The opening week of the NFL season is upon us and there are six home dogs of note in Week 1, including the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Detroit Lions, and Las Vegas Raiders.
If you love hammering home dogs on Monday Night Football, then get ready to load up on the Las Vegas Raiders against the Baltimore Ravens. The Raiders are +4.5 underdogs in their first home game in front of fans in their new stadium in Sin City.
| NFL Week 1 – Home Dogs |
| Game | Line |
| Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans | HOU +3.5 |
| Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts | IND +2.5 |
| Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnatti Bengals | CIN +3 |
| Denver Broncos at New York Giants | NYG +3 |
| San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions | DET +8.5 |
| Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders | LVR +4 |
Also, note that the New Orleans Saints had their Week 1 home game against the Green Bay Packers relocated due to the fallout from Hurricane Ida. The Packers/Saints game will take place in Jacksonville, where the Saints are technically the home team. The Saints are a +3.5 underdog in the neutral location.
Undercats: Bungles and Kittens
Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals … Joe Burrow returns to the field after an ACL injury cut short his stellar rookie season. A bulked-up Burrow is one of the co-favorites to win Comeback Player of the Year. He also has a couple of young wideouts to throw to (Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase), so this should be a fun shootout. The Vikings have a stud running back with Dalvin Cook, but their future rests on the (unvaccinated) shoulders of Kirk Cousins. The Bengals are +3 home dogs in Burrow’s return.
San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions … For now, Jimmy G will be the starting quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. The Lions traded Matthew Stafford to the LA Rams for a bunch of picks and Jared Goff. Let’s see if Goff still has gas left in the tank, but until he proves otherwise, the Lions are one of the biggest dogs on the board at +8.5.
New QBs: Lawrence, Taylor, Wentz, Bridgewater
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans … Trevor Lawrence, the #1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, makes his pro debut for the Jacksonville Jags. Urban Meyer also makes his NFL coaching debut against an easy opponent in the Houston Texans. The horrible Texans have the lowest win total (4 o/u) in the league this season and they kick off the season as a +3.5 home dog.
Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts … During the Pete Carroll era, it’s not uncommon to back the Seahawks at home in Seattle, yet fade them on the road. In Week 1, the Seahawks head to Indianapolis, who’s a +2.5 home dog with Carson Wentz slated to make his debut with the Colts.
Denver Broncos at New York Giants … The Denver Broncos added Teddy Bridgewater in a trade after a rough season with the Carolina Panthers. Bridgewater and the Broncos are favorites heading into the old Meadowlands to take on the New York Giants. The G-Men are +3 home dogs at MetLife Stadium, but are eager to see Saquon Barkley in action. Barkley blew out his ACL in Week 2 last season, but if he doesn’t lose a step, the Giants are a live home dog.
MNF home dogs: Raiders
Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders … The Ravens are in the middle of a disastrous run of injuries. They lost three running backs inside a 12-day span, including their starter (JK Dobbins) and backup (Gus Edwards). The Ravens just signed Latavius Murray, who has yet to learn the playbook. With a depleted backfield, the Ravens are still a favorite on Monday Night Football.
The Raiders have the benefit of playing in front of a packed stadium full of their fans for the first time in Las Vegas. It should be a festive evening full of fun and fisticuffs — and that’s just in the stands. The Raiders kick off the new season as a +4 home dog, which should induce significant action from gamblers looking to get unstuck on Monday Night Football.