The full NFL schedule has been released and we are one step closer to the 2025-2026 NFL season. It’ll kick off with the Dallas Cowboys heading to Philadelphia on Thursday, September 4th, to watch their divisional rivals unveil their Super Bowl LIX banner. Look-ahead lines are now available for the entire 18-week schedule. So let’s take a look at one game to bet on each week as part of our NFL schedule release reaction.
Lines for every Week 1 NFL game are available to bet now, and projected look-ahead lines are out. We’ll go through all 18 weeks of NFL action and try to pick out what game should be the best one to bet on, and what side we fall on.
One Game to Bet Each Week: NFL Schedule Release Reactions
Week 1: Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots
These two teams just picked in the top six of the 2025 NFL draft after not being good last season. Their landscapes have changed drastically, with both teams bringing in former successful NFL head coaches. Pete Carroll and Geno Smith against Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye should be an exciting one.
I’ll take New England in this one, a team I’m very high on going into the season. They’ve perfectly placed all the pieces, and if Drake Maye takes a year two leap, they could be a dangerous team. This could be a sneaky shootout game with a total set at just 43.5, but I expect New England to take advantage of the home-field edge and win at home by a field goal.
Pick: Patriots -2.5
Week 2: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
Ben Johnson has been known for producing offense in Detroit. In Week 2, he returns to his old home with his new team, the division rival Chicago Bears. How the Lions will fare early in the season with two new coordinators is the biggest question. For Johnson and the Bears, this team was loaded with assets, and they’ve cashed in big in both free agency and the NFL Draft. It’s year two of the Caleb Williams era, and like most people, I’m expecting this team to compete.
Getting 4.5 points for a division rival in a tough NFC North, especially early in the season while the Lions are still getting used to their new playcallers and coaches, is very attractive. The Bears come in with nothing to lose and can put it all on the line, while the Lions have all the pressure in the world on them. Give me the Bears to at least keep it close.
Pick: Bears +4.5
Week 3: Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns
In Week 3, the Packers head to Cleveland, and nobody knows what to expect. I expect, by this point, for Cleveland to have melted down, everyone will want a different quarterback to be playing, which of the four quarterbacks or how many are starting games by then, nobody knows.
The Packers are going to have to fight for the playoffs every week of the season. When you get an opportunity early in the season to face what should be one of the worst teams in the league, you have to take advantage and put your foot on their throat. We’ve seen the Packers be a good regular-season team, and a touchdown win here shouldn’t be hard for them to do. I’d be surprised if we get to Week 3 and you can still get these odds.
Pick: Packers -5.5
Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers
The JJ McCarthy era kicks off in 2025, and he’s got a tough one on the schedule in Week 4. The Vikings are road favorites at one of the toughest places in the league to play. Against a team that constantly delivers. We don’t even know who the quarterback will be for Pittsburgh, and frankly, it doesn’t matter. Mike Tomlin will work his magic, be it with Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard, Mason Rudolph, or whatever quarterback they roll out.
It’s not the Steel Curtain of old, but give me Mike Tomlin and his tough defense against what is basically a rookie quarterback for the Vikings. Steelers pull off the Week 4 upset on their way to yet another at least .500 season.
Pick: Steelers +1.5
One Game to Bet Each Week: NFL Schedule Release Reactions
Week 5: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams
Thursday Night Football early in the season, a big-time division rivalry, and a couple of great young coaching minds who know each other well. The San Francisco 49ers look a lot different this season with a lot of big names gone. The Rams have lost another vet in Cooper Kupp, but quickly replaced him with Devante Adams.
Early in the rivalry, Kyle Shanahan owned this matchup, but the tide has turned lately. The Los Angeles Rams have covered in four straight games against the 49ers, and I think they’ll make it five in this one.
Pick: Rams -1.5
Week 6: Tennessee Titans at Las Vegas Raiders
#1 overall pick Cam Ward will be entering the sixth week of his starting career in Tennessee. While we don’t know yet how he’ll look early on in the NFL, there are a lot of big question marks on that team. By now, Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly should have their offense humming with veteran Geno Smith at the helm. Give me the Raiders to cover three at home.
Pick: Raiders -3
Week 7: Houston Texans at Seattle Seahawks
Another Monday night showdown. Seven weeks into the season, and in prime time now. If we haven’t seen Sam Darnold melt down by this point, it might be time to start seeing ghosts in this one. It’s just hard to imagine that experiment goes well, and with a new coaching staff and new-looking team, the wheels could be falling off at this point.
On the other side, CJ Stroud and his Houston Texans should be rolling along by this point. Seattle is a hard place to play, but they only need to win by two for the cover here, and I think they’ll get it done.
Pick: Texans -1.5
Week 8: Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs
This will no doubt be the game of the week on Monday Night Football just before Halloween. Jaden Daniels vs Patrick Mahomes. Betting on this one is simple. Take the team getting more than a field goal, and that’s the Commanders in this one. This should be a tough-fought and close game, and I never count the Chiefs out. They also don’t blow teams out very often, either. I’m not saying Washington wins this game, but they’ll keep it close at the end, and that’s all we need.
Pick: Commanders +3.5
One Game to Bet Each Week: NFL Schedule Release Reactions
Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills
Back-to-back tough games for the Chiefs here as they turn around and head to Orchard Park for what’s likely to be a cool November day. This is the perfect spot for the Bills. Pull off the big win in the regular season, take down the Giants, and make everyone believe. We all know they’ll blow it later on in the playoffs, but I’ll take them in the AFC Championship revenge game in Werk 9.
Pick: Bills -2.5
Week 10: Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Chargers
This will be a fun Sunday Night Football showdown in So-Fi Stadium. Again, we don’t know who the quarterback will be for the Steelers yet, and again, I don’t care. I’m not sure Mike Tomlin will be able to pull the upset off over what I expect to be a strong Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers team, but I know he can keep games close. This will be a hard-nosed run the ball down each other’s throat game, and that’s going to keep the score close.
Pick: Steelers +4.5
Week 11: Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles
Another thrilling Sunday Night Football game that will have a ruckus crowd out at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles appear to be a team ready to chase back-to-back titles and may even be stronger this season than they were last year. The Lions are going through that coordinator change that gave the Eagles so many problems just a few years ago. I’ll bite even with the hook here and take the better team to cover at home under the lights.
Pick: Eagles -3.5
Week 12: New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals
While I am high on the Patriots this season, this one might be too much to handle for New England. The Bengals probably won’t have much of a defense in 2025 and are going to rely on getting into shootouts. They traditionally start the year slow, including a Week 1 loss to the Patriots last year that busted many survivor picks. I don’t expect that in Week 12 this year. The Bengals should be on cruise control at this point and should be able to handle a tough Pats team.
Pick: Bengals -4.5
Week 13: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
The food coma of Thanksgiving will be hitting by the time this one kicks off, but we’ll be thankful for such a great matchup to cap off a good day of football. This heated rivalry could be a shootout for the ages. It’s another case of two evenly matched rivals, and I’m getting 5.5 on one of them. The Bengals are my favorite preseason Super Bowl bet, and I think this game will show why they are true contenders. Back-to-back week’s all aboard the Joe Burrow train.
Pick: Bengals +5.5
Week 14: Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons
I love Jalen Milroe and think he’s a great prospect. If he’s playing at this point, I’ll be betting his rushing yards each week, but I don’t think the team will be winning games. If he’s not playing at this point, Week 14, Sam Darnold doesn’t have me shaking in my boots. The Falcons have built up a solid team and should be in contention for a playoff spot here. Only laying 1.5 at home against what might not be a good team seems wrong. Falcons win this bird battle.
Pick: Falcons -1.5
One Game to Bet Each Week: NFL Schedule Release Reactions
Week 15: Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears
This is one not to overthink. It’ll be a cold December day at Soldier Field, and by Week 15, who knows what number quarterback the Browns will be on? The Bears should have a respectable record and be vying for a playoff berth. Only a touchdown against what should be one of the worst teams in the league shouldn’t be too much to ask for.
Pick: Bears -7
Week 16: New York Jets at New Orleans Saints
This one could very well be a toilet bowl game, and each team is scouting quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft. I do believe the Saints will be, but I have faith the Jets might still have an outside shot. Games like this are when Justin Fields will shine. The Saints won’t be able to stop him from running all over them. Give me Fields and the Jets as dogs.
Pick: Jets +1.5
Week 17: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Merry Christmas from Minnesota! To everyone but the Vikings, this is a key game down the stretch with likely massive playoff implications. The Lions will have figured things out by this point, and we saw how this story went last year. Jared Goff on Christmas Day over the young JJ McCarthy is how I’m rolling in Week 17.
Pick: Lions -2.5
Week 18: Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles
The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles just might have it all locked up at this point. We saw last year they weren’t afraid to sit their starters while looking at the bigger picture, and that paid off big time. Let’s count on round two here, and the Commanders beat up on the Eagles’ backups.
Pick: Commanders +4.5
