NFL week 1 tips: Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns backed to win
Published:
Simon Sinclair | September 10, 2016
Denver Broncos repeated their Super Bowl triumph over Carolina Panthers in the 2016 season opener, as Graham Gano missed a late field goal to hand Gary Kubiak’s men the win.
Now the other 30 teams in the league will prepare for their opening fixtures of the campaign, all determined to get off to a strong start.
Here, Coral take a look at some of the most intriguing betting options from those opening battles, and our expert gives his top NFL week 1 tips..
Money Line: Jacksonville Jaguars to beat Green Bay Packers
Jacksonville Jaguars (21/10) have been backed to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2007 season and have the chance to make a statement against the Packers in their opener.
Gus Bradley’s men have talent on both sides of the ball, including the ability to keep pace with the potent Packers’ offense led by two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.
The visitors’ defense is far from perfect and there should be ample opportunity for Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles to exploit it with his weapons Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns.
At the very least it should be a close game, and the Jaguars will like their chances of catching Green Bay cold in the first match out of the traps.
Oakland Raiders to earn a 7-12 points victory over New Orleans Saints
Oakland Raiders are another NFL side that have endured a lengthy exile from the post-season, with their last appearance coming in the 2002 campaign.
Jack Del Rio’s men have the opportunity to get off to the perfect start against the New Orleans Saints, who had the second worst defence in the league last term.
The AFC West outfit possess a potent offense led by quarterback Derek Carr, and he is ready to take the next stage of his development by taking his side back to the promise land of the playoffs.
Carr has outstanding wideout Amari Cooper at his disposal along with Michael Crabtree. Between them they may be able to expose the Saints’ poor secondary to secure a comfortable win in the 7-12 points bracket at 5/1.
Detroit Lions @ Indianapolis Colts contains over 50.5 total points
Both teams are strong on offense and are fairly weak on defence, suggesting that this match should be a high-scoring affair with over 50.5 points coming in at 20/23.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is restored to full health after a series of injury problems last year restricted him to seven matches, and his worst season since arriving in the league in 2012.
In TY Hilton, Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorset to Colts boast a speedy receiving corps which could be hard for the Detrot Lions to handle.
On the opposite side the Lions will begin life without All-Pro wideout Calvin Johnson following his retirement in the off-season. However, between Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, Eric Ebron and Anquan Boldin there is enough talent for quarterback Matt Stafford to work with.
It should be a fascinating game at Lucas Oil Stadium, with the winner likely being the team that has the ball for one final drive in the fourth quarter.
Money Line: Cleveland Browns to beat Philadelphia Eagles
Cleveland Browns (29/20) are in a rebuild mode following another off-season of turnover in the club’s front office. They’re low on quality veteran players and are seemingly bound to select first in the 2017 NFL Draft.
However, strange things can happen on the opening day and their new quarterback Robert Griffin III has a point to prove after being released by Washington Redskins. He could just make a few plays reminiscent of his 2012 campaign to stun Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles themselves are in a transitional phase, having traded away starting quarterback Sam Bradford to Minnesota Vikings just last week. Rookie Carson Wentz will get the nod to play his first NFL game and may just make a few errors that turn the match in favour of the Browns.
New England Patriots +6.5 @ Arizona Cardinals
New England Patriots will be without quarterback Tom Brady for the first time since the 2008 season, as he serves his four-game suspension for the deflategate scandal.
Backup Jimmy Garoppolo steps in for Brady against Arizona Cardinals in a baptism of fire in his first NFL start.
The Cardinals are one of the favourites to battle for the Vince Lombardi trophy and are strong on home soil, boasting a 6-2 record at University of Phoenix Stadium in 2015.
Bruce Arians’ men also a fearsome defense which will test the third-year quarterback, although he has shown glimpses of ability during his limited action on the field.
The Patriots are rarely beaten heavily by their opponents due to the quality of their coaching staff, led by Bill Belichick. Expect them to remain in the contest, although a victory could be beyond them against the NFC West outfit. Taking +6.5 on the spread at 19/20 gives New England the right insurance.
Related
There’s more NFL tips throughout the season on our US Sports page.
With Coral’s Two Minute Rush Refund you can receive up to £/€25 in a free bet should your side fail to close out victory if they are winning at the two-minute warning, but go on to lose the match.
