NFL Football Betting – Week One Odds – St. Louis at Philadelphia

(For more useful stats and trends, visit our special Matchup Tool)

Two teams who have an awful lot to prove will match up against each other in NFL betting contest that is set to begin at 1 PM ET at

In the BetUS football betting NFL odds, Philadelphia is the 7-point online wagering favorite.

Here are some online NFL betting matchup:

* STL has lost its last four games SU

* STL has lost 13 of its last 16 games SU

* STL has covered two of its last six games

* STL has lost nine of its last 13 road games SU

* STL has played six of its last eight road games UNDER the total

* STL has covered three of its last 12 as an underdog

* PHIL has won five of its last eight games SU

* PHIL has covered one of its last six home games

* PHIL has lost four of its last six home games SU

* PHIL has covered four of its last 12 games as a favorite

* PHIL has won six of the last nine meetings SU

* PHIL is 9-2-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings

* Four of the last five meetings have gone UNDER the total

* PHIL is 6-1-1 ATS in the last eight meetings as the home team

All indications are that Marc Bulger (11 TD, 15 INT last season) is healthy, and if the offensive line avoids major catastrophe, Rams' coach Scott Linehan is expecting this team to greatly improve from last year's 3-13 tally. With stalwarts like running back Steven Jackson and wide receiver Torry Holt, Bulger, who is one of the better QB's in the league when he can stay in one piece, can produce points.

St. Louis had lots of injuries get in its way last year. But what was Philadelphia's excuse? Well, Donovan McNabb spent most of the season rather immobile, as he recovered from the ACL injury he suffered the year before. He did come on late, and the Eagles won three straight at the end of the season, but there was simply not enough support for Brian Westbrook, who had 2104 combined rushing-receiving yards. McNabb won't have more receivers to work with, and Westbrook might have to shoulder the burden once again. However, cornerback Asante Samuel was added from New England to form a Pro Bowl duo with Lito Sheppard, giving the Eagles an opportunity to take advantage of the mistakes of opposing quarterbacks caused by what they expect to be an improved pass rush.

But it should be noted that Philadelphia is notoriously bad covering as a home favorite, scoring just five pointspread wins in their last 19 attempts. And their special teams consistently put them behind the eight-ball. To make matters worse, kicker David Akers seems to have lost his range, hitting just two of 12 field goal tries beyond 40 yards. You can't win with that kind of accuracy.

I don't know how convinced I am that McNabb can still get out of the way of a strong pass rush. And Chris Long may just be a nice surprise early for the Rams. This is not the kind of team you want to lay points with at home, and if St. Louis is indeed going to be an improved team, there is value in this number. We will take the seven points with the Rams as it is posted in the BetUS NFL football betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: ST. LOUIS (+7) ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

The 2008 Super Bowl XLII and beyond!

(Charles Jay of eBookies.com is a member of the NFL too - that is, "not for long" if you don't get results. He is now a regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room)