The NFL season is here, and there are some great games on the Week 1 slate. This is a look at my best bets for NFL Week 1. You can place all of these bets on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
NFL Week 1 Best Bets
Cleveland Browns +5.5 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The Browns are expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season. However, Joe Flacco could provide some much-needed stability at the quarterback position that they didn’t have last season. His last stint in Cleveland in 2023 saw him lead the Browns to the postseason. Then he played some solid football in 2024 with the Colts. He has not started a full season since 2017, and injuries and durability are a real concern. However, in Week 1, Flacco could show some of his old magic. Joe Burrow and the Bengals have struggled in early-season games over the past few seasons. Burrow is 1-9 SU and 3-7 ATS in his first two games of the season throughout his career. Divisional home underdogs are a great bet in Week 1 over the years, going 23-7 ATS since 2010. This should be a lower-scoring game that comes down to a field goal either way.
New York Giants +5.5 vs. Washington Commanders
The Giants are another divisional underdog worth a bet in Week 1. The Giants will be on the road, but divisional underdogs have been great in general, not just on the road. The Commanders could be set for some regression this season. Terry McLaurin wasn’t around all summer, Brian Robinson Jr. is off the team and they lost other key contributors like Jeremy Chinn, Dante Fowler and Benjamin St. Juste on the defensive side of the ball. Teams will be better prepared for Jayden Daniels’ unique abilities than they were last season, especially the Giants, who faced him twice last season. The Giants played the Commanders tight in both games last season, losing one game by five and the other by three. The Giants have one of the best defensive lines in football after adding Abdul Carter, and should be able to slow down Daniels. They will also be more competent on offense with Russell Wilson throwing to Malik Nabers. This should be a tight game between the two divisional rivals.
6-Point Teaser: Las Vegas Raiders +8.5 & Denver Broncos -2.5
Teasers are a great way to bet on the NFL if played properly. The most efficient teasers cross through the key numbers of three and seven. It gives you the most value, as that is the most common final differential of NFL games. For example, the Raiders are +2.5-point underdogs against the Patriots this week. Teasing the Raiders up turns this from a coinflip game to one where the Raiders just need to keep it within one score. The Patriots should be improved with Mike Vrabel, so many new pieces and a more experienced Drake Maye. However, it could take some time to get going as so many new pieces look to gel. The Raiders are in a similar boat, but they have a much more experienced quarterback, Geno Smith, who also has a lot of familiarity already with his new head coach, Pete Carroll. Between Smith, Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, this offense should be fun to watch this season. The Patriots might squeak out the win at home, but this should be a tight game between two evenly-matched sides.
The teaser works just as effectively bringing a favorite down as it does bumping an underdog up. The Broncos are 8.5-point favorites against the Titans in Week 1. Covering that big of a spread in the NFL is always tough, but teasing down the spread to 2.5 only requires Denver to win by a field goal. They don’t have an explosive offense, but Bo Nix has proven to be a great game manager who will avoid mistakes in games like this. Denver had one of the best defenses in the NFL last season and should again this season. Cam Ward will be making his first NFL start on the road at altitude against an elite defense. It doesn’t get much tougher than that. The Broncos should win this one by at least a field goal.
Drake London o80.5 Receiving Yards (-111)
My favorite player prop for Week 1 is for Drake London to have over 80.5 receiving yards. London is one of the league’s most underrated players and could establish himself as a superstar this season. Last season, London finished third in the NFL in receptions and fourth in receiving yards. He has improved every year that he has been in the league, and will hopefully have stable quarterback play for the first time in his career. Last season, Kirk Cousins was performing well for a while, but started to tail off down the stretch. Then, Michael Penix Jr. stepped in at quarterback for the final couple of games. Penix showed what he is capable of in the team’s season finale against Carolina, throwing for 312 yards and two scores, along with a rushing TD.
London had ten catches, including both touchdowns, for 187 yards in that game against the Panthers. In the prior game with Penix at the helm, London had 106 receiving yards against Washington. London and Penix instantly clicked, and now they have had a full offseason to develop that connection further. Drake London has tormented the Buccaneers in the past. He had 12 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown when Atlanta hosted Tampa Bay last season, and had ten catches for 172 yards when they hosted them the year prior. Atlanta is hosting Tampa Bay in their season opener this season, and it should be a monster game for London again, taking him over this receiving prop.
