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

It's here, football fans. The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens will kick off the 2024 NFL season on Thursday night, and with that, it'll be an 18-week sprint to the playoffs.

Managers looking to make a few wagers in Week 1 will have myriad options. However, the opening slate is also one of the most difficult to predict. Teams won't be the same as they were a year ago, and it's hard to know who will be sluggish coming out of the preseason.

Sloppy play can be a problem in Week 1, and it can lead to some odd results. Let's not forget that the New York Jets upended the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 last year despite losing QB Aaron Rodgers four plays into the game.

Based on factors like 2023 performance, preseason production and offseason roster movement, here are some of our favorite team plays for Week 1.

*Lines via DraftKings Sportsbook

Look, it's hard to bet against the Ravens in any given matchup, and the opener against Kansas City is no different. The Chiefs are the hunted, and they've struggled against Lamar Jackson and Co. in previous regular-season matchups.

However, Kansas City still has a stout defense and will have home-field advantage in this matchup. There's a chance that Jackson and Derrick Henry allow the Ravens to take over with their ground game. However, Kansas City should fare better than it did in last year's opener.

The Chiefs aren't going to take Baltimore lightly, and they have the potential to wreak havoc on the Ravens' rebuilt offensive line. The Ravens are set to have three new starters along the line, including rookie Roger Rosengarten.

"We may have a couple of hiccups along the way, but I think we've started to build from the bottom up, and I think a year from now, we'll be in a great place," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said, per Ryan Mink of the team's official website.

Those hiccups should be enough to allow Kansas City to cover here.

The Buffalo Bills may also have some early growing pains in 2024, due to their rebuilt receiving corps. Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis are gone, replaced by the likes of Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins and rookie Keon Coleman.

This could create real problems for quarterback Josh Allen, who has a tendency to press, which often leads to turnovers. His ball security may be the biggest key to the Arizona Cardinals potentially pulling off an upset.

The Cardinals are a better team, on paper, than they were a year ago. The addition of rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. makes them an intriguing team to track heading into the regular season. While Arizona has new pieces on the defensive side too, the group didn't look particularly great in the preseason.

Arizona is also set to be without a couple of top defenders. Rookie second-round pick Darius Robinson is expected to miss "multiple weeks" with a calf injury, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. B.J. Ojulari is on injured reserve with a torn ACL.

Against a defense that ranked 29th in yards per carry allowed last season, Buffalo should be able to break loose behind running backs James Cook and Ray Davis in Week 1.

There's a very good chance the Los Angeles Rams make another postseason run in 2024. However, they're going to have a hard time getting off to a fast start against the Detroit Lions.

The Lions outlasted the Rams by only a point in the wild-card round last year, but they should also carry a much-improved secondary into Week 1. Additionally, the Rams no longer have Aaron Donald to dictate their defense, and standout receiver Puka Nacua has been dealing with a knee injury—though he is expected to play.

The Rams played few of their starters in the preseason, and their depth looks very solid—rookies like Jared Verse and Jordan Whittington look like future stars. Detroit, however, has the superior starting lineup and will provide an extremely hostile environment for the Sunday Night Football opener.

This should still be one of the most fun games of Week 1, and we'd consider backing the Rams with even a slightly larger line. The prediction here is that Detroit pulls away late, as it did against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in last year's divisional round.

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