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Seven months after the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, meaningful NFL games return to stadiums and TV sets across the nation tonight. And the team that made that incredible rally is front and center for this 8:30 ET kickoff. Covers checks in on the action for the regular-season opener, with insights from Aaron Kessler, sportsbook supervisor at the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas, and with the lines manager for offshore sportsbook GTBets.eu.
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots – Open: -7; Move: -7.5; Move: -8; Move: -9; Move: -9.5
When we last saw New England, it was at Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston. The Patriots found themselves in a massive 28-3 hole in the third quarter, then came all the way back to stun the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime as a 3-point favorite. That capped a season in which the Pats went a superb 17-2 SU and 16-3 ATS.
Kansas City also reached the playoffs last year, going 12-4 SU (9-7 ATS) – including a 5-1 SU and ATS surge to cap the regular season – to win the AFC West and get a first-round bye. But the Chiefs then fell at home to Pittsburgh, 18-16 as a 2.5-point chalk.
“We’re still sitting at 9.5,” Kessler said late this morning. “I know a lot of people have come off it (to 9), but we’re not getting a lot of people rushing to take 9.5. There’s some action, but nothing huge (on Kansas City). The public is all over New England.”
Kessler said the sharper players are definitely on the Chiefs, but that overall, his shop is seeing good two-way action. And he’s not expecting the line to go any higher.
“I think it goes down before it goes up. Ten is a big number,” he said. “If it goes to 10, I know I’ll be all over it!”
GTBets.eu also opened the Patriots -7.
“That wasn’t enough to deter action on the defending Champions,” GTBets’ lines manager said. “Despite the injury to star receiver Julian Edelman (knee, out for the year), the line has crept its way up to 9 the past couple of weeks, a half-point at a time. Action continues to come in on New England at a 2/1 clip over Kansas City.”
Parlay action at GTBets.eu is even more tilted toward New England, at a 3/1 ratio, and ticket count on the total is running 2/1 in favor of the Over. GTBets has the total at 48, while the Golden Nugget is at 48.5.
Patrick Everson is a Las Vegas-based senior writer for Covers. Follow him on Twitter: Follow him on Twitter: @Covers_Vegas.
