With just a few weeks to go until the 2025 NFL season gets underway, you can be sure plenty of sports bettors and fantasy football players will be poring over the schedule to see how best to employ their strategies. There’s often a sense of excitement, especially when you believe that things you have learned in the offseason can give you insight into the outcomes of the regular season games.
That said, while sportsbooks will have some inkling about how games will go, reflecting that in the NFL lines for each game, there is always a sense of the unknown going into the new season. A few teams always start slowly, and a few come firing out of the blocks. There’s risk involved, but it can be a good opportunity to find value in your NFL bets.
Looking ahead to Week 1 of this new NFL season, there are some intriguing matchups, not least the absolute blockbuster between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, two Super Bowl favorites in the eyes of many fans and experts alike. It looks like an incredibly tough game to predict, with the Bills maybe shading it with the bookies because it is at Highmark Stadium.
But what about some upsets in Week 1? We don’t want to make predictions, but rather discuss some of the games where an upset victory looks possible. Let’s dive in:
Kansas City Chiefs @ LA Chargers
Moneyline: Chiefs -155, Chargers +130
It’s become almost fashionable to say the Chiefs will decline this season, but Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes love to prove doubters wrong. And yet, this looks like the perfect type of banana skin fixture between a team with some off-field issues & possible Super Bowl hangover against a team with an improved roster and growing expectations. The Chargers invested heavily in defense this offseason, but much will depend on Justin Herbert, too. It may come down to mistakes, but it does seem like a game where the Chiefs could come unstuck, especially if they play within themselves like last season. A quick note: While the Chargers are designated as the home team, this game will be played in Brazil. Adapting to the climate may also be key.
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks
Moneyline: 49ers -125, Seahawks +105
While speculative, we think the Seahawks could spring a surprise against the 49ers for several reasons. First of all, there is the fact that the 49ers were abject for most of last season. There’s been significant roster turnover (Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, and Talanoa Hufanga, for instance), and it may take a while for the 49ers’ new setup to gel. As for the Seahawks, we like that Sam Darnold has worked with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak at Minnesota before, and that continuity might count for a lot. A lot of buzz suggests that the 49ers (6-11) will be the bounce-back team in 2025. That may be true, but it could take some time to bear fruit.
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
Moneyline: Lions +105, Packers -125
It might surprise some to see that the Packers are favorites, although the fact that it’s at Lambeau Field may play a role. Anyhow, the Lions were the best team in the NFL regular season last term – or, at least, they were the most explosive to watch – but much has been made of the loss of their offensive and defensive coordinators (Ben Johnson joined the Bears as head coach; Aaron Glen went to the Jets). Yet, the Lions have won three consecutive games in Green Bay for the first time since the 1980s. Overall, the Lions have won six of the last seven against their divisional rival, including twice last season. There have been some changes in Detroit, but Dan Campbell offers continuity. Should the Lions be the betting underdogs in this one?
