The preseason isn’t just for the players and coaches; it’s for bettors as well. Here’s a rundown of the NFL preseason Week 1 betting lines as well as our best bets from PFN’s Chief Content Officer David Bearman, Betting Director Brian Blewis, and Betting & Fantasy Analysts Kyle Soppe and Jason Katz.
All the NFL betting odds at a moment’s notice — visit our Betting Lines page, bookmark now, and always get the best line and bang for your buck. Our FREE Parlay Calculator and Betting Odds Calculator are also available for your betting process!
Looking to get in on the action this NFL preseason? Click on one of these sportsbook sign-up offers and then place your bets!
[tallysight url=”https://tallysight.com/widget/offers/pro-football-network/dynamic/sportsbooks:1,2,3,4/promos:1?id=fc54c5a5-f6ad-4f67-8b3e-44c69175b3cd”]
NFL Week 1 Preseason Picks and Predictions
Washington Commanders vs. Cleveland Browns (-3)
Blewis: I might be falling into the trap of overreacting to what I last saw, and that’s Browns rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s impressive debut in the Hall of Fame Game.
I also might be overreacting to a recent report that Commanders players are having a hard time adjusting to new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, thinking there might be some early growing pains for this unit. That’s my analysis for this pick.
Browns -3 (-110)
Like the Browns to win the Super Bowl? Bet on them using the widget below!
[tallysight url=”https://tallysight.com/new/widget/tile/nfl/org:pro-football-network/event:2023-24-futures/topic:super-bowl-winner/variant:1/sportsbook:draftkings/outcomes:f526?id=4c514bf6-0c2f-4564-8818-e09d98d6ec50″]Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Katz: Mike Tomlin is notorious for playing starters way too much in preseason games. The Bucs will be rolling with Baker Mayfield as their QB competition pushes on, but give me what is likely a quarter of the Steelers’ starters to build an early lead.
Steelers -0.5 first half (-112)
Like the Steelers to go over their win total? Place your wager using the widget below.
[tallysight url=”https://tallysight.com/new/widget/tile/nfl/org:pro-football-network/event:regular-season-wins/topic:regular-season-wins-pittsburgh-steelers/variant:1/sportsbook:betmgm?id=c54b9e9e-62e9-4140-9ba7-a190ccb92c2c”]Denver Broncos (-5) vs. Arizona Cardinals
Bearman: It’s still the preseason, right? Not sure if you have seen our Snapchat post from this week, but PFN’s Mackenzie Brooks points out that former Saints coach and now Broncos lead man Sean Payton doesn’t take preseason too seriously.
Facts back that up as he had a streak of 10 straight games from 2014-17 in which the Saints lost and is only 3-5 in preseason openers, per PFN statman Kyle Soppe.
On the other side, does new coach Jonathan Gannon have anything to prove or see with his new team? Maybe he wants to see his starters for a bit? Remember, this is the preseason, and we’re looking for potential edges.
The new coach is getting 5.5 points to see what his team can do vs. a more veteran team that may not care as much. Plus, Russell Wilson might play for Denver. That’s worth some points in your favor.
Cardinals +5 (-110)
Will the Broncos go over their win total? Place your bet in the below widget.
[tallysight url=”https://tallysight.com/new/widget/tile/nfl/org:pro-football-network/event:regular-season-wins/topic:regular-season-wins-denver-broncos/variant:1/sportsbook:betmgm?id=a10b739f-4b77-4584-ac51-b202fced9323″]New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers (-3)
Blewis: Last week’s Hall of Fame Game was the first preseason loss for the New York Jets under Robert Saleh. This week, they’re getting 3.5 points at the Carolina Panthers.
This line might be inflated because Bryce Young is expected to start, as the three teams that just drafted quarterbacks in the top five are favorites of 3.5 points or greater this weekend.
There could be some growing pains for Young in his first preseason start, and given the Jets’ preseason history under Saleh, I’ll take the Jets +3 (-110).
Soppe: I will give you that the points are tempting, but be careful, Mr. Blewis. The average point differential in those six games I mentioned earlier is 5.5 points. I’ll ride that trend with first-round pick rookie QBs again here and take the Panthers -3 (-110).
Will Aaron Rodgers lead the Jets to the Super Bowl? Place your Super Bowl bet on the Jets below!
[tallysight url=”https://tallysight.com/new/widget/tile/nfl/org:pro-football-network/event:2023-24-futures/topic:super-bowl-winner/variant:1/sportsbook:draftkings/outcomes:f537?id=a48605aa-d3a0-4de4-b52e-10e389cd9151″]Philadelphia Eagles vs. Baltimore Ravens (-6)
Note: Line moved to Ravens -4.5 since published on Aug. 10
Blewis: I mean, you have to back the Ravens, right? Their moneyline is way too rich for me, especially for a preseason game, so I’ll take my chances with the Ravens -6.
During their 23-game preseason winning streak, Baltimore has outscored their opponents by 280 points, an average margin of victory of more than 12 points per game. This is a big number for a preseason game but for good reason.
Katz: This is going to be blasphemy, given Baltimore’s 23-game win streak in the preseason, but I’m taking the Eagles +6. I was tempted to take the moneyline at +195, but I didn’t want to get too greedy.
This is the preseason. Neither of these teams is going to play their starters. These preseason games all look like toss-ups. Laying six in a preseason game seems like a lot of points. I’ll take Marcus Mariota over Tyler Huntley.
Bet on the Eagles to return to the Super Bowl using this widget!
[tallysight url=”https://tallysight.com/new/widget/tile/nfl/org:pro-football-network/event:2023-24-futures/topic:nfc-championship-winner/variant:1/sportsbook:draftkings/outcomes:89e9?id=9941fc1d-641a-4cc4-b757-8cb2c021aead”]