Week 1 NFL Odds, Early Locks and Best Bets on the Schedule

The excruciating wait that is the NFL offseason is finally over, football fans! The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will kick off the 2025 regular season, and with that, the race to Super Bowl LX will be underway.

Fans looking to make things a little more interesting this season will have no shortage of wagering options. However, things can be incredibly difficult to predict in the early weeks.

Rosters aren't the same as they were a year ago, and players who saw little or no preseason action could be rusty. That doesn't mean, however, that Week 1 can't provide some prime betting opportunities.

Here, we'll examine three of the best bets on the schedule based on factors like 2024 performance, preseason production and offseason roster movement.

*Lines via DraftKings Sportsbook

Eagles -7 Versus Cowboys

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley

Regardless of what franchise owner Jerry Jones might say publicly, the Cowboys are not a better team with Micah Parsons playing elsewhere. The star pass-rusher has been a catalyst for almost everything Dallas has done well defensively in recent years, and last year's 28th-ranked unit will be worse without him.

Now, the Cowboys do have enough offensive firepower to make things interesting against the rival Eagles. Philly's defense saw quite a bit of turnover this offseason, and it carries some questions at cornerback and safety.

However, Dallas is likely to be offensively one-dimensional, while the Eagles can lead with a balanced offensive attack. That should give the home team an edge, as will a raucous Philly crowd.

It's worth noting that injuries significantly impacted Dallas' 2024 campaign. It's also worth noting that the Cowboys lost their two games against Philadelphia by a combined score of 75-13.

Expect Dallas to put up a fight. Don't expect it to keep things close in the fourth quarter on the Eagles' banner-raising night.

Bengals -5.5 at Browns

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase

The Bengals haven't had the best results when playing the rival Cleveland Browns in recent years. However, they won both 2024 meetings by at least seven points.

The fact that the Week 1 line is lower than a touchdown makes Cincinnati an enticing pick.

Cleveland should fare better against the Bengals with Joe Flacco behind center than it did with Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston last year. The Browns' defense typically has success against Joe Burrow as well.

Yet, Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins headline a passing attack that has become virtually impossible to contain. The Browns will need Burrow and Co. to make multiple mistakes to pull off an upset in Week 1, and Cincinnati is primed to avoid the Week 1 trap.

After regularly experiencing slow starts to the season, the Bengals decided to play Burrow and the rest of their starters extensively in the preseason.

Broncos -7.5 Versus Titans

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Broncos QB Bo Nix

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward has all the talent needed to change the franchise's long-term fortunes and even rack up a few wins this season. However, the Miami product is likely to have a few early struggles as he adapts to the speed and the complexity of the pro game.

Unfortunately, Ward will begin his career on the road against a very potent Denver Broncos team—and a very good Broncos defense. A year ago, Denver ranked seventh in total defense and third in points allowed.

Expect Sean Payton and Vance Joseph to regularly scheme up headaches for the Titans rookie, which will put the game firmly in Denver's favor. Also expect Bo Nix and the Broncos offense to find a rhythm against a Titans defense that ranked 30th in points allowed last season.

This is a game that could be close early, but winning the turnover battle should allow Denver to pull away late.

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