EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe complete 2026 NFL schedule is out, and odds for every Week 1 game are already available.The regular season is still months away, but we didn't let that stop us from taking an early look at the numbers to see if anything jumped out from a betting perspective.It also gives us a chance to revisit team futures that may have drawn our attention.So, what matchups stand out? Which bets are worth consideration right now?We asked Matt Bowen, Pamela Maldonado, Ben Solak and Seth Walder for their early takes. Here are the bets that caught their eye.Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change.Early bets for Week 1San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams (-2.5, 48.5)Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia8:35 p.m. ET, Thursday, Sept. 10Bowen: Under 48.5I'll bet the under in this one. Common opponents from a scouting (and coaching) perspective. Two defenses that ranked top 15 in scoring last season. The Rams made big-time upgrades in the secondary with cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, too. And I think it's always smart to bet on defense early in the season. It takes time for offenses to find a sense of rhythm in live game action. Plus, this matchup is in Australia. Long trip. Time change. Unfamiliar playing surface. Lot of factors here.Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5, 44.5)1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 13Walder: Buccaneers +3.5I'm just playing the number here. Straight up I'd pick the Bengals, sure, but getting a field goal and a hook? I can get behind Todd Bowles delivering enough pressure to throw Joe Burrow off his game in the season opener to keep it close. Plus, for as much as we write off Cincinnati's 2025 because of Burrow's injury, I'll just point out that when Burrow was on the field last season Cincinnati averaged 0.06 EPA per play. That would have tied for 10th best over the course of the season. Above average, sure, but not good enough to immediately expect blowouts.New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions (-7, 48.5)1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 13Solak: Saints +7The Saints are the team on whom I have the most early-season exposure. Kellen Moore and Brandon Staley coached their socks off with poor depth charts last season, as New Orleans ended the year on a 4-1 run under rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. Shough should get a big boost from the Saints' running game, which was nonexistent last year but now is improved by the free agent additions of running back Travis Etienne Jr. and offensive guard David Edwards. Detroit, meanwhile, will be debuting a new-look offensive line following the departures of Graham Glasgow and Taylor Decker. The Lions are a team I'm fading in September until the new front gets up to speed.Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3, 42.5)1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 13Walder: Steelers -3Do I have a ton of confidence about the seasonlong prospects of the 2026 Steelers with, presumably, Aaron Rodgers at the helm again? Not particularly. But for the initial Mike McCarthy-Rodgers reunion game against a team with zero pass rush? Yeah, I can get behind that. With there being a good chance it's Tua Tagovailoa starting on the other side, I can't imagine the Pittsburgh defense will be overly concerned.Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers (-11.5, 45.5)4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 13Maldonado: Under 45.5Arizona's offseason moves suggest a slower, more controlled offensive identity entering 2026. With Jacoby Brissett projected to start at QB and rookie RB Jeremiyah Love expected to be heavily involved, the Cardinals may prioritize shortening games and limiting mistakes early in the season. The problem with that... the Chargers were top 10 against the run last season and were second in limiting red zone touchdowns. Arizona could lean run-heavy, but long drives ending in field goals or punts would favor the under, especially if L.A. controls the pace with a lead.Green Bay Packers (-1.5, 44.5) at Minnesota Vikings4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 13Solak: Vikings +1.5The Packers are expected to play without star pass rusher Micah Parsons for the first few weeks of the 2026 season, and that defensive depth chart is worrisome without him. The offseason departure of defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, along with free agent departees Rashan Gary and Quay Walker, leaves the Packers with question marks at all three levels of their defensive unit. Meanwhile, the Vikings will be debuting the new-look Kyler Murray offense, and I expect Kevin O'Connell's wrinkles with a dual threat like Murray to take the Vikings' early opponents by surprise. This is an interesting revenge game between Murray and new Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who coached Murray in Arizona.Dallas Cowboys (-2.5, 48.5) at New York Giants8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 13Maldonado: Giants +2.5Dallas will draw attention because of the offensive upside, but this was still a seven-win team last season with major issues in coverage, tackling and red zone defense. The Giants quietly did some things well, despite their 4-13 record. The run game was solid and the pass rush generated pressure. Both teams did directly attack weaknesses in the draft, which means last year's metrics are informative but not fully predictive. Still, asking Dallas to lay points in a road divisional opener feels aggressive early. The Giants have a profile to make this tighter, messier and more competitive.Walder: Under 48.5The fact that the Giants are only "hopeful" that Malik Nabers will play in Week 1 in May following a second procedure on his right knee gives me some concern about their offense coming out of the gates in 2026. I do think both of these defenses should be better than they were a year ago, too. Frankly, Dallas' can't be any worse, and the Giants' defense looks pretty solid on paper and should be led by what could be an otherworldly pass rush between Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Arvell Reese.Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5, 42.5)8:15 p.m. ET, Monday, Sept. 14Bowen: Broncos moneyline (+130)The status of Patrick Mahomes' knee rehab/recovery over the summer will play a role here when placing this bet in September. We get that. But for today? Give me Denver. Assuming Bo Nix (ankle) is ready, this team can go into Arrowhead and get a win in Week 1. The Broncos added more speed, plus explosive catch-and-run ability, with wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. And Vance Joseph's defense led the league in sacks (68) while allowing only 18.3 PPG. This is a championship-level defense.Futures betsHouston Texans to win Super Bowl (18-1)12-5, second in AFC South in 2025, lost in divisional roundBowen: The Texans addressed the offensive line through free agency and the draft. Plus, they traded for running back David Montgomery. They created an efficient run game here that brings balance to the offense and much more manageable situations for quarterback C.J. Stroud. If Houston can establish more offensive rhythm in '26, paired with the league's best defense, this team will be in a position to make a title run. And the Texans enter the season with the seventh-easiest schedule in the league.Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl (22-1)6-11, third in AFC North in 2025Maldonado: I thought about the home games to close out the season. Cincinnati's early stretch is brutal from a travel perspective, but if the Bengals can survive the first half at around .500, the back half sets up well for a playoff push. They are heavy on the home games the back half of the year, including massive late-season spots against KC and Baltimore, which could swing playoff positioning in December. The price here is enough intrigue.
