Opening night is over, but now you’re really in the mood to lay a few NFL greenbacks down… Let Gridiron help, with some precious nuggets on the rest of the Week 1 slate.

GAME ODDS

BUFFALO (+7.5) @ BALTIMORE

• LeSean McCoy is nursing an injury but expected to play
• Ravens had the 2nd best defensive pass efficiency in the league last year
• Bills ranked 31st in pass protection last year
• Nathan Peterman (5 interceptions from 14 attempts against the Chargers last season) starts
• In 2017, Ravens 7th in rush offense whilst the Bills were 30th in rush defense
• Joe Flacco graded 32/35 QB (200+ passes to qualify) last season, worse than Brian Hoyer (0-6), CJ Beathard (1-4) and Tom Savage (1-6)
• Alex Collins will be heavily used by Ravens and should go well, whilst McCoy may struggle

JACKSONVILLE @ NEW YORK GIANTS (+3)

• Jags 1-4 in last 5 opening day games
• The Jags new TE signing Austin Seferian-Jenkins is nursing a core-muscle injury and may be limited
• Giants TE Evan Engram cleared concussion protocol and will play
• Jags were the number 1 ranked overall defence in the NFL last year, but only 27th against the rush
• Giants were ranked 29th in rush offense last year, how will that change with Saquon Barkley?
• Jags ranked 2nd in adjusted sack rate last year, Giants 30th
• Jags ranked 1st in redzone efficiency last year

TAMPA BAY (+9.5) @ NEW ORLEANS

• Jameis Winston suspended for the Bucs, Mark Ingram suspended for the Saints
• Saints have lost last 4 opening day games. Bucs are 3-7 in last 10 opening day games
• Saints are 7-3 against the Bucs in their last 10 meetings
• Alvin Kamara averaged only 12.5 touches per game last season – Mike Gillislee and/or Boston Scott will get Ingram’s looks
• Ted Ginn is 33, Cameron Meredith coming back from a very serious injury and limited TE options means Tre’Quan Smith has an opportunity, and the pre-season stats look promising

HOUSTON (+6) @ NEW ENGLAND

• Patriots are 8-2 in last 10 opening day games
• Since 2012, the Patriots are 7-0 against the Texans
• D’Onta Foreman is out for Houston
• Texans Deshaun Watson and JJ Watt’s successful recovery essential to their success
• WR Will Fuller still carrying a hamstring injury and may be limited for Houston
• Rex Burkhead and Sony Michel carrying knocks, James White to get big action at RB for the Pats

SAN FRANCISCO (+6.5) @ MINNESOTA

• SF RB Jerrick Mckinnon out with an ACL
• Out of the SF backfield, Alfred Morris will do the running, Matt Breida the catching
• In the last 5 games of the season when Jimmy Garoppolo was put in, the 49ers ranked 1st in passing yards per attempt from 29th before
• Vikings ranked 3rd in pass defence in 2017
• 49ers with Garoppolo and Vikings with Kirk Cousins are a bit of an unknown quantity, but the Vikings have the better supporting cast and offensive line

TENNESSEE @ MIAMI (+1)

• ‘Fins QB Ryan Tannehill coming back from serious injury
• Titans were a top half team in adjusted sack rate last year
• Miami ranked 29th in red zone defence last year
• The Titans were a top 10 rushing offense last year and have added Dion Lewis to increase balance
• WR Kenny Stills should have a significant number of targets for Miami

CINCINNATI (+2.5) @ INDIANAPOLIS

• Colts’ Andrew Luck to throw his first live pass in 615 days
• RB Marlon Mack’s participation expected to be limited – still struggling with a hamstring injury
• Colts also have a lot of injuries in second string defence, limiting depth
• Colts lost last 4 opening day games and are 2-8 in last 10 opening day games
• Colts ranked 30th in passing offense last year without Luck and last in pass protection
• Carl Lawson has had a strong pre-season for the Bengals and against this poor Colts OL, could go well.

PITTSBURGH @ CLEVELAND (+4)

• Browns have lost last 10 opening day games
• Steelers 9-1 in their last 10 meetings (since 2013)
• Wind speeds currently forecast to be >15mph which often results in fewer points
• How is the middle of the Steelers defence without Ryan Shazier but with an off-season to get used to it?
• The Steelers and Browns ranked 31st and 32nd respectively in red zone defence last year
• Le’Veon Bell still not with the Steelers. When he missed camp last year, his first game (against the Browns) resulted in only 47 yards from 10 carries and 3 catches.

KANSAS CITY (+3.5) @ LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

• Chiefs’ 4th rated offense last year is taken over by Patrick Mahomes
• Chiefs won last 3 opening day games
• The Chargers offense was too lopsided last year, 2nd in pass and 27th in rush.
• The Chargers ranked 28th in offensive red zone efficiency last year but were 1st in stopping their opponents in the red zone
• The Chiefs have won the last previous 8 games against the Chargers (since 2014)
• Chiefs were ranked 30th in overall defence in 2017 and look set to struggle with Eric Berry out

SEATTLE (+3) @ DENVER

• Denver won last 6 opening day games and are 8-2 in last 10
• Case Keenum exploited Adam Thielen out of the slot last year. This preseason, Emmanuel Sanders’ slot snap count is nearly double his average.
• Earl Thomas has finally joined his Seattle teammates
• Denver ranked dead last in offensive red zone efficiency last year
• Seattle lose Paul Richardson and Jimmy Graham in the off-season, and Doug Baldwin is only 80% – Tyler Lockett could see a lot of targets.

DALLAS (+3) @ CAROLINA

• Dallas 4-1 in last 5 opening day games
• Dallas really struggled when losing Tyron Smith (LT) last year, starting centre Travis Frederick is out indefinitely with an auto-immune disease
• Even with the Zeke Elliot suspension and the Smith injury, Dallas finished 2nd in rush offense
• The Panthers’ defensive line ranked 5th overall and 3rd in adjusted sack rate last year
• With limited class receiver options, Christian McCaffrey could see a lot of action out of the Panthers’ backfield, especially given Dallas were ranked 28th against pass catching RBs last season

WASHINGTON (+1.5) @ ARIZONA

• Both teams starting new QBs
• Washington have lost last 5 opening day games
• Washington 29th in rush defence last year and Cards RB David Johnson is back after 12 months out
• Cardinals the top ranked team against the rush last year whilst the Redskins 28th on rushing offense last year and their attempt to fix this (Derrius Guice) is out for the year
• Washington ranked 4th in adjusted sack rate last year, Arizona 26th in pass protection and Sam Bradford is fragile when hit

CHICAGO (+7) @ GREEN BAY

• Bears have lost last 4 opening day games, Green Bay won last 3 opening day games
• Packers 8-2 in last 10 games against the Bears (since 2013)
• Packers QB Aaron Rodgers back after a broken collarbone
• Khalil Mack, a top 10 rated defensive end in 2017, traded to the Bears and is expected to start.
• Packers were 28th in pass protection last year

NEW YORK JETS (+6.5) @ DETROIT

• Lions 4-1 in last 5 opening day games
• Jets rookie QB Sam Darnold the only of the 2018 class expected to start game 1, the youngest QB to ever do so
• Jets WR Jermaine Kearse is nursing an abdomen injury and is questionable
• Both teams struggled massively to run the ball in 2017
• The Lions were also a bottom 5 team in rush defence

LOS ANGELES RAMS @ OAKLAND (+4)

• Rams are 3-10 in last 10 opening day games
• Aaron Donald now the highest paid defensive player in league history
• Rams ranked 3rd in pass defence in 2017 but only 21st in rush defence (6th overall)
• Oakland were woeful at both and ranked 29th in overall defence
• Helped by his 3rd ranked offensive line, Todd Gurley ranked 4th best RB of 2017 and had the most TDs, both also the most fumbles

GRIDIRON BET OF THE WEEK

Pittsburgh (-4) OVER Cleveland
Baltimore (-7.5) OVER Buffalo
Carolina (-3) OVER Dallas

ODDS: 13/2

(odds correct at the time of publishing)