It is OVERREACTION MONDAY for many following the first Sunday of the NFL season.
Niners’ fans are boasting to anyone who even makes eye contact with them about Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, and company.
Steelers’ fans are whining about Kenny Pickett and that offense.
Dallas fans have anointed Micah Parsons and the Cowboys as Super Bowl favorites while Giants’ backers are scratching their heads wondering if Daniel Jones will have any time this season to look downfield and pay off some of that new deal he signed.
Seattle fans suddenly are praising Seattle management for signing Geno Smith to such a short term, cap-friendly deal. This after those same fans touted him last season as a Top Ten signal-caller in the NFL.
The Bengals opened the season as one of the favorites to go to the Super Bowl and yet nearly cashed 100:1 odds to score the fewest points in the league on Sunday.
Justin Fields has gone from a quarterback who “if he only had weapons” to “definitely not the guy” to lead the Bears.
All after just one NFL Sunday.
Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) summarized Week 1 on today’s Bet the EDGE prior to taking an early look at Week 2.
“I think the most interesting thing about Week 1 is sorting out what is real and what is the product of the opponent. For instance, Philadelphia’s offense did not look very good at all, but the Patriots might have a top three defense in the NFL and maybe the Eagles are the same juggernaut that they were last year…So sometimes you do have to minimize what you’re seeing. Week 1 right now is 100% of our sample that we’ve seen so you kind of read into that sometimes too much.”
Bet the Edge is your source for the day in sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight Tuesday through Saturday at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your podcasts.
Dinsick (@whale_capper) has his eyes on a handful of games with odds hovering at or around the key number of three as he looked at the opening lines.
“The Tampa/Chicago market is going to be super fascinating to follow because people saw what happened in Chicago and probably downgraded them. People obviously were hot on Tampa Bay as one of the hottest sides going into Week 1 and then they didn’t just cover they won, Jay, but it was at the behest of three pretty fortuitous turnovers. So it’s questionable if they can continue to do that.”
He continued with a look at Atlanta’s home game against Green Bay.
“That Atlanta/Green Bay is going to be one that I’m going to watch carefully because Atlanta is a roster to really give the old way that Green Bay played defense fits. They get real physical. The two running back approach of Allgeier and Bijan Robinson fresh legs coming at you all, all, all game long makes Atlanta a very fun second half bet by the way if you didn’t already know that, and I did think their defense contributed somewhat to keeping the overmatched Panthers in the 10-point range. So, Atlanta is the side there for me just based on matchup and Green Bay potentially closing as a favorite.”
Croucher agrees with the early look at that matchup in Atlanta.
“I was surprised that the Falcons are not favored there even though it is Pick. It seems like it’s skewing to the Packers slightly favored. I would have thought that was going to be the Falcons -1.”
The duo continued with an early look at a handful of additional games. As the discussion continued, Dinsick laid out where his focus is at over the next couple of days.
“So really everything that matters early in the week for me besides trying to track down some injury news for the Seattle Seahawks is kind of watching these games that are sitting on or around three to see if they go on or off three.”
For the full conversation, click here.
If you are still in overreaction mode, snap out of it. Enjoy Monday Night Football and enjoy the sweat.
Also, be sure to spend a moment remembering those who lost their lives on 9/11.
*NFL Odds are provided by DraftKings