When betting the NFL, sometimes it makes sense to wait all week before making a wager. Often, though, it’s best to act early and act fast to get a number that makes most sense for your side.
We already know the betting lines for Week 9 in the NFL, but those point spreads and totals can quickly change. Plenty of smart bettors waste no time locking in their bets early in the week before public money can affect the lines.
Here are three games we’d be looking at to bet early in the week, based on early-Monday morning lines from DraftKings Sportsbook.
New England Patriots at Carolina Panthers UNDER 43.5
Neither offense is very good. Both defenses are pretty good. Is it that simple? It feels like it in this spot. The Patriots had a very nice win Sunday in LA against a quality Chargers defense. However, they only scored one offensive touchdown that entire game. Carolina’s defense has taken a hit with injuries, but Stephon Gilmore sure looked pretty good Sunday, and that unit is still pretty stingy. The Panthers’ offense obviously has its own issues, too, and the Patriots’ defense will expose any and all issues it might have. And while Sam Darnold actually looked pretty good versus Atlanta, he ultimately left with a concussion, leaving his status for Week 9 up in the air. If Darnold can’t go — against a Patriots team that once left him seeing ghosts, mind you — P.J. Walker and his career 42.0 passer rating on 71 attempts — would be the next man up.
Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs OVER 54
We’re flying a little blind here not knowing what’s going to happen with the Chiefs on “Monday Night Football.” However, if KC looks even a little bit like it might be getting back to normal, there’s probably gonna be value on the OVER here. Green Bay just put up 24 points on the road, on a short week, against a very good Arizona defense — without its three best receivers. The Packers left points on the field, too. Now, they’ve got the extra rest and should have Davante Adams and Allen Lazard back. Marquez Valdez-Scantling should probably be back, too. Might Green Bay even see the return of All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari? It’s possible the Packers come into this game the healthiest they’ve been all year offensively. And while the Packers’ defense has overachieved this year, especially without Jaire Alexander for much a few weeks, they’re like every other team in the NFL in that they don’t match up well with the KC offense. Again, if the Chiefs roll over a weak Giants defense Monday night, bettors should jump all over this total and make it run, so to get in before a key number like 56 seems like a good play, as high as that may seem.
Los Angeles Rams (-6.5) versus Tennessee Titans
If you don’t want to lay all those points against the No. 1 team in the AFC, that’s fine. But Rams backers better hurry to lay down their wagers after news broke Monday morning that Titans running back Derrick Henry might be done for the season. Asinine Rex Ryan claims aside, Henry definitely is valuable to what Tennessee wants to do offensively. There will be time for them to formulate a Plan B, but it might not be in time for this week. Even if Henry was good to go, it’s still a big ask for a middle-of-the-road (at best) pass defense to slow down the Rams’ offense.
Last week: 2-1
