NFL Week 1 Picks and Predictions: Straight-Up Picks

These are my picks to win every Week 1 NFL game straight-up, tiered by confidence level and ranked within each tier. You can bet on any of these games on DraftKings Sportsbook. NFL Week 1 Picks and Predictions: Straight-Up Picks With Confidence Levels High Confidence Chargers over Cardinals The Cardinals could be the worst team in the NFL this season. Jacoby Brissett is starting at quarterback; the defense is thin, and top draft pick Jeremiyah Love is questionable for Week 1. This is a tough opener, with a trip to Los Angeles. Justin Herbert and the Chargers are in for a big season and should start with a win. Jaguars over Browns The Jaguars are coming off an AFC South title. They are looking to start this season strong against a Browns team that could be really bad. The Cleveland quarterback situation is a disaster. The Jaguars should handle business at home in this one. Lions over Saints The Saints could be a decent team if Tyler Shough builds on his promising rookie season. However, this is a must-win game for the Lions in Week 1. The NFC North is a highly competitive division, and the Lions need to win these home games against inferior teams. The experienced Detroit squad should get a professional win here. Eagles over Commanders The Eagles are an underrated team heading into this season. This team has won the NFC East in back-to-back seasons and just won a Super Bowl two years ago. However, they are the forgotten team in the NFC, with the Rams, Seahawks, Packers and Bears getting the attention. The Eagles should prove why they are the class of this division and beat the Commanders in Week 1. Ravens over Colts The Ravens are starting a new era under Jesse Minter. Minter should have this defense ready to go against a Colts team that is easy to prepare for. If Baltimore can shut down the run, Daniel Jones should have a hard time. Lamar Jackson and the offense should do enough to get the win. Medium Confidence Rams over 49ers The Rams have the best roster in the NFL. This is a tough opening week matchup against their division rivals, but Los Angeles should still get the win at home. The Rams have won four of their past five meetings with the 49ers. Bengals over Buccaneers The Bengals need to have a big season. Joe Burrow, Chase Brown, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are all healthy and make up one of the best offensive cores in football. Zac Taylor finally solved his early-season issues by starting last season 2-0. They should get this win at home to start the 2026 campaign. Raiders over Dolphins This isn't the flashiest Week 1 matchup, but it should teach us a lot about both teams. The Raiders are rolling with the veteran option, Kirk Cousins, at quarterback. They should be improved from last season if Cousins can manage the offense with some solid weapons. The Dolphins have one of the bottom-two rosters in the NFL and should lose this one on the road. Cowboys over Giants The Cowboys should have one of the best offenses in the NFL this season. If everyone is healthy, Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are a terrifying group to face. I expect the Giants to struggle this season. Road games within the division are tough, but Dallas still has an edge here. Seahawks over Patriots The NFL season is opening with a Super Bowl rematch. This game should go the same way as it did in February. The Seahawks still have one of the best rosters in the NFL and will have an incredible home crowd behind them. Seattle should get the win. Bears over Panthers The Bears won the NFC North last season and won their first postseason game since 2010. There is something to build on for Ben Johnson, and they should start the season with a win against a fellow division winner from last season. Steelers over Falcons I'm not high on the Steelers this season, but the Falcons are starting Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. If Michael Penix Jr. can play well once he is back and healthy, this Atlanta team has real potential. However, Tagovailoa has looked dreadful in preseason. The Steelers' defense should shut him down in a tough environment. Coin-Flip Games Chiefs over Broncos This is a great AFC West battle to start the season. Last season, Denver finally snatched the division away from the Chiefs after nine straight division titles for Kansas City. The Chiefs will be desperate to get back on top, and they can set the tone at home against Denver on Monday Night Football in Week 1. This game could go either way, but I'll lean towards Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and this Chiefs crowd to get the win. Bills over Texans This is a great matchup between the Bills and Texans. Houston has one of the best defenses in football, but lacks consistency on offense. Meanwhile, the Bills have arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, but have some major question marks on defense. The Texans are a great team, but in a coin-flip game, I will take Josh Allen over C.J. Stroud to make the key winning plays. Packers over Vikings The Packers are in a three-way fight for the NFC North with the Bears and Lions. The Vikings are the clear bottom team in that division. Minnesota is a small favorite in this game because of their home-field advantage and great coaching staff. However, it is hard to trust Kyler Murray at quarterback. For that reason, I'll give the edge to Green Bay and Jordan Love in what should be a tight game. Jets over Titans This is arguably the worst game of the weekend. The Jets and Titans were two of the four worst teams in the NFL last season. However, it should be a tight game with some important storylines to watch. Can Cam Ward take a step forward in Year 2? Can Geno Smith bounce back after a catastrophic 2025 season? When it comes down to it, the Jets did more to improve their roster from last season than the Titans did. New York should get the win, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the result flip because either team could be bad.