It’s the opening week of the NFL season, which means new beginnings and a chance for all involved to lay the foundation for what is going to be a long campaign ahead.

Here’s a look at some of the key betting plays ahead of NFL Week 1 Sunday.

Quick Picks

Our pick: Jacksonville Jaguars -7.5

Value bet: Detroit Lions -4.5

Long shot: Baltimore Ravens Win By 7-12

Betting Preview

It’s being billed as ‘NFL Week 1 Sunday’ by league chiefs, but of course much of the action takes place on Monday morning AEST, with all games taking place after the season opener between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne.

Here’s the first set of match-ups:

• Atlanta Falcons vs Pittsburgh Steelers - Monday, September 14 (04:00)
• Baltimore Ravens vs Indianapolis Colts - Monday, September 14 (04:00)
• Buffalo Bills vs Houston Texans - Monday, September 14 (04:00)
• Chicago Bears vs Carolina Panthers - Monday, September 14 (04:00)
• Cleveland Browns vs Jacksonville Jaguars - Monday, September 14 (04:00)
• New Orleans Saints vs Detroit Lions - Monday, September 14 (04:00)
• New York Jets vs Tennessee Titans - Monday, September 14 (04:00)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Cincinnati Bengals - Monday, September 14 (04:00)
• Arizona Cardinals vs LA Chargers - Monday, September 14 (07:25)
• Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings - Monday, September 14 (07:25)
• Miami Dolphins vs Las Vegas Raiders - Monday, September 14 (07:25)
• Washington Commanders vs Philadelphia Eagles - Monday, September 14 (07:25)
• Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants – Monday, September 14 (11:20)

Betting Markets to Watch

It’s not always easy to make predictions in Week 1 as new arrivals bed in and both offensive and defensive plays take shape, but on paper at least the Jacksonville Jaguars look to be a rightfully strong favourite at home against the Cleveland Browns.

They went 13-4 in the regular season in 2025 and were somewhat unlucky against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. The Browns, meanwhile, went 5-15 and there are real question marks about Deshaun Watson as a starting QB given his injury record.

A red hot favourite, betting markets in which to support the Jags include the points line (Over 40.5) and their star quarterback Trevor Lawrence to clear 238.5 passing yards.

However, keeping it simple – Jacksonville with a -7.5 handicap – might be the way to go this early in the campaign.

Plenty of money has come in for the Detroit Lions in both the NFC and Super Bowl markets, as the latest NFL Futures odds reflect. There is a real sense that their offensive creativity could help carry them to some sensational things this season.

The Lions will certainly be looking to start strong against the New Orleans Saints, who ended 2025 with a 6-11 record. Their defensive department could well be exposed by Jared Goff’s cannon arm, although playing it safe with an alternative handicap of -4.5 may prove to be sensible.

Our Prediction

Check the latest NFL Week 1 odds at Sportsbet.

Having backed the Jaguars and the Lions as warm favourites, we can end our predictions with a longshot selection… but one backed up by plenty of pointers.

Baltimore Ravens are shaping up as Super Bowl contenders once again, with Lamar Jackson expected to be in the MVP hunt. It is worth keeping an eye on the Super Bowl betting if you fancy them to go all the way.

Their opponents, Indianapolis Colts, lost each of their last seven games in 2025, while star quarterback Daniel Jones is coming back from a torn Achilles. We tend to back the Ravens to win this game comfortably .