It kind of feels like Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs just walked off the field at State Farm Stadium in Arizona after beating Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII. And yet, here we are on the verge of getting ready to kick off another NFL season.
Not that we’re complaining! After watching the way the 2022 NFL season ended, everyone is excited for the 2023 NFL season to get underway.
NFL sports bettors, in particular, can’t wait for the fun to begin. They’re already gathering free sports picks and reading through NFL predictions in the hopes of striking it rich during the upcoming NFL season.
Are you planning to put your money where your mouth is when the 2023 NFL season starts? Then you should begin looking into how to bet on sports if you don’t know already and seeing which NFL picks to make prior to the NFL season starting.
Here are some free NFL football picks for Week 1 of the season to help you get things moving in the right direction.
Kansas City Chiefs -6.5 Against the Detroit Lions
The Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champions. The Detroit Lions are a lot of people’s dark horse pick to make it to the Super Bowl out of the NFC this season. That should make the NFL’s very first game of the season one to watch.
The Lions might eventually get things going and, at the very least, make a run to the NFL Playoffs for the first time since 2016. But they’re still not quite on Kansas City’s level.
We fully expect the Chiefs to make a strong statement by winning their first game of the season decisively at home.
Cleveland Browns +1 Against the Cincinnati Bengals
On paper, the Bengals are the better team in this matchup. But with Joe Burrow still working his way back from an injury he sustained in the preseason and not guaranteed to be anywhere close to 100% healthy, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see the Browns steal an early-season divisional matchup against Cincinnati.
We expect Deshaun Watson to look a lot better this season than he did last season when he made his debut with Cleveland after sitting out the first part of the season due to suspension. He has a chance to make a big splash right away and set the right tone for the rest of the reason.
New England Patriots +4.5 Against the Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles could very well be the defending Super Bowl champions right now. They came thisclose to knocking off the Chiefs in Arizona back in February, and if they had done that, it would be hard to imagine them only giving 4.5 points to the Patriots.
But the Patriots will be at home for this one, and they’ll also be a team on a mission following a couple of disappointing seasons in a row. It’s a make-or-break year for quarterback Mac Jones, and New England’s defense is also sneakily good this season and could give opposing quarterbacks fits.
With all of this in mind, it wouldn’t surprise us one bit to see the Patriots win this one outright. But even if they aren’t able to do that, they should be able to cover the spread.
Chicago Bears -3 Against the Green Bay Packers
If Aaron Rodgers was still wearing green and gold, the Packers would be the pick here. Rodgers did, after all, own the Bears throughout his time in Green Bay.
But with Rodgers now suiting up for the New York Jets and Jordan Love taking his place under center, there could be a changing of the guard taking place here. As long as Chicago quarterback Justin Fields continues to run all over the place like he did last season while also throwing the ball better, the Bears should finally be able to get the best of the Packers.
Miami Dolphins +2.5 Against the Los Angeles Chargers
Of all the free sports picks listed here, this is the one that has the most potential to go wrong. If Justin Herbert and the Chargers come out firing on all cylinders, they could easily cover a -2.5 spread against the Dolphins, especially with all the uncertainty that continues to surround Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his recent history with head injuries.
But the Chargers almost feel like the obvious pick here, and that could lead to a role reversal in which Miami is able to dominate them. The Chargers have a tendency to start slow, and if they aren’t able to get over that hump, it could be a long Week 1 for them.
New York Giants +3.5 Against the Dallas Cowboys
The first Sunday Night Football game of the season looks like it’ll be a real doozy. It’s an NFC East matchup that could dictate how the season will go for both of these teams.
The Cowboys got the best of the Giants in both of their matchups last season, so we would expect New York to get their revenge. But even if Dallas is able to get the win, the Giants should still be able to get the cover.
Buffalo Bills -1.5 Against the New York Jets
The NFL knew what it was doing when it chose to make Aaron Rodgers’ Jets debut the first Monday Night Football game of the season. This is a game that everyone will be watching.
It’s also a game that’s going to have lots of casual NFL sports bettors siding with the Jets. By the time kickoff takes place, the Jets might become the betting favorite.
But it’s likely going to take Rodgers and his new teammates at least a few weeks to get on the same page. So it’s difficult to bet against the Bills here. Buffalo earned a decisive victory over the then-reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 last season, and they could be primed to do the same thing to start this season.
Get Your Free Sports Picks for the NFL Season Here
Once the 2023 NFL season officially kicks off, NFL sports bettors will have their hands full when it comes to trying to make winning wagers. We can help by supplying you with the free NFL football picks you need. We also offer other free football picks for those interested in free college football picks along with free sports picks for other leagues.
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