NFL Week 1 Odds 2021: Live Betting Lines on Legal Sportsbook Apps

One thing is true when it comes to legal sports betting. It is always football season. That rings true as DraftKings Sportsbook and many others have released early Week 1 betting lines for the NFL season, which means that football betting is officially here for the regular season. You can wager on each and every game in Week 1, and attempt to beat the closing line before kickoff.

Let’s take a look at the Week 1 NFL odds, as sportsbooks have released spreads, totals, and moneylines for each game in Week 1. Below we show the odds, a look at Cowboys vs. Buccaneers, and our early picks for Week 1 of the NFL season.

NFL Week 1 Odds 

With the NFL schedule release, DraftKings Sportsbook posted their odds and game lines for Week 1 of the NFL season. Usually, the odds are spreads only, but this year all legal sportsbooks released spreads, totals, and moneylines for each game in Week 1 of the NFL season.

Here’s a look at the opening odds from various legal sportsbooks.

As you can see, each and every game for Week 1 in the NFL season has spreads, totals, and moneylines from various legal sportsbooks. Here, you can see the best prices for the early release of Week 1 odds. For example:

For Cowboys vs. Bucs in Week 1, each sportsbook has either -6.5 or -6 as the spread, favoring the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Getting the best number (Bucs -6 at FanDuel Sportsbook) will be key as you shop for value for the first week of the NFL season, albeit months away.

Keep an eye on the public betting consensus, as NFL bettors will always pounce on early lines.

Top NFL Week 1 Games to bet on

After the opening lines were released, NFL bettors immediately set their sights on the top games for Week 1. While NFL public betting information will be available closer to the start of Week 1, it is still quite easy to tell which games are set to have the heaviest handle in terms of dollars wagered on the game. Here are the top 5 games to bet on in Week 1.

1. New York Jets at Carolina Panthers Week 1 Odds

The game all Jets fans have been waiting for is happening right away in Week 1. Jets’ rookie quarterback Zach Wilson will make his NFL debut against Sam Darnold, the Jets’ former quarterback in a battle of young QBs looking to take the next step in their NFL careers. The Panthers open as -4.5-point favorites with the total being a low 43-points.

• Spread: Panthers (-4.5)
• Total: 43
• Moneyline: Panthers -200, Jets +160

2. Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills Week 1 Odds

This potential AFC playoffs matchup between the Steelers and Bills will be one for the ages, as one of the best offenses and best defenses in the NFL face off against each other in Week 1. The over seems to be the lean so far, as the opening total is over seven touchdowns at 50 points. Here is a look at the opening odds.

• Spread: Bills (-6.5)
• Total: 50 points
• Moneyline: Bills -278, Steelers +220

3. Denver Broncos at New York Giants Week 1 Odds

Two very popular teams when it comes to sports betting are the Broncos and the Giants. While neither may be a title contender, both teams are located in or near legal sports betting states with fans that love to wager on either side. This makes for a terrific game to watch when it comes to public betting percentages, as the public may heavily wager on one side. This is a great time to take advantage of the public with local bias and capture a winning wager. Here are the DraftKings odds.

• Spread: Broncos (-1.5)
• Total: 42.5 points
• Moneyline: Broncos -117, Giants -105

4. Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs Week 1 Odds

The best team in the NFL is often one of the most popular to wager on, and the Chiefs have been thought of as the best team in football despite losing in the Super Bowl last year. This could very well be an AFC Championship preview between the Browns and Chiefs, which makes it quite the popular game for sports bettors. Here’s a look at the odds.

• Spread: Chiefs (-6)
• Total: 52.5 points
• Moneyline: Chiefs -275, Browns +215

5. Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints Week 1 Odds

In what may be the NFC game of the week when the time comes, the Packers and Saints have been two of the best teams in the NFC for the better part of a decade. With Drew Brees retiring and Aaron Rodgers on the fence in Green Bay, could we see Taysom Hill/Jameis Winston vs. Jordan Love in this game? Expect bettors to be all over the Saints if Rodgers leaves, but there is some value if you believe the Packers and Aaron Rodgers make up and he remains Green Bay’s quarterback. 

• Spread: Saints (-2.5)
• Total: Off the board
• Moneyline: Saints -137, Packers +112

Week 1 Opening Lines – NFL 2021

Here is a look at each Week 1 matchup, with opening odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6.5)
• Los Angeles Chargers (-1.5) at Washington Football Team
• San Francisco 49ers (-7.5) at Detroit Lions
• Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5) at Houston Texas
• Minnesota Vikings (-3.5) at Cincinnati Bengals
• Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans (-2.5)
• Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts (-2.5)
• Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons (-3.5)
• New York Jets at Carolina Panthers (-4.5)
• Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (-6.5)
• Denver Broncos (-1.5) at New York Giants
• Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (-2)
• Clevland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs (-6)
• Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints (-2.5)
• Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams (-7)
• Baltimore Ravens (-4.5) at Las Vegas Raiders

Cowboys vs. Buccaneers NFL Week 1

The first game of the season is Thursday Night Football, a matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Of course, the Bucs are reigning Super Bowl champions, but the Dallas Cowboys are returning their quarterback in Dak Prescott and a revamped defense from the offseason, including the NFL Draft. Here is a look at the opening odds.

The Bucs are favored by 6.5, with the total at a high 52.5 points. With the Bucs bringing back literally every member of the Super Bowl team, 6.5 points at home seems like a bargain. Expect this line to move towards Tampa Bay as the offseason progresses. After all, they did just win the big one.

NFL Week 1 Betting Picks

It is never too early for NFL Week 1 betting picks, and given that many legal sportsbooks have the three main markets available: spreads, totals, and moneylines, here are our picks for Week 1.

Top 5 NFL Week 1 Bets

Our five favorite bets for Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season.

1. Tampa Bay Bucs -6.5 (-108 at DraftKings)
2. Eagles vs. Falcons OVER 46.5 (-115 at William Hill)
3. Bills -6 vs. Steelers (-110 at PointsBet)
4. Colts -2 vs. Seahawks (-110) at FanDuel
5. Jaguars -1.5 vs. Texans (-109) at DraftKings

Looking for more NFL betting action? Check out the latest NFL rookie betting props and the 2022 NFL Draft first overall pick odds.