- The Baltimore Ravens are the most popular Week 1 bet with 81% of the bets at -6 odds against the New York Jets.
- In the most anticipated game of the season, the Panthers have 77% of the early betting tickets against the Cleveland Browns.
- The Jacksonville Jaguars vs Washington Commanders game is the closest Week 1 game with the Jaguars having 54% of the slips as +3.5 dogs.
The wait for the 2022 NFL season is almost over and our friends at online sportsbook BetOnline have released the early betting numbers for Week 1.
According to the said sportsbook, the Baltimore Ravens are the most popular opening week bet with 81% of the total betting tickets for their road game against the New York Jets.
Ravens vs Jets Week 1
The last time Lamar played the Jets?
He torched them for 5 TDs then had MULTIPLE Jets players lining up to swap jerseys with him.
— Raven Up (@RavenUpPod) May 18, 2022
Baltimore is coming off a disappointing season where they finished third in the AFC North Division with an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs. The Ravens opened with the sixth-best odds to win Super Bowl LVII at +1800 odds and are expected to have a bounce-back season. Meanwhile, the Jets are a longshot +8000 to win the Super Bowl and head to Week 1 after finishing as the doormat of the AFC East at 4-13 last campaign.
The last time that Lamar Jackson played the Jets was in December 2019 when Jackson tossed 5 TD passes in a 42-21 win. In that game, the Ravens clinched the division title and Jackson erased Michael Vick’s single-season record for most rushing yards by a quarterback. Sure, that game was three years ago and a lot has changed since then. Well, except the Jets.
The Ravens-Jets game is also the most bet Week 1 game at BetRivers with 9.2% of the total bets. It is followed by the Bears vs 49ers match at 8.4% while the Bengals vs Steelers showdown is third with 8.1% of the bets.
Most Anticipated Game of the Year?
The Browns vs. Baker Mayfield And The Panthers Week 1 Matchup Just Became The Most Anticipated Game Of The Year https://t.co/1aHsKv71MV pic.twitter.com/PoiLWsdQNp
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 6, 2022
The Carolina Panthers at Cleveland Browns Week 1 game could very well be the most anticipated game of the season with Baker Mayfield returning to Cleveland after getting traded to Carolina. Interestingly, bettors are flooding BetOnline with Panthers’ bets as Carolina has 77% of the betting tickets at +3.5 odds. The Panthers are also the most heavily-bet underdog in Week 1.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints have 76% of the total betting slips at the Atlanta Falcons while the Kansas City Chiefs have 75% of the early betting tickets on the road versus the Arizona Cardinals. Super Bowl LVII betting favorites Buffalo are also a heavy favorite against the defending Super Bowl champions Los Angeles Rams with 73% of the tickets at -1 odds. The second-most popular underdog bets for Week 1 are the Houston Texans who have 68% of the bets at +8.0 points opposite the Colts in Indianapolis.
Meanwhile, Mac Jones and his New England Patriots who are at +2.5 odds against the Miami Dolphins, are the next most popular bet and third-most popular underdog bet with 65% of the betting slips. The Bengals and 49ers follow with 57% of the bets against the Steelers and Bears, respectively. The Detroit Lions have 55% of the tickets against the Philadelphia Eagles at +4 odds while the Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders are the closest game with Jacksonville having 54% of the tickets at +3.5 odds.
