NFL Week 1: Odds and Lines for Six Non-Divisional Matchups

• The first Sunday of NFL football is here and features six unique non-conference matchups to tantalize bettors looking to make plays in the first week.
• The games are headlined by the Seattle Seahawks (-140) traveling to Atlanta to take on the Falcons (+120) in a great game between NFC contenders.
• Other odds include the Dallas Cowboys getting -3 against the Los Angeles Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers (-245) as huge favorites on Monday night against the New York Giants (+205).

LAS VEGAS – The wait is finally over; NFL football is here and ready to be bet on for the foreseeable future.

After a successful debut on Thursday night, the NFL is as ready as ever before to get back to the action that captivates so many across the world.

Week 1 features some terrific games across the schedule, including six non-conference games between some unfamiliar opponents.

Betting odds and lines are now available for these games across all of the major legal betting apps.

The marquee matchup of the day comes from the NFC, where two title contenders lock horns in the first game of the season.

The Seattle Seahawks come down to Atlanta to meet the Falcons where they are 2.5-point favorites to start the season with a road win.

This season, Seattle will look to Russell Wilson for another stellar year behind center with hopes that they can capitalize on the elite quarterback’s shrinking championship window.

Meanwhile, the Falcons welcome in Todd Gurley II, with hopes that he can provide some balance to Atlanta’s dynamic passing attack. Falcons fans hope that Matt Ryan can continue his consistent play and use Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley to their full ability.

The two teams met last year in October, where Seattle emerged with a victory 27-20.

The Las Vegas Raiders still sounds weird to most football fans out there, but the team will play their first game under the new moniker Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

The Raiders will look to Derek Carr once again to lead them on offense, who is surprisingly entering his seventh season as the Raiders’ starting QB.

Las Vegas will meet the Carolina Panthers, who are entering a new era under head coach Matt Rhule and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

While the Raiders are the slight favorite, a win for the Panthers would start off the new tenure on a great note.

The Los Angeles Chargers are also starting off on a new page after the unceremonious departure of long-time quarterback Phillip Rivers.

The Chargers will now turn to veteran journeyman Tyrod Taylor to lead the team in Week 1. Taylor is expected to hold down the position until their new draft pick Justin Herbert is ready to take over.

They match up with the Cincinnati Bengals, who will welcome first overall pick, Joe Burrow, to the field in his first game.

The nightcap on Sunday features the Dallas Cowboys taking on the Los Angeles Rams in what could be a potential playoff preview for the NFC.

The Cowboys were the center of attention during the offseason for the extended dealings with QB Dak Prescott, who ended up agreeing to the franchise tag after not confirming a long-term deal.

2020 will be the 4th season a QB has played on a franchise tag.

2005: Drew Brees (SD)
2016: Kirk Cousins (WAS)
2017: Kirk Cousins (WAS)

None of these QBs went to the postseason, & both Brees & Cousins switched teams thereafter.

Will Dak Prescott buck these trends?

— Spotrac (@spotrac) September 11, 2020

QB’s haven’t performed the best historically while under the tag, so it will be interesting to see if Prescott can perform well enough to earn a big paycheck from Jerry Jones this season.

The Cowboys meet the LA Rams, who underperformed immensely last season after making it to the Super Bowl in 2018.

The clock is officially ticking on if Jared Goff and Sean McVay are the real deal, or just one-and-done in terms of success.

Over to Monday night where a terrific doubleheader is ready to greet football bettors to soothe their Sunday hangover.

The first game of the night comes from the Meadowlands where the Pittsburgh Steelers meet the New York Giants.

While this might have been a premier matchup five or so years ago, it doesn’t quite have the same intensity with the current status of both teams.

The Steelers are welcoming back Ben Roethlisberger who missed the majority of 2019 with a major elbow injury. There are question marks all over the Steelers roster, who have a lot to figure out in a short amount of time.

According to Vegas, they still are good enough to warrant a six-point line over the Giants, who will likely rely on Saquon Barkley to produce the entire offense.

Either way, there will be plenty to learn about both teams in this matchup.

The final non-traditional matchup of Week 1 is a late-night special from Mile High where the Tennessee Titans will travel to face the Denver Broncos.

The Titans are riding high after their incredible run last season behind the massive legs of Derrick Henry and the unlikely heroics of Ryan Tannehill.

That duo will look to conjure up their magic once again this year, beginning with the Broncos.

Denver has tons of questions on offense but a surprisingly high ceiling. Drew Lock showed potential last year and the double backs of Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay prove functional in most situations.

Denver also will try to integrate Jerry Jeudy in as the prime receiving target, giving Lock some valuable weapons if he so chooses to utilize them.

All in all, a great slate of action and talent across the board Sunday makes for a terrific opening weekend of NFL football in America.

News tags: Atlanta Falcons | Carolina Panthers | Las Vegas Raiders | NFL | Seattle Seahawks