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Ah, NFL football. How we’ve missed you so.

Sunday marks the return of the NFL after months of uncertainty, and fans couldn’t be happier. With no to little spectators in the stands, masked coaches and employees patrolling the sidelines, and no jersey swapping after games, football will have a bit of a different feel this season. But one thing remains the same — we can still bet on it.

Buckle up, gamblers. Here’s your detailed betting preview of the week one slate and some best bets to get your football season off to a hot start.

NFL week one schedule and odds

The 1 p.m. ET slate for week one is loaded. The early time slot features nine games kicking off at the same time, and there’s no shortage of storylines.

The afternoon slate features just three games, and the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams cap off the day in the Sunday Night Football matchup. The Indianapolis Colts are the biggest favorite of the day, sitting at an eight-point favorite against the new-look Jacksonville Jaguars.

Check out the spread and over/under for every game of week one in the NFL:

1 p.m. ET

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (-7, 41.5)
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-7.5, 48)
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills (-6.5, 39.5)
Las Vegas Raiders at Carolina Panthers (+2.5, 47.5)
Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons (+2.5, 49)
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins (+5.5, 42)
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (-2.5, 42)
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (+8, 45)
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (-2.5, 45)

4:05 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals (+3, 41.5)

4:25 p.m. ET

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-7, 48)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints (-3.5, 47.5)

8:20 p.m. ET

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams (+2, 51.5)

Monday Night Football

Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants (+6, 46)
Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos (+3, 41)

Best bets for week one

Las Vegas Raiders -2.5

This number has fluctuated for weeks. If you caught it early, you could’ve snagged the Raiders at close to a pick, but the line seems to have settled at -2.5. This is still a tempting bet at anything under a field goal. The Carolina Panthers have a ton of new faces on both sides of the ball, and it should take them a few weeks to find a groove together. The defense is coming off a season in which it allowed 29.4 points per game, which was the second-worst mark in the NFL. The Raiders added tons of speed in the offseason, and they’ll be able to score at will against the Panthers on Sunday.

Green Bay Packers/Minnesota Vikings UNDER 45

There’s nothing like a divisional rivalry to kick off an NFL season. The Packers and Vikings are the two favorites in the NFC North heading into the 2020 season, and one of them will take an early division lead after week one. In divisional showdowns, the under is always the first place to look. In Packers and Vikings division games last season, the under 45 would’ve gone a combined 10-1-1. The totals in the two Packers/Vikings games finished at 37 and 33. Lock up the under 45 and let’s root for some punts, shall we?

NFL Teaser of the week

Atlanta Falcons +7.5/Baltimore Ravens -1.5

The teaser is a great way to attack an NFL slate if you like, but don’t love, a few lines. In week one, there are a few intriguing teaser pieces, but the Falcons and Ravens stand out the most.

Getting the Falcons up above the key number of 7 is enticing for the team at home eager to rebound from a disappointing 2019 season. The Seahawks know how to win close games, but they rarely blow teams out with their methodical style of play. The Falcons could easily win this game straight up, so getting 7.5 is a bonus.

The Ravens start the 2020 season with some unfinished business from last year. Baltimore needs to prove its run-heavy style is sustainable for years to come, and that starts in week one against the Browns. The Ravens are the more disciplined team, and you have to trust John Harbaugh to get his squad ready for this unique season better than newcomer Kevin Stefanski. Expecting the Ravens to win by two or more is reasonable here.

All betting odds courtesy of SportsLine

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Staff Writer

Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.