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NFL Week 1 Picks, Betting Predictions & Best Bets To Back: Swift Kick-Off

Bill Speros for Bookies.com

Bill Speros  | 27 mins

NFL Week 1 Picks, Betting Predictions & Best Bets To Back: Swift Kick-Off

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The NFL betting season begins on Thursday, September 5 with a rematch of the AFC Championship Game. 

The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs play host to the Baltimore Ravens. Both teams are expected to be stocked and reloaded for another keep run in the postseason. 

Taylor Swift’s never-ending Eras Tour takes a break from August until November. So Swifties should get their fill of T.S. throughout the first 10 weeks of the season. Expect Travis Kelce’s better half to be in attendance when the Chiefs raise their fourth Super Bowl championship banner. 


RELATED: Super Bowl 59 Odds


On Friday. September 6 – yes, we said Friday – the NFL plays its first-ever game in the Southern Hemisphere as the Philadelphia Eagles serve as the home team in Brazil against the Green Bay Packers

The national game of the week on Fox has the Dallas Cowboys visiting Cleveland. This one is notable because Tom Brady makes his debut as the network’s lead NFL in-game analyst. 

Monday night has the New York Jets at San Francisco. Aaron Rodgers will be making only his second start since 2022. Last season, he took just four snaps for the Jets before he was knocked out for the season with injury. 

The full NFL schedule will be released Wednesday night. We’ll update this story once all the games and lines are set. 

2024 NFL Week 1 Picks

Now it’s on to our Week 1 NFL picks to back on your favorite sports betting app

DateMatchupWeek 1 Picks
Thursday, September 5 Ravens at Chiefs Ravens +3
Friday, September 6Packers vs. Eagles (Brazil) Under 48.5 Points
Sunday, September 8 Steelers at Falcons Under 43.5 Points
Sunday, September 8 Cardinals at Bills Cardinals +7
Sunday, September 8 Titans at Bears Titans +4.5
Sunday, September 8 Patriots at Bengals Bengals -8.5
Sunday, September 8 Texans at Colts Texans ML
Sunday, September 8 Jaguars at Dolphins Dolphins -3.5
Sunday, September 8 Panthers at Saints Saints -4.5
Sunday, September 8 Vikings at Giants Under 41.5 Points
Sunday, September 8 Raiders at Chargers Chargers -3
Sunday, September 8 Broncos at Seahawks Under 42.5 Points
Sunday, September 8 Commanders at Buccaneers Buccaneers -3.5
Sunday, September 8 Cowboys @ Browns Browns ML
Sunday, September 8 Rams at Lions Lions -3
Monday, September 9 Jets at 49ers Jets +5.5

Week 1 picks are subject to change.

2024 NFL Week 1 Best Bets To Back Today

NFL Week 1 Picks, Betting Predictions & Best Bets To Back: Swift Kick-Off 1

Thursday, September 5

Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

Buzz: The Chiefs celebrate their second-straight Super Bowl title. Expect Taylor Swift to be in attendance along with a full house in Kansas City for this AFC Championship Game rematch.  The Chiefs opened the NFL season at home last year and lost to the Lions. The Ravens have seen multiple departures in free agency and on their coaching staff. But John Harbaugh has four months to prepare for this game. He’s 12-4 in Week 1 and is getting points. Lamar Jackson will be fully healthy, something that’s always an issue in the postseason. And he’s 11-2 ATS as a starter as an underdog.

Best Bet: Ravens +3 (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook

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Friday, September 6

Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 p.m. (Peacock)

Buzz: Jordan Love secured his job as the Packers franchise QB last season. Except the Packers offense to surprise here. Philadelphia has undergone some wholesale changes in the offseason. But the core of Jalen Hurts’ offense is still intact, including 4 of the 5 starters on the offensive line. It’s still a big ask for 48.5 points in a Week 1 game played on neutral turf in a foreign country after a long road trip for both teams. Viewers can begin their ranting now since the game will not be televised in the United States - outside of the Packers and Eagles home markets. It will streamed live via Peacock. 

Best Bet: Under 48.5 Points  (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook

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Sunday, September 8

Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. (Fox)

Buzz: The Steelers and Falcons are two of the teams debuting new starting quarterbacks in Week 1. Will it Kirk Cousins or Michael Penix for the Falcons? That's been the big question in Atlanta since the NFL Draft. The Steelers acquired Russell Wilson in the offseason in a bid for some stability at the QB position to complement a stout defense. The Falcons are stacked with skill players, regardless of their QB. Both offenses in this game will still be in the "project" phase. 

Best Bet: Under 43.5 Points (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook


Arizona Cardinals at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. (CBS)

Buzz: The Bills begin the post-Stefon Diggs Era at home. The Bills should enter the season stable and healthy. A weclomed change. The Cardinals have turned Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. into the focus of their offense. This game is a big test for a Cardinals team that believes it can content for a playoff spot. An opening day road Eastern Time Zone start offers the most challenging of circumstances. The Bills underwent some major changes in the offseason. This has a prime "Week 1" upset potential. Especially at this number. 

Best Bet: Cardinals +7 (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook


Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. (Fox)

Buzz: The Bears jettisoned Justin Fields and made No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams their QB of the future. While Williams has the makings of a top-tier NFL QB, this is the sort of game in which the Bears and their fans will miss Fields. The Titans defense gets first crack at the first pick in the draft. Hope those fans in Chicago are patient. 

Best Bet: Titans +4.5 (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook


New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. (CBS)

Buzz: The Patriots are on to Cincinnati in their first regular-season game not coached by Bill Belichick in 25 years. Jerod Mayo enters the NFL as a head coach with Jacoby Brissett as his starting QB. The Patriots defense might keep things competitive for three quarters, but New England may well challenge its 12.9 PPG total from last season. New England is one of two teams - Carolina being the other - which is an underdog in all 17 games. Joe Burrow makes his first start since suffering a wrist injury in Week 11 last season. The Bengals are ready to roar. The Patriots are marking time until Drake Maye can assume the QB 1 spot. This is a big Week 1 number. Keep an eye on it for it to improve in the Bengals' favor. 

Best Bet: Bengals -8.5 (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook


Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. (CBS)

Buzz: Anthony Richardson returns as the Colts starting QB after an injury-shortened rookie season. He's still a largely unknown. Houston QB C.J. Stroud emerged during the second-half of last season to be the NFL's latest QB sensation. The Texans got a taste of the playoffs and have a shot in the wide-open AFC South. The Colts, not so much. 

Best Bet: Texans ML (-122) with DraftKings Sportsbook


Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. (CBS)

Buzz: The "Battle of Florida - Trevor's Version" takes place in the heart of hurricane season at Hard Rock Stadium. The Jaguars collapsed in closing third of the season. After an 8-3 start, in which they held the No. 1 seed in the AFC, Jacksonville lost its final five games. And missed the postseason. Miami should be fully thawed from its playoff loss at Kansas City. And they added OBJ this offseason to boslter an already steller receiving corps. Fun Fact Of The Week: Trevor Lawrence beat Tua Tagovailoa in the national championship game five years ago. No this time. 

Best Bet: Dolphins -3.5 (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook


Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. (Fox)

Buzz: The Panthers are one of two teams - the Patriots being the other - who are underdogs in all 17 games this regular season. The Saints have won 5 straight season openers. The pushed and covered against Carolina last season. But they've otherwise struggled within the division. The Saints need to fix that if they hope to within the Falcons and Bucs at the end of the season. It starts here. At home. 

Best Bet: Saints -4.5 (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook


Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants, 1 p.m. (Fox)

Buzz: The Giants have tried as hard as any NFL team in recent memory to shake their starting QB. But barring injury, Daniel Jones takes the first snap of the season for Big Blue. We'll get to know him during "Hard Knocks." The Vikings, meanwhile, have closed the Kirk Cousins Era and are expected to go with rookie J.J. McCarthy as their QB of the present and future. This game is a contender for the fewest point total of the week. 

Best Bet: Under 41.5 Points (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook


Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)

Buzz: Welcome (back) to the NFL, Jim Harbaugh. The first-year Chargers coach will be in for a shock when SoFi Stadium is packed with Raiders fans, many of whom long for the day that team played in LA. Harbaugh's offense will be fun to watch and he's the most proficient offensive-minded coach Justin Herbert's had in his NFL career. Keep an eye on Herbert in the NFL's futures markets, BTW. The Raiders QB room is considered the worst in the NFL. This game could get out of hand early. 

Best Bet: Chargers -3 (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook


Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)

Buzz: For the first time since 2009, someone other than Pete Carroll will be coaching the Seahawks. But Geno Smith returns at QB. And that should be enough in Week 1. Former Oregon QB Bo Nix could make his NFL debut in the Great Northwest for the Broncos. It won't matter much in the case of the Broncos, whose offense is headed for anemia at best. 

Best Bet: Under 42.5 Points (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook


Washington Commanders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)

Buzz: The Buccaneers brought back much of the band this offseason. The Buccaneers have won the NFC South three straight seasons (Tom Brady had to settle for the wild card in his first year with the Bucs). Baker Mayfield had his best season as a starter last year and appears to have found a home and stability in Tampa Bay. Mike Evans got his bag and returns, as does Antoine Winfield. The Commanders took Heisman Trophy winner QB Jaylen Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick. But don't look for the Commanders to roll out Daniels against the Bucs defense in his NFL debut. He might not recover. Expect Marcus Mariotta to take the beating in the interim. 

Best Bet: Buccaneers -3.5 (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook


Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)

Buzz: We could go on about the “The Clash Of What Might Have Been QB Titans” featuring Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson. But the only quarterback who matters in this game – at least to the millions watching on TV – is Tom Brady. This game marks the debut of Brady as the lead in-game analyst for the network. The roasted GOAT has a 10-year deal with the network that pays him $37.5 million per year. Both the Cowboys and Browns made the playoffs last season, only to be crushed in the first round. Watson’s health is always a concern, while Prescott is all but certain to be ready in Week 1. The Browns defense often rose to the moment last season. Given the tight window on this line, we’ll go with the home team.

Best Bet: Browns ML (-115) with DraftKings Sportsbook


Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

Buzz: Jared Goff hit Powerball this offseason as he and the Lions agreed to a 4-year $212 million contract extension, with $170 million guaranteed. Say what you will about Goff, but it wasn't his fault the Lions didn't kick that field goal against San Francisco in the NFC championship game. This game is a sneaky good playoff rematch from last season. The Lions have the best record on the line of any NFL team over the past three seasons at 37-17 ATS. That's whopping 68.5%. No reason to stop now. 

Best Bet: Lions -3 (-110) with DraftKings Sportsbook

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Monday, September 9

New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers, 8:20 p.m. (ESPN)

Buzz: Aaron Rodgers makes just his second start since leaving the Green Bay Packers after the 2022 season. He took four snaps for the Jets in 2023 before his ACL snapped and he was lost for the season. Rodgers should be fully reacquainted with his offense by Week 1. The 49ers are coming off an overtime Super Bowl loss. That takes a toll. The 49ers went 6-10 the season after losing Super Bowl 54. Expect the Jets defense to keep Brock Purdy off the pocket. Rodgers has 6 wins in his 9 starts against the 49ers, while throwing for 2.597 yards, 20 TDs and just 2 picks. 

Best Bet: Jets +5.5 (-105) with DraftKings Sportsbook

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About the Author

Bill Speros for Bookies.com
Bill Speros
Bill Speros is an award-winning journalist and editor whose career includes stops at USA Today Sports Network / Golfweek, Cox Media, ESPN, Orlando Sentinel and Denver Post.