The NFL keeps moving forward.
The league has seemingly side-stepped every COVID obstacle placed in its path. The draft was held as scheduled in April, even though it required picks in remote locations and the commissioner announcing them from his basement. The NFL schedule was recently released with a full slate of 16 games, showing the league’s determination to proceed as planned.
And PA sports betting apps have followed the NFL’s lead, posting all the futures odds and sports betting lines that you would expect in a typical season.
Betting lines posted for NFL’s opening week beginning on Sept. 10
The NFL’s 2020 season is set to begin on September 10 with a Thursday night matchup between the Houston Texans and the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs (-10 at FanDuel Sportsbook).
The Philadelphia Eagles open the season on the road against the Washington Redskins on September 13. The Eagles are 6.5-point favorites at PlaySugarHouse.
A day later, the Pittsburgh Steelers play in the first game of Monday Night Football with a road contest at the New York Giants. The Steelers are 4-point favorites at BetRivers.
BetRivers, PlaySugarHouse and DraftKings Sportsbook, have game lines posted for matchups throughout the season.
Steelers favored in Week 5 clash with the Eagles
On October 10, the Eagles and Steelers will meet at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. BetRivers has the Steelers installed as a 1.5-point favorite in that matchup.
According to CBS Sports, the Steelers have the second-easiest strength of schedule in the upcoming season. FOX Bet has Pittsburgh’s season win total set at 9.5 games. The Steelers are -133 to make the playoffs and +110 to miss the postseason.
The Eagles also have a fairly favorable schedule in 2020, with the eighth-easiest slate according to their opponents’ winning percentage from last season. FOX Bet has Philadelphia’s win total also posted at 9.5. The Eagles are -182 to make the playoffs and +150 to not qualify.
Eagles crossover games feature AFC North, NFC West
Philadelphia’s crossover games this season provide for some intriguing contests in addition to their intrastate matchup with the Steelers.
The Eagles take on the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, October 4 at 8:20 p.m. PlaySugarHouse has Philadelphia as a 5.5-point underdog.
More than a month later, Philadelphia is a 2.5-point home favorite in a Monday night game with the Seattle Seahawks. The Eagles’ schedule also features another big home game, when the New Orleans Saints travel to Lincoln Financial Field on December 13. PlaySugarHouse has the Eagles as 1.5-point underdogs in that contest.
Steelers crossover games include the NFC East and AFC South
Pittsburgh’s biggest games usually include the Baltimore Ravens, but beyond those, the schedule highlight may be a November 8 trip to Dallas, for a game with the Cowboys. The Steelers and Cowboys were mainstays of the 1970s Super Bowls, but have not met in the Super Bowl since 1996. Dallas is a 3.5-point favorite in that contest, which kicks off at 4:25 p.m.
The Steelers’ schedule also features a wealth of primetime games, with national broadcasts planned for their matchups with the Ravens on Thanksgiving, the Buffalo Bills (December 13) and the Cincinnati Bengals (December 21).
The Steelers are currently a slight underdog in every one of those games except for the Bengals contest.
NFL schedule may provide clarity on futures bets at PA sportsbooks
Now that the NFL schedule has been released, bettors may want to take a closer look at the futures bets available at the region’s sportsbooks. The sportsbooks have bets posted on the Super Bowl champion, NFL MVP, and a wide variety of player futures, including season yardage/stat totals and certain awards.
For more on how to wager on pro football, see our NFL betting guide.
At a time when there are few sports on television, there are still plenty of betting options available for sports fans. And although football certainly faces a few more obstacles before the season can begin in September, the league shows no signs of slowing down now.
The NFL just keeps moving forward.
Related Articles
