NFL Betting Week 1: Schedule and Odds

The long wait for the 2010 NFL week 1 schedule is over as the phrase “Let there be football” can be heard from eager NFL betting handicappers and gamblers from sea to shining sea. The National Football League will begin its 90th season with a phenomenal Thursday Night opener on NBC as the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints vs Minnesota Vikings in a rematch from last year’s epic NFC Championship Game. The Vikings will seek revenge against a Saints team that they believe deliberately set out to injure Brett Favre with cheap shots in that game. Kick-off Thursday night is scheduled for 8:35pm EST and the Saints have opened at online sportsbooks as 4.5-point favorites in NFL odds vs the Vikings with an over/under total of 48.5. Minnesota and Favre have also not gotten over the disappointment of what they believe to be was a giveaway loss due to sloppy turnovers.

What sealed the loss was a classic Favre gun slinger move in which he threw an interception at the end of regulation as Minnesota was closing in on the game winning field goal that would have sent them to the Super Bowl. There are a total of 9 early games on the Sunday NFL week 1 schedule that include a potential Super Bowl preview of the Steelers and Falcons from Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has opened as a rare 2.5-point home NFL betting underdog with a total of 38 for the 1:05pm EST game that can be seen on FOX. Atlanta has a highly touted offense heading into 2010 NFL betting odds led by QB Matt Ryan and has bulked up on defense during the offseason while the Steelers will be without the services of suspended QB Ben Roethlisberger.

The Steelers may have to start 3rd stringer Dennis Dixon as projected starter Byron Leftwich strained a left knee ligament in the preseason finale. Another attractive match-up on the Sunday NFL week 1 schedule is Cincinnati at New England as defending divisional champions hookup in what could have major AFC playoff implications. The Patriots opened as a 4.5-point favorite in NFL odds at home vs the Bengals with a total of 45. Other early games on the week 1 schedule include Miami vs Buffalo on CBS, Detroit vs Chicago on FOX, Cleveland vs Tampa Bay on CBS, Denver vs Jacksonville on CBS, Indianapolis vs Houston on CBS in a huge AFC South showdown and Oakland vs Tennessee on CBS.