Week 1 NFL Picks: Season-Opening Betting Odds, Vegas Spreads and Projections

Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season is fast approaching.

Do you know where your wagers are going yet?

For those who prefer their gridiron action with some extra spice, the season-opening slate offers no shortage of money-making opportunities. After laying out the latest lines (from DraftKings) and providing our scoring projections, we'll spotlight our three best bets for Week 1.

NFL 2020 Week 1 Point Spreads

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs (-9)

Philadelphia Eagles (-6) at Washington

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (-6.5)

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (-2.5)

Indianapolis Colts (-8) at Jacksonville Jaguars

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (-3)

Las Vegas Raiders (-3) at Carolina Panthers

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills (-6.5)

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-8)

Seattle Seahawks (-1.5) at Atlanta Falcons

Los Angeles Chargers (-3.5) at Cincinnati Bengals

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-7)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints (-3.5)

Dallas Cowboys (-3) at Los Angeles Rams

Pittsburgh Steelers (-5.5) at New York Giants

Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos (-1)

Week 1 Score Predictions

Chiefs 37, Texans 28

Eagles 24, Washington 13

Patriots 20, Dolphins 17

Packers 28, Vikings 20

Colts 19, Jaguars 12

Lions 31, Bears 20

Raiders 23, Panthers 21

Bills 20, Jets 16

Ravens 38, Browns 17

Seahawks 23, Falcons 16

Bengals 17, Chargers 13

49ers 31, Cardinals 27

Buccaneers 38, Saints 35

Cowboys 34, Rams 27

Steelers 23, Giants 19

Titans 24, Broncos 13

Week 1 Best Bets

Packers +2.5 at Vikings

Green Bay won 13 games last season, including both of its matchups with Minnesota, and then made the conference championship. The Vikings followed their 10-win effort by getting bounced out of the divisional round.

The Packers didn't have a great offseason—losing Bryan Bulaga, spending a first-round pick on a backup (quarterback Jordan Love) and failing to get pass-catchers for Aaron Rodgers—but it wasn't disastrous. The Vikings, on the other hand, witnessed an exodus out of the Gopher State. Stefon Diggs, Everson Griffin, Linval Joseph, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander were among the most notable names to depart.

Green Bay has Rodgers under center, a two-time MVP and eight-time Pro Bowler who already has a Hall of Fame spot awaiting him. Minnesota counters with Kirk Cousins, a solid-at-best passer who struggles to elevate his game in tough situations and just saw his favorite target (Diggs) get traded away and replaced by a rookie (Justin Jefferson).

So, isn't the wrong team being favored here? It's not like home-field advantage needs to enter the equation, since the Vikings aren't allowing fans in the stadium. The Packers are the better team on paper and, as of last season at least, in practice.

Ravens -8 vs. Browns

Once the Ravens got rolling last season, oddsmakers couldn't put too high of a point spread on their games.

In consecutive contests, they blitzed the Seahawks and Patriots by at least 14 points each. Two weeks later, they bulldozed the Texans by 34 points and then hammered the Rams in a 45-6 rout.

Late in that stretch run, Baltimore atoned for an early season slip-up with a 16-point win over Cleveland. It was one of six times the Browns were beaten by a double-digit margin.

These teams are in different weight classes, a difference most easily spotted at quarterback. Baltimore features the reigning MVP in Lamar Jackson, who should feast on what was last season's third-worst run defense. Cleveland has Baker Mayfield, a former No. 1 pick who regressed in nearly every way in 2019 and wound up with nearly as many interceptions (21) as touchdown passes (22).

This should be a blowout.

Titans +1 at Broncos

It's fair to wonder whether the Titans are at risk of turning back into a pumpkin.

They led a largely anonymous existence through their first nine games (4-5 record) and then went on an absolute heater after changing from Marcus Mariota to Ryan Tannehill at quarterback. Tannehill's game management and Derrick Henry's powerful running turned Tennessee's offense (and entire season) around, and the Titans rewarded both with massive paydays this offseason.

Again, it's possible Tennessee comes to regret those contracts, but we need to see it before we believe it. For now, we're left wondering how the Titans, who reached the conference-title game, aren't favored against a Broncos team that lost eight of its first 11 games last season. Granted, Denver had a productive offseason, but Tennessee kept a better core in place and then addressed its need for pass rushing by landing former top pick Jadeveon Clowney.

This game is in Denver, but no fans will be in the stands. If that gives it more of a neutral-site feel, it's hard to decipher how the Broncos are favored, as our crystal ball sees the Titans winning comfortably.