Early NFL Week 1 Parlay: Odds, Picks & Predictions (2022)
The NFL is back!
Week 1 is just days away as we begin a new season, and we finally have something to keep us busy on Sundays.
While this week’s odds have been out for quite some, they’ve still moved, especially as the preseason progressed. That will continue to happen throughout the week, so it’s an excellent time to jump on them early. We’ll provide you an early week parlay to grab before the lines move.
View the best player prop bets for this week’s slate with our NFL Prop Bet Cheat Sheet >>
Leg #1. Colts -8 | -115 at DraftKings Sportsbook
The Colts bring back a ton of talent to the offense and upgraded at quarterback. The Carson Wentz experiment in Indy is done, so they traded for former MVP Matt Ryan to anchor this offense.
Ryan is undoubtedly an upgrade at quarterback, but they still want to center this offense through last year’s breakout RB Jonathan Taylor. He brings power running and quickness and can be used in the passing game, along with all of the other weapons like WR Michael Pittman, they’ll be much this year.
This will make them one of the more balanced teams as they already come with a stellar defense that allowed the ninth-fewest points last season.
Davis Mills caught some positive attention towards the end of last season with some outstanding performances, so this organization will entrust him to anchor this offense.
He will have Brandin Cooks, who had another great season, and hopefully will be rewarded as he decided not to be traded. On the opposite side, they have sophomore Nico Collins, who started to get more involved as the season progressed and is poised for a heavy role in year two.
Dameon Pierce is the fourth-round rookie that caught everyone’s eye in the preseason, and he looks to be the lead back heading into Week 1.
Indianapolis has owned the Texans over the last few years, going 8-2 ATS in their previous ten meetings. The Texans will be better, but they’re not ready to be contenders.
Leg #2. Saints -5.5 | -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook
As the Saints begin their first year without Sean Payton since 2005, some old faces could help them compete this season.
Jameis Winston will return at quarterback, coming off a torn ACL in Week 8 last season. They will also see the return of Michael Thomas as he has not seen the field since Week 14 of 2020 and has dealt with injuries for the past two years.
The running game will feature the two-headed monster of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, and this looks like they’re strong on the ground and the air.
The Falcons will field what feels like a brand new team. Matt Ryan and the entire starting wide receivers are gone, and they will feature a new set of skilled players.
They brought in former Raiders backup Marcus Mariotta as the quarterback. They drafted former USC standout Drake London in the first round to provide another large target along with Kyle Pitts.
The running game will see the return of Cordarrelle Patterson, but they’ve revamped a whole new depth chart, including drafting Tyler Allgeier and signing Damien Willams.
The big question is, how will the defense be this year? They will have as many as seven new starters on a defense that finished 26th in points allowed.
New Orleans has both the offensive and defensive advantage in this game, and it will take some time before for the new Falcons team to gel.
Leg #3. Panthers -2.5 | -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook
We have to feature one of the top revenge games of the week. The Browns did Baker Mayfield dirty even after leading them to their first playoff win back in 2020 in 26 years.
With a healthy Christian McCaffrey, he provides one of the most dynamic weapons in the backfield; He’s quick, has some of the best cuts in the open field, and is impactful in the passing game.
With the suspension of Deshaun Watson, they’ll start= backup Jacoby Brissett. He is not a scrub by any means and has plenty of starting experience, but we don’t know how he and this new Browns receiving core will mesh this early in the season. It will be challenging to move the ball through the air as the Panthers’ defense was fourth by allowing 192.1 yards per.
The Browns should look to rely on the backfield tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt as they’ve done in recent years. That could be the best way to move to the ball, as they were 18th in rushing defense (113.8) last year.
Mayfield is hell-bent on beating the Browns and has said some expletives to describe how badly he wants to win this game. The Panthers may not be a contender in the NFC, but the revenge narrative is good enough to get them a Week 1 win.
Total Odds: +405 at DraftKings Sportsbook
View 5-star bets and historical prop performance by players with our Prop Bet Analyzer >>
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts
Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section — including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners — or head to more advanced strategies — like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread — to learn more.