A number of divisional rivalries will be rekindled as the NFL campaign gets into swing Sunday, starting with an AFC East clash that has the Buffalo Bills hosting the New York Jets as eight-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Buffalo looks to rebound from a dismal end to last season, with the club recording just one outright win in its last five contests going into Sunday afternoon’s Jets vs. Bills betting matchup at New Era Field.
With a 7-9 record, the Bills saw their win total decline for a second straight year in 2016, and have compiled losing records 13 times since last reaching the NFL playoffs in 1999.
The Jets took two wins from the Bills last season, including a 37-31 victory as one-point road underdogs in Week 2 that ended a four-game straight-up and against-the-spread losing streak in visits to Buffalo.
However, New York struggled on the road otherwise, going 2-5 SU and ATS down the stretch, losing by an average margin of over 21 points in those five road defeats.
In the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Washington Redskins as slim one-point favorites, while the Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants as four-point chalk on “Sunday Night Football.”
The Eagles ended a disappointing 7-9 season on a high note, tallying home wins over the Giants and Cowboys in their final two outings of 2016. But Philadelphia has been dominated by Washington, suffering five straight defeats, according to the OddsShark NFL Database, including a trio of losses in the nation’s capital as betting favorites.
The Redskins have a lot to prove after a 2-4 SU stretch run bounced them from postseason contention. That late-season collapse included a pair of SU losses on home turf, but the Redskins have claimed outright wins in six of seven as home underdogs.
With the status of stars Ezekiel Elliott and Odell Beckham Jr. unclear to start the week, the game odds for Sunday night’s clash in Dallas have been volatile since the Cowboys opened as 5 1/2-point chalk.
Beckham continues to recover from an ankle injury that has him considered questionable, while Cowboys rusher Elliott will be able to play Sunday despite his suspension — which won’t start until Week 2 at the earliest.
In other key Week 1 divisional matchups, the Houston Texans hope to give weather-weary hometown fans a lift as they host the Jacksonville Jaguars as five-point chalk. The Cincinnati Bengals battle the Baltimore Ravens as three-point home favorites, while the Los Angeles Chargers visit the Denver Broncos as 3 1/2-point underdogs on “Monday Night Football.”
For more info, picks and a breakdown of this week?s top sports betting news check out the new OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes, or check it out at OddsShark.libsyn.com.
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