At long last, professional football returns to stadiums around the country and television screens across the globe. The debut of the 2023-24 NFL season is in just over 24 hours when the Detroit Lions (+6.5) visit the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs (-6.5).
NFL betting has also returned in a big way, as lines for all Week 1 games are now on the boards at major sportsbook sites. Here are a few that caught the attention of our team.
Week 1 NFL Picks, Sleepers, And Underdog Winners
Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons
- Point Spread: Panthers +3.5, Falcons -3.5
- Moneyline: Panthers +165, Falcons -195
- Over/Under: 39.5
The NFC South is one of the weakest divisions we’ve seen in quite some time. The projected winners are the New Orleans Saints, but we like the Falcons’ chances of taking the division this season.
At 1:00 PM, the intra-divisional rivalries in the NFC South get going early as the Panthers are facing the Falcons in Atlanta’s Mercedez-Benz Stadium. The Dirty Birds are favored by -3.5 in NFL point spreads at most online sportsbooks, and we believe they will easily cover and surprise Carolina with a healthy win.
Tennessee Titans @ New Orleans Saints
- Point Spread: Titans +3.0, Saints -3.0
- Moneyline: Titans +145, Saints -170
- Over/Under: 41.0
Also, at 1:00 PM, the aforementioned Saints will host the Tennessee Titans. For now, the core of the Titans offense is intact. With the addition of WR DeAndre Hopkins, we expect Tennessee to be tough to handle early going.
The Saints are now quarterbacked by veteran Derek Carr, but they’ll be without RB Alvin Kamara due to a suspension, and WR Michael Thomas is yet to prove he’s 100% healthy. We like to Titans to cover and win.
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears
- Point Spread: Packers +1.0, Bears -1.0
- Moneyline: Packers -105, Bears -115
- Over/Under: 43.0
At 4:25 PM, Green Bay ushers in a new era at quarterback when Jordan Love takes his first snap against the Chicago Bears. Oddsmakers must be taking a wait-and-see approach to this game, but we are betting on the Green Bay Packers to win outright. Look for a solid debut from Love and a conservative scheme on both offense and defense from Green Bay.
Miami Dolphins @ Los Angeles Chargers
- Point Spread: Dolphins +3.0, Chargers -3.0
- Moneyline: Dolphins +135, Chargers -160
- Over/Under: 51.0
Closing our Sunday afternoon sleepers with a 4:25 PM kickoff are the Dolphins and Chargers, where the home team is favored by a field goal in LA. We like the Dolphins to cover and win, putting up an explosion on the scoreboard against the Chargers.
Sources
- Bovada Sportsbook (Bovada.LV Review)
- ESPN
