NFL Preseason Odds & Best Bets: Week 1 Full Slate Preview
Sixteen games. Three days. The 2026 NFL preseason is officially here, and the full Week 1 slate runs Thursday through Saturday, August 13 to 15. If you have been waiting all offseason for real football to bet, this is your entry point. Lines are soft. Coaching staffs are hiding everything. And there is genuine value scattered across this board if you know where to look.
Let’s break down the spreads, totals, and best bets across the full slate so you walk into this weekend with a plan.
2026 NFL Preseason Week 1 Odds: Full Slate Spreads and Totals
Here is a snapshot of the key lines from the Week 1 board. These are early market numbers, so track movement before kickoff. Lines are sourced from the opening board as of August 11, 2026.
| Date / Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu Aug 13 – NFL Preseason | |||
| Detroit Lions Aug 13 7:00 PM | +6.5 10/11 | 62/25 | O 37.5 10/11 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | -6.5 10/11 | 100/319 | U 37.5 10/11 |
| Green Bay Packers Aug 13 7:00 PM | -1.5 10/11 | 50/61 | O 39.5 10/11 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +1.5 10/11 | 1/1 | U 39.5 10/11 |
| Indianapolis Colts Aug 13 7:30 PM | -2.5 10/11 | 50/79 | O 37.5 10/11 |
| New England Patriots | +2.5 10/11 | 129/100 | U 37.5 10/11 |
| Arizona Cardinals Aug 13 8:00 PM | +1.5 10/11 | 53/50 | O 39.5 10/11 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | -1.5 10/11 | 10/13 | U 39.5 10/11 |
| Los Angeles Chargers Aug 13 8:00 PM | +1.5 10/11 | 101/100 | O 37 10/11 |
| Houston Texans | -1.5 10/11 | 25/31 | U 37 10/11 |
| Tennessee Titans Aug 13 9:00 PM | -2.5 10/11 | 100/143 | O 39.5 10/11 |
| San Francisco 49ers | +2.5 10/11 | 117/100 | U 39.5 10/11 |
| Fri Aug 14 – NFL Preseason | |||
| Denver Broncos Aug 14 7:00 PM | -5.5 10/11 | 25/61 | O 38.5 10/11 |
| Atlanta Falcons | +5.5 10/11 | 193/100 | U 38.5 10/11 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers Aug 14 7:00 PM | +5.5 10/11 | 85/40 | O 36 10/11 |
| New York Jets | -5.5 10/11 | 10/27 | U 36 10/11 |
| Miami Dolphins Aug 14 7:00 PM | -3 10/11 | 100/153 | O 36.5 10/11 |
| Washington Commanders | +3 10/11 | 5/4 | U 36.5 10/11 |
| Sat Aug 15 – NFL Preseason | |||
| Carolina Panthers Aug 15 1:00 PM | +1.5 10/11 | 100/101 | O 37.5 10/11 |
| Buffalo Bills | -1.5 10/11 | 100/121 | U 37.5 10/11 |
| Cleveland Browns Aug 15 1:00 PM | -1.5 10/11 | 50/59 | O 38.5 10/11 |
| Chicago Bears | +1.5 10/11 | 25/26 | U 38.5 10/11 |
| Minnesota Vikings Aug 15 1:00 PM | +1.5 10/11 | 50/51 | O 40.5 10/11 |
| New York Giants | -1.5 10/11 | 5/6 | U 40.5 10/11 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars Aug 15 4:00 PM | +3 10/11 | 139/100 | O 36.5 10/11 |
| New Orleans Saints | -3 10/11 | 25/43 | U 36.5 10/11 |
| Los Angeles Rams Aug 15 4:00 PM | +1.5 10/11 | 50/51 | O 36.5 10/11 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -1.5 10/11 | 5/6 | U 36.5 10/11 |
| Philadelphia Eagles Aug 15 7:00 PM | -2.5 10/11 | 100/127 | O 36.5 10/11 |
| Baltimore Ravens | +2.5 10/11 | 26/25 | U 36.5 10/11 |
| Dallas Cowboys Aug 15 8:00 PM | +3.5 10/11 | 31/20 | O 39.5 10/11 |
| Seattle Seahawks | -3.5 10/11 | 25/48 | U 39.5 10/11 |
One thing jumps out immediately. Almost every spread on this board sits between pick’em and -3.5. That is the market telling you it has very little conviction. When books price games this tight, there is opportunity for sharp bettors to find edges that the public will overlook.
NFL Preseason Odds & Best Bets: Full Slate Spread Breakdown
The number that matters most before you bet any spread this week comes from VSiN’s historical data. Heavy preseason favorites, meaning teams laying more than 7 points, have gone just 6-12 ATS since 2010. That is an awful number. The market knows it too, which is probably why there is not a single line on this board that stretches past -4.
The sweet spot historically is -3.5 to -7 favorites. That range hits at 54.2% ATS in the preseason. Denver at -3.5 lands right in that zone and is one of the more interesting plays on the Saturday slate.
The Seahawks open at -3.5 over the Cowboys on Saturday night. Seattle is the defending champion. They have home field. But in the preseason, reputation only takes you so far. Coaches rest starters, schemes get vanilla, and a 3.5-point spread against Dallas with a backup QB battle in the second half is not as clean as it looks. Proceed with caution there.
The Commanders at -1 against Miami stands out as a legitimate sharp lean. Washington has been one of the hotter teams in early camp buzz, and laying one point at home against a Dolphins team still sorting out its depth chart feels like value. Check the NFL alternate lines at BUSR if you want to shade the spread a half-point in either direction.
NFL Preseason Odds & Best Bets: Full Slate Totals Breakdown
The totals board this week is bunched between 35.5 and 39.5. That is a pretty tight range, and it reflects exactly what you would expect. Coaches are not going to show their hand in Week 1. Starters play one or two series. Backup quarterbacks take over early. Scoring is inconsistent and often comes in spurts from special teams or turnovers.
Across the board, unders are getting the most attention from sharp bettors right now. When a total sits at 36.5 or 37 and neither team is likely to play their primary offensive weapons past the first quarter, that number is already borderline low, and it still tends to go under in these situations.
The Seahawks and Cowboys at 39.5 is the highest total on the slate. That makes some sense given it is a marquee Saturday night matchup. But 39.5 is still not a big number, and if both head coaches decide starters are done after one drive, two backup offenses are not going to get you there. The under on that game deserves serious consideration.
Use the NFL 1st half team totals at BUSR to isolate the periods where starter playing time is most predictable. You can also dig into NFL 2nd half team totals to target the backup-heavy portions of these games specifically.
NFL Preseason Odds & Best Bets: Full Slate Player Props and Storylines
There are two massive storylines driving betting interest this week, and both of them come with real prop value attached.
First, Aaron Rodgers faces his former Green Bay Packers teammates in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. This game is going to draw enormous casual money. Any time Rodgers is involved, the public piles in. That creates an opportunity to fade the inflated line and look for edges in the props market. Check the NFL player props specials board at BUSR for Rodgers passing yard and completion props tied to this game. Expect Rodgers to play limited snaps. His prop totals should be set accordingly, and anything that feels inflated based on his regular-season reputation is a target for the under.
Second, Fernando Mendoza makes his NFL debut as the No. 1 overall pick for the Raiders on Friday night. This is the biggest individual storyline of the entire preseason. Mendoza’s snap count is the key variable. The betting market on this game could shift significantly once Las Vegas announces how many series he is expected to play. Keep your eye on NFL contest player props leading into Friday because Mendoza’s lines will move fast if that information leaks before kickoff.
For game-level props across the full slate, the NFL game props section at BUSR gives you team scoring props, first-half leaders, and quarter-by-quarter options that are perfect for preseason betting. You can also find quarter-specific totals through NFL quarter team totals to break down the action drive by drive.
NFL Preseason Odds & Best Bets: Full Slate Top Pick and Value Parlay
Best bet this week: Titans +2.5 in San Francisco.
Tennessee is getting 2.5 points on the road against a 49ers team that will almost certainly rest its key starters. San Francisco has been notoriously conservative with playing time in the preseason under their coaching staff. Meanwhile, the Titans have been one of the more active teams in camp, with players pushing for roster spots all the way down the depth chart. That energy shows up in preseason games. A team fighting for jobs versus a team just going through the motions is a classic preseason edge. Tennessee covers this number more often than not in this spot. ESPN’s injury and depth chart tracker is worth checking the morning of this game for any last-minute San Francisco resting decisions.
Value parlay: Titans +2.5 plus the under in the Saints game (36.5). New Orleans at home in a tight preseason opener with limited starters expected to play is exactly the kind of game that stays low. Combine that with Tennessee getting points against a resting San Francisco squad, and you have a two-leg parlay with real logic behind both pieces. Not blind chalk. Actual reasoning.
The NFL contest game props board at BUSR also has creative angles if you want to build around these games without going straight spread or total. And if you want to adjust the spread numbers to your liking, the NFL alternative lines section gives you flexibility to buy or sell a point depending on your confidence level.
Before you lock anything in, also check out the NFL season win totals board. Early preseason performance can shift those numbers, and getting on a team’s win total before Week 1 moves the market is a legitimate long-term value play.
What The Internet Is Saying
Want to see more of what the betting community is saying? Follow the conversation on X and Reddit.
Key Takeaways
- Heavy preseason favorites over 7 points have gone just 6-12 ATS since 2010. Fade the big chalk.
- The sweet spot is -3.5 to -7 favorites. That range hits at 54.2% ATS. Denver and the Seahawks land right there.
- Totals bunched in the mid-to-high 30s favor unders when coaches are guarding their depth charts and starters play limited snaps.
- Top value angles this week: Saints +1.5 at home, Titans +2.5 in San Francisco, and Commanders -1 vs. Miami.