NFL Week 1 Betting Picks: Packers, Chiefs, Falcons Top Odds Selections

Week 1 of the 2015 NFL season is finally upon us, and bettors everywhere are busy scrambling for inside information that will help them place successful wagers.

Betting trends are also valuable because some teams perform better in season openers than others, while there are certain matchups that also have been one-sided lately.

The first pick on the NFL Week 1 betting lines that should stand out to anybody who follows the league’s longest rivalry is the Green Bay Packers (-7 at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark) visiting the Chicago Bears.

It doesn’t matter where these teams play, Green Bay has dominated Chicago in the series over the past six years, going 11-2 straight up and 10-3 against the spread. That includes the 2011 NFC Championship Game that propelled the Packers to the Super Bowl.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is 1-11 SU during that stretch, as one of their two wins occurred with backup Josh McCown under center when the teams played at Green Bay on a Monday night in 2013.

The second-best bet involves an underrated team in essentially a pick’em game, as the Kansas City Chiefs visit the Houston Texans (-1). The Chiefs are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as underdogs during the month of September, according to the Odds Shark NFL Database, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they closed as favorites before the game kicks off on Sunday.

The Texans are also 0-5 versus the line in their past five matchups with AFC West teams, and they will likely struggle to score facing the Kansas City defense with a new quarterback in Brian Hoyer and without star running back Arian Foster due to injury.

Finally, Monday night will feature a doubleheader, and there is some value on the underdog in the first game as the Atlanta Falcons host the Philadelphia Eagles (-3).

The Falcons are 6-0 ATS in their last six season openers at home, and they upset the Eagles 14-10 as 1.5-point home underdogs back in Week 1 of 2005.

Atlanta is also 4-0 SU in its previous four meetings with NFC East opponents at home. In addition, Philadelphia has not fared well as a favorite in September, going 2-8 versus the number in its past 10 games under that scenario.