NFL Bye Weeks And 2024 Rest Advantages and Disadvantages

NFL Betting: Bye Weeks

The 2024 NFL season heads into Week 3 off a dominant Week 2 by underdogs, which went 10-5-1 ATS with eight outright winners. Fairway’s Football Forecast benefitted when our Week 2 underdog picks went 4-1-1 ATS and now 7-2 ATS this season with additional early Week 2 opinions and considerations 4-1 ATS on a huge card for NFL picks. As you follow the schedule and NFL lookahead lines each week, be sure you also monitor the NFL bye schedule starting in Week 5 along with teams rest advantages and disadvantages. These are additional tools to add to your handicapping arsenal as you shoot for more fairways, greens and birdies, urr, winners for your NFL picks and bets. Of course, sharp bettors also have multiple sportsbook options including reduced juice sportsbooks like the Las Vegas SuperBook.

While there are plenty of sites to easily reference for NFL bye weeks, we’ve added more information you can bet on by providing the rest advantages and disadvantes for teams each week ahead through Week 9. These are additional travel and situational edges for teams that can be considered and incorporated into the handicap as you evaluate the odds and determine which teams may overperform or underperform each week.

We’ll update more the second half of the season knowing that injuries mount and create adjustments in betting lines, power ratings and futures both in betting and how a team may play or coaches game plan and call a contest. Such was the case in Week 2 when the Green Bay Packers were without starting QB Jordan Love, and the line moved from Packers -3.5 on the advance, lookahead line to Packers +3.5 and then +3 at kickoff with the favorite flipping to the Indianapolis Colts. Final: Packers 16, Colts 10 as Green Bay rushed to the window running the ball 53 times for 261 yards (Josh Jacobs 32 for 151) in victory with backup QB Malik Willis passing just 14 times and completing 12 for 122 yards and 1 touchdown.

NFL Bye Week Schedule

Week 5: Chargers, Eagles, Lions, Titans
Week 6: Chiefs, Dolphins, Rams, Vikings
Week 7: Bears, Cowboys
Week 8: None
Week 9: 49ers, Steelers
Week 10: Browns, Packers, Raiders, Seahawks
Week 11: Buccaneers, Cardinals, Giants, Panthers
Week 12: Bills, Bengals, Falcons, Jaguars, Jets, Saints
Week 13: Broncos, Colts, Commanders, Patriots, Ravens, Texans

Rest Advantage and Disadvantage

The rest imbalances for NFL teams during the regular season create more considerations as you handicap the games and evaulate the matchups and betting odds each week. But the rest edge doesn’t equate to ATS winners as often as you may believe, but should still be considered as you evaluate the matchups, travel and schedule, injuries, weather and quarterback changes.

For example, this past, Week 2, saw the Chiefs (+3) and Ravens (+3) both with 3-day rest advantages over their opponents after playing each other in the Week 1 opening Thursday night game. The Chiefs escaped with a very fortunate 26-25 win over the Bengals, but Cincinnati covered and got the cash as one of our NFL Week 2 underdog picks. The Chiefs won for the second straight week despite getting outgained by both opponents and needing a pass interference penalty on 4th and 16 late to set up the game winning field goal against the Bengals. The Ravens blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead when it would appear they would be the fresher team but lost to the Las Vegas Raiders 26-23 in a game the Ravens outrushed the Raiders 151-27 and outgained Las Vegas 383 (6.1 YPPL) to 260 (4.3), but 11 penalties for 109 yards on Baltimore proved costly. The AFC North favorites Ravens and Bengals are both 0-2 to start the season.

So review the rest advantages and disadvantages for teams in the upcoming schedule through Week 9. The plus (+) sign means the team has that many extra days rest and preparation, and a Bye week providing additional rest and prep. The home team is italics.

Week 3: Bills (+3) vs. Jaguars, Dolphins (+3) at Seahawks, Chiefs (+1) at Falcons, Saints (+1) vs. Eagles

Week 4: Patriots (+3) at 49ers, Jets (+3) vs. Broncos, Texans (+1) vs. Jaguars, Ravens (+1) vs. Bills, Cardinals (+1) vs. Commanders, Panthers (+1) vs. CIN

Week 5: Giants (+4) at Seahawks, Cowboys (+3) at Steelers, Patriots (+1) vs. Dolphins

Week 6: Lions (BYE) at Cowboys, Titans (BYE) vs. Colts, Eagles (BYE) vs. Browns, Chargers (BYE) at Broncos, Buccaneers (+4) at Saints, Falcons (+3) at CAR

Week 7: Vikings (BYE) vs. Lions, Dolphins (BYE) at Colts, Rams (BYE) at Raiders, Chiefs (+3) at 49ers, Seahawks (+3) at Falcons Titans (+1) at Bills, Steelers (+1) vs. Jets

Week 8: Bears (BYE) at Commanders, Cowboys (BYE) at 49ers, Saints (+4) at Chargers, Broncos (+3) vs. Panthers, Browns (+1) vs. Ravens, Falcons (+1) at Buccaneers, Dolphins (+1) vs. Cardinals

Week 9: Vikings (+3) vs. Colts, Rams (+3) at Seahawks, Commanders (+1) at Giants

More updates and NFL handicapping, ATS and betting tools you can use as you move through the season and profit from the experience.

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