Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Sep 8

Seahawks, Rams Open as 3.5-Point Week 1 Favorites in 2 Standalone NFL Kickoff Games

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Sep 8

Seahawks, Rams Open as 3.5-Point Week 1 Favorites in 2 Standalone NFL Kickoff Games

Q: Will the Chargers make history as the first double-digit Week 1 favorite since 2019, or will late money back the Cardinals?

The Chargers are more likely than not to become that double-digit Week 1 favorite. The key evidence is that some market tracking already shows Los Angeles at -10, not just -9.5, while public betting data cited in the additional reporting has the Chargers drawing about 80% of the spread money against Arizona. That is the kind of early support that typically pushes a favorite upward rather than back down, especially when the broader Week 1 board is tight and bettors are looking for one of the few perceived mismatch spots. Arizona also brings uncertainty that works against a Cardinals buyback. Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love has dealt with an ankle issue in the preseason, even if coach Mike LaFleur has sounded optimistic about him playing. The Cardinals are still viewed as a rebuilding team, and the available reporting points to a roster with more volatility than the Chargers. That makes it harder to expect a major late wave of respected money on Arizona unless injury news turns strongly in the Cardinals’ favor. There is still a realistic chance the number settles back to 9.5 if professional bettors decide +10 is worth grabbing, because double digits are a psychologically and mathematically important NFL spread. But based on the current direction of the market, the stronger expectation is that the Chargers at least touch double digits and likely make the Week 1 history noted in the opening odds.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 8

More than 200 days after the Super Bowl, sportsbooks opened Week 1 with Seattle favored over New England and Los Angeles favored over San Francisco in the league’s first two standalone games.
FanDuel listed both the Seahawks and Rams at -3.5, while DraftKings had Seattle at a heavily juiced -3 for Wednesday’s Super Bowl rematch and Thursday’s Melbourne game.
Sunday’s 13-game slate looks unusually tight: nine matchups opened at 3.5 points or fewer, with Bills-Texans, Packers-Vikings and Jets-Titans all near pick’em range.
Only three games opened at a touchdown or more, led by the Chargers at -9.5 over Arizona — the NFL’s first double-digit Week 1 favorite since 2019, according to Action Network data.
The highest total belongs to Bengals-Buccaneers at 50.5 points, underscoring expectations for offense as bettors begin shaping lines that are likely to shift before kickoff.