Baltimore (-1) vs. Pittsburgh – The Ravens and Steelers renew their rivalry this Sunday afternoon in what should be another hard-hitting, defensive battle. The Ravens opened as 2 ½ point favorites, but sharps and squares have played the Steelers pretty heavily, which is why the line is anywhere between a pick and Baltimore -1 ½. The total has been bet down from 37 to 35 ½. Joe Flacco has a monkey named ‘Pittsburgh’ on his back. The problem for Flacco is that even if the Ravens win on Sunday, the monkey will still be there.
Tampa Bay (-1) vs. Detroit – The Bucs and Lions – two of the League’s most talked about upstart teams – meet in Tampa this Sunday at noon. The Bucs opened as 3 point favorites, but strong, consistent action on the Lions has brought the line down to between a pick and Tampa -1 ½, very similar to the Steelers/Ravens line. I’m interested to see if Detroit has any kind of a running game, or if this is a one dimensional team. I have a feeling the latter is true. Whoever wins this game could have a big leg-up towards the end of the season if both teams are in the playoff hunt, which they may be.
Atlanta (-2 ½) at Chicago – This game opened as a pick, but the line has moved towards the Falcons; Atlanta is currently favored by somewhere between 1 ½ and 2 ½ points, depending upon the book. After hosting the NFC championship game, I’m a little surprised by the line movement. But Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense should be potent. Watching them duke it out with the Bears defense should be entertaining.
Houston (-9) vs. Indianapolis – The big story, of course, is Peyton Manning. The forgotten-about story, however, is Arian Foster. In all likelihood, neither star will play. That explains why the Texans are currently favored by 9 points, a full touchdown and PAT more than the opening number of 2. After losing in Houston in week 1 of last season (with Manning), it’s hard to imagine the Colts finding a way to get the win here. The question is, did the line get pushed too high?
Philadelphia (-4) at St. Louis – This has been one of the steadiest lines all week. The Eagles opened at -4 and that’s where most books are posting the game. For me, this is the diamond in the rough for week 1. Yeah, Green Bay/New Orleans was fun to watch, and I imagine the Steelers/Ravens and Jets/Cowboys will be good, too. But if I had to watch one game, this is the one I’d like to see. Two intriguing quarterbacks for teams with high expectations should make for a competitive game. I don’t see the ‘Dream Team’ running away with this.
San Diego (-9) vs. Minnesota – The Chargers welcome the Vikings to sunny southern California this Sunday afternoon. The line opened at -9 ½, but that’s been pulled down to 8 ½ or 9 points. From my perspective, 9 ½ seemed a little high. San Diego should be good, but they should’ve been good last year, too. Minnesota almost certainly will be improved. Donovan McNabb and Leslie Frazier give the Vikings much more stability and chemistry. The talent is there for Minnesota to compete with virtually anyone.
NY Jets (-5) vs. Dallas – The Sunday night game should be a good one. The Jets opened as 4 point favorites, but books are currently posting either 5 or 5 ½. The Cowboys are coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in team history. They get an early opportunity to reestablish their prestige. The Jets have been to two straight AFC title games, and have done so with one of the NFL’s top defenses. Especially against the run, the Jets are as good as any on defense. The game’s most intriguing side-story involves a new, old receiver – how will Plaxico Burress play?
