NFL Week 1 Season 2021 Statistics
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| WEEK 1 NFL | 2021 | 2020 |
| Games Played | 16 | 16 |
| Average Spread | -3.97 | -4.94 |
| % Fav Wins | 50.0% | 62.5% |
| Average Pts Scored per Game | 48 | 47 |
| Pts Average Win Margin | 11.75 | 9.13 |
| Average Spread Fav Covered | 8.63 | 10.9 |
| Average Spread Underdog Covered | 14.88 | 6.17 |
NFL 2021 has started! And what a first week it was. A strong showing from the underdog teams resulted in just over 50% winning their matches – an excellent return for those who picked them. This percentage of underdog wins has already equalled last seasons peak which occurred in week 6 and 8. Conversely, the percentage of favorite wins has plummeted below the 2020 season average of 66.3% across a full regular season and is the lowest in the past five seasons for week 1 games played.
Of the 8 favorites that did win their matches, 6 teams were able to beat the spreads. The reining Super Bowl champions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of two teams that failed to beat the spread. They sealed a nail biting win against the Dallas Cowboys by kicking a field goal in the final minute of the game. Though this resulted in a win 31-29, they were unable to beat the spread -6.5. Similarly the second team to fail to beat the spread was Super Bowl Runners up Kansas City Chiefs failing to cover -5.5 vs Cleveland Browns. The Browns started strong forcing the Chiefs to play catch up until the last quarter to take the lead – final score of 33-29. Only marginally not enough to beat the spread. Week 1 saw several low spreads, at an average of -3.97. In comparison, last seasons week 1 average spread was almost a full point higher at -4.94. The largest spread of week 1, was Lions v 49ers with a spread of -7.5, successfully covered with a win to the 49ers – 41-33.
