Opening Line Report – Week 7

Editor's Note: Don't miss out on Winning Football Picks from Joe Williams for the 2018 NFL regular season. Click to win!
The Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs were flexed into the Sunday Night Football spot this week in place of the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. The way the Niners played on Monday in Green Bay, perhaps that's bad idea. Now, the Niners will face another postseason hopeful on their own home turf as double-digit underdogs.

Four more teams are enjoying their bye week this week, and we'll get our first London game at 9:30 am ET, after a primetime battle in England this past weekend. The Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers will square off in Jolly Old England, and the Titans hope they can fare a little better than they did in the Music City last week when they put up a goose egg against the Baltimore Ravens.

(Consensus Odds as of Tuesday)

Thursday, Oct. 18

Denver Broncos (-2.5, 41) at Arizona Cardinals

This game looked to be a little more attractive during the offseason, but after a few good Thursday matchups we get a dog. The Broncos have shown some signs of life on offense lately, and they opened as a 2 1/2-point favorite at most shops. The Mirage-MGM and Stratosphere opened the Broncos at just 1 1/2, but that quickly changed in a matter of minutes to fall in line with everyone else.

Sunday, Oct. 21

Tennessee Titans vs. Los Angeles Chargers (-6.5, 45.5)

Last week's London battle between the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks featured two West Coast teams playing at 1:00 p.m. ET, or 10:00 a.m. PT. This week, the Chargers will be playing at 6:30 a.m. PT, which is sure to have some kind of effect, especially after thousands of miles of travel. Most shops have the Bolts holding steady at 6 1/2, although if you hurry you can catch them at Treasure Island at -6. 

New England Patriots (-3.5, 49.5) at Chicago Bears

The Patriots beat back a challenge from the Kansas City Chiefs by a 43-40 score last Sunday night, the first time in NFL history a game was decided by that score, by the way. Now, the Pats are on to Chicago, facing a Bears team which really punched themselves in the goodies in Miami, falling to old friend Adam Gase.

The Strat opened this game at -4, and it was bet down to -3 1/2, while TI had this game at -3 and it was bet up to -3 1/2. That appears to be where all of the shops will settle for now. Bettors appears to be trusting of the Bears defense, or expect the Pats offense not to be as prolific, as the line has been driven down from 50 to 49 or 49 1/2 at most shops. 

Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3, 49.5)

The Browns fell back to Earth at home against the Chargers, and now they face the tough task of playing in the heat and humidity of Central Florida against a Bucs team which has shown the potential to score in bunches. The Bucs opened at -3 at most shops and it has held steady with little action, although at Treasure Island the line moved slightly from an open of -2 1/2 to get in line with everyone else.

Detroit Lions (-1, OFF) at Miami Dolphins

The uncertainty of the Miami quarterback situation has the total OFF at the moment. It was Brock-toberfest last week against the Bears, as QB Brock Osweiler surprised with an overtime win at the helm in place of the injured QB Ryan Tannehill. To make matters worse for the Fins, they catch a rested Lions team which is 5-1 ATS in their past six coming off a bye.
 
Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5, 45.5)

The Panthers stumbled in their comeback attempt in D.C. last week, now they will have their hands full against the defending Super Bowl champs. Philly opened at -4 or -4 1/2 at most shops, although TI had it at -3 1/2 for a brief time on Monday. It appears the public is heavily backing the champs at home against the Panthers, who have struggled defensively at times.

Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts (-6.5, 42.5)

The Bills have some uncertainty at the quarterback position, as QB Josh Allen banged up his elbow and is a question mark. Will newly-signed Derek Anderson start? Will the mistake-prone Nate Peterman get the nod? Or will the rookie Allen play through pain? Only CG Technology and Westgate Superbook are offering the line, and CG now has the Colts laying a touch. If you like the high-scoring Colts to lay the 6 1/2, go global with [...], who is also offering it. 

Minnesota Vikings (-3, 47) at New York Jets
 
The Vikings are a hard team to figure. They appear to be a Super Bowl contender sometimes, and other times they're just good, but not great. The Jets lost to the Cleveland Browns a couple of Thursdays ago, but they have looked impressive in their past two weekends. It's too bad this isn't the QB Teddy Bridgewater game against his former team, as he was shipped to NOLA after an impressive preseason with Gang Green. That would've been fun.

Anyway, this game has bounced back and forth between 3 1/2 and 3, with Treasure Island opening it at -4. If you're feeling the Jets at home and like the hook, you can still get it at Jerry's Nugget. There has been very little movement or interest in the total, which has not changed across the board from an open of 47.

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-4.5, 42.5)

Both of these teams struggled in the Lone Star State last week. The Texans eeked out a 20-13 win thanks to a pick-six against the Bills, while the Jags were emasculated by the Dallas Cowboys. Bettors seem to like the Jags to bounce back, as the line rose from an open of -4 to -4 1/2 at Mirage-MGM, which is in line with all other Vegas shops. There is confidence the Jags' D will bounce back, too, after giving up a 40-burger in Big D, too, as the total is down from 42 1/2 to 42 at Atlantis as well as Jerry's Nugget. 

New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens (-2.5, 49.5)

The Ravens fell in Cleveland in Week 5, and blanked Tennessee in Week 6. They're hard to figure. There hasn't been much movement on this game, with the Ravens opening and holding steady as 2 1/2-point favorites at most shops. The Saints are coming off a rest, and they're 9-1 ATS in their past 10 following a bye week.

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins (-1.5, 41.5)

The Cowboys have owned this series in recent seasons, covering their past four trips to Washington, while going a perfect 5-0 SU in the nation's capital since their last loss there on Dec. 30, 2012. The public has taken notice, as the game opened at -2 1/2 at the Strat, dropping a point in less than 24 hours. The same happened at the Westgate Superbook, toin from 2 1/2 to 1 1/2. 

Los Angeles Rams (-10.5, 53) at San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are 2-0 ATS this season when they're an underdog by 7 or more points. The 'over' has also cashed in each of their past five. That will be put to the test against a Rams defense which has been very good. For whatever reason, the 49ers have played them well over the years, though, and they're 3-2 SU/4-1 ATS i nthe past five meetings with the 'under' going 4-1 in the past five played in the Bay Area.

The solid showing of the 49ers on Monday has made an impression on bettors, as the line has fallen slightly from -11 to -10 1/2 at most shops. William Hill even opened this one at -11 1/2, and it's down a full point. 

Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs (-6, 58.5)

This game was flexed into the Sunday night spot, as the Chiefs are the Flavor of the Month right now. Sorry Rams and 49ers fans. After an emotional three-point loss in New England, the public seems to be feeling the Bengals against the Chiefs, expecting some sort of a hangover. The Strat opened this game at -6, and money has come in on the Bengals to push it to -5 1/2. Caesars/Harrah's has toggled between -6 and -5 1/2, but to -6. If you're feeling the Bengals, who have shown an ability to score, you might want to wait it out.

The 'under' had been 3-0 in the past three SNF games until involving the Chiefs in Week 6. The total is on the move in this one, opening at 58 at Caesars, up to 59 at Coasts, and 58 1/2 global at [...]. It wouldn't be surprising to see the 60-mark broken on this one before the close on Sunday night.

Monday, Oct. 22

New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons (-6, 54.5)

The Giants hit the road on Monday night after playing at home last Thursday. If you've followed Chris David's 'Total Talk', the over/under might be of interest to you. The 'over' is a perfect 5-0 after the Patriots went over on Sunday night. The 'Thursday Night Total' system says to thump the 'over' for the home team from Thursday in the previous week. The Giants were romped at home against the Eagles last Thursday, so they should be involved in a high-scoring game this Monday, and hey, they're rested.




Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

  • Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
  • Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
  • Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.