The NFL season opens with a pair of standalone primetime games, and the early betting market already has a clear shape to it: Seattle and Los Angeles are both getting the benefit of the doubt.
The Seahawks are laying 3.5 points at FanDuel against the Patriots in Wednesday’s opener, while the Rams are also 3.5-point favorites over the 49ers in Thursday’s game in Melbourne, Australia. At DraftKings, Seattle is listed as a heavily juiced -3 as of writing.
Sunday brings the big board: 13 games, and a lot of tight numbers. Nine of those matchups are listed at 3.5 points or fewer, with several sitting almost exactly on the edge of pick’em territory.
The Bills are -1.5 at the Texans, the Packers are -1.5 at the Vikings, and the Jets are -1.5 at the Titans. That Jets-Titans matchup also carries the week’s lowest total, set at 39.5 points.
Only three games are installed with spreads of a touchdown or more. The Saints are -7 at the Lions, the Browns are -8.5 at the Jaguars, and the Cardinals are -9.5 at the Chargers. According to Evan Abrams at the Action Network, that 10-point number makes the Chargers the first double-digit Week 1 favorite since 2019, which helped push Justin Herbert and Co. into The Athletic’s Week 1 survivor picks.
At the other end of the scoring spectrum, Bengals-Buccaneers has the highest total on the slate at 50.5 points. Joe Burrow is healthy, and Baker Mayfield is coming off another solid campaign, even with injuries to his supporting cast complicating things late.
The numbers are still early, and they’ll move as bettors and sportsbooks get a better read on these teams. For now, though, the board is set for the season’s first full Sunday, starting with Wednesday’s opener and rolling all the way through Monday night.
Week 1 NFL odds
Wednesday
49ers vs. Rams odds
Thursday in Melbourne, Australia
Falcons at Steelers odds
Jets at Titans odds
Saints at Lions odds
Buccaneers at Bengals odds
Ravens at Colts odds
Bills at Texans odds
Bears at Panthers odds
Browns at Jaguars odds
Dolphins at Raiders odds
Commanders at Eagles odds
Packers at Vikings odds
Cardinals at Chargers odds
Cowboys at Giants odds
Sunday Night Football
Broncos at Chiefs
Monday Night Football
In Other News...
Chargers Add Intriguing Week 1 Depth With One Familiar Connection
As the Chargers turn the page toward their Sept. 13 opener against the Cardinals, the team has quietly reshaped the back end of its roster with a series of practice squad moves. Cornerback Isas Waxter is back in the fold, while wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. and tight end Patrick Herbert have also been added, giving Los Angeles a little more depth as the regular season approaches and the staff sorts out its weekly options.
Herberts arrival brings a familiar name into a room that always seems to value versatile tight ends, and it adds another layer to the usual early-season churn around the practice squad. The Chargers have spent plenty of recent time balancing immediate depth with longer-term development, and these kinds of moves often hint at how a team wants to protect itself before the games start counting, especially with a Week 1 matchup already on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Depth Chart Sends A Surprising Message About Oronde Gadsden II
The Chargers updated depth chart heading into Week 1 of the 2026 season sent a clear signal about how the team now views its tight end room. Oronde Gadsden II, who turned in a strong rookie season in 2025, was listed as third-string after an offseason that brought in Charlie Kolar and David Njoku, two additions that immediately changed the pecking order.
For a player whose receiving chops already looked promising, the message is less about what Gadsden can do with the ball than what he has yet to prove away from it. His blocking issues and a relatively quiet offseason reportedly weighed into the decision, and now the question for the Chargers is whether this is a temporary shake-up or the first sign that his role is shrinking just as the season is getting underway. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Camp Hit Sparked The Kind Of Broncos Reaction Fans Notice
Training camp can turn routine reps into instant talking points, and the Broncos got one of those moments when defensive tackle Malcolm Roach put a sack on Bo Nix during a recent session. Roach quickly clarified that the hit was not intentional and said he was not involved in the fights that followed, but in camp, even a single snap like that tends to linger because it says something about the edge a defense is bringing.
For Chargers fans keeping an eye on the AFC West, it is the sort of flashpoint that matters less for the box score than for the tone it sets around a rival. The Broncos are still sorting through camp intensity and the emotions that come with it, while Kansas City is dealing with its own preseason uncertainty after Andy Reid updated the Week 1 status of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Simmons, Kahlil Benson, Rashee Rice, Chamarri Conner and Alohi Gilman, leaving several key availabilities unresolved as the opener approaches. [Read more 🡒]