NFL Week 1 Predictions: Top Bets Against the Spread Revealed

Season 33. That’s the first thing that jumped out at us. In an age where everybody’s an “expert” for a month and then disappears, Dave Blezow is back again with The Post’s NFL Bettor’s Guide and a fresh set of Week 1 picks against the spread. Thirty-three seasons is not a gimmick. You don’t stick around that long by guessing loud.

And yes, it’s gambling. Adults know what that means. The league and the broadcasters have spent the last few years wrapping betting in glossy “odds boosts” and studio segments like it’s just another fantasy league. It isn’t. A guide like this is useful precisely because it treats the spreads like a craft, not a casino confetti cannon. If you’re going to bet, at least do it with your eyes open.

Week 1, of course, is where people get the most overconfident. New coaches, new quarterbacks, new coordinators, and everyone swears they’ve spotted the “lock” the sportsbooks forgot to price. They didn’t forget. The whole point of Week 1 is that the public is hungry and the information is thin. Good handicapping in September is usually less about hot takes and more about boring questions: line value, matchup basics, and whether the market is chasing last year’s story.

We’ll take a steady voice over the latest viral thread any day. Read the picks, argue with them, fade them if you want. Just don’t confuse a prediction with a guarantee. The smart play is discipline, not bravado..