The 102nd season of the National Football League gets underway in the early hours of Friday morning, and it promises to be an explosive start to the new campaign, with defending Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay taking on the Dallas Cowboys.
There will be a new look to this NFL campaign, as it will be the first to feature a 17-game regular-season schedule as the league expanded from 16 matches, but this has only added to the excitement.
After comfortably defeating Kansas City 31-9 to win Super Bowl LV, Tampa Bay will be looking to become the first team since Denver Broncos in 1998 to successfully retain their title.
Can Brady Deliver Again?
Brady delivered instant success in his debut season with the Buccaneers, claiming his seventh Super Bowl ring in the process, and the 44-year-old QB returns for a 22nd NFL campaign.
The former Patriots star, who is 14/1 to win the Most Valuable Player Award, threw for 4,633 yards last term, and he now needs just 1,155 pass yards to surpass Drew Brees (80,358) for the most in NFL history.
Dallas will be hoping to spoil the party at the Raymond James Stadium, and they are buoyed by the return to fitness of quarterback Dak Prescott, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week Five of the 2021 season.
The 28-year-old was on pace for a career year at the point he was struck down by injury, averaging a massive 371.2 pass yards per game, and he will be itching to get going again.
Mahomes Ready to Fire
2019 Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs begin their quest for glory with a clash against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday evening at the Arrowhead Stadium.
QB Patrick Mahomes struggled with a toe injury during the latter stages of last season, but he is back to full fitness, and another long run is expected from the Chiefs once again.
It is hard to argue with Kansas’s 4/11 on the Money Line, with their opponents available at 9/4, and there could be more value looking into the anytime touchdown scorer market.
Odell Beckham Jr remains one of the most exciting players in the NFL, and Cleveland’s wide receiver, who grabbed three TDs last season, is 7/4 to head into the endzone at any point during Sunday’s contest.
Pats Put Their Faith in Jones
The New England Patriots endured a disappointing time without Brady last season, as they finished third in the AFC East and failed to reach the playoffs, and they have put the faith in QB Mac Jones this time around.
Cam Newton has been released after failing to inspire in 2020, and the responsibility to lead the team now falls on Jones, who the Pats selected in the first round of the 2021 Draft.
A home clash against the Miami Dolphins should be a nice one for the QB to ease his way in, and New England at minus 3 in the handicap result looks good value at 25/29.
Other matches that catch the eye on the opening weekend include the New Orleans Saints clash at home to the Green Bay Packers, who are 20/41 to get the better of their 7/4 opponents, on Sunday night.
Elsewhere, Buffalo’s clash with Pittsburgh on Sunday evening looks like it could be an entertaining affair. The Bills are 4/13 to pick up the win, while the Steelers are 13/5 to claim the spoils.
*All odds correct at time of writing
