Before Week 1 of the 2026 regular season gets rolling, the betting board is already offering a full slate of decisions to chew on. If you’re trying to line up against the spread picks, there’s no shortage of spots that feel pretty clear - and a few that come with a little more hesitation.
Last season, the overall record landed at 125-129-1, just behind the BGN community at 126-128-1. So yes, there’s a little scoreboard here too. The goal now is simple: beat the odds again.
Buffalo opens on the road as a 1.5-point favorite at Houston, but the lean is toward the home side. Josh Allen posted a 56.4 passer rating against DeMeco Ryans’ defense in 2024 and a 67.4 passer rating against that same unit in 2025, which makes the Texans feel like a team that may have some answers for him. That’s enough to side with the home dogs: Texans +1.5.
Jacksonville is laying 8.5 at home against Cleveland, and that’s not a number that inspires much confidence in the Browns. Betting on Deshaun Watson to deliver here is a hard sell, especially with Cleveland described as a prime contender for the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The Jaguars may not be a proven bet either, but they’re easier to trust than the Browns. PICK: Jaguars -8.5
Pittsburgh is favored by 6.5 over Atlanta, and the gap feels wide for a reason. The idea of Cooper Rush lighting up the Steelers defense in Pittsburgh is treated as the kind of thought that falls apart as soon as you say it out loud. PICK: Steelers -6.5
Tennessee is getting 1.5 at home against the Jets, and the Titans are the side that offers at least some optimism. There’s nowhere to go but up, and Cam Ward’s upside is easier to buy into than anything the Jets are bringing to the table.
There’s also the possibility of a Robert Saleh revenge game. PICK: Titans -1.5
Detroit is laying 6.5 to New Orleans, and the Saints may be getting more hype than they deserve. The Lions are the real sleeper here, with the expectation that they’ll be much better than they were last season. PICK: Lions -6.5
Baltimore is a 3.5-point road favorite in Indianapolis, and Lamar Jackson in the regular season is not the kind of quarterback you want to bet against. The Colts, meanwhile, are viewed as having been a flash in the pan for half of the 2025 season. PICK: Ravens -3.5
Cincinnati is favored by 3.5 over Tampa Bay, and the choice comes down to backing Joe Burrow in a game like this. The Buccaneers might have been tougher if they hadn’t paid Baker Mayfield, but the edge goes to the Bengals. PICK: Bengals -3.5
Philadelphia is laying 5.5 at home against Washington, and this is a matchup that does not set up well for the Commanders. Washington hasn’t found answers for Saquon Barkley since he joined the Eagles, and Philadelphia should be able to run the ball while its pass rush makes life difficult for Jayden Daniels.
The only real pause is whether the line should be bigger, though Week 1 uncertainty may be part of the reason it isn’t. Still, the call is clear: Eagles -5.5.
Minnesota is a 1.5-point home favorite against Green Bay, and the Packers are dealing with some not-so-good vibes. Kyler Murray is tough to trust late, but there’s a belief he could still have regular-season success early on. PICK: Vikings -1.5
The Chargers are laying 8.5 to Arizona, and even with some questions about Los Angeles, the Cardinals are tough to believe in at all. There is interest in seeing how the Justin Herbert-Mike McDaniel pairing works out, but not enough to back Arizona. PICK: Chargers -8.5
Dallas closes the slate as a 3-point favorite at the Giants, and the hesitation here is mostly about giving New York the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it’s a new era, but that needs to show up before it can be trusted.
The Cowboys have controlled this matchup for too long to suddenly expect an upset, and there’s also a belief Dallas is headed for a good season. PICK: Cowboys -3
In Other News...
Eagles Fans Are Losing A Familiar Game Day Voice This Season
Ron Jaworski will be a familiar voice no longer on Eagles game days next season, after announcing he will not return to ESPN or NBC Sports Philadelphia for the 2026 NFL season. The former Eagles quarterback spent four years on the teams pregame and postgame shows, bringing the perspective and polish that come with a long broadcasting career built after his playing days.
Jaworski said the decision comes from a desire to spend more time with family, closing a run that stretched well beyond Philadelphia and into national NFL coverage. NBC Sports Philadelphia acknowledged his departure and praised what he brought to its coverage, leaving the Eagles broadcast setup facing a noticeable change as another season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Suddenly Have A Very Different Week 4 Problem
For much of the week, the Eagles were preparing for a familiar kind of headache, the sort that comes with lining up against Myles Garrett and everything he can disrupt off the edge. Instead, Garrett is expected to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and land on injured reserve, which removes him from the Rams Week 4 matchup and changes the conversation in a hurry.
Philadelphia now has to redirect its attention toward the rest of a Rams defense that still has plenty of bite, with Aaron Donald looming as the obvious central concern. The Eagles game plan will look different without Garrett in the picture, and while the broad strategic adjustments are easy to imagine, the real question is how much this sudden shift alters what had been a very specific week of preparation. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Finally Showed Their Hand Behind Jalen Hurts
The Eagles spent the week keeping their backup quarterback plan under wraps, and on game day they finally revealed who would be behind Jalen Hurts. Andy Dalton will serve as the No. 2 quarterback against the Washington Commanders, a choice that had been intentionally left open as Nick Sirianni tried to preserve a competitive edge.
Dalton and Tanner McKee both worked as possible options throughout the week, so Philadelphia was able to keep Washington guessing until shortly before kickoff. It is a small detail in the larger game plan, but one that shows how carefully the Eagles are managing even the spots behind Hurts as they head into a divisional matchup. [Read more 🡒]