The long, dark offseason is behind us, and the lights are ready to turn on for what should be another amazing NFL season. Week 1 of 2024 kicks off with marquee matchups in Kansas City and São Paulo, Brazil on Thursday and Friday night. There is just one primetime game lined up for Sunday and Monday, leaving the other 12 games on the main Sunday afternoon slate.
Each week to help you find the stats and trends that matter, I’ll be posting the relevant info for the biggest matchups each week from DraftKings Sportsbook. You can use these numbers to fill out your Week 1 betting card with single bets or combine them into an awesome parlay. Just a quick reminder before we begin, “SU” means “Straight Up” while “ATS” stands for “Against the Spread.” Spreads used in records are taken from DraftKings Sportsbook at the kickoff of each game.
Make sure to check throughout the DK Network site for more insight on NFL betting picks, NFL DFS contests and more specific insights on player props, matchups and strategies throughout the upcoming season.
Below are the betting trends for the top five matchups of Week 1:
All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds are subject to change.
Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs
Relevant Records
Betting Trends
The Chiefs begin their quest for a three-peat by hosting the Ravens on Thursday Night Football in what should be a classic kickoff matchup. The two teams have met five times since 2018 with the Chiefs coming out on top in four of those games, including last season’s AFC Championship in which the Chiefs won 17-10.
Kansas City is 8-1 SU in its last nine season openers and 6-0 SU/ATS in its six most recent games. The Chiefs are also 5-1 SU in their last six Thursday games and 18-3 SU in their last 21 games vs. the AFC.
The Ravens have also been good in Thursday games, going 10-3 SU in their last 13. They are also 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games played in Week 1 and 21-5-1 ATS in their last 27 games as the underdog.
The over has hit in eight of the last nine Week 1 matchups for Chiefs, but the under is 18-4 in their last 22 games home games and 12-5 in their last 17 overall.
Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears
Relevant Records
Betting Trends
No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams makes his debut for the Bears at Soldier Field as they host the Tennessee Titans, who will be playing their first game under new head coach Brian Callahan.
The Titans are 4-1 SU in their last five games against the Bears in Chicago, but they went only 1-10 SU in their last 11 road games. Tennessee is 2-6 ATS in their last eight Week 1 matchups and 6-14 SU in their last 20. It’s easy to see why they felt like it was time for a change!
The Bears finished last year with a little bit of a surge, going 4-3 SU/5-2 ATS over their last seven games last season. They also went 5-0 SU/4-1 ATS in their last five home games.
The under is 8-2 in the Titans’ last 10 road games and 7-3 in the Bears last 10 games overall.
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
Relevant Records
Betting Trends
Both these AFC South teams have reason to be optimistic as they face off in Week 1. The Texans added Stefon Diggs to their playoff team from last year, and the Colts get Anthony Richardson back under center and healthy to start the year. The teams split their two games last year with both teams winning on the road. While the Colts lead the overall series 33-11, the Texans have gone 2-1-1 in their last four matchups.
The Texans went 8-4 SU in their last 12 games last season and were 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games on the road.
Week 1 has not been kind to the Colts lately. They are 0-9-1 SU in their last 10 season openers. They also went just 1-4 ATS in their last five games last season and are only 6-14 ATS in their last 20 divisional contests.
The under is 7-2 in the last nine meetings between these two teams and 12-3 in their last 15 matchups in Indy.
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions
Relevant Records
Betting Trends
The Rams and Lions give us a juicy matchup on Sunday Night Football as both QBs Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford face their former teams once again. They met in the playoffs last year, and the Lions squeaked out a 24-23 win at home. Prior to that matchup, they had not played since 2021.
The Rams are 6-1 SU/ATS in their last seven games in Week 1, but they are only 2-9 in their last 11 games as the underdog. They have been very strong against the spread lately, going 7-1 ATS in their last eight games to finish last season.
The under is 4-1 in the last five head-to-head meetings between these teams, but the over is 6-2 in the Rams’ last eight games and 9-3 in the Lions last 12.
New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers
Relevant Records
Betting Trends
Aaron Rodgers’ return to action is just one of the storylines to watch on Monday Night Football, although it’s sure to be the one that gets most of the media attention.
The Jets were a mess last season after Rodgers left Week 1 and are just 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 road games. They are also 6-15 SU in their last 21 games played on Monday and 2-16 SU/3-15 ATS in their last 18 games played in September. Aaron Rodgers will hope to turn things around, but he’ll have to overcome the trends to do so.
The 49ers are 21-4 SU in their last 25 games at home but they have failed to cover in any of their last seven home games. They are also an impressive 30-10-1 ATS in their last 41 games played on a Monday and 9-4 SU in their last 13 games in Week 1.
The under is 5-1 in San Francisco’s last six September matchups and also 5-1 in the last six meetings between these teams. This will be their first meeting since 2020, when the 49ers won 31-13.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
