ favourite to score at TD at 6/4.
The Jets certainly look stronger this season and it could be worth chancing them at 5/4 to get off to a winning start, but with the spread set at only +/-2.5 expect another closely fought encounter.
