TheLines.com: Oddsmakers expect big offense in NFL’s Week 7

A historic explosion of NFL offense so far this year has oddsmakers dreaming of big points again in Week 7, according to analysts for TheLines, which tracks odds in the U.S. regulated sports betting markets.

A consensus of the nation’s largest legal online sportsbooks — including FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet, SugarHouse, and BetMGM — shows that six of the 10 Week 7 games that are already on the board feature over/under lines of 52.5 points or more. And with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 7 game against the Denver Broncos among those games not yet on the board — as oddsmakers await the results of Monday night’s showdown with the Buffalo Bills — there will almost certainly be at least one more such game added.

Compare that to Week 1, when just one game featured an over/under of more than 50 points. Offenses have taken over 2020, with teams averaging 25.4 points per game so far this year, up from 22.8 points per game in 2020 and on pace for a single-season record. In week 6, 7 of 14 games featured games with over/under lines of more than 50 points and the offenses delivered. Eight teams scored at least 30 points on Sunday, including both the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans, who combined for 78 points in their wild game.

In Week 7, the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons — who beat the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday 40-23 — feature an over/under line of 56.5. The Texans and Green Bay Packers, who were disappointing in their 38-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, boast an over/under of 56.

“NFL offenses have dominated so far in a way that we haven’t seen before and oddsmakers are building that into their lines,” said Brett Collson, lead analyst for TheLines.com. “However, there is no certainty that historic run of points will continue for the remainder of the year, and we’re still working with a relatively small sample size. NFL defenses can and often do adjust.”

The consensus point spreads for Week 7 games, as of Monday, Oct. 19:

• New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (-6); over/under 45
• Buffalo Bills (-10.5) at New York Jets; over/under N/A
• Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints (-7.5); over/under 51
• Cleveland Browns (-3.5) at Cincinnati Bengals; over/under 52
• Dallas  Cowboys (-3.5) at Washington Football Team; over/under N/A
• Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons (-3); over/under 56.5
• Green Bay Packers (-3) at Houston Texans; over/under 56
• Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5) at Tennessee Titans; over/under 52.5
• Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) at Arizona Cardinals; over/under N/A
• Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Chargers (-8); over/under 49
• Kansas City (-9.5) at Denver Broncos; over/under N/A
• San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots (-3.5); over/under 45.5
• Tampa Bay (-2.5) vs. Las Vegas Raiders; over/under 53.5
• Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams (-6.5); over/under 46

To access the updated futures lines for every NFL team, and for more analysis, visit TheLines.com/odds/super-bowl. To access Week 7 odds, visit www.thelines.com/nfl-week-7-lines-2020.

About TheLines.com:
TheLines.com is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated sports betting in the United States. Affiliated with the PlayUSA.com Network, TheLines.com provides original daily reporting and offers player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online sports betting. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.