NFL Preseason Week 1 Betting Preview: Broncos Underdogs, Patriots Odds Favorites

Six games will take place Thursday in Week 1 of the NFL preseason after last Sunday’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Game was canceled because of poor field conditions.

Among the teams in action are the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers and the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, with both listed as small road underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

The Panthers will visit the Baltimore Ravens, while the Broncos take on the Chicago Bears. The other four home teams playing Thursday along with the rest throughout Week 1 are all 2.5-point favorites or higher.

While Carolina knows Cam Newton will be the team’s starting quarterback in Week 1 of the regular season at Denver on September 8, the Broncos are still trying to figure out who will be under center between veteran Mark Sanchez, rookie Paxton Lynch and last year's third-stringer Trevor Siemian.

Denver’s quarterback battle will be one of the biggest storylines to watch during the preseason following the retirement of future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning.

The only two Week 1 preseason games still off the board at sportsbooks this week involve the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts, who were supposed to square off in the Hall of Fame Game. The Packers will host the Cleveland Browns on Friday, while the Colts will visit the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.

Green Bay backup quarterback Brett Hundley was not going to play last weekend because of an ankle injury, so his status should be monitored closely this week. Hundley enjoyed the best preseason of any quarterback last year.

Perhaps the most intriguing matchup this week will happen Thursday when the New England Patriots host the New Orleans Saints as three-point home favorites.

Even though starting quarterback Tom Brady has been suspended for the first four games of the regular season, he is eligible to play in exhibition games. Plus, New England figures to get a good look at backup Jimmy Garoppolo, who will start the first four games in Brady’s place.

The teams have continued their annual tradition of practicing against each other this week in West Virginia leading up to their preseason opener.