After months upon months of waiting, the first Sunday of meaningful NFL action is finally here. While watching the game is a joy in itself, the NFL is exponentially more fun when you’re making money on the best spread picks out there. Week 1 always comes with its fair share of surprises, but these five bets stand out as clear choices that should result in a net profit.
NFL Week 1: 5 Best Bets Against the Spread
Carolina Panthers (+3.5) at Atlanta Falcons
The Carolina Panthers are underdogs in this battle of NFL rivals, but spread picks seem to think that this will be a somewhat close contest. Honestly, it’s hard to see why. While both teams have good defenses, the Carolina Panthers are going to have a difficult time moving the football. Bryce Young is making his NFL debut, and his already unimpressive group of wide receivers are already battling a series of injuries. The Falcons might not have the best offense in the world, but they should be able to throw a few scoring drives together, which is more than the Panthers can say.
Week 1 Bet: Falcons win, cover spread
San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers (+2.5)
Nick Bosa is back, ensuring that this defensive slugfest will go down to the wire. Both teams have elite defenses, but the Pittsburgh Steelers might have the better offense. Brock Purdy is making his first start since his season-ending elbow injury, and he’ll probably have some rust. Meanwhile, superstar tight end George Kittle is battling injury and might not suit up. Combine that with Kenny Pickett’s strong finish to 2022 and similarly impressive preseason and you have one of the most underrated offenses in football. With home-field advantage on their side, the Steelers should be able to pull off the upset.
Week 1 Bet: Steelers win
Houston Texans (+9.5) at Baltimore Ravens
The Houston Texans are a bad team, but a 9.5-point spread is a little too disrespectful. C.J. Stroud should be an upgrade on Davis Mills, and Will Anderson should hit the ground running in Week 1. The Ravens have a considerably better roster, but Lamar Jackson is coming back from a season-ending injury of his own and will be making his first start under Todd Monken. Chances are, this unit will be a little rusty and not operating at peak efficiency, especially since Mark Andrews might not be operating at full strength.
Week 1 Bet: Ravens win, don’t cover spread
Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots (+4)
The Philadelphia Eagles have arguably the best roster in football, with an elite quarterback, wide receivers, offensive line, and front seven. The New England Patriots, meanwhile, have a talented defense but lack the offensive firepower to make this a game. Mac Jones still needs to prove he’s a starting-caliber quarterback, wide receivers Juju Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker are already hurt, and the offensive line could be missing multiple starters. As the cherry on top, mobile quarterbacks are Bill Belichick’s Achilles heel, so this one should get ugly, fast.
Week 1 Bet: Eagles win, cover spread
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (+3.5)
The New York Giants were one of the biggest surprises in the NFL last year, making the playoffs despite low expectations entering the season. Well, it’s time they regressed to the mean. Daniel Jones and his collection of mediocre wide receivers cannot keep up with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys high-powered offense, especially considering Dallas also has a better defense. Divisional matchups can be hard to predict, but the Cowboys should win this one comfortably.
Week 1 Bet: Cowboys win, cover spread
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Main Photo: Geoff Burke – USA Today Sports
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