Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season is in the books and OddsTrader has crunched the numbers for you and rolled out updated NFL Power Rankings.
Let’s talk about how to use the NFL power rankings and where the top teams stand after Week 1.
OddsTrader’s NFL Power Rankings
This tool is simple, direct, and can help with your handicapping. OddsTrader ranks every team in the league from 1 through 32. You will note directly under the team’s name is the word “Next” with the date of their next game and the opponent.
After the opponent’s name, you will see a number with either a plus (+) or minus (-) sign which indicates the difference in the current rankings between the teams. For instance, If you are viewing the No. 1 team and they are playing the No. 7 ranked team next week you will see a -6 next to the opponent’s name (1-7= -6).
You will also see five columns at the top of the page:
Team Ranking – This is the rank OddsTrader has ascribed to each team based on their season record and influenced by their most recent game.
Change – This is the difference between where they are ranked now and what they were ranked the week before. For example, if a team has moved up five spots in the rankings from the previous week you will see a +5 but if they have moved down five notches you will see a -5 in this column.
Avg. Line – These are the consensus NFL odds for that particular team for their next matchup. A plus indicates the team is an underdog while a minus designates the team as a favorite.
Power Line – This is the OddsTrader average projected line for each team’s next game using a computer-generated algorithm on each game for each team.
Betting Edge – This is the difference between the OddsTrader power line and the actual betting line for the following week’s game.
Fab Five After Week 1
1. New Orleans Saints – A 38-3 thrashing over the Green Bay Packers is quite a way to usher in the post-Drew Brees era down on the bayou.
The keys to the offense were given to Jameis Winston and he did not disappoint with a whopping five passing touchdowns while the Saints’defense silenced Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense.
What a way to begin the season for fans in the Big Easy!
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Tom Brady did it again as he torched the Cowboys’ secondary for 379 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 31-29 win.
The defending Super Bowl champs didn’t have it easy but when it came down to crunch time, Tom Terrific engineered his umpteenth come-from-behind victory as he drove the team down the field, getting kicker Ryan Succop in position to nail a 36-yard game-winning field goal.
Just another day at the office for the 44-year-old legend.
3. Buffalo Bills – The Bills came up short against the Steelers, 23-16, but one loss does not a season make.
The Pittsburgh defense gave Josh Allen fits but we expect the 25-year-old gunslinger to rebound in next week’s meeting with their divisional rivals from Miami.
Don’t despair Bill’s Mafia, your team is still in the Super Bowl conversation.
4. Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens lost an overtime heartbreaker on Monday night to the Raiders but they were in control for much of the game, except when it counted.
The Ravens’ defense could not effectively combat the Sin City aerial assault and when the dust settled, Derek Carr had tossed for 435 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
Baltimore will have to dust themselves off and prepare for a Sunday Night showdown with the Chiefs next week.
5. Los Angeles Rams – The Matthew Stafford era has arrived in LA and Rams fans were treated to a 34-14 dynamic debut in which their new quarterback struck for 321 yards and three touchdowns.
LA’s defense rose to the occasion and stymied the Bears’ aerial attack as they did not surrender a single passing touchdown. LA will invade Indianapolis next week for a date with the Colts.
View the full list of OddsTrader’s NFL power rankings and the potential betting edge headed into week two.
