NFL Week 1 Teasers: Snag Points with Young QBs
Best Value NFL Games Primed For Six-Pointers
NFL Week 1 Teaser Bets
The 2022 NFL season is officially underway. We’re shifting gears from a summer of previewing random NFL futures markets to a fall that involves looking at specific matchups and examining the corresponding weekly NFL odds.
In this space, we look at the NFL games that are best primed for a six-point tease. Not all games will benefit from such a move and it’s important to be mindful of this when sifting through the NFL betting slate.
We’ve identified two games that can be paired in a two-leg teaser bet. Read on for our game previews and NFL predictions below, which include the latest stats, injury reports and NFL odds before concluding with the choice NFL picks for your consideration.
Steelers at Bengals – ½ (Bengals teased down from -6½)
The defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals open their season against a division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals swept this series last season by a combined 65-20 score. The most lopsided outcome came in Cincinnati when Joe Burrows and Co. torched the Steelers in a 41-10 victory.
Things are a lot different in Pittsburgh this season following the departure of Ben Roethlisberger. Finding Big Ben’s replacement was going to be a challenge according to experts and it prompted bookmakers to push the Steelers down to the bottom of the AFC North market.
Preseason games have an exhibition element to them, so they’re best taken with a great big pinch of salt. However, both quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky and rookie Kenny Pickett were pretty solid. Who would have thought it!
Of course, it remains to be seen whether both can carry their preseason momentum into Week 1 of the regular season, depending on who gets the nod as the starter. But the prognosis is promising in either case and that’s a great position to be in if you’re Mike Tomlin.
Tomlin has never had a losing season in almost a decade and a half with the Steelers. Beating the Bengals on the road is certainly going to be a challenge, but one that isn’t beyond their realm of capabilities.
Cincinnati Bengals/Pittsburgh Steelers rivalry 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/Sj7sb4DnFQ
— Zay (PGH Jersey Collector) (@SteelJ_97) September 8, 2022
Fact is, the Steelers will be up for this important rivalry game. They’ll be competitive on both sides of the ball as well. From the Bengals’ perspective, this is a brutal spot. Starting the season against one of the toughest defenses, spearheaded by All-Pro T.J, Watt, isn’t ideal.
The pressure will be on the hosts to back up their Cinderella run to the Super Bowl. Home advantage is on their side and that will improve their chances of winning this season opener. But laying 6½ points does seem a bit much for NFL picks against the spread at this point in time. Hence, teasing this NFL line down to -½ reduces it to an almost pick’em line.
Pick: Bengals teased down from -6 ½ to -½
Jaguars +8½ at Commanders (Jaguars teased up from 2½)
Clever, clever scheduling by the NFL to set up a happy reunion between embattled quarterback Carson Wentz and his former, somewhat maligned head coach Doug Pederson in the nation’s capital.
A lot about both these teams is up in the air. Pederson steps in to fix the disruption and damage caused by Urban Meyer in less than a season in Jacksonville Jaguars. Pederson’s mandate is to develop Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 draft pick in 2021 who was touted as a generational talent. The coach is also expected to develop the Jaguars into a semi-decent team at the very least by the end of his first season.
Most INT by a No. 1 overall pick in rookie season
Peyton Manning* 28
Terry Bradshaw* 24
Matthew Stafford* 20
Andrew Luck 18
Troy Aikman* 18
Trevor Lawrence 17
Cam Newton** 17*Super Bowl Winner
**Former MVP pic.twitter.com/clQcT0UQaQ— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 8, 2022
Wentz is playing for his third team in two years and this may well be his last chance to prove he can be a starter. In the NFL. His final year in Philly was forgettable while his run with the Indianapolis Colts in 2021 had its highs and lows.
Neither the Jaguars nor the Commanders is expected to be explosive right out of the gates, but the Commanders have the solid defense and continuity at the coaching and staffing level. These are the kind of advantages that tip the scale towards the hosts, even though they’re debuting a new quarterback this season. So long as Wentz can keep it together, Washington should win this game at home comfortably.
As it is, the NFL betting online market for this game is set to a 2½-point point spread. A six-point bump of this line and pushing it to Jaguars +8½ means that we’re not vulnerable to missed field goals or extra point plays that could result in a back-door cover that could ultimately spoil NFL picks.
The Jaguars are rebuilding again. They’re not a complete team yet. There’s also bound to be growing pains as the head coach and quarterback build on their chemistry together with the rest of the team. Thus, moving the spread to +8½ will provide a cushion to the backdoor cover.
Pick: Jaguars teased up from +2½ to +8½
