USATSI

Quarterback Matt Ryan will make his Indianapolis debut when the Colts square off against the Houston Texans in the teams' season-opener on Sunday. The 37-year-old Ryan, who spent his first 14 seasons with the Falcons, enters the season eighth in league history with 59,735 passing yards. He needs 265 on Sunday to become the second-fastest player (223 games) to reach 60,000 career yards. Indianapolis is favored by 7 points in the latest NFL odds from Caesars Sportsbook, but which team should you back with your NFL parlay? The game is one of 16 on a loaded Week 1 NFL schedule. Other key NFL matchups include the Cowboys and Buccaneers squaring off in a rematch of the Week 1 classic from last season, and the Broncos' Russell Wilson returning to Seattle to face his former team, the Seahawks. Before making any Week 1 NFL picks or predictions, you need to check out the NFL best bets from SportsLine's Larry Hartstein.

A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. Entering the 2022 NFL season, he is 427-344 all-time on NFL side picks (plus $3,764 for $100 players), including 394-330 against the spread. 

Hartstein went 68-50 ATS and 8-3 on money-line plays last season for a profit of $1,552. His picks are available only at SportsLine and on the Early Edge. Anyone who has consistently followed him is way up.

Now, Hartstein has locked in his confident picks for three Week 1 games, and he has a parlay that would pay 6-1. You can only see his Week 1 NFL picks at SportsLine. 

Top Week 1 NFL expert picks

After closely studying all 16 Week 1 games, Hartstein loves the Chargers (-3) to cover against the Raiders. Los Angeles enters the season with hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since 2018, based mostly on the play of 24-year-old quarterback Justin Herbert. Last season Herbert threw for 5,014 yards, becoming just the ninth quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 5,000 yards in a season.

The Chargers also made key additions in the offseason. Outside linebacker Khalil Mack (76.5 sacks), who was acquired in a trade with the Bears, gives the defense a potent 1-2 passing rushing punch with Joey Bosa. They will go up against a Raiders offensive line that has undergone a major overhaul after the season-ending injury of Brandon Parker and the failure of 2021 first round pick Alex Leatherwood, who was released. See who else to pick in Week 1 here.

How to make Week 1 NFL parlays

Hartstein also has locked in two other spread picks, including one play fading a team that "could struggle initially." You can only see Hartstein's full analysis and picks for his Week 1 NFL parlay here.

So which teams should you target in a three-way parlay for a payout of 6-1? And which team is a must-fade? Visit SportsLine now to see Larry Hartstein's three-way parlay for Week 1, all from the expert who is up more than $3,700, and find out.