NFL Thursday Night Football Betting Preview

The NFL season kicks off Thursday as the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots get the drive toward Super Bowl 50 started.

The Patriots will celebrate another Super Bowl title opening the season at home and they’ll also be celebrating having Tom Brady in the starting lineup. Brady is a huge difference maker for the Patriots who only a month ago looked like they’d be relying on backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo.

Brady’s Deflategate suspension was overturned and he gets the start Thursday night.

With Brady at the helm the Patriots are 7-point favorites at Bovada, while the total was set at 52. Brady should have his favorite targets available Thursday night as tight end Rob Gronkowski is ready to go and wide receiver Julian Edelman seems to have shaken off an ankle injury that plagued him in the preseason.

Brandon LaFell will be out until Week 7 after starting the season on the PUP list, but Danny Amendola and acquisition Scott Chandler are expected to pick up the slack. Once question mark for the Pats could be their secondary, as Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner both left town in the offseason - leaving two very big holes to fill.

The Steelers are coming off a strong season in which they went 11-5 to capture the AFC North title. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger put up some of the best numbers of his career with 4,952 passing yards and 32 touchdown passes. Roethlisberger has a great trio of receivers, but he’ll be down one on opening night. Antonio Brown led the league in receiving last year and Markus Wheaton has the chance to shine with Martavis Bryant suspended to start the season.

Also suspended is running back Le’Veon Bell. That could be a big blow to the Steelers. DeAngelo Williams will try to fill Bell’s shoes, but also hampering his chances is the loss of center Maurkice Pouncey, who’s starting the season on IR.

The last time the Steelers and Patriots clashed in 2013 it was a firefight with the Pats coming out on top 55-31 as a 6-point favorite at the sportsbooks. In the last seven matchups the Patriots are 5-2 SU and ATS. The Pats have won 18 of their last 19 at home, with a 13-6 ATS mark, and in their last six home games against the Steelers, New England is 4-2 SU and ATS.