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2016 Week 1 NFL Football Betting Previews, Picks and Predictions

Game on! The start of the NFL football betting season is finally here with the kickoff of the game between the Panthers and the actual Super Bowl champions Denver Broncos. This will be one heck of a game and we’ve got the full preview just below.

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Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos

  • Time: Thursday, September 08, 2016 8:30 PM ET
  • Place: Sports Authority Field at Mile High
  • Betting Line: Panthers -3
  • Total: 42

Bet on the Panthers

The Panthers will be playing with a chip on their shoulders after losing the big game last year. And, because Denver no longer has Manning to worry about it’s looking like an easier affair.

A lot depends on how Cam Newton will lead the offense. Newton threw for 3,800 yards and 35 touchdowns last year and he really didn’t have many options except for Tedd Ginn Jr. This year, Kelvin Benjamin is back in the thick of things having returned after being on the injured list and he’ll be adding plenty of yards through the air most likely. In his rookie season in 2014, Benjamin added 1,000 receiving yards along with nine touchdowns. The Panthers game also is solid on the ground, with running back Jonathan Steward and tight end Greg Olsen who is great.

As for the Panthers defense, though they no longer have cornerback Josh Norman, it’s still looking solid. Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis are top linebackers and are a threat as deadly as any. They’ve also added Vernon Butler and Paul Soliai to the line which also adds strength up front.

Bet on the Broncos

Yes, the Broncos don’t have Manning anymore. However, if you consider that much of last year’s success was due to a fantastic defense, being without Manning might not make too much of a difference. This is because many of the defensive players are back this year apart from Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan. Von Miller is back along with DeMarcus Ware, Brandon Marshall and a fantastic secondary consisting of Aqib Talib and Chris Harris and nickel corner Bradley Roby. Safeties TJ Ward and Darian Steward are also fantastic so this team will be formidable on defense.

As far as the offense is concerned, they have plenty of issues to solve. Manning is retired and Brock Osweiller has gone to Houston. That leaves Mark Sanchez or Trevor Siemian but so far they haven’t decided who will take the starting spot. Regardless, the Broncos have a pretty decent offense with running back CJ Anderson and Devontae Booker for the ground attack. And in the air they have Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders who are deadly-effective wideouts. The O-line is also great now with Donald Stephenson and Russell Okung.

Betting Trends

  • Carolina is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games
  • Carolina is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 12 of Carolina's last 17 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games at home
  • Denver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Carolina
  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing Carolina

Game Prediction: Panthers win and cover.

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