NFL Week 1: What’s on the cards
The NFL preseason games are set to conclude at the end of August 2021 after weeks of intensive preparation for the new season and it will full action time. A full haul of matches for all the 32 teams comes up starting Thursday 9, September.
What a better start to the regular season than a game pitting the Super Bowl champions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting Dallas Cowboys? This one pits two strong sides and with the expectation that both will be at full strength makes it a tough call. With minimal preseason action, and low returns in execution expected on opening night, going with expectation for low scores seems sensible.
The Bucs should have the advantage in this game, having the better defence on paper, and Dak Prescott’s return after just five games last season should be a good boost to the game following his recovery from injury.
Las Vegas Raiders v Baltimore Ravens: For the first time since 2005 we’ll have a break from the Monday Night Football tradition. Rather than the double header we’ll have this one game, with the Ravens favorites going to Las Vegas. This will be the first NFL game with fans at Raiders’ new stadium.
With fans in, this game will definitely attract a lot of focus. Meanwhile, Wincomparator will have the top betting sites listed for new users seeking to stake on these match-ups, and the bookies therein come with ready offers and bonuses. 1XBet, for example, have an offer of up to €130 for new users. Another good offer is found at 22Bet, which comes in form of welcome bonuses of up to €122 while Betsson has one of up to €125.
Cleveland Browns v Kansas City Chiefs: This is one of the big matches lined up on Week 1. Two great coaches in Kevin Stefanski and Andy Reid get to face off but that’s not all. There a potential QB battle pitting Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes. This game brings back the memories of Mahomes’ injury in the AFC Playoffs but he is ready for the challenge once again. The Browns have boosted their defence lines and will be eyeing a good show against Super Bowl favorites Kansas. This is expected to be a high scoring contest.
Los Angeles Rams v Chicago Bears: Both these teams have strong defences and this game feels like the opposite of the Cleveland Browns v Kansas City Chiefs game. A very competitive game is lined up out there. The Bears traded up for Justin Fields but their top QB is Andy Dalton while the Rams also have a new QB in the shape of former Detroit man Mather Stafford. The Rams look like favorites in this game, on paper.
Green Bay Packers v New Orleans Saints: Whether or not Aaron Rodgers will turn out for the Packers remains unknown. The QB hasn’t shown a lot of faith in the Packers’ project and whatever wager is placed on this clash will be highly dependent on his availability. Also, after 20 years in NFL, Drew Christopher Bees is off, and should Rodgers feature here, he won’t face the veteran on the other side.