National Football League

Football odds: Bet on the Chiefs to roll the Cowboys (and more)

Updated Nov. 16, 2021 10:54 p.m. ET

By Sam Panayotovich
FOX Sports Betting Analyst

Three outta five ain't bad when it comes to picking football games.

Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong never was cleared to play against Notre Dame last weekend, and that's the only honest regret. Betting on the Kansas City Chiefs when they delivered an A+ game was hours' o' fun.

Here are some early best bets (24-22-1) with lines via FOX Bet.

Atlanta (+7 at FOX Bet) vs. New England

These are my favorite types of spots in the NFL.

New England just blasted Cleveland, and Atlanta got destroyed by Dallas. Most bettors will overreact to both results, making the point spread higher than it should be. The lookahead number for this game was New England -4, and now it's almost a full touchdown.

It's never easy to hit the highway on Thursday night, and I expect rookie quarterback Mac Jones to experience some adversity here.

The Patriots' defense has tightened up masterfully over the last five weeks, but Matt Ryan still has the ability to make this game interesting.

I just can't pass up a good overcorrection in the market. Take the points.

PICK: Atlanta (+7) to lose by fewer than 7 points (or win outright)

Oregon (+3 at FOX Bet) at Utah

I absolutely love Oregon as an underdog in this spot.

We played the Ducks earlier this season as a small road pup at UCLA, and I'm more than happy to put on my water wings again for this one.

Sure-handed senior quarterback Anthony Brown leads Oregon's best third-down offense in a decade. That's saying something.

Physicality will be paramount in this Pac-12 tilt, and I'll take the Oregon offensive and defensive lines any day of the week. The Ducks have much better players in the trenches and should wear down the Utes en route to an outright upset in Salt Lake City.

Quack.

PICK: Oregon (+3) to lose by fewer than 3 points (or win outright)

Iowa (-11.5 at FOX Bet) vs. Illinois

How is Illinois going to score points?

The Fighting Illini have looked semi-competitive when they've been able to control the line of scrimmage and run the football, which is near impossible against the Hawkeyes. And as I've written several times this season, Kinnick Stadium is where opposing offenses go to die.

It's not fun laying double-digits with Iowa, but the point spread opening at Iowa -11.5 and already being bet up to -13 at a few places tells me almost everything I need to know. Expect the black and gold to capitalize on a few turnovers and short fields against an Illinois offense that can't pass.

Don't be surprised when the Hawkeyes win 27-10.

PICK: Iowa (-11.5) to win by more than 11.5 points

Kansas City (-3 at FOX Bet) vs. Dallas

The reigning AFC champions are about to get hot.

Watching Patrick Mahomes throw for five touchdowns and almost 500 yards on Sunday night had to inject a little fear across the league. There aren't many teams that can stop the Chiefs when they're clicking like that on offense. And the offensive line is much healthier, giving Mahomes more time to hit open targets and make plays in the open field.

The thing is, I've been pretty damn impressed with the way Kansas City has turned things around on the defensive side of the ball. Adding pass rusher Melvin Ingram a few weeks ago has changed the way they can attack the line of scrimmage.

I'll lay anything under a field goal with the Chiefs.

PICK: Kansas City (-3) to win by more than 3 points

Six-Point Teaser:

If you are not familiar with a two-team teaser, it allows you to move a side or total six points. But, you must win both legs of the teaser to cash in.

To maximize our betting math, let's tease the Vikings up from +2.5 through the 3, 6 and 7, and the Seahawks from +2.5 to +8.5, too. I like both underdogs, but want more points. Plain and simple.

Minnesota continues to play close games, and Kirk Cousins & Co. rarely get blown out. The Vikings have so many offensive weapons, and it's tough to stop them all. They'll keep this game within a touchdown.

The second leg is Seattle. Nobody will want to bet on the Seahawks after they got shut out in Green Bay last weekend, and that's A-okay with me. Let's take Russell Wilson's offense and add six extra points against a banged-up Cardinals bunch.

PICK: Vikings teased to +8.5; Seahawks teased to +8.5 (-116 at FOX Bet)

Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and NESN. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. He'll probably pick against your favorite team. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot.

Download the FOX Super 6 app for your chance to win thousands of dollars on the biggest sporting events each and every week! Just make your picks and you could win the grand prize. Download and play today!