NFL Week 1 betting opened with a jolt as the Rams were routed 27-7 by the 49ers in Australia, leaving San Francisco and Seattle at 1-0 and Los Angeles 0-1 in a stacked NFC West. Oddsmakers and professional bettors outlined where early money is landing for several marquee games.
NFL Week 1 betting: Commanders vs. Eagles
FOX features a divisional clash at 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday, Commanders vs. Eagles. At DraftKings, Philadelphia opened -5.5, dipped twice to -4.5, then returned to -5.5 by Wednesday. Washington is banking on a healthy Jayden Daniels to keep pace with Jalen Hurts after Daniels missed 10 games last season. Bettors are siding with the home favorite, with 64% of spread tickets and 76% of spread handle on the Eagles, and Philadelphia is also expected to be prominent in moneyline parlays.
Buccaneers vs. Bengals draws early attention
Another FOX window showcases Buccaneers vs. Bengals at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. Joe Burrow, sidelined for much of last year from Weeks 3 to 12 with a severe turf toe injury, is set for a return against Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay. Caesars lists Cincinnati -3.5, a price that held most of the summer. While broader public action had yet to materialize midweek, bookmakers anticipate increased Bengals support given the buzz around Burrow.
Cowboys vs. Giants in Sunday night spotlight
The primetime slate features Cowboys vs. Giants at 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday. Dallas opened -1.5 in mid-May and quickly moved to -2.5. At Caesars over the past week, the number toggled to -3 a couple times and was -3 as of Wednesday afternoon. With Dallas a popular public side in a standalone game, sportsbooks could face significant liability, especially if other favorites cash and parlays roll into the Cowboys by night’s end. While the Giants’ hire of John Harbaugh may attract bettors, bookmakers still expect one-way traffic on Dallas.
Mahomes returns for Chiefs vs. Broncos
On Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET, the Chiefs host the Broncos with Patrick Mahomes set to start after suffering a knee injury in Week 15 last season. Denver quarterback Bo Nix is also healthy following a broken ankle sustained in the AFC divisional-round win over Buffalo. The Broncos, without Nix, later fell to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Caesars opened Kansas City -2.5, with brief moves to -3. By midweek, the line sat at Chiefs -2.5 (-117). Early tickets showed more Denver money than expected, with concerns about Kansas City’s defense and questions on offense tempering enthusiasm. Still, most wagering typically arrives on game day, particularly in the final hours, and a strong Sunday for favorites could leave many moneyline parlays tied to the Chiefs on Monday night.
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