2009 NFL Week 1 Betting Preview
The opening Sunday of the 2009 NFL season features nine early kickoffs, each loaded with awesome betting opportunities. Among the highlight games scheduled for 1:00 PM ET kickoffs are Miami-Atlanta, Philadelphia-Carolina, Jacksonville-Indianapolis, and Dallas-Tampa Bay. Below is our 2009 NFL Week 1 betting preview for those early games. Be sure to check out Sportsbook.com for all the latest odds and receive a 10 percent bonus with your initial deposit.
MIAMI at ATLANTA
Miami & Atlanta try to build on playoff seasons when they open the 2009 campaign in one the two inter-conference games scheduled for Week 1. Miami was the league's biggest surprise in '08, improving by 10-wins from ‘07. Oddsmakers don't expect it to continue though, dropping the Dolphins' regular season wins prop bet to 7.5 this fall. Perhaps that has something to due with the fact that the Fish had the best turnover ratio in the NFL. HC Tony Sparano's team was 3-1 SU but 0-4 ATS vs. the NFC last year. Atlanta also experienced a meteoric rise, going from 4-12 to 11-5 behind new offensive weapons QB Matt Ryan & RB Michael Turner. Like the Dolphins however, the Falcons were beat in the wildcard round. In this h2h series, Atlanta has won four straight ATS.
PHILADELPHIA at CAROLINA
Top contenders in the NFC go head-to-head Sunday when Philadelphia visits Carolina. The Panthers are 1-point favorites, hoping to get off to a fast start and erase the memory of January's embarrassing playoff loss. They rolled to a 12-4 regular season mark but were beaten 33-13 as a 10-point favorite vs. Arizona in the divisional round. Philadelphia also lost to the Cardinals a week later in the NFC title game, but has made several well received changes since in the offseason. The Eagles are 8-1 ATS as a road underdog over the last two seasons, and 33-15 ATS in that role under HC Andy Reid. They have won two straight in the h2h series, but haven't visited Carolina since '03. The Panthers were 5-3 ATS at home in '08, their first winning mark since ‘02.
JACKSONVILLE at INDIANAPOLIS
There are seven divisional games scheduled for opening week in the NFL, perhaps none bigger than that in the AFC South between Indianapolis & Jacksonville. The AFC South is expected to be one of the most competitive divisions in football, and both the Colts and Jaguars boast playoff expectations. This has been a back-and-forth series as well, with road teams owning a 6-4 SU & 7-2-1 ATS record in the L10 h2h games. The last three games have been decided by a TD or less. Ironically, the pointspread for Sunday is set at Colts -7. They were just 3-8 ATS last year as favorites despite winning 12 games. Indy will begin a new era under Jim Caldwell, the former quarterback coach. The Jaguars are hoping to forget ‘08 after losing six of the L7 games, both SU & ATS.
DALLAS at TAMPA BAY
Dallas & Tampa Bay were 9-7 a year ago, but the teams don't share similar aspirations for 2009. The Cowboys have re-tooled, the Bucs are rebuilding. HC Wade Phillips' team moves on without WR Terrell Owens among others, but seems poised to make another charge at an NFC East title. In '08, the Cowboys were outscored by 0.2 PPG and finished 7-9 ATS, including 3-5 ATS on the road. Dallas is a 3-point favorite, as Tampa has made massive change since January, having cut several recognizable veterans while turning to HC Raheem Morris to take over for John Gruden. As of presstime, Morris had yet to name his starting QB. In this series, home teams are on a run of 4-1 SU & 5-0 ATS. The Bucs are on a run of 27-6 UNDER the total in the first two weeks of the season.
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NFL: Sunday Late Afternoon NFL Kickoffs
There are just three late afternoon games in the NFL, however, all are important in that teams are looking to get off to a fast start. Of course, when you're betting, the games that mean more are the ones you have wagering tickets on. With that thought in mind, here's is a look at each of the late afternoon contests to choose from. Be sure to read these key tidbits before hitting the confirm button on your wagers at Sportsbook.com
SAN FRANCISCO at ARIZONA
The defending NFC champs start another run at it on Sunday when they host division-rival San Francisco. Arizona was a pleasant postseason surprise, turning a 9-7 regular season mark into a Super Bowl berth. In 2009, the Cardinals will have the target on their backs and be fighting the dogged record of the Super Bowl loser in the follow-up year. One of the main reasons for the success last year was their record in divisional play, 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS. San Francisco has dreams of its own in the NFC West after winning five of its final seven games, riding the momentum of HC Mike Singletary taking over. This has been a very trendy head-to-head series, as the last five games have gone OVER the total, and the road team boasts a 4-3 SU & 7-0 ATS record in the L7.
WASHINGTON at NY GIANTS
Washington visited the Giants to kickoff the '08 season and the hosts won 16-7 as 4-1/2 point favorites. That New York team was a defending champ, the '09 version is a hungry club looking to avenge an early playoff ouster. The Giants were solid in '08, going 12-5 SU & ATS while landing the NFC's #1 seed in the playoffs. They have won five of the L6 games against the Redskins, both SU & ATS and are working on a stretch of four straight years with a winning ATS mark in divisional games. Washington is more of a victim of its division, coming off an 8-8 season in which they went UNDER the total in 12 of 15 games while scoring just 16.6 PPG, 28th most in the NFL. This series has been a big UNDER series in New York as well, eight of L9 meetings going that way.
StatFox Steve has an opinion on this game... When the Giants & Redskins opened the season a year ago in New York, the hosts were defending Super Bowl champions, yet only 4-1/2 point favorites in the game. They easily took care of business. Now, with what I deem to be a shrinking talent gap between the teams, the Giants are actually a bigger favorite to win in the '09 opener. I don't get it. The window of opportunity for success in the NFL is short. I believe the G-Men blew their chance a year ago. Take a look at this changeover system: Play Against - Any team (NY GIANTS) - solid team from last season - outscored opponents by 7 or more points/game. (70-37 over the last 10 seasons.) (65.4%, +29.3 units. Rating = 2*). I see a tight game coming here, one with all the intensity that a division rivalry brings. Regardless of who wins, take the points.
ST LOUIS at SEATTLE
All four teams in the NFC West Division are squaring off in Week 1, so the winners will get a leg up on the chase of the crown in '09. Seattle and St. Louis, after dominating the division for most of the decade, both now find themselves in the role of chaser, trying to unseat Arizona. The Seahawks will host the Rams on Sunday, playing as a sizeable 7-point favorite despite having gone 4-12 a year ago. They have won four straight games in this head-to-head series, both SU & ATS. St. Louis hit rock bottom with a 2-14 mark in '08, and has begun anew with former Giants DC Steve Spagnuolo as Head Coach. He hopes to reverse a trend that has seen the Rams start 0-4 SU & ATS in back-to-back seasons. They are also just 7-17 ATS in divisional play since '04.
