When the NFL releases the schedule for the upcoming regular season, it's a small form of torture. Sure, we get to see the roadmap for the upcoming year and all the great games we have in store for us, but the release is also met with the realization that we have to wait months until the action truly gets going. It's a tease!
While we'll have to practice patience, the schedule release does also give us the ability to begin thinking about our betting strategies for the upcoming year, and that includes Week 1. Of course, it's wise to wait until closer to the start of the regular season to fire off any bets for the opening weekend due to concerns about injuries between now and then. That said, it's never too early to get a sense of how the oddsmakers are sizing up the league.
NFL odds courtesy of DraftKings.
Week 1 NFL Matchups and Odds
New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks (Wednesday)
Patriots +160, Seahawks -192
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (Thursday, in Melbourne)
49ers +130, Rams -155
New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions
Saints +260, Lions -325
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans
Bills -112, Texans -108
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts
Ravens -185, Colts +154
Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers
Bears -135, Panthers +114
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals
Buccaneers +164, Bengals -198
Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers
Falcons +145, Steelers -175
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans
Jets +142, Titans -170
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars
Browns +230, Jaguars -285
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles
Commanders +195, Eagles -238
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers
Cardinals +455, Chargers -625
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders
Dolphins +150, Raiders -180
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Packers -125, Vikings +105
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Cowboys -130, Giants +110
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (Monday)
Broncos +130, Chiefs -155
Way-too-early Picks
Seahawks -3.5 vs. Patriots
The last time we saw these two teams square off, it wasn't even close. Seattle cruised to a Lombardi Trophy, blowing out the Patriots in Super Bowl LX, 29-13. While Seattle lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency, they should still be among the biggest threats to win the title again in 2026, so it's no surprise to see them favored by 3.5 at home in the opener. This is also the 12th Super Bowl rematch the following season, and the Super Bowl winner is 8-3 straight-up in those games. With the banner being unveiled, Lumen Field should be a stellar atmosphere, and I wonder if we'll see a similar result in this game as we did in the Super Bowl. New England should continue to be competitive and a team on the ascent, but this is a tough spot for them out of the gate.
49ers +2.5 at Rams
I'm high on Tyler Shough and fascinated to see how he fares as New Orleans' clear-cut full-time starter in his second season in the league. While I may be bullish on them for 2026, this is a tough draw in the opener as they head to Detroit to face a Lions team that is licking its wounds after taking a step back in 2025.
Lions -7 vs. Saints
Despite missing out on the playoffs last year, Dan Campbell's team still has the foundation of a heavyweight in the NFC and should be able to come out of the gates firing to begin the season. Despite their struggles a year ago, Detroit still had an average margin of victory at Ford Field of 9.5, which makes the touchdown spread palatable.