After a long offseason, a draft and more TO drama, the NFL regular season is finally upon us. Here are some betting cheat sheets you can use before you start placing your bets. Happy Week 1 everybody.

Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Bucs -3)

Opening Line: Tampa Bay -3

Ravens backers are expecting QB Steve McNair to lead their team out of the wilderness and back to the Promised Land, but how much magic can a banged up, 33 year old player conjure up? Ex-Bronco Mike Anderson was added to the bullpen to spell relief for RB Jamal Lewis and that will be a good thing because Lewis has been downgraded to questionable.

Tampa Bay QB Chris Simms won’t have Brian Griese breathing down his neck, so he should be a little more relaxed. The Bucs also have more offensive weapons than the Ravens giving Baltimore’s ‘D’ more to worry about.

Status Report

Baltimore: RB Jamal Lewis (Questionable), SS Gerome Sapp (Questionable), DT Aubrayo Franklin (Questionable), WR Clarence Moore (Questionable), LB Mike Smith (Questionable), FB Justin Green (Questionable), WR Derrick Mason (Probable), CB Chris McAlister (Probable)

Tampa Bay: OG Dan Buenning (Questionable), LB Shelton Quarles (Questionable), OG Davin Joseph (Questionable), DT Anthony McFarland (Probable), WR Mark Jones (Probable), OT Kenyatta Walker (Probable), FS Will Allen (Probable)

Weather Forecast

Thunderstorms possible, High of 90º F, Low of 76º F

Notes

Baltimore has cashed in at .727 in their last 11 games against NFC competition.

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots (Pats -8)

Opening Line: New England -9½

The Pats may have lost K Adam Vinatieri to the Colts, WR Deion Branch to a holdout and LB Tedy Bruschi may be coming off injury but they still have QB Tom Brady and he is clutch. The Buffalo Bills are predicted to finish near the bottom of the AFC East and a tilt against the Pats—who are favored to win the East—might be not what the doctor ordered.

Status Report

Buffalo: SS Matt Bowen (Questionable), LB Takeo Spikes (Probable)

New England: RB Laurence Maroney (Out), WR Deion Branch (Holdout), LB Tedy Bruschi (Doubtful), WR Chad Jackson (Questionable), OT Nick Kaczur (Questionable)

Weather Forecast

Mix of sun and cloud, High of 73º F, Low of 47º F

In their last 11 contests with Buffalo, the Pats have taken eight against the spread.

Opening Line: Kansas City -2

By all accounts Cincy QB Carson Palmer is looking great after the gruesome knee injury he suffered last year. Nevertheless the Bengals start their season at Arrowhead and the crazed Chiefs fans will pose a problem, especially if Palmer’s calling an audible at the line of scrimmage. How will Chiefs RB Larry Johnson do without Willie Roaf and John Welbourne helping to open holes for him?

Cincinnati: LB Odell Thurman (Out), WR Antonio Chatman (Out), CB Deltha O’Neal (Questionable), LB David Pollack (Questionable)

Kansas City: Priest Holmes (Out), FB Ronnie Cruz (Probable), OG Will Shields (Probable)

Cloudy with showers, thunderstorm possible, High of 77º F, Low of 59º F

The Chiefs have owned AFC North competition paying out at 77 percent in their last nine northern tilts.

The Bengals like grazing on grass as they are 12-6 on natural turf.

Opening Line: Denver -3½

A battle of two teams with very good offenses. The Broncos have added Javon Walker to complement Rod Smith and have decided to go with three solid backs as opposed to a featured back in the backfield with Mike Bell, Tatum Bell and Cedric Cobbs expected to share duties at RB.

The song will remain the same in St. Louis, MO. Offense was the name of the game with ex-coach Mike Martz and offense will be the name of the game with new coach Scott Linehan. Linehan did wonders in Minnesota—pre-Love Boat—and Miami, so expect the same this year. QB Marc Bulger should air out the ball consistently to the likes of Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Kevin Curtis.

Status Report

Denver: P Todd Sauerbrun (Suspended), DE Courtney Brown (Questionable), WR Brandon Marshall (Probable), DT Gerard Warren (Probable)

St. Louis: DE Anthony Hargrove, OT Rex Tucker, DB Ron Bartell, OT Orlando Pace, DT Jimmy Kennedy, WR Torry Holt and WR Isaac Bruce are all probable.

Whether rain, sleet, or snow, the conditions under the Edward Jones Dome are always ideal.

You might want to consider taking the Over in this contest. Both teams have weapons and Denver has gone above the total in 5 out of their past 6 NFC matchups while St. Louis has done the same in 13 out of their last 14 AFC tilts.

Opening Line: Browns -3

Both of these teams made some major additions in the offseason that they hope will reverse their fortunes. The Saints hope that Reggie Bush will add an extra dimension to their offense and Drew Brees’ shoulder is up to par. All indications are that Joe Horn will play giving a good target for Brees.

The Browns’ atrocious defense got an injection with the additions of Willie McGinest and Ted Washington.

Status Report

New Orleans: WR Bethel Johnson (Out), DT Rodney Leisle (Doubtful), RB Aaron Strecker (Questionable), WR Joe Horn (Probable)

Cleveland: C Alonzo Ephraim (Out), FS Brian Russell (Doubtful), CB Daylon McCutcheon (Doubtful), OG Jon Andruzzi, OT Nat Dorsey, CB Antonio Perkins, CB Gary Baxter and CB Leigh Bodden are all questionable.

Weather Forecast

Sunny and cloudy periods, High of 67º F, Low of 53º F

Dog Pound backers have seen their team cash in 4 out of their last 5 games when favored at home.

The Saints seem damned against AFC North opposition losing 8 out of 10 ATS.

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