Week 1 of the 2023 NFL regular season is finally here, and we have a ton of great games on the menu.
Bettors will get their first opportunities to wager on sides, totals, props, parlays, and more. However, putting together a winning parlay for Week 1 might be tough, especially since we don’t see starters much in the preseason.
That’s where I’ll try to help as I pick out my best parlay, a longshot parlay, and a same-game parlay each week during the regular season.
Let’s find the best possible value and cook up some Week 1 parlays using moneylines, sides, and totals from DraftKings Sportsbook.
NFL Week 1 Parlay Picks
All NFL betting odds used in our Week 1 parlay picks are current as of Tuesday, Sept. 5, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best Parlay: SEA ML + GB ML (+174)
Longshot Parlay: PIT ML + MIA-LAC Over 51 + LV +4 (+701)
Same Game Parlay: CIN ML + Over 47.5 (+230)
NFL Week 1 Best Parlay Bet
Week 1 Best Parlay (+174)
- Seahawks ML (-245) vs Rams
- Packers ML (-105) @ Bears
We will start Week 1 with a small moneyline parlay featuring the Seahawks and Packers.
Seattle opens up the season at home against the Rams, who are looking to rebound from an injury-plagued 2022 season. The Seahawks swept Los Angeles last year but won the two matchups by a combined seven points.
The oddsmakers currently have Seattle as 5.5-point favorites, which makes sense as the Rams could be without star wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who suffered a “setback” with his hamstring injury last week and is listed as questionable. If Kupp cannot play in Week 1, the Rams’ offense could be in trouble, as their defense leaves much to be desired.
As for the Seahawks, they are also dealing with some injuries heading into the regular-season opener. Seattle will not have veteran safety Jamal Adams but might have rookie WR Jaxon Smith-Njiba, who practiced on Monday after undergoing surgery late last month for a small fracture in his left wrist.
The Seahawks still have most of their team intact from last season, which includes QB Geno Smith, who had an excellent 2022 season. The continuity will loom large in this spot as the Seahawks went 5-4 last season at home, while the Rams were 1-7 on the road in 2022.
- Check out Jovan’s NFL Week 1 prop bets.
Additionally, we’ll roll with the Packers on the moneyline for our second leg in what should be a fun game between division rivals. Last season, Green Bay swept the season series from Chicago, but that was with Aaron Rodgers at QB.
This season, the Packers are ushering in the Jordan Love era, and the 2020 first-rounder played well in preseason this summer. If Love can play mistake-free football and lean on his running game against a Bears’ defense that struggled against the run last season (157.3 yards per game allowed), Green Bay will have a chance to win.
However, the Packers will have to try and slow down Justin Fields and the Bears’ offense, which added DJ Moore, Roschon Johnson, and D’Onta Foreman in the offseason. Fields will make plays with his arm and legs, but I like the Packers’ defense slightly more than the Bears’ retooled unit to help secure the win.
NFL Week 1 Longshot Parlay Bet
Week 1 Longshot Parlay (+701)
- Steelers ML (+120) vs 49ers
- Dolphins vs Chargers Under 51 (-110)
- Raiders +4 (-110) @ Broncos
We have a nice mix of plays in our first longshot parlay that should cash by Sunday night.
Our first leg backs the Steelers, who will open up the regular season at home against the 49ers. This will be a great test for second-year QB Kenny Pickett, who led Pittsburgh to a 6-2 record in the final nine games of last season. He will face a 49ers’ team that had one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2022 and has multiple playmakers on offense.
Based on what we saw from these two teams last season, many bettors expect the 49ers to go into the Steel City and win outright. However, something to remember is that Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin is 53-30-4 against the spread as an underdog.
Also, the Steelers were 6-4-1 ATS and 5-6 straight up as underdogs last year. Therefore, it might not be a bad idea to take the Steelers on the moneyline, with the spread being less than a field goal.
- Check out our top moneyline, ATS, and total plays in our NFL Week 1 picks.
For the second leg of my longshot parlay, I like the Under to hit between the Dolphins and Chargers. When these two teams played each other last year in Week 14, the Chargers won 23-17 at So-Fi Stadium.
Los Angeles QB Justin Herbert torched Miami’s defense for 367 yards and a TD. Meanwhile, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa struggled, completing 10 of 28 passes for 145 yards and a score.
Additionally, the Over only hit three times in eight Chargers’ home games last season and only twice in five LAC games with a total of 50-plus points.
Finally, we will take the Raiders to cover the spread against the Broncos, who have a new head coach in Sean Payton. Last season, the Broncos were putrid against the spread, going 1-7 ATS as favorites and 3-5 ATS at home.
They should be better with Payton and Russell Wilson entering his second year in the Mile High City. However, I don’t believe they are four points better than the Raiders, who have a new quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo, who might be a better fit for Josh McDaniels’ offense than Derek Carr.
Last year, the Raiders were 4-3 ATS as an underdog and went 1-1 against Denver.
NFL Week 1 Same Game Parlay Bet
Bengals vs Browns Same Game Parlay (+230)
- Bengals ML (-135)
- Over 47.5 (-110)
Even though Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow missed all of preseason with a calf injury, I still like Cincinnati to go on the road and take down their cross-state rivals on Sunday.
Last season, the Bengals split the season series against the Browns, losing by 19 points in Week 8 with Jacoby Brissett under the center. However, Cincinnati returned the favor in Week 14, defeating Deshaun Watson and Co. 23-13.
I expect some rustiness for the Bengals’ offense as Burrow gets his first test of game action since last season. However, if Cincy can slow down Nick Chubb, who produced 99.8 rushing yards per game last season at home, then the Bengals will give themselves a good chance to win.
The Bengals also must protect Burrow from the Browns’ vaunted defensive line, which features Myles Garrett. Last season, Burrow was sacked 41 times, but hopefully, that number decreases with the addition of tackle Orlando Brown Jr. from Kansas City.
- Stay up to date on the latest line moves with our NFL Week 1 odds.
The Browns will hope that Watson can look like the quarterback that we saw in 2020 with the Texans. He only played in six games last season after being suspended for the first 11 contests and struggled after the lengthy layoff.
The veteran quarterback has a nice set of weapons at TE and WR, which could give the Bengals’ defense some fits. Nevertheless, both teams will hit big plays on offense, which will help bettors cash the Over.
Last season, Cleveland’s Over record was 5-4-1 as an underdog, while Cincinnati’s Over record was 7-6-1 as a favorite.