NFL Week 1 Sunday Afternoon Slate Betting Picks, Odds & Best Bets

NFL football is back, so check out our best bets and picks for the NFL betting action on the Sunday afternoon slate!

NFL Week 1 Sunday Afternoon Slate Betting Picks & Odds - September 8

All odds provided by Betway.

Arizona Cardinals @ Buffalo Bills - 1PM

The Arizona Cardinals are going to be better than people think this year, and with so much turnover for the Bills this offseason, it might take some time to get everything rolling. We like the young Cardinals offense to jump out on a suspect Buffalo defense and keep this one close.

Best Bet: Cardinals +6.5 Point Spread (-105)

Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints - 1PM

This is probably the game that’s going to have the fewest eyes on it. We’re going to stay away from it, but if you really need to bet on this one, we’d say the under seems like a lock with two poor offenses going toe to toe.

Best Bet: Game Total Under 41.5 (-110)

Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts - 1PM

We don’t think Anthony Richardson is going to turn out as well as most are expecting, and we think the Texans have one of the best rosters in the league right now. It is a road division game for Houston though, so we’ll stay safe with the moneyline.

Best Bet: Houston Texans Moneyline (-160)

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Miami Dolphins - 1PM

The Dolphins have been as dominant as any team at home since Mike McDaniel took over in 2022, so despite some bullish sentiment surrounding this new-look Jags offense, we think the Dolphins will take care of business at Hard Rock.

Best Bet: Miami Dolphins Moneyline (-180)

Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants - 1PM

The New York Giants could be the worst team in the league, and the fact that they aren’t even favorites at home against the Sam Darnold-led Vikings is an issue. We think the New York nightmare begins in earnest, and Darnold gets his revenge on N.Y.

Best Bet: Minnesota Vikings Moneyline (-125)

New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals - 1PM

The Ja’Marr Chase of it all gives us slight pause here, but it’s pretty clear that the Patriots are not looking to compete in 2024, so the Bengals should be able to cover a pretty big spread at home in Week 1.

Best Bet: Cincinnati Bengals -8.0 Spread (-110)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Atlanta Falcons - 1PM

As any competent NFL bettor should know by now, there is perhaps no coach who performs better as an underdog than Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin. Steelers new OC Arthur Smith was the HC in Atlanta for the last three years, and quotes from players suggest they’re rallying around their new coordinator, so we expect them to play hard for him and cover a nice spread here.

Best Bet: Pittsburgh Steelers +3.5 Spread (-115)

Tennessee Titans @ Chicago Bears - 1PM

A QB who was a No. 1 pick has not won their rookie debut since 2002, but we like Caleb Williams to break that streak here against what could be the worst offense in the league in Tennessee. The Titans defense is much improved though, so we’re going to stick to the moneyline here.

Best Bet: Chicago Bears Moneyline (-190)

Denver Broncos @ Seattle Seahawks - 4:05PM

A rookie quarterback on the road in his NFL debut? Yeah, we’re sticking with the other guys. Seattle is going to be an underrated outfit all season, and they should win this one convincingly.

Best Bet: Seattle Seahawks -6.0 Spread (-110)

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers - 4:05PM

Interim coaches that get promoted to the full job have lost seven of their last 10 full debuts the next year. Meanwhile, Jim Harbaugh was 4-0 in season opener’s during his last NFL stint and is 16-4 overall in season openers including his college tenure.

Best Bet: Los Angeles Chargers -3.0 Spread (-110)

Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns - 1PM

We’re not sure why sports betting sites are favoring the Browns here other than the fact that they are playing at home. Deshaun Watson is going to be a mess this season, and Micah Parsons is going to be on him early and often in this one. We like Dallas to upset.

Best Bet: Dallas Cowboys Moneyline (+120)

Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 4:25PM

For some reason, everyone seems to be ignoring what the Buccaneers accomplished last year, and considering they brought back the entire core, we expect them to be competitive again. Another rookie QB on the road in his debut makes this an easy choice.

Best Bet: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Moneyline (-180)