The excitement the start 2024 NFL season brings is at an all-time high and this Sunday offers us a fantastic 13-game slate from which to choose for our favorite NFL Best Bets for Week 1. Kudos to the NFL schedule makers for giving us a ton of Week 1 drama to enjoy while we make our NFL picks for this week. 

 

 

 

Will we bet on new Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s return to Atlanta? Will the battle between C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson make our NFL Best Bets for Week 1? What are our NFL predictions for Sam Darnold leading the Vikings into New York? 

We’ve been studying the Vegas lines and odds all week, so keep reading and let’s get those NFL best bets for Week 1 on the books.

NFL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets For Week 1 Sunday, 9/8 

Before we dive into our NFL Best Bets for Week 1, be sure to gather all of the information you possibly can and start formulating your own opinion. Sure, you can simply tail my picks. Many have been successful doing just that. But we also want to help you be a better bettor. 

Make your NFL picks and NFL predictions based on what you know. There will always be time for speculation, but here in the first week of the season, our data is limited, and many teams still have a lot of unanswered questions.

You can check out all of our Game Previews here on Fantasy Alarm as the research has been intense. Some teams have the same offensive system which makes them a bit more predictable while others have seen a complete overhaul. 

You should also be reading all of the content – both seasonal and DFS. The staff has been hard at work to bring you some absolutely spectacular insights. So, let’s get to it.

 

 

 

NFL Week 1 Predictions: Sunday, September 8th 

Panthers vs. Saints Best Bet: Sunday, September 8th 

Welcome to Run the Ball Central as Dave Canales takes over as the head coach of the Panthers and Klint Kubiak, with the assistance of Rick Dennison, brings a new look to the Saints offense we haven’t seen in over 15 years. 

That’s not to say we won’t see Bryce Young or Derek Carr try to sling the rock, but these coaches have long favored the ground game and each wants to establish the run to start things off this season. Last year, Canales turned a mediocre running back in Rachaad White into a high-volume back and the Kubiak/Dennison rushing success dates all the way back to the late 90s.

As a result, we expect the clock to tick down fairly quickly while Alvin Kamara and Chuba Hubbard do their thing. Neither team was particularly good against the run last season as the Panthers ranked dead-last in DVOA while the Saints ranked 23rd overall. 

Both have tried to tweak their defenses in the offseason, but it doesn’t look like either will be able to shut down the other’s rushing attack. I do like the Saints to actually win this game, but given the potential game-flow, this one should be closer than the books think.

 

 

 

Steelers vs. Falcons Prediction: Sunday, September 8th 

All eyes are going to be on this game as we have a number of different narratives to check out. Obviously, the Arthur Smith revenge-game is in-play, but, more importantly, the expectations for the Falcons offense are at an all-time high now that Smith is gone, and Zac Robinson takes over. 

Everyone is dying to see what Bijan Robinson can do with a full workload and whether or not Kirk Cousins, who is returning from an Achilles injury, can unlock the potential in Kyle Pitts. We also have a strong WR1 in Drake London and Darnell Mooney should do a nice job stretching the field. But it’s a tall task besting a typically tough Steelers defense, so while we remain bullish on the Atlanta offense for the season, what they do here in Week 1 remains to be seen.

On the other side, you’ve got a Steelers offense that has a number of question marks. Russell Wilson missed practice Thursday with a calf issue so we’re watching for his status over the next couple of days. Jaylen Warren is expected to be active for Sunday, but he might be limited with this lingering hamstring issue. And who is catching passes behind George Pickens? 

On top of those questions, we also have a revamped Falcons defense that has a solid secondary and just added Matthew Judon to the pass-rush. Does anyone see the Steelers putting up a lot of points this week?

 

 

 

Titans vs. Bears Best Bet: Sunday, September 8th

We’ve all heard about how the Bears defense shined late last season and how expectations for their overall performance this season are pretty high. Jaylon Johnson is a strong cover-corner and Kevin Byard was brought in to bolster the safety position. Are they ready? They’ll have to be as the Titans are going to be a very heavy passing attack this season. 

Brian Callahan is bringing that Bengals offense over with him to Tennessee and the team has surrounded Will Levis with strong receiving weapons, including Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd. Callahan’s focus has been making Levis a more accurate passer and has seemingly found success in the preseason as Levis finished with an 84.6-percent completion rate. Sure, it’s just preseason, bit by now you should know how I feel about this offense and its gunslinging quarterback.

On the other side, this is also going to be a big test for a struggling Titans defense. They have been solid against the run but ranked 24th in DVOA against the pass. Just as the Titans have done with Levis, the Bears have done the same thing for rookie Caleb Williams. 

He’s got great receiving weapons in DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze and should see some decent support from the backfield, led by D’Andre Swift, notorious for being explosive early in the season. But Williams is still a rookie and there are always growing pains. It should be a fun game to watch, but I think it stays close and the Titans can cover.

 

 

 

Best NFL Player Prop Bets & Other Picks, 9/8 

 

 

 

How To Bet On NFL Week 1 At BetMGM Sportsbook & Claim Your $1,500 Bonus With Promo Code ALARM

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