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The first week of the 2024-25 NFL schedule is fast approaching, so the time has come to preview the biggest games of the opening week.
Game Week 1 usually throws up some fascinating encounters, and this season is no exception. Below, we’ll look at the biggest showdowns and analyse the latest team and player prop bets to put you in the picture.
The clash between the Browns and the Cowboys is one of the stellar match-ups of Game Week 1. Dallas are one of half a dozen teams considered potential outsiders for a Super Bowl victory in 2024-25, and this is a good litmus test for the Cowboys’ rookie offensive linemen. The Browns’ defensive line contains some experienced NFL campaigners, most notably, Myles Garrett. His gameplan will be to pass rush the likes of Tyler Guyton.
There is a sense that the Cowboys’ quarterback, Dak Prescott, won’t get enough protection. Dallas may struggle to rush the ball quickly enough, resulting in the hosts spoiling and creating a stop-start, low-scoring encounter. At bet365, the odds of the combined points scored being less than 44 points Is -150. This is one of the leading licensed sportsbooks in the U.S. for NFL odds, with the bet365 offers for the NFL season including a bet/get of $150 or Safety Net Bet for serious first-time bettors.
The Chiefs hosted the Baltimore Ravens in a headline season opener for both teams. Kansas City are the preseason favourites to lift the Lombardi Trophy this coming season. However, the Baltimore Ravens are third favourites too and will be desperate to lay down a marker against the likes of Patrick Mahomes and co.
The Chiefs are unsurprisingly the pre-game favourites as the hosts, with most online sportsbooks pricing them at around -148 to win, with Baltimore priced at +125 to win as the underdog. It promises to be a fascinating encounter, with both teams priding themselves on rock-solid defence. It could be a battle of the defensive ends and safety’s here, with the Chiefs’ star safety, Justin Reid, racking up an unrivalled 95 stops last season.
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The Eagles appear to have a solid chance of making the Super Bowl this season. Most leading U.S. sportsbooks have Philadelphia priced as the fifth favourites (+1400) to win the Lombardi Trophy this season. A home win over the Green Bay Packers would be a great way to start the season since they too will be hoping to be involved in the postseason shake-up.
As the home team, Philadelphia are narrow favourites pre-game, although the point spreads suggest it will be a tight encounter, with the Packers only given a two-point head start by the handicappers. Although the Eagles finished last season with a whimper and the Packers were in peak form by the end of the campaign, Philadelphia still have a roster packed with talent. With minor tweaks to both their defensive and offensive lines, they’ll be looking to make an immediate impact. Their defence will be crucial to thwarting a fearsome Packers offence.
This trio of games could certainly offer early insight into the postseason aspirations of the Ravens, Eagles, and Chiefs.
