Skip to content

NFL Week 6 early lines overreaction: Packers big favorites over Lions

Dylan Buell / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

Every Monday, we'll dive into the opening lines for notable games on the NFL calendar to see how oddsmakers are reacting to the previous week and where the early money is coming in.

Week 6 features a meeting between a pair of exhilarating AFC quarterbacks, a battle of the backups in Florida, and a clash for first place in the NFC North on Monday Night Football.

AWAY HOME
NY Giants New England (-16.5)
Carolina Tampa Bay (+1.5) *
Cincinnati Baltimore (-10)
Seattle Cleveland (-2.5)
Houston Kansas City (-8)
New Orleans Jacksonville (PK)
Philadelphia Minnesota (-3)
Washington Miami (+3.5)
San Francisco LA Rams (-4)
Dallas NY Jets (+8.5)
Tennessee Denver (-2.5)
Pittsburgh LA Chargers (-5.5)
Detroit Green Bay (-6)

*Game is in London

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs

Opening line: Chiefs -8

The football world is in for a treat in Week 6 as Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes do battle at Arrowhead. The Chiefs are coming off a prime-time home loss to the Colts, while the Texans slaughtered the Falcons thanks largely to Watson's 426 passing yards and five touchdowns. With the majority of early money backing the Texans, the public has identified Houston as a live 'dog, forcing the line to drop below a touchdown in some spots. Perhaps Mahomes' uncertain health has also scared the public off Kansas City; the quarterback clearly wasn't 100 percent against the Colts after injuring his ankle in the first half, further aggravating it in the third quarter when one of his own offensive linemen stepped on it.

With fireworks expected from these two quarterbacks, this game also has the highest total of the week after opening at 55.5.

New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars

Opening line: Jaguars PK

Gardner Minshew mania died down a bit this weekend after the Jaguars quarterback turned the ball over three times in a loss to the Panthers. Conversely, Teddy Bridgewater's stock is as high as ever after he improved to 3-0 as a starter in Drew Brees' absence. After two weeks away, the Jaguars return to the friendly confines of TIAA Bank Field, where they're 1-0 with Minshew under center after beating the Titans as one-point 'dogs. This is a tough spot for the Saints, who hit the road after two weeks at home, and it could be something of a sandwich spot before they visit the Bears in Week 7. But that hasn't stopped the early money from pouring in on New Orleans, pushing the Saints up to -1 in some places.

Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings

Opening line: Vikings -3

Coming off successive wins, the Eagles are shaping up to be very popular underdogs this week. People saw Philadelphia - already a public team - go into Green Bay two weeks ago and win, and public bettors now love the fact the Eagles are getting a field goal in Minnesota. Early money has funneled in on Carson Wentz and Co., but the line hasn't budged. The Vikings are 2-0 straight up and against the spread at home this season and won 23-21 in Philly last year with Kirk Cousins outdueling Wentz. Under Mike Zimmer, the Vikings are 23-6-3 ATS as home favorites.

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers

Opening line: Packers -6

The Packers opening as nearly touchdown favorites seems like a large overreaction to their Week 5 win in Dallas. There's no doubt Green Bay's victory over the Cowboys on Sunday was impressive. But that doesn't mean we should forget the Packers lost at home to a depleted Eagles team in Week 4 and were lucky to hold on to beat the Vikings in Week 2. The Lions, meanwhile, are coming off their bye, giving them 14 days to prepare for their trip to Lambeau. Detroit has won three of its last four visits to Wisconsin, including victories as a 7.5- and 10.5-point underdog.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox