NFL betting: Amidst Deshaun Watson situation, the Browns Week 1 line is on the move

We're still over three months away from the NFL regular season kicking off, and some might say it's too early to dial into next season. However, there are certainly already people investing their money into the 2022 NFL season and as a result, three Week 1 NFL lines are already on the move from their opening number.

While it might not be ideal to tie your money up for months to bet a single game, there are people out there who want to beat the market and get the best of the number before more and more people get involved and move the lines as kick-off nears. These three games are already on the move at BetMGM.

Browns line moves amidst Watson situation

The Cleveland Browns kickoff the season with a Week 1 road matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Ever since the Browns acquired Deshaun Watson in March, we knew there was a good chance he'd be suspended for the season opener. However, as more and more is found out publicly about the details of the Watson investigation, it seems even more inevitable he won't be on the field in Week 1.

The Browns opened as 4.5-point road favorites against the Panthers, but currently, Cleveland is just a 3.5-point favorite. The total has also dropped, going from 43.5 to 42.5 points.

Cleveland is still the better of these two teams, but the quarterback mismatch isn't as drastic when you compare Sam Darnold to Jacoby Brissett as opposed to Deshaun Watson. There's also the possibility that Carolina adds a quarterback before Week 1, and there's a certain name out there that might make this Week 1 matchup particularly interesting.

Line moves in favor of Philadelphia and New England

The two other Week 1 moves are for a more conventional reason: heavy one-sided action.

The Philadelphia Eagles opened as 3.5-point road favorites against the Detroit Lions, but that line has moved a full point. Currently, the Eagles are laying 4.5-points in Week 1.

Philadelphia has had an active offseason, adding A.J. Brown, Kyzir White, Haason Reddick and James Bradberry while drafting Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean. They improved the roster of a team that made the playoffs last season. Jalen Hurts is now surrounded by weapons and behind a good offensive line. The defense was already solid, and is now improved.

As of late May, 85% of the betting handle was backing the Eagles to cover as 3.5-point favorites. That heavy one-sided action has caused the line to move a full point in favor of Philadelphia.

Elsewhere, the Patriots opened as 3-point road underdogs in Miami. However, if you wanted the full field goal with the Patriots, that is no longer available. Currently, the Patriots are just 2.5-point underdogs in Week 1. New England was getting 84% of the bets and 90% of the money as field-goal underdogs.

Miami has made a lot of noise this offseason, bringing in the likes of Tyreek Hill and Chase Edmonds as well as a new voice in head coach Mike McDaniel. The hype around the team has certainly increased. However, Bill Belichick usually feasts on rookie coaches and young quarterbacks, and with a whole offseason to prepare, bettors are putting their trust in one of the best coaches of all time.