Immediately following the NFL schedule release, betting odds heavily favor the Buffalo Bills over the New York Jets in Week 1.
Confident fans might want to jump on these New York Jets betting odds while they’re hot. The Jets are listed as heavy underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook (+6.5, -110) against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, but recent history would suggest Gang Green is a safe bet.
Although mobile sports betting is not legal in New York yet, bettors located in New Jersey can wager on the Jets’ first pick along with tons of other props at DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Bills are coming off of a playoff appearance and a 10-6 season while the Jets finished 2019 with a 7-9 record. Don’t be fooled by the losing ledger, the Jets cruised to six wins in their final eight games last season.
The Jets are winners of two in a row at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY. Sam Darnold is undefeated against his fellow 2018 draft class quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills and Jets split the season series 1-1 last year, with each team winning on the road.
Despite New York’s recent successes in Buffalo, the Bills are going to look much different in 2020. The biggest addition is wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The outspoken wideout has put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and should be a dynamic deep threat for Josh Allen.
In addition to the blockbuster trade for Diggs, the Bills received high marks for the 2020 NFL Draft. Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane added Utah running back Zack Moss to help bolster the offense, but he went with defense with the team’s first pick. Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa could give AFC East quarterbacks fits for the next decade.
With all that said, the Jets came away from the draft, and the offseason as a whole, in pretty decent shape. In fact, monstrous left tackle Mekhi Becton is a pretty solid answer to Buffalo’s Epenesa choice. Moreover, the Jets were able to trade down, acquire multiple picks, and still land Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims in the late second round.
On the flip side, the Bills gave up four picks (three in 2020 and one in 2021), including a first-rounder for Diggs. Obviously, Diggs is one of the best receivers in the league while Mims is an unproven rookie. Moreover, the Bills had fewer holes to plug on the roster and therefore, didn’t need as many picks in this year’s draft.
But the good news for the Jets is that chemistry doesn’t manifest overnight. Allen and Diggs might not be completely in sync by the time Week 1 arrives. The coronavirus is going to affect preparation for the 2020 season and it’ll be tougher on new players to adapt to new teams.
The same can be said of the Jets and their brand-spanking-new offensive line. There’s a chance that New York goes with five completely new starters on the line in 2020 and that type of adjustment takes time to fully work itself out.
Final thoughts
Of course, placing a bet so far in advance comes with its own set of risks—preseason injuries, off-the-field issues, potential trades. The list goes on and on. With that in mind, and when considering the major changes both teams underwent, the Jets might be the smart bet at this point in time when reviewing your NFL week 1 odds.
Division games are tight contests more often than not and a full touchdown seems like a lot between these two teams.
