Week 7 NFL Odds: Lookahead Lines Report
Each week of the season, I'll provide a first glance at the upcoming NFL slate through the lens of lookahead lines. Lookahead lines offer a glimpse into how bookmakers value teams before the week begins, unaffected by the recency bias that can occur after watching eight hours of football earlier in the day. It's also an opportunity to act before the games are posted and sharpened on Sunday evening, after the previous week's games are complete.
Depending on the bookmaker, and bettor for that matter, you may or may not be able to get the type of action down that you'd like, depending on your unit sizing. The key is understanding where the value is on the board in any given week, which is easier to do once you know the opening number. The limits are lower in this lookahead window, but that's not a problem for about 95% of you reading.
When I take a position on a lookahead line, I believe the current number will beat the closing line. It's an effort to stay ahead of market movements to secure the best numbers. Basically, I'm parlaying my handicap. In essence, if my Week 6 evaluation of the team and market is correct, I will have an advantage in predicting where the line movement will come first in Week 7.
For reference, I'll use the initial odds released by Westgate back in April to show you how the game opened. Then, I'll note the consensus for each current Week 7 lookahead line at DraftKings, with the spread listed based on the home team.
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Week 7 Lookahead Lines Takeaways
- I'm always on the hunt for scheduling and travel advantages. For the most part, these things are already baked into the number, but I believe there are instances each week that aren't accurately accounted for in the market.
- I'm including game totals this season and looking for any edge we can exploit. I prefer team totals over full-game totals, and while we don't have that information specifically, it can be derived from the spread and total, so we know the range to expect.
- Week 7 Byes: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills
| Game | Current Line | Opening Line | Current Total | Opening Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers @ Bengals | +4.5 | -4.5 | 43.5 | 46.5 |
| Rams vs. Jaguars* | +3.5 | +3.5 | 47.5 | 47.5 |
| Dolphins @ Browns | -2.5 | +1.5 | 42.5 | 43.5 |
| Patriots @ Titans | +6 | +1.5 | 43.5 | 44.5 |
| Panthers @ Jets | -2.5 | -1.5 | 45.5 | 43.5 |
| Raiders @ Chiefs | -10.5 | -9.5 | 45.5 | 45.5 |
| Eagles @ Vikings | +2.5 | +3 | 42.5 | 44.5 |
| Saints @ Bears | -6 | -7.5 | 45.5 | 44.5 |
| Colts @ Chargers | -1.5 | -6 | 47.5 | 45.5 |
| Giants @ Broncos | -7.5 | -7.5 | 41.5 | 42.5 |
| Commanders @ Cowboys | +2.5 | +2.5 | 53.5 | 48.5 |
| Packers @ Cardinals | +5.5 | +1.5 | 45.5 | 47.5 |
| Falcons @ 49ers | -4.5 | -6.5 | 45.5 | 47.5 |
| Buccaneers @ Lions | -4.5 | -3.5 | 53.5 | 49.5 |
| Texans @ Seahawks | -2.5 | -1.5 | 42.5 | 44.5 |
Week 7 Lookahead Lines
