I arrived at the Red Rock sportsbook in Las Vegas this past Saturday at 8:45 a.m., like I have nearly every Saturday for the past few years. But for the first time in my life, there wasn't a seat available. Even the reserved VIP seating was completely booked.
On the first full weekend of college football, there were crowds of Florida State and Boise State fans standing and cheering from the back of the sportsbook for the entire slate of morning games. The notion that sports betting in Las Vegas is dying because it has become legal in other states is completely and utterly false. Football is back -- and I couldn't help but smile as I stood there breathing in the Week 1 air.
We now have Week 1 of the NFL regular season on deck, and while the market has been up for a good part of the summer, there is still value in a handful of games. I'm going to break down the summer moves I agree and disagree with, and tell you about the team I've invested in the most this preseason.
Lines courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Week 1 line movement I agree with
Atlanta Falcons +3.5 at Minnesota Vikings
Projection: Falcons +2.1
Market open: Falcons +4.5
I'm extremely bullish on the Falcons this season compared to the current futures markets, so it's not a surprise that I also see value in Week 1. I don't have anything negative to say about the Vikings entering the new season, but the current spread implies that they are the better team on a neutral field -- I don't think that is the case. There are plenty of +4s around still that are worth grabbing. As usual, it's always worth shopping for the best number possible.