NFL Schedule Release Results, Analysis & Week 1 Opening Odds
The NFL has progressively ensured its brand is a year-long constant in terms of its visibility, with several offseason benchmarks gradually becoming noteworthy events that garner much more of the spotlight than they once did. The NFL’s annual release of the upcoming regular season’s schedule is one such example, coming on the heels of an NFL Draft that already serves to whet the appetite of fans everywhere.
The schedule release itself isn’t even limited to just one day any longer; rather, it’s become a week-long drip-drip of offseason fun where the league reveals select marquee primetime games as well as holiday and International Series matchups. Then, Thursday night serves as the culmination of the event, with fans of all 32 teams finally getting a full overview of when and where each of their club’s games will unfold in the coming season.
The schedule release has significance beyond the perspective of pure fandom, too, as it also affords sportsbooks the opportunity to release its first-look odds for each game and bettors the opportunity to start taking a stake in those contests.
NFL Schedule Release Results
NFL Week 1 Opening Odds
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans – Sept. 13, 1:00 p.m. ET
Not all of the Week 1 marquee matchups are primetime “island” games, with this AFC showdown being Exhibit A. More on the prospects of both of these AFC heavyweights is forthcoming in this article, but DeMeco Ryans will be gunning for his third win in as many tries against the Bills since becoming the Texans’ head coach in 2023. Houston has a good track record as a home underdog against the spread in Ryans’ tenure as well, going 6-3 with an ATS +/- of +7.3 points in that split.
Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers – Sept. 13, 1:00 p.m. ET
A battle of two offensive masterminds helps kick off the first full Sunday slate of the season. The Bears made significant strides in head coach Ben Johnson’s first season in 2025, while the Panthers did the same during Dave Canales’ second year at the helm. Both teams will be looking to begin delivering on significant 2026 expectations with a season-opening win, and past first overall picks Caleb Williams and Bryce Young shoulder plenty of pressure to take the next step in their development.
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars – Sept. 13, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Browns’ QB situation should take center stage for this season-opening game, as all eyes will be on whether Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson is under center for Cleveland, barring a surprise training camp/preseason from Dillon Gabriel. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are expected to potentially take another leap forward in the offense’ second season in Liam Coen’s scheme, but it will have to do it with a new-look backfield.
Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers – Sept. 13, 1:00 p.m. ET
Two teams starting anew with their coaching staffs tangle in this interconference season-opening battle. The quarterback position will be a matter of significant scrutiny for both clubs. The Falcons will be rolling out either big-name offseason addition Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix. Meanwhile, the Steelers will very likely be at one extreme or the other — either the legendary Aaron Rodgers will return for one more season and reunite with new head coach Mike McCarthy, or Pittsburgh could pivot to one of two recent draft picks in Will Howard or Drew Allar.
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans – Sept. 13, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Jets are banking on a past franchise first-round pick in Geno Smith to bounce back from a forgettable 2025 season with the Raiders and bring some stability to the quarterback position for at least one season. Despite it being only his second season leading the Jets, this could be the first game of a make-or-break year for Aaron Glenn. The Titans will hope Robert Saleh’s second time as head coach — his first stint having come with these same Jets — is the charm beginning with this season-opening home matchup, and he’ll be banking heavily on the Cam Ward-Carnell Tate duo to help lead that endeavor.
New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions – Sept. 13, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Saints are going to be a buzzy preseason pick in terms of teams with a chance to make the biggest improvement, and this season-opening matchup is going to be quite the initial stress test for that perspective. The Lions’ offense can be absolutely lethal at Ford Field when it’s clicking, and a New Orleans defense that no longer has key veterans Demario Davis and Cameron Jordan will therefore have a daunting task on its hands.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals – Sept. 13, 1:00 p.m. ET
For a change, the Bucs didn’t win the NFC South in 2025, even though they finished with the same 8-9 mark as division champion Carolina. Tampa Bay now must try to rebound without long-time franchise stalwart Mike Evans, and the offense that will tackle the unenviable task of trying to keep up with Joe Burrow and his weapons will otherwise essentially be the same as last year’s except for the swap of Rachaad White for Kenneth Gainwell. A healthy Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — and explosive running back Chase Brown — will instantly test Todd Bowles’ defense out of the gate.
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts – Sept. 13, 1:00 p.m. ET
Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and teammates will officially embark on their journey in new head coach Jesse Minter’s scheme in what could be one of the highest-scoring matchups of Week 1. The Colts are expected to once again run a multi-layered balanced offense spearheaded by Jonathan Taylor, as well as an eventually healthy Daniel Jones that played the best football of his career last season before going down with an Achilles injury in December.
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles – Sept. 13, 4:25 p.m. ET
The Commanders will be looking to make an emphatic season-opening statement that quickly puts last season’s 5-12 mark in the rearview mirror. Jayden Daniels should be healthy and likelier to resemble the stellar 2024 rookie version of himself than the injury-riddled signal-caller of last season. Washington will try to pull off its resurgence with essentially the same offensive cast as last season, although Rachaad White and Chig Okonkwo could both prove to be prudent offseason additions.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – Sept. 13, 4:25 p.m. ET’
The Packers and Vikings are expected to contend within a tough NFC North, although both are arguably behind the Lions and Bears. Green Bay won the one meeting between the teams last season that mattered, as the Vikings prevailed against a Packers squad full of backups in Week 18. Minnesota has been victorious in four of the last six games of the series overall, but the Vikes were only 3-5 ATS as a home team last season.
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders – Sept. 13, 4:25 p.m. ET
Conventional wisdom and even some of the particulars of the schedule strongly suggest the Dolphins will be one of the league’s worst clubs, but they’ll face a team that competed for that title a season ago. Miami has no primetime games for the first time since 2008, yet they’ll have the spotlight on them in this season-opening matchup if the Raiders opt to roll with first overall pick Fernando Mendoza right from the jump. Malik Willis will also be opening the post-Tua/McDaniel era in Miami in this game and doing so without the departed Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, although he’ll still have star running back De’Von Achane in the wake of his signing of a lucrative extension.
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers- Sept. 13, 4:25 p.m. ET
The Cardinals made the noteworthy decision to cut ties with Kyler Murray this offseason, which, when paired with the firing of Jonathan Gannon, sets the stage for a new chapter in the long-suffering franchise’s history. Mike LaFleur will have a steep climb in his regular-season head coaching debut against Jim Harbaugh and his Chargers, who did some intriguing offseason shopping that brought Keaton Mitchell and David Njoku into the fold.
NFL Schedule Release Week 1 Prime Time Games
2026 Kickoff Game: New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks (-4.5) – Sept. 9, 8:20 p.m. ET
The first Wednesday Night Football season opener in league history consists of a Super Bowl rematch between Drake Maye’s Patriots and the defending champion Seahawks, which lost Big Game MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency. Both teams have visions of running it back in their respective conferences this season, and all eyes will be on quarterbacks Drake Maye and Sam Darnold to see if they can put together successful encores of their stellar 2025 campaigns.
Thursday Night Football
Week 1: San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams (-2.5) – Sept. 10, 8:35 p.m. ET – Melbourne Cricket Ground/ Melbourne, Australia
Kyle Shanahan and his 49ers are back to take another run at the postseason after last season’s injury-riddled campaign, and San Francisco will hope to get an immediate return on investment when it comes to prize offseason addition Mike Evans, the new leader of the pass-catching corps. Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey are back as the main cogs of the offense, while the Rams have similarly elevated expectations and a key group of incumbents led by reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua.
Sunday Night Football
Week 1: Dallas Cowboys (-2.5) at New York Giants – Sept. 13, 8:20 p.m. ET
There’s never any shortage of interest around the America’s Team, which posted a 7-9-1 mark in Brian Schottenheimer’s first year at the helm. The trio of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens returns as the core of Dallas’ air attack, while Javonte Williams re-signed on a three-year deal this offseason following his career-best 2025 and the new safety duo of Jalen Thompson and first-round pick Caleb Downs are expected to shore up the back end of the defense. Meanwhile, the G-Men will be playing their first game under John Harbaugh in his SNF opener, and all eyes will be on both the long-time Ravens head coach and second-year QB Jaxson Dart, from which a sizable Year 2 leap is expected.
Monday Night Football
Week 1: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (2.5) – Sept. 14, 8:15 p.m. ET
The NFL kicks off the 2026 Monday Night Football slate with a banger, as this AFC West showdown features plenty of intrigue and the always entertaining chess match between head coaches/offensive gurus Sean Payton and Andy Reid. Bo Nix is expected to be back to full health after his highly untimely ankle injury arguably cost Denver a Super Bowl appearance, and Patrick Mahomes will presumably be under center at full health and chomping at the bit to get the Chiefs back to their former glory following last season’s ACL tear and 6-11 mark.
NFL Schedule Release International Games
Week 1: San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams (-2.5) – Sept. 10, 8:35 p.m. ET – Melbourne Cricket Ground/ Melbourne, Australia
With Purdy, McCaffrey and Ricky Pearsall presumably healthy to the start the season, the 49ers have an explosive trio of incumbents to complement savvy offseason additions Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, and the makings of a potentially elite offense. Their opponent for this international season opener can say the same, however, as Stafford begins his “title defense” of his NFL MVP award flanked by the same ultra-talented core of Williams, Nacua and Davante Adams and complemented by an aggressive defense that added 2022 first-round pick Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs.
Week 3: Baltimore Ravens (-2.5) vs. Dallas Cowboys – Sept. 27, 4:25 p.m. ET – Maracanã Stadium/ Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
The Ravens are always the subject of plenty of attention thanks to their extended track record of success, but eyes will be on Lamar Jackson and co. for a different reason this season, particularly early on. After 18 seasons under John Harbaugh, the Ravens have handed the keys and headset to Minter, who steps right into a pressure cooker of a division and conference while trying to fill some big shoes. The Cowboys always command the spotlight as well, and Schottenheimer will have his own hot seat as he tries to improve on last year’s losing record in a city that always expects success.
Week 4: Indianapolis Colts vs. Washington Commanders (-1.5) – Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m. ET – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium / London, England
Shane Steichen and staff believe they’ve unlocked something in Daniel Jones that no one else has been able to at the NFL level, and this coming season should serve as an excellent proving ground for the veteran signal-caller in terms of demonstrating last season’s success was no fluke. Jones should be close to full health by the time this matchup rolls around following last Dec. 7th’s Achilles tear, while Jonathan Taylor could be in the midst of ramping up for another standout season. The Commanders have plenty of work to do to make up for last year’s 5-12 stumble, and by the time this game kicks off, we’ll have a better idea about whether Jayden Daniels is looking up to the task following a disappointing sophomore campaign.
Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles (-1.5) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – Oct. 11, 9:30 a.m. ET – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium / London, England
It will be interesting to see if A.J. Brown is still serving as Jalen Hurts’ No. 1 target when this matchup rolls around, given there’s been plenty of rumblings about a potential trade all offseason. Philadelphia was a postseason team a year ago, yet there rarely seemed to be real faith the Birds would be able to power their way through to a second straight Super Bowl due to the passing game’s inconsistency. The Jaguars had a significantly different vibe as their first season under Liam Coen unfolded, and the offensive guru had Trevor Lawrence playing perhaps the best football of his career down the stretch.
Week 6: Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (-1.5) – Oct. 18, 9:30 a.m. ET – Wembley Stadium / London, England
The Texans rolled into the postseason last January riding a nine-game winning streak, but they suffered another divisional-round exit when they were upended by the eventual AFC champion Patriots. Ryans’ squad added David Montgomery to pair with the ascending Woody Marks, and C.J. Stroud will hope to get a boost from the eventual return of Tank Dell, who missed all of last season. The Jaguars should have an inherent advantage since they’ll be fully adjusted to the time difference and environment following their Week 5 matchup against the Eagles, and Jacksonville will aim for only its fourth win over the last 17 games in the AFC South rivalry.
Week 7: Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5) vs. New Orleans Saints – Oct. 25, 9:30 a.m. ET – Stade de France / Paris, France
The Steelers haven’t been a frequent International Series participant, but they’ll follow up last season’s Ireland clash against the Vikings by being part of the NFL’s first-ever Paris game. It’s a major transitional season for one of the league’s legacy franchises following the departure of Mike Tomlin after a 19-season run on the sidelines, while the Saints have an eye on making one of the league’s biggest year-over-year leaps behind what they’ll hope is an incremental step forward from second-year signal-caller Tyler Shough and sizable contributions from notable offseason addition Travis Etienne.
Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5) vs. Atlanta Falcons – Nov. 8, 9:30 a.m. ET – Bernabéu Stadium / Madrid, Spain
The Bengals are another squad gunning for a major turnaround after falling flat at 6-11 last season, with Joe Burrow’s nine-game absence due to turf toe playing a significant role. Burrow played well down the stretch in his return and should be raring to go, and the interior of the defensive front, a significant weakness last season, was fortified by the additions of Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen. The Falcons are starting over at head coach with Kevin Stefanski, and by the time this midseason battle kicks off, we’ll know whether it’s Penix or Tagovailoa running the former Browns head coach’s offense.
Week 10: New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions (-1.5) – Nov. 15, 9:30 a.m. ET – FC Bayern Munich Stadium / Munich, Germany
The defending AFC champions will have a good grasp on how successful their conference-title-defense season is going by the time the opening gun sounds in this Week 10 international interconference clash gets underway. The Lions should serve as a formidable test considering their preseason expectations and weapons, and the neutral-field setting should help keep this a competitive and intriguing matchup.
Week 11: Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers (-4.5) – Nov. 22, 8:20 p.m. ET – Estadio Banorte / Mexico City, Mexico
Plenty of eyes will be on the Vikings and their quarterback situation to open the season, as Murray will look for a career reset at the expense of fellow former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. By the time this late-season clash unfolds, head coach Kevin O’Connell should naturally have honed in on who the better option of the two is, but injuries could certainly derail his best-laid plans. No matter the circumstances, the matchup against a veteran 49ers team that should be reaping the benefits of plenty of continuity should be quite the test despite the neutral setting.
NFL Schedule Release Thanksgiving Games
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (-2.5) – Nov. 26, 1:00 p.m. ET
All of Johnson’s success in his 2025 head coaching debut notwithstanding, the one-time Lions offensive coordinator came up empty in both of his cracks at his old squad. Johnson and the Bears ultimately got the last laugh by punching a postseason ticket while Detroit’s season ended after Week 18, but both teams are expected to be right in the thick of the battle for NFC North supremacy by the time this Thanksgiving clash rolls around.
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-1.5) – Nov. 26, 4:30 p.m. ET
The Eagles were one-and-done in the postseason last January after an 11-6 regular-season mark, but by the time this Turkey Day battle against their long-time rival arrives, Philadelphia will hope to have built up some serious momentum as it strives for another postseason run with the help of first-round pick Makai Lemon and veteran offseason addition Hollywood Brown. The Cowboys did upend Philadelphia in their second matchup after having narrowly lost in Week 1, and Dallas will be aiming to make a serious statement about their 2026 postseason ambitions with a win in this spot.
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills (-2.5) – Nov. 26, 8:15 p.m. ET
Mahomes and his teammates will certainly have a feel for whether their 2026 redemption tour appears headed for significant success when they go into battle against Josh Allen and co. in the 11th installment of the long-running rivalry between the two star quarterbacks. Buffalo has repeatedly frustrated Kansas City in the regular-season encounters since 2021, going 5-0 in that stretch, but it’s been Andy Reid’s squad that’s prevailed in all four postseason battles in the sample. Each of the last seven games in the series have been decided by single digits, so the first-look narrow spread is very likely to hold over the coming months if good health at key positions prevails on both sides.
NFL Schedule Release Christmas Eve Game
Houston Texans at Philadelphia Eagles (-2.5) – Dec. 24, 8:15 p.m. ET
This interconference battle could certainly have heavy ramifications for both teams’ playoff positioning and should be quite the defensive chess match between two units expected to be among the league’s best. Ryans, who played four seasons with Philadelphia to wrap up his career, has led the Texans to a 15-13-1 mark ATS on the road since becoming Houston’s head coach in 2023, including 10-8 with an ATS +/- of +1.7 points as a road underdog.
NFL Schedule Release Christmas Games
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (-1.5) – Dec. 25, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Packers went 1-2 against the Bears in Johnson’s first season at the helm in the Windy City, including a crushing 31-27 defeat versus their perennial rival in an NFC Wild Card Game that saw Green Bay blow a 21-3 halftime lead. Jordan Love and co. will be out for revenge at minimum in both regular-season meetings between the teams this coming season, and given the timing of this matchup, the end result could have a seismic impact on who takes the NFC North crown.
Buffalo Bills (-1.5) at Denver Broncos – Dec. 25, 4:30 p.m. ET
When these two teams last met, the Broncos became the latest team to break Allen’s heart in the postseason after a furious final minute of regulation that saw both teams trade the advantage and Denver prevail on a Wil Lutz 23-yard field goal in overtime just a play after Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle that would sideline him for the following week’s AFC Championship Game. The Bills will have a good feel for how successful the move from Sean McDermott to Joe Brady at head coach was by the time this rematch arrives, and another wire-to-wire battle could well unfold if both squads live up to lofty preseason expectations.
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (-1.5) – Dec. 25, 8:15 p.m. ET
The Rams and Seahawks engaged in epic battles in all three of their meetings in the 2025 regular season and postseason. The Seahawks prevailed in two of them, including a 31-27 victory in the NFC Championship Game. The three games were decided by a combined seven points, underscoring how evenly matched both coaching staffs and rosters were. Expectations remain sky high for both teams going into the new season, but whether injuries and/or underperformance will have derailed at least one of these contenders by the time the holiday showdown rolls around will be the proverbial million-dollar question.
NFL Schedule Release Black Friday Game
Denver Broncos (-1.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers – Nov. 27, 3:00 p.m. ET
Nix and the Broncos will likely be in the thick of a battle for AFC West supremacy with the Chargers and Chiefs by the time this Black Friday interconference battle kicks off. On the other side, the Steelers will be entering the stretch run of their first season under McCarthy and will certainly have a good grasp by this point on whether that campaign will continue beyond Week 18. Rodgers may well be the quarterback trying to make that happen, although as of today’s schedule release, that remains to be seen.
NFL Schedule Thanksgiving Eve Game
Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams (-4.5) – Nov. 25, 8:00 p.m. ET
There’s another first involving Wednesday night in this upcoming season’s schedule. The Packers and Rams will get the traditional Turkey Day pigskin fest started earlier than usual, as they’ll be the participants in the first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game. The Pack expect to be in what should be a spirited battle for the NFC North crown with their other three division mates at this juncture of the season, while the Rams are likely to be in a similar scenario over in the NFC West as they compete with the 49ers and defending champion Seahawks.
Photo Credit: AP/Matt Slocum
