Week 1 NFL Picks: Predictions, Odds and Over/Under Tips for Season Openers

Nobody said NFL bettors would have it easy to start the season.  

After watching oddsmakers out of Las Vegas prop up the New England Patriots by about nine points ahead of their Thursday night loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, bettors have been put on notice: Week 1 is a mess.  

As usual, really. With players getting into live action from a physical standpoint for the first time (no, a brief appearance in preseason doesn't count), asking their bodies to keep up for four frames and implementing actual schemes and timing, the results can register as shocking.  

For brave bettors, this leaves angles for big payouts on upsets. With the rest of the slate set to unfold soon, here is a look at the lines and projections for spreads and over/under numbers.  

NFL Week 1 Schedule, Odds

Arizona (-1.5) at Detroit | O/U 48

Atlanta (-7) at Chicago | O/U 48

Baltimore at Cincinnati (-3) | O/U 41.5

Jacksonville at Houston (-6) | O/U 39.5

N.Y. Jets at Buffalo (-9) | O/U 40

Oakland at Tennessee (-1.5) | O/U 50.5

Philadelphia (-1) at Washington | O/U 47.5

Pittsburgh (-9) at Cleveland | O/U 47

Indianapolis at L.A. Rams (-3.5) | O/U 41.5

Carolina (-6) at San Francisco | O/U 47.5

Seattle at Green Bay (-3) | O/U 51

N.Y. Giants at Dallas (-3.5) | O/U 47.5

New Orleans at Minnesota (-3.5) | O/U 48

LA Chargers vs. Denver (-3.5) | O/U 43

Bold denotes predicted winner against the spread and over/under pick. 

Atlanta (-7) at Chicago | O/U 48

The Chicago Bears didn't luck out with the way the schedule fell here. 

Bettors, though, did. 

This is the betting equivalent to a softball over the plate. The Atlanta Falcons are angry coming off a Super Bowl loss and hit Soldier Field at a time of year the venue itself doesn't play a major factor in the outcome of a game. 

Chicago? One of the league's most significant rebuilds took another step forward this offseason, with the team revamping spots like cornerback and wideout, not to mention by adding rookie Mitchell Trubisky and Mike Glennon at quarterback. 

The veteran, who has hardly attempted any passes during the regular season over the past two years, is more than familiar with what the Falcons are capable of thanks to his days in the NFC South as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

"They're really fast," Glennon said, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com). "Their linebackers move really well. They have found guys that fit the scheme really well. ... There's a reason why they got to the Super Bowl last year."

Quietly, Chicago has one of the better front-sevens in football thanks to guys like edge presence Leonard Floyd and Akiem Hicks up front. But the new secondary, which includes two new safeties and two new boundary corners, faces a tall task against Ryan. And that's even if big free-agent add Prince Amukamara can suit up after being listed as doubtful, according to the Chicago Tribune's Rich Campbell. 

Bank on the Falcons running away with this one. 

Prediction: Falcons 38, Bears 18

Baltimore at Cincinnati (-3) | O/U 41.5

Spoiler alert—bet the under. 

An AFC North clash between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals always seems to be a low-scoring affair, like it was last year when both contests didn't breach the 40-point mark. 

It seems the two will only continue the trend to start the season. The Bengals made big splashes with first-round rookie wideout John Ross and rookie running back Joe Mixon, yet the former suffered an injury during the preseason and the latter is mired in a committee approach to start his career. 

The Ravens aren't any more promising offensively. Danny Woodhead provides some juice to the committee backfield, but Joe Flacco missed valuable time this preseason due to injury.

The team, at least, has hyped his return: 

The reality of the situation, though, is that the Bengals hold a 7-3 advantage in this series as of late and haven't lost at home to the Ravens in years. 

Even missing Vontaze Burfict and Adam Jones due to suspensions, the Bengals have the running game to control this one, not to mention A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert, two guys the Ravens haven't been able to stop over the years. 

Timing issues for the Baltimore offense will keep this one out of reach. 

Prediction: Bengals 24, Ravens 17

Philadelphia (-1) at Washington | O/U 47.5

Here's one sure to give bettors some problems.

As NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins met twice a year ago and played to totals of 47 and 49 points. To make this line even more confusing, keep in mind both offenses have undergone significant changes.

On paper, Carson Wentz and the Eagles should be better off thanks to the arrival of Alshon Jeffery. Washington, meanwhile, lost Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, meaning 216 targets walked out the door. But the team responded by adding Terrelle Pryor Sr. and expects big things from youngster Josh Doctson. 

So what happens here? Does Wentz have the necessary leap in play and out-of-box chemistry with Jeffery to put enough points on the board? Or does the veteran Kirk Cousins spread the ball around regardless of nameplates at home and get the win? 

Washington, at least, has a defined strategy of shutting down Philadelphia's new-look committee backfield. 

"The important thing is stopping LeGarrette Blount and the running game, and they have a good running game with him," Washington head coach Jay Gruden said, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com). "When they bring in Sproles and Smallwood and all those guys, we have to somehow figure out how to get them third-and-long, try to make them one-dimensional."

With a deep front seven boasting names like rookie Jonathan Allen up front, look for the Redskins to make some headway on the ground and force Wentz to the air in a hostile environment. Flip a coin on the over/under, with a surprising performance from the Washington defense keeping it under. 

Prediction: Redskins 27, Eagles 20

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Odds via OddsShark.