The first Sunday of the new NFL season is always filled with excitement and expectations, as rebuilt rosters seek to compete with previously more successful settled squads.
Here, we have selected three NFL Week 1 picks that will give us an 11/2 treble if they all come up trumps.
Carolina Panthers vs Chicago Bears
Carolina Panthers +3.5 points vs Chicago Bears @ 5/6
The jury is still out on just how good this Bears team is after they completed some dramatic comebacks to win the NFC North with an 11-6 record last term, before featuring in another couple of play-off thrillers.
However, it does feel like they are far more vulnerable on the road and Bank of America Stadium is a tough place to visit first up, with the Panthers having a good record here during the 2025 regular season and then pushing the LA Rams close in the Wild Card round.
Carolina got better in key areas during the off-season, with the offensive line beefed up to better protect Bryce Young and Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips rated rock-solid captures on defence, so we like the hosts with a handy start on the handicap market.
Cincinnati Bengals vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cincinnati Bengals -4.5 points to beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 20/21
This feels like a big year for the Bengals , who have been plagued by rotten luck with injuries since securing back-to-back AFC North titles in 2021 and 2022 and going so close to Super Bowl glory.
The good news for Cincinnati supporters is that they head into this season with all of their big attacking weapons fit and healthy, with quarterback Joe Burrow giving off confident vibes as he prepares to team up with star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins .
A revamped defence has been put together to be good now thanks to free agency signings Boye Mafe , Bryan Cook and Jonathan Allen , plus the big trade for DT Dexter Lawrence , so everything is in place for the Bengals to build on three straight pre-season victories.
Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints
Detroit Lions -6.5 points to beat New Orleans Saints @ 5/6
The Lions begin this campaign determined to get back into the play-offs after slipping to a 9-8 record during a disappointing second half of last season, having gone 15-2 the previous term.
Even with that dip in form, Detroit still scored more points at home than any other team in the league for the third time in four years and we’re hoping they return to the kind of level which saw them rattle off wide-margin early wins at Ford Field over Chicago , Cleveland and Tampa Bay.
New Orleans have been in a steady decline for several years, coming off 5-12 and 6-11 campaigns, and a lot is resting on the shoulders of young QB Tyler Shough if they are to turn things around. Lions QB Jared Goff is our pick to be the NFL passing leader for the 2026 NFL season at 8/1. Find out why we love the value about Goff at those odds in our NFL Regular Season Player Props Tips.
Betting Tips
NFL Betting Tips
Carolina Panthers +3.5 points Vs Chicago Bears @ 5/6
Cincinnati Bengals -4.5 points to beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 20/21
Detroit Lions -6.5 points to beat New Orleans Saints @ 5/6
Simply click/tap on the above betting tips to add to your betslip.
Planning on tuning into Sky Sports for the NFL action this Sunday? Then you'll want to check out our Eagles vs Commanders preview.
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