It is certainly understandable to see a team like the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots get love from bettors heading into Week 1, driving them up near double-digit home favorites against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
But the Buffalo Bills have moved three points from -6 to -9 hosting the New York Jets in an early AFC East battle despite having a first-year head coach and a shaky quarterback.
Sean McDermott will make his debut in Buffalo on Sunday and hopes that Tyrod Taylor will be ready to roll after passing the NFL’s concussion protocol. Taylor is slated to start, but that obviously does not mean he will make a big enough impact to warrant the big line move.
On the other side, the Jets were one of the league’s worst teams last season, so it is understandable why many are choosing to fade them in Week 1.
The Sunday Night Football game has shown some movement due to the status of running back Ezekiel Elliott for the Dallas Cowboys, who host the New York Giants. The Cowboys opened as 5-point home favorites but are now just -3.5 even though Elliott is expected to play and instead start serving his six-game suspension in Week 2.
The biggest move of Week 1 so far though involves the Indianapolis Colts visiting the Los Angeles Rams. With Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck ruled out for the season opener following offseason shoulder surgery, Los Angeles went from opening as a 3-point home underdog to now sitting as 3.5-point chalk.
If there is any doubt as far as how much Luck is worth to the Colts, that very large line move is evidence. Indy is seen as one of the worst teams in the NFL without him in the lineup.
One more game worth mentioning is an NFC East matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. The Eagles opened as 2.5-point road dogs visiting Washington, but the tide has turned, and they are now listed as 1-point favorites. With bettors supporting Philly, the sportsbooks will need the Redskins to come through.
