Docs Website

53 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu

BetMGM Releases Betting Lines for 256 NFL Games

by Dave Schwab - 7/27/2021

NFL picks Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs best bets

It was not all that long ago when avid NFL bettors had to wait for the preseason games to end before betting lines were posted for the regular season’s Week 1 matchups.

That started to change a few years back when many of the offshore sportsbooks would post Week 1 lines following the official release of the NFL regular season schedule.

That also expanded with early betting lines on the board for some of the season’s biggest matchups over the course of the traditional 17-week schedule.

New for 2021 is an additional regular season game in place of a throw-away preseason contest. The expanded 17-game schedule adds even more action to the board at both offshore and US-based sportsbooks.

One US-based sportsbook is heavily promoting the fact that it is offering early betting action on the entire 2021 NFL regular season with the exception of that final week of games.

BetMGM has released point spreads for 256 NFL regular season games for 2021. Most of those games also have a posted total line that you can bet on now. A few of the facts, stats and betting trends in relation to these early lines are as follows:

  • More than 200 of the 256 games have a point spread of seven points or less
  • The home team is favored in 67% of the matchups
  • The Houston Texans are 10-point underdogs (or higher) in five games

One of the biggest showdowns in the AFC this season is the Buffalo Bills on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5.

This is a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game in which Kansas City came away with a convincing 38-24 victory closing as a three-point home favorite. The early line for this year’s regular-season meeting favors the Chiefs by 4.5 points.

Another game that should draw some major interest from bettors is a Week 4 interconference clash between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots in Foxborough. Tampa Bay is favored by three points in Tom Brady’s first start against his old team.

The only NFL  games on the regular season schedule without opening lines is the newly added Week 18. This is made up of the 17th game for all 32 teams. The lack of betting lines stands to reason since many of those games may be meaningless in terms of postseason play.

One of the biggest spreads posted is 14 points with the Bills set as home favorites against the Texans in Week 4 ahead of that huge road game against Kansas City. A savvy bettor may want to consider taking all those points on the chance that Buffalo looks past Houston as a prohibitive home favorite.

Of the 107 games with a spread of three points or less, 61% of the matchups favor the home team.

The largest underdog playing at home is the New York Jets. They will host Tampa Bay on Jan. 2 as 8.5-point underdog. This could be another early opportunity for bettors to take the points.

The weather in MetLife Stadium could easily be a major factor. Also, as the second-to last regular season game, the Bucs may have already clinched to top seed in the NFC by then.

The betting possibilities are endless with this much action on the board more than a month before the regular season even gets underway. The fact that total lines are also posted for more than 250 games is another added value for bettors looking for that early edge.

Most Recent NFL Handicapping

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers