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USATSI

Although it doesn't carry quite the aura created by the concert festival-style draft weekend, the NFL's schedule release still managed to hijack the sports headlines for a day or two this week.

Moreover, it gave oddsmakers the chance to set point spreads and totals on every single Week 1 NFL contest and, accordingly, football bettors the opportunity to analyze and scalp early value on live NFL sportsbook odds.  

Provided you don't mind having a portion of your bankroll locked down for the next four months, there is value to be found against closing lines that will look dramatically different come kickoff for Week 1 in September.

With that in mind, here are a handful of early Week 1 plays that stood out on first blush:  

Sept. 5: Chiefs (-140 ML) vs. Chargers: Last year, the Chiefs flirted with an undefeated regular season before finishing with a 15-2 campaign that included two narrow victories over the Chargers. Kansas City has dominated the recent series in similar fashion, winning eight of the past 10 meetings, with seven of those victories coming by 6 or fewer points. There's not enough data to suggest Los Angeles closed the gap through the draft and free agency, so we'll lay the modest price behind the Chiefs in this neutral-site game to continue what they do best – dominate AFC West competition.

Sept. 7: Panthers vs. Jaguars Over 45.5 points: We anticipate this total hitting 48 or higher before kickoff as it rates to be a shootout between rebuilding clubs that should have more offensive firepower than either defense can handle. The clubs combined to yield 57 points per game last season, with the Panthers sporting a league-worst 31.4 points per game average. The Jags notably added coveted two-way star Travis Hunter to go along with Brian Thomas Jr., giving the club an explosive WR tandem under rookie coach Liam Coen, who orchestrated Tampa Bay's high-powered offense last season. Meanwhile, Carolina added celebrated wideout Tetairoa McMillan to supplement an improving offense that sprung for 94 combined points over the final three games last season.

Sept. 7: Falcons (+2.5) vs. Buccaneers: Last season, the Falcons swept the Bucs in an entertaining NFC South two-game set before eventually missing the playoffs due to back-to-back overtime losses the last two weeks of the season. Even so, polarizing first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. appeared to solidify himself as a solid NFL starter amid an offensive lineup that features stars such as dual-threat RB Bijan Robinson and wideout Drake London. The Falcons addressed their defensive weaknesses in the first round of the draft by taking linebacker Jalon Walker and defensive end James Pearce, both of whom should make an immediate impact. The Bucs won six of seven down the stretch last season to steal a mediocre division, but they are overvalued  in this spread for that exact reason. 

Sept. 7: Lions (pick 'em) vs. Packers: The Lions have won six of the past seven in this NFC North rivalry, including a sweep last season. Detroit made numerous offseason moves to bolster its defense, including signing cornerback D.J. Reed to a $48 million deal. An offense that led the NFL with 33.1 points per game should be just as potent, with all of its significant weapons set to return. Green Bay compensated for a injury-impacted regression season from QB Jordan Love with a power run game and solid defense, but we anticipate the Packers will still struggle to match the Lions on the scoreboard.

Josh Nagel has gone 26-14 over the past two seasons with his NFL money-line selections, netting followers a profit of nearly $1,000. 

Be sure to follow along at SportsLine this coming NFL season to get the best bets from proven experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times.