Top NFL Things To Know
Not Our Best
Public Struggle
The betting public had a rough start to the NFL season. For this we go to Bet Labs, which has betting percentages for every game and for the public, we point to teams that get 51% of more of the tickets on the spread.
In Week 1, the betting public went 3-13 ATS, with the five teams to close as the favorite going 0-5 ATS. The bigger the bet pct, the worse it got — teams with 60%+ of tickets went 1-10 ATS in Week 1.
The 3-13 ATS mark in Week 1 is the worst for any single NFL week since Week 5 of the 2022 season (also 3-13 ATS) and the worst Week 1 in the 22-year history of our database.
New Era
Chiefs Home Dogs
In Patrick Mahomes’ 68 career home starts, he has closed as an underdog just once, back in 2022 against the Bills. KC was +2.5 in Buffalo during the regular season and lost 24-20. In fact, he’s only closed -1.5 or shorter three times at home – all three games have come vs. the Bills.
Chalk Remains
Favorites Continue Pace
We had some chaotic line movement in Week 1, but if you focus on just the opening line, favorites went 13-3 SU to open the season … again. They went 13-3 SU last year, too, for a 26-6 SU mark for Week 1 favorites the last two years.
We are also just coming off a regular season to remember for the favorites. The best ATS season from a profit/ROI POV since 2017. Overall, favorites ended 2024, 195-77 SU (71.7%), the 3rd-best season since 1980.
In Week 1, road favorites went 5-1 SU. The one loss? The Ravens. Overall, road favorites are 85-29 SU (75%) since the start of last season.
The Bounce Back
Lions Face Ben Johnson
Jared Goff and Dan Campbell are 14-12-1 SU, 19-8 ATS off a SU loss as a duo, but they’ve won and covered ten in a row dating back to November of 2022.
Since the beginning of the 2023 season, the Lions are 7-0 SU/ATS after a loss, the only undefeated team in the NFL.
Down The Tube
Unders Cash
Week 1 was all about unders, even if it ended with some overs on Sunday and Monday Night Football.
Unders ended the week at 12-4, tied for the lowest mark for any season since 2000. But if you look at the last 20 years, the other Week 1s in contention for the best under star were 2023, 2010 and 2006. In those three years, the under went 17-29-2 in Week 2, with the under finishing above .500 in Week 2 in none of those three years.
Desperate Times
After Blowing Big Leads
The Bears and Ravens both blew 10+ point leads in Week 1. Teams to blow a 10+ pt lead in Week 1 are 30-19 SU and 29-19-1 ATS in Week 2 since 1990. Within the first four weeks of the regular season, those desperate teams coming off blowing their previous games see their next game go 83-57-4 (59%) to the over, going over by almost 4 PPG.
New Home
Another Streak Breaker?
Titans finally covered the spread last week after a 2-15 ATS season last year, the worst we’ve seen for any team in modern era. Titans haven’t covered the spread at home though since November of 2024, losing 8 straight ATS. That is the longest home ATS losing streak for any team since the Titans back in 2013-14 (lost 10 straight at home ATS).
Low, Low, Low
Few High Totals
The Bills and Ravens over/under closed at 51.5 in Week 1, highest total of the week. They combined to score 81 pts, also the most of Week 1.
Through two weeks, we look like we’re only going to have one O/U of 50+ in the NFL, with none at that mark so far in Week 2. That would be the fewest totals of 50+ through two weeks since 2011.
Levels To This
Jets Big Home Dog
If the Jets close +7 or higher at home vs. the Bills this week, this system triggers. Home dogs of 7 pts or more are 18-1-2 ATS in the first 9 games of the regular season since 2022 and 37-10-2 ATS since 2020.