The countdown for the 2021 campaign continues to get shorter and shorter, as NFL fans can’t wait to see the best football players in the world take the field. In this article, we have NFL picks for Week 1 of the regular season. With the loaded schedule, several teams will be ready to try and start the season off with a bang. Which squads will end up getting the job done?
In an intriguing matchup, the Seahawks should take down the Colts in Week 1 when they face off on Sept. 12. For the Seahawks, the big news of the offseason was that Russell Wilson didn’t end up getting traded and he’s now at training camp trying to get Seattle ready for what could be a big year. Wilson had been linked with a move to the Raiders, Bears and others, but he’s not going anywhere.
Meanwhile for the Colts, their big move this offseason was to trade for Carson Wentz. Things simply didn’t work out for Wentz with the Philadelphia Eagles, but he’s now hoping for a fresh start in the AFC South. Unfortunately for Wentz, he underwent foot surgery this summer and isn’t expected to be ready for the Week 1 matchup with Seattle. This gives the Seahawks the advantage.
| Week 1 odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks to win | -168 | -168 | -168 | -168 |
| Colts to win | +142 | +142 | +142 | +142 |
| Chiefs to win | -260 | -260 | -260 | -260 |
| Browns to win | +215 | +215 | +215 | +215 |
While playing on the road isn’t easy, not having Wentz under center is going to be rough for the Colts. According to the Las Vegas Sportsbooks, Seattle is the favorite with -168 NFL odds. Meanwhile for the Colts, they’ve been listed at +142. Seattle is also a three-point favorite. The odds of them covering three points has been placed at -118. This one should be close.
With all of that said, we think it very well could end up being a close-scoring affair. We don’t think the Seahawks will be able to cover the three points, but we do think that they’ll hit the road and beat the Colts to open up the season. Take those -168 for a straight up bet, that’d be our suggestion if you place a bet on this one. Do you agree that Seattle will win? Check out our NFL betting sites and get your wagers in.
In another exciting matchup, the Chiefs should have no issues taking down the Browns in Week 1 when they meet in Kansas City. The Chiefs are six-point favorites for this matchup, with the Browns entering things as six-point underdogs. You know this is going to motivate Baker Mayfield and the rest of the Cleveland offense. Odell Beckham Jr. won’t like seeing this either.
The Chiefs are also going to want to do everything possible to send a statement in this first game of the season. The last time we saw Kansas City in action, they suffered their rough loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. No one expected Kansas City’s offense to look so sluggish, but that was indeed the case in the biggest game of the year.
Patrick Mahomes will also be fired up to let fans know he’s back to full health after he underwent offseason foot surgery. Mahomes has worked his butt off to get back to 100 percent. When healthy, Mahomes is one of the best QBs in the league. He’s up there with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, no doubt about that. Against the Browns, he’ll want to throw the ball all over the field.
For this matchup, the Chiefs have -260 odds to win, while the Browns are at +215. Unfortunately for Cleveland fans, we don’t think there’s any chance that they record a road victory in this one. Instead, we think Kansas City will set the tone from the start and not take their foot off the gas. Mahomes could end up throwing 4-5 touchdowns too. The Chiefs are no question our pick to win.
Last but not least, Green Bay should dominate New Orleans with ease. The Packers will be traveling to the Superdome for this one, which might make things a bit tricky for them. With that said, Green Bay is a 2.5-point favorite to win. The odds of them covering and winning that meeting by three points has been placed at -114. The Saints have -105 odds of covering.
For the Packers, Aaron Rodgers will take the field following his MVP run last year. In 2020, Rodgers tossed for 48 touchdowns and only five interceptions. In recent months, his drama with the front office almost led to him retiring. Had that happened, Packers fans would have been calling for general manager Brian Gutekunst to step down from his position.
In New Orleans, Drew Brees is retired, and now there’s a QB competition for Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston for the starting gig. Regardless of who leads that offense out onto the field, we don’t think it will matter. That’s because Rodgers and Davante Adams will showcase why they’re the best QB-WR duo in the league. Our pick is for the Packers to win and cover the spread.
