2026 NFL Week 1 Picks Straight Up, Odds & Spreads For All 16 Games

Welcome to our 2026 NFL Week 1 Picks Straight Up! The wait is finally over, and the new NFL season is here. I could not be more fired up for this NFL season and to be back providing you guys with my picks and predictions every single week. Here’s hoping for a great season (especially for my Chicago Bears), and let’s make some winning picks!

So without further ado, it is time to bring you our expert 2026 NFL Week 1 Picks Straight Up. Below, you will find my picks, some highlighted matchups, and the odds and spreads for every game this week.

2026 NFL Week 1 Picks Straight Up for All 16 Games

With Week 1 here, we have some phenomenal matchups on paper between all 32 NFL teams to kick off the 2026 campaign! In the following section, you will find my predictions, with the teams I anticipate coming away with a victory highlighted in bold. Odds are courtesy of BetMGM:

NFL Week 1 Picks Straight Up: Houston Texans ML (+102 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

For my very first pick of the season, I am picking a team I picked AGAINST to end last season to come away with a win here. When it comes to the defensive side of the ball, the rich got richer in Houston, adding players like Jadeveon Clowney, Kayden McDonald, and Reed Blankenship to what was already one of the more elite defensive units in the past decade. With Demeco Ryans pulling the strings of this defense, they should only improve from where they left off in 2025, which is a scary thought. 

This is certainly no shade against the Buffalo Bills, who, with Josh Allen at the reins, are still one of the best teams in the AFC. It’s hard to say whether the Bills got better or worse this offseason, gaining key pieces like DJ Moore while losing others like David Edwards, on top of a switch at the head coaching spot, but they are still an incredibly respectable team. That being said, I know what happens when Josh Allen faces elite defenses: Hero Ball.

Look to the Bills' playoff loss against the Denver Broncos last season (another top defensive team). The highs were high: 343 yards for Allen and three passing touchdowns, but the lows were also very, very low: two interceptions and three fumbles (two lost). Don’t get me wrong, Josh Allen is my pick for the best quarterback in the NFL right now, but I do not trust a first-year head coach in Joe Brady to be able to get Allen to “take the cape off” and play the offense in structure to combat this elite Texans defense. I love getting the Texans here at plus-money.

NFL Week 1 Picks Straight Up: Denver Broncos ML (+130 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

I just praised the Broncos' performance against Josh Allen in the last section; so, how about some more Broncos praise? Not only do the Broncos boast one of the top defensive units in the league (2nd in yards allowed in 2025), but they also have, in my opinion, the best overall offensive line in the NFL. This team was just in the AFC Championship a handful of months ago, and they now should have an improved offense, with the return of J.K. Dobbins on the ground and the addition of Jaylen Waddle through the air. Not only do I not understand why the Broncos are underdogs in this matchup, but I do not understand why the Broncos are underdogs to win their division! 

On the other sideline are the Kansas City Chiefs, coming off their worst season in recent memory, finishing 6-11. While many expect the Chiefs to bounce back and return to their dynasty status, I think it’ll take more than one week to settle in. Patrick Mahomes is returning from a torn ACL and LCL from just nine months ago. Modern medicine is amazing, but I do not expect Mahomes to feel and play 100% right from the get-go. 

The addition of Kenneth Walker on the ground is bound to help the Chiefs offense settle in, but the team is already expected to be down their starting offensive tackle, Josh Simmons. Cue the flashbacks to Patrick Mahomes running for his life in the Super Bowls against the Eagles and Buccaneers. Add in the fact that their secondary looks almost brand new this season, and I personally would lean toward the Broncos starting their season with a divisional win. 

2026 NFL Week 1 Odds & Spreads For All 16 Games

We just unveiled our 2026 NFL Week 1 picks, and below are the spread odds for each matchup, provided by BetMGM Sportsbook:

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