The New England Patriots will be looking for their 14th straight-up win in their past 15 games as home favourites when they take the field on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Steelers as 7-point betting favourites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
It has been a roller coaster off-season for the Patriots both off the field and at the sportsbooks, where they have seen their Week 1 odds fluctuate wildly since the team claimed its fourth Super Bowl title in early February.
With the status of quarterback Tom Brady uncertain throughout the summer New England was reduced to an early 2.5-point favourite for Thursday night’s Steelers versus Patriots betting matchup at Gillette Stadium.
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But with Brady confirmed to be at the helm against Pittsburgh the club’s Week 1 odds have quickly rebounded, while their Super Bowl 50 odds have remained at a strong 9/1.
The Green Bay Packers continue to lead the way as 11/2 Super Bowl favourites ahead of their opener against the Chicago Bears in which they are pegged as 7-point road favourites. The Packers have dominated the rival Bears in recent years, picking up SU wins in nine of their last 10 dates and holding Chicago to just 16.4 points per game over that stretch.
The Detroit Lions will be aiming to bounce back from a disappointing close to the 2014 season when they visit the San Diego Chargers on Sunday as 3-point underdogs.
The Lions wrapped up the 2014 regular season with an uninspiring 30-20 loss to Green Bay before bowing out of the playoffs with a controversial 24-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. While Detroit finished a respectable 11-5, they are a dismal 5-8 ATS in their last 13 games, and winless SU and ATS in their last four visits to San Diego.
In other NFL season-opening betting action, the Seattle Seahawks take on the St. Louis Rams as 4-point road favourites in a battle of NFC West rivals, while the Arizona Cardinals welcome the New Orleans Saints as 2.5-point favourites in a meeting of two teams with lots to prove in 2015.
The Carolina Panthers will be aiming to extend their regular season SU win streak to five games when they visit the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars as 3-point favourites, while the Baltimore Ravens renew their rivalry with Denver when they face the Broncos as 4.5-point underdogs.
