2026 NFL Week 1 Picks Against The Spread + NFL Week 1 Schedule Predictions

As the old saying goes, “Good teams win, great teams cover.” We are back for Week 1 with our picks against the spread! Nothing better than starting a season off strong with a clean slate, your fantasy football teams fully drafted, and getting to watch real, meaningful football again. Absolutely electric.

Below, we will be breaking down our NFL Week 1 Picks Against the Spread while also going through the opening week schedule. So without further ado, let's dive in!

2026 NFL Week 1 Picks Against The Spread at DraftKings Sportsbook

With Week 1 here, we have all 32 teams playing in 16 games. In the following section, you will find my predictions, with my 2026 NFL Week 1 Picks Against the Spread in the right column. All lines are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook:

NFL Week 1 Picks Against The Spread: Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3.5 (-105 at FanDuel Sportsbook) 

Have we forgotten who these teams are? Why are the Bucs 3.5-point underdogs here against the Week 1 Cincinnati Bengals? Since the Joe Burrow-era began in Cincinnati, the Bengals are 2-4 in Week 1. Those two wins were by one point last year against the Browns, when the high-powered Bengals offense could only manage a measly 17 points, and a three-point win against the 2021 Minnesota Vikings, who fired their head coach at the end of the season. I loved the Bengals offseason, but they have notoriously gotten off to slow starts every single NFL season.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers started off last season red hot: they were 6-2 with key wins over the Seahawks, 49ers, and Texans, Baker Mayfield was an MVP candidate, and they were unstoppable in one-score games. Then, the wheels fell off. Injuries plagued this team at just about every position; Baker was playing injured with a skeleton crew at both offensive line and receiver. Now, with the team back fully healthy, key additions in the offseason, and potentially the best draft among every single team in the NFL (Rueben Bain Jr. WILL be a beast), I expect the Bucs to at least keep this game close. The Bengals have not won a Week 1 game by more than three points since 2018. That will not change here.

NFL Week 1 Picks Against The Spread: Dallas Cowboys -2.5 (-115 at FanDuel Sportsbook) 

How about them Cowboys? Could this FINALLY actually be their year? I don’t hate their odds to be NFC East champions, at least, and I certainly don’t hate their odds here in Week 1. Last season, the Cowboys ranked 2nd in total offense across the NFL, averaging 391.9 yards per game. With essentially the same offense back in the building and a completely reworked defense, with a new defensive coordinator, a full season of Quinnen Williams, and key additions including 2026 Draft Day gem Caleb Downs, this Cowboys team could turn heads in 2026. I fear I cannot say the same about the 2026 New York Giants.

Last year, I was fairly bullish on the Giants’ roster; the front seven was both talented and deep, Andrew Thomas is one of the most talented offensive tackles in the league, Cor'Dale Flott and Jevon Holland were exciting pieces in the secondary, and the team had several young, exciting pieces. Then the injuries struck; the team was subject to a difficult schedule, and players underperformed. 

Sure, the Giants made some key moves this offseason to improve their roster. The offensive line seems greatly improved with the addition of Francis Mauigoa and, hopefully, a whole season of Andrew Thomas. Hopefully, Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo will be back fully healthy; hopefully, Colton Hood will be able to fill the void Cor’Dale Flott left in the secondary; and hopefully, the defense will be able to stop the run without Dexter Lawrence plugging up the middle. That is A LOT of “hopefully,” and in the NFL, hope will only take you so far.

It is also hard to hope when the staff brought in to provide said hope is made up of John Harbaugh, Matt Nagy, and Dennard Wilson. 

The golden goose of the offseason for the New York Giants has been the acquisition of head coach John Harbaugh. I’ll admit, Harbaugh is a legendary coach. His Super Bowl win in 2012 over his brother was iconic, but that was 14 seasons ago. Harbaugh brings nothing to the table on the offensive or defensive side of the ball; he seems to lack the energy that other “CEO” types of head coaches bring (including his brother). His two incredibly talented coordinators were immediately poached for other jobs (neither of which joined him in New York), and he has nothing to show for having one of the most talented rosters over the past decade, led by a two-time MVP quarterback in Lamar Jackson. 

Consider me a downer on the Giants offseason; that’s fine, but these two teams are in very different places in their respective timelines. I love the Cowboys here, and even though divisional games can be tricky, I’d take this line all the way to -9.5.

2026 NFL Week 1 Schedule & Predictions Featuring Patriots vs. Seahawks

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NFL Week 1 Lines & Las Vegas Odds Provided by DraftKings

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