2025 NFL Odds: Early Week 1 Best Bets For Chargers-Chiefs, Vikings-Bears
That date might seem a long way away since many of us are enjoying the warm summer months and burning ample vacation days. Don't you worry, though. NFL games will light up our television screens very, very soon.
I'm mostly an underdog bettor in the regular season and am almost magnetically attracted to divisional underdogs in Week 1. And there's just something about a team catching a small number against a public darling.
Here are three NFL dogs to consider for opening week.
Los Angeles Chargers (+2.5) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
To Sao Paulo we go for this Friday night tilt.
Las Vegas oddsmakers opened this game just shy of a field goal, and it hasn't budged one bit. There's clearly built-in respect to open a team +2.5 instead of +3, and it's a good sign for the Chargers it hasn't ticked up yet.
You might have heard the stat about Patrick Mahomes being 19-4 as a starting quarterback in the month of September and surely, it's not ideal to be on the other side of that. But trends were meant to be broken. I will have my money on Jim Harbaugh and the Bolts as a very live 'dog in Brazil.
If you want to hold out for a +3, so be it.
PICK: Chargers (+2.5) to lose by fewer than 2.5 points or win outright
Atlanta Falcons (+2.5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Please get the best number in this one.
BetMGM and DraftKings are dealing Atlanta +2.5, while Pinnacle and South Point are at +1.5, CRIS and SuperBook are +1 and Circa has a pick 'em. I have little sympathy for anybody who bets Falcons PK instead of +2.5.
Seriously.
All Atlanta hype revolves around second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a southpaw with an absolute rifle under center. The Falcons have been accumulating skill players for years, but they thought Kirk Cousins, off an Achilles injury, was the solution in 2024.
Close but no cigar.
The market feels some type of way about the Falcons, as some of the world's sharpest shops have already been hit. I loved them taking defensive studs Jalon Walker (Georgia) and James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee) in Round 1.
Go grab that +2.5 while you still can.
PICK: Falcons (+2.5) to lose by fewer than 2.5 points or win outright
Minnesota Vikings (+1.5) @ Chicago Bears
After gambling on the NFL Thursday, Friday and Sunday, we get one more crack Monday night between Caleb Williams and J.J. McCarthy.
As a native Chicagoan, I need two hands to count the amount of times the Bears won the draft or offseason and expectations were unfairly high all summer. It's not that I don't believe in Williams or new head coach Ben Johnson, I want to be patient with a QB learning another new system.
Meanwhile, McCarthy spent his entire rookie season learning Kevin O'Connell's system after tearing his meniscus last August.
He'll be playing behind an improved offensive line with Aaron Jones, Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Rondale Moore and T.J. Hockenson at the skill positions. It's difficult to put a young quarterback in a better spot.
Minnesota's 53-man roster is one of the best in the league and I think the Vikings go into Soldier Field and leave with a victory.
PICK: Vikings (+1.5) to lose by fewer than 1.5 points or win outright
Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and the BetMGM Network. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
recommended
Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Colorado Buffaloes football's Shedeur Sanders given $182.5 million expectation on Browns
Colorado Buffaloes football legend Shedeur Sanders is getting gaudy comparisons to the San Francisco 49ers' 2023 Pro Bowl quarterback, Brock Purdy, and he hasn't even played a snap on the Cleveland Browns yet. The Orange and Brown Talk Podcast, comprised of Mary Kay Cabot, Dan Labbe, Scott Patsko, and Ashley Bastock, dubbed Purdy's career Sanders' 'most optimistic yet realistic ceiling.' 'The name Brock Purdy keeps surfacing in discussions about Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders – and for good reason. The comparison offers a tantalizing vision of what could happen when a late-round pick with the right tools lands in the perfect situation,' the reporting troupe wrote. 'On a recent Orange and Brown Talk podcast, host Dan Labbe introduced what might be the most optimistic yet realistic ceiling for the Browns' fifth-round selection.' To reach the status Purdy reached after overcoming Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo in the Bay Area, Sanders will have to overcome the presumed QB1 favorite in training camp, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel, the latter of whom is considered readier to start. Easier said than done when operating in last place in the Browns' four-man QB competition. A lot easier said than done, considering the context of Kevin Stefanski giving Sanders an abridged version of the playbook in minicamp. The Purdy comparisons are downright harmful at this point. It's understandable why publications would run with them, but Sanders needs to have Ben DiNucci-level expectations until he proves himself more in Berea.
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
JC Tretter, Don Davis reportedly in 'two-man race' for NFLPA interim executive director job
The race to be the next executive director of the NFL Players Association is down to two men, according to The Athetic's Dianna Russini. Either NFLPA chief strategy officer JC Tretter or chief player officer Don Davis are expected to lead the union following a tumultuous week that saw Lloyd Howell abruptly resign. Representatives from all 32 NFL teams were on a call Friday night to discuss the union's leadership future. Tretter is reportedly seen as the leader ahead of Davis in terms of support from the players. It's unknown if there is a timetable for naming an interim executive director, but whoever gets the job is not expected to end up in the role full time. While Tretter seemingly has the support, Russini also reported on Saturday that a group of players are discussing potential legal action against the NFLPA and Tretter, "citing potential violations around inclusion, labor rights, and misuse of union dues." Howell, who led the NFLPA since 2023, resigned Thursday night after an outside investigator reportedly discovered Howell charged the union for multiple strip club visits, according to ESPN. Howell allegedly charged the union $738.82 on one receipt and another $2,426 during a separate strip club visit. ESPN's report marked the fourth time this offseason Howell's actions as NFLPA executive director came under scrutiny. Journalists Mike Florio and Pablo Torre previously unearthed two grievance rulings the NFL and NFLPA worked to keep secret. One of those rulings found evidence of collusion among teams, a potentially explosive revelation that Howell allegedly not only worked to keep out of the public, but also may have tried to keep from players.
USA Today
4 minutes ago
- USA Today
John Mateer shares excitement about playing with Deion Burks
The wide receiver position has not seen a lot of its way in the last year and a half at the University of Oklahoma. Heading into 2024, it was arguably the deepest position on the roster. However, injuries decimated the wide receiver room, and it led to an offense that struggled week in and week out to find any consistency in the passing game. Deion Burks made it four games before getting injured against the Tennessee Volunteers. In his first three games of the season, Burks recorded 22 receptions for 169 yards and three touchdowns. But the injury in the Tennessee loss kept him out until the second-to-last game of the season against Missouri. In the loss to the Tigers, Burks suffered a concussion that would keep him out of the LSU game to close out the season and the Sooners held him out of the Armed Forces Bowl loss to Navy. But in limited time, Burks showed off the ability to get open, especially in the red zone. His speed will create problems for defenses. He has a chance to be a problem in offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle's system this season. The Oklahoma Sooners need a healthy Deion Burks to have a resurgent season. He was one of the more sought-after players in the 2024 transfer portal and had a huge spring game last year. Now, it's time for that potential to come to fruition. At SEC media days, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer spoke about where Burks is at ahead of the 2025 season. "I'm super proud of Deion," Mateer said. "He had a rough year last year, on and off the field. But he's super promising. He cares a lot about football and he cares a lot about the Sooners." Though he didn't have the production he would have liked last year, Burks had the opportunity to go off to the NFL, or even leave in the transfer portal like Nic Anderson, Andrel Anthony, Jalil Farroq, J.J. Hester, or Brenen Thompson did. But Burks opted to return to the Sooners for the 2025 season. But Burks is now a leader for a completely remade wide receiver group. The Sooners will need his veteran presence as they welcomed seven new wide receivers this offseason and had four true freshmen returning from the 2024 season. Burks is the veteran presence in the group. The talent is there. The attitude and the effort are there. He just needs to stay healthy to realize the potential that could put Burks among the top wide receivers selected in the 2026 NFL draft. "I'm super happy for him and proud of him, just where he's came with his body and his mind," Mateer continued. "He knows the game of football a lot better this year than he did last year. Super proud of him. I'm real excited to play with him." The Sooners are hoping for two of their wide receivers, Javonnie Gibson and Jayden Gibson, to return for the start of the 2025 season. But it's Burks who has the biggest opportunity to thrive in Arbuckle's spread-out passing attack. His quickness, speed, and ability to create after the catch will be a problem against the SEC. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
