Why NFL Betting Starts Long Before Kick-off
NFL betting is rarely decided by what happens on Sunday alone. By the time the first game begins, the smartest readers have usually spent the week looking at much more than headline form. They are checking travel spots, rest differences, matchup style, injury updates, and how certain teams perform in specific situations rather than simply backing the better-known side.
One of the best starting points each week is the official NFL schedule. It sounds obvious, but the structure of the slate often tells a deeper story than the table or win-loss records alone. Prime-time games, travel demands, bye-week placement, and divisional matchups all shape how teams prepare and how the market reacts.
Super Bowl LXI contenders: Who is likely to be on top according to recent odds
The Super Bowl has always been viewed as the most influential societal and economic sporting event in America, with an average of 125 million viewers each year.
The Seattle Seahawks were presumed not to be victorious in Super Bowl LX. Not really.
Even as the season progressed, Mike Macdonald's defence tightened its grip on the league with 14 regular-season wins, finishing with a +191 point differential. There lingered a perception that Seattle were merely on a winning streak rather than the inevitable champion.
And yet, by the end, their 28-13 victory over the New England Patriots felt almost rational.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Francesca O’Callaghan dives into why the Seattle Seahawks may be entering a new era of dominance - and which franchises are best positioned to knock them off their throne for Super Bowl LXI.
NFL Draft 2026: Seydou Traore’s Miami Dolphins signing marks milestone for league’s UK Academy
Seydou Traore’s NFL journey began in a place few Americans ever imagine their careers starting: on the muddy battlefields that are football pitches in south London, writes Sports News Blitz’s Francesca O’Callaghan.
Like most British teenagers, Traore’s first sporting aspirations revolved around football. Yet, on April 25 in Pittsburgh, that all changed as the 23-year-old Londoner became the first graduate of the NFL Academy in the UK to be selected in the NFL Draft when the Miami Dolphins chose him with the 180th overall pick.
F1 vs NFL: Two sports, one question over women’s place at the top
For years, girls were pushed away from muddy pitches and roaring engines, guided instead toward something “more appropriate”, writes Sports News Blitz’s Francesca O’Callaghan.
Fast forward to 2026, is that written narrative beginning to smudge, like ink on a page, or are we pretending that the sporting world is changing without reality fully catching up to it?
Take Formula 1 and the NFL.
NFL news: Fernando Mendoza - From no-name prospect to number-one draft pick
Fernando Mendoza’s selection as the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders didn’t happen overnight; he started as an unknown high school prospect and is now one of the brightest quarterbacks in the NFL.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and NFL fan Luca Salmasi takes a closer look at how Fernando Mendoza became a star of college football and made his way to the NFL.
NFL news: Diego Pavia - From Heisman finalist to NFL Draft snub
Diego Pavia was one of the quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL draft with a lot of buzz around his name; however, the draft has been and gone, and Pavia has not been selected by any of the 32 teams, despite being a finalist for the iconic Heisman trophy.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and NFL fan Luca Salmasi takes a closer look at Diego Pavia’s NFL Draft snub and where the quarterback can go from here.
NFL news: San Francisco 49ers welcome eight new additions from the 2026 NFL Draft
After trading away their only 1st round pick this year, the 49ers' draft really began from round two onwards and saw them pick up eight new players for their roster, with four additions on each side of the ball.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and San Francisco 49ers fan Luca Salmasi takes a closer look at the latest members to join the Santa Clara franchise and what they bring to the table ahead of the start of the 2026 season.
NFL opinion: Five of the worst quarterback draft busts in NFL history
The NFL Draft is what all college hopefuls aim for in the hope of being one of the names called on stage and drafted by one of the 32 franchises.
However, whilst mock drafts tend to be reliable and accurate, sometimes stats can lie as players who have had exceptional college careers haven’t lived up to the hype once they reached the NFL.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and NFL fan Luca Salmasi takes a look at some of the most well-known quarterback draft busts in NFL history.
NFL news: Seydou Traore’s path from South London to NFL Draft reaches defining stage
Seydou Traore first discovered football whilst watching Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora’s weekly NFL show, and this week will proudly represent South London as he enters the 2025 NFL Draft as the latest face of international talent on the verge of making the NFL.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and NFL fan Luca Salmasi takes a closer look at Seydou Traore’s journey to the NFL Draft.
NFL news: Cincinnati Bengals sign Dexter Lawrence from New York Giants in blockbuster $28m trade
Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has finally gotten his wish to leave the New York Giants and will play for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2026 season.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and NFL fan Luca Salmasi takes a closer look at the trade and what it means for both teams.
NFL news: San Francisco 49ers willing to make Trent Williams one of the NFL’s highest-paid left tackles
Trent Williams was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2020 as a suitable replacement for 49ers legend Joe Staley, and in his five years in Santa Clara has become a solid part of the furniture, becoming one of the team's most vocal and influential players in the dressing room.
Ahead of the 2026 season, the 49ers are willing to make Williams the seventh-highest-paid left tackle in the NFL.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and San Francisco 49er fan Luca Salmasi takes a closer look at the potential deal to secure Trent Williams along with one of the most lucrative deals for a left tackle.
NFL analysis: Best backup-to-starter quarterbacks in NFL history as Kirk Cousins heads to Las Vegas
Kirk Cousins arrived in Atlanta almost two years ago to the day as a $180 million quarterback, undisputed starter, and the new franchise cornerstone.
Then, the Falcons front office shockingly ripped up the script, drafting Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall barely a fortnight later and nuking the franchise's relationship with Cousins almost instantly.
NFL news: Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman on A.J. Brown’s future: ‘Nothing’s changed there’
The height of NFL free agency has come and gone, and A.J. Brown still finds himself as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Head coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman are in a rut over how to approach the questions raised around Brown’s future with the franchise.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Luca Salmasi takes a closer look at Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman’s comments on A.J. Brown and what this means for the Philadelphia Eagles moving forward.
NFL news: John Lynch rejects substation theory, claims San Francisco 49ers are in a ‘safe place’
After the San Francisco 49ers’ season ended, general manager John Lynch made it his mission to investigate all possibilities that could have contributed to the team's long list of injuries during the 2025 campaign.
Lynch ruled out the substation theory at the NFL’s annual meeting on Sunday and outlined steps he plans to take to reduce injuries in the future. Here, Sports News Blitz writer Luca Salmasi rounds up the GM’s comments.
NFL news: Team USA’s dominance in Flag Football Classic shakes up expectations
The Fanatics Flag Football Classic gave the world a taste of what is to come at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, and saw Team USA take on teams mixed with athletes and mainly current and ex- NFL stars.
There had been a lot of talk from a handful of NFL players that they would easily be part of the USA team at the 2028 Olympics, but the current team proved that they wouldn’t necessarily be at the top of the depth chart.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and NFL fan Luca Salmasi reports on the Flag Football Classic and what it means for the future of the sport.
NFL news: Blockbuster contracts shake up free agency in 2026
As salary cap figures begin to climb, money has been flying around the NFL so far, since the free agency window opened.
Since the opening week of free agency teams have reportedly spent a record $5.83billion on player contracts, $2.59billion being guaranteed.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and NFL fan Luca Salmasi reports on some of the latest blockbuster contracts that are shaking up the 2026 free agency landscape.
NFL news: Dre Greenlaw’s dream return to the San Francisco 49ers
After a year with the Denver Broncos, star linebacker Dre Greenlaw has returned to Santa Clara and the San Francisco 49ers.
Whilst in his time in Denver didn’t live up to the expectation, Greenlaw made his name with the 49ers, and will be a key figure if they are to improve on last year's playoff disappointment.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and 49ers fan Luca Salmasi reports on the latest arrival to the San Francisco franchise.
NFL Scouting Combine news: Football’s ultimate pressure cooker sets the stage for a mock draft
The lights flip on in Indianapolis as the next wave of NFL hopefuls storms into Lucas Oil Stadium for the NFL Scouting Combine, running February 23 to March 2, 2026.
The Super Bowl is firmly in the rear view mirror and all eyes are now on the Combine, which is the pre-draft showcase for all the prospective future stars, writes Sports News Blitz’s Graeme Bailey.
But this also means it is NFL mock draft season and at Sports News Blitz we have delivered our first go, of which there will be a number prior to the 2026 NFL Draft which starts on April 23 in Pittsburgh.
Arizona Cardinals hire Mike LaFleur to lead offensive revolution
The Arizona Cardinals have officially signalled a new era for the franchise by appointing Mike LaFleur as their new head coach.
Following a disappointing 3-14 campaign in 2025, the organisation moved quickly to secure the 38-year-old on a five-year deal.
This strategic pivot away from the defensive philosophy of Jonathan Gannon suggests a desire to finally unlock the team's scoring potential in the NFL.
NFL analysis: Sam Darnold - From draft bust to Super Bowl-winning quarterback
Once labelled a draft bust, Sam Darnold sealed his NFL redemption by leading the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory.
Sports News Blitz writer Freddie Thomas-Neher looks further into Darnold’s shock career shift.