Congratulations, you have finally made it to the start of another NFL season. Many people like to say that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but those people must not enjoy sitting around watching football every single weekend.
The start of the 2023 NFL season brings many good things, with some great betting options being near the top of the list. Some people might say that it’s hard to know how to wager in Week 1, but those people are just making excuses because they know that they can’t win.
We simply don’t have that problem here, and we’ve taken a close look at each of the NFL Week 1 matchups set to take place. There might be some surprising results in Week 1, but most of the matchups we are focusing on are going to go according to plan.
Here is a look at five games that you simply have to include in your NFL Week 1 parlay if you want to get the season started off right by winning some money.
Big Spreads, Big Winners
Most of the games in Week 1 are going to have a spread that is a touchdown or less, but that’s not the case for every game on the schedule. There are two games with a spread of seven points or more, and that’s usually a dangerous bet to make.
The Baltimore Ravens are massive 10-point betting favorites over the Houston Texans, and this game should not be close at all. Houston is going to be sending a rookie quarterback to Baltimore on Sunday, and the Ravens defense will be ready to come after C.J. Stroud.
This Texans team has absolutely no reason to be trying to win games this season, as they are better off getting a high draft pick in 2024. Houston won’t have any trouble losing games in 2023, and the Ravens will gladly take the blowout win to begin the year.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will find the end zone at least five times in this one, as it’s over by halftime. Bet the Ravens -10.0 as they cruise to a dominant win in the season opener.
The other big favorite in Week 1 is the Washington Commanders, as they are seven-point home favorites over the Arizona Cardinals. While Houston is at least trying to hide the fact that they are tanking a little bit, that’s not the case with the Arizona Cardinals.
Washington isn’t going to be this big of a favorite the rest of the year, but that spread is not a misprint. The Commanders are going to fool everyone into thinking that they are good this season as they will blow out the Cardinals in Week 1.
Two Rivalry Games to Bet
The NFL always does a great job of scheduling some big games to kick off the season, and that’s the case in 2023 as well. The Chicago Bears host the Green Bay Packers in one rivalry game, and the Cleveland Browns host the Cincinnati Bengals in another.
Betting rivalry games is always a bit more difficult than other matchups, as there is extra motivation for each team. The betting odds for these two games are tight, but you will want to take the favorite in each game.
The Cincinnati Bengals head to Cleveland as a 2.5-point betting favorite, and that line seems a bit disrespectful to Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. That Cleveland defense should be for real this season, but Burrow and Chase are going to put on a show to begin the year.
You are probably shocked to see that the Chicago Bears are one-point favorites over the Green Bay Packers, but not if you remember that Aaron Rodgers is no longer in the NFC. Rodgers simply owned the Bears for the past decade, and the Bears have to feel like a weight is off of them, with Rodgers now playing in New York.
Justin Fields is headed for superstardom with the Bears, even if he is going to continue to do nearly all of his work with his legs. There are still some questions surrounding the Bears on defense, but Jordan Love is not going to be good enough to beat them.
Bet the Cincinnati Bengals -2.5 and the Chicago Bears -1.0 as both favorites pick up a big win over their rivals.
Lions are for Real
The 2023 NFL season will begin on Thursday night yet again, and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the opener. Kansas City is a 6.5-point betting favorite over the Detroit Lions in Week 1, and that spread might look a bit strange at first glance.
Even though the Chiefs typically aren’t concerned with defense, they are set to begin the year without Chris Jones. The offense should still be impossible to defend with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, but they don’t always show up to play every regular season game.
Detroit will be coming into this game looking to make a statement, and they do have the talent to put some points up on the board. The problem for the Lions will be getting stops on defense, and that’s an issue in Kansas City.
The Chiefs aren’t going to lose to the Lions in Week 1, but you should still be looking at betting Detroit in this one. Take the points on Thursday Night Football to kick off the 2023 NFL season the right way.
