The 2026 NFL schedule released on May 14, and now every game of the entire season is available to bet at DraftKings Sportsbook. It takes time to do a deeper dive and identify some of the best spots of the season. You need to be particularly confident you’re getting value if you’re going to wager on them months in advance.

Again, betting NFL this early isn’t for everyone. But if you have the bankroll and the patience to bet a few games early, the wait can be worth it. Without going deep into the schedule, let’s talk about two spots for Week 1 in particular that present potential value in betting now.

New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks (September 9 at 8:15pm ET – Seattle, WA)

We get a Wednesday night Super Bowl rematch to begin the season, with the Seahawks raising their Super Bowl banner in front of the team they beat back in February. While this sets up a nice revenge angle for the Patriots, that’s about the only positive I can find on the New England side. We’ll see if an AJ Brown trade is in store, as there’s still time for teams to improve their rosters. But Seattle returns nearly all its key pieces from winning it all. The notable departure is the SB MVP, Kenneth Walker. But the Seahawks ran deep at running back, and used a first round pick on Jadarian Price to solidify the position.

While the Patriots run though the AFC was impressive, we saw that Seattle is the much better team. The Seahawks outscored the Patriots in all four quarters, and it took New England until the fourth quarter to even get on the board. Remember, the Patriots were catching about +4.5 to +5 on the spread on a neutral field in that game. Now, the scene shifts to Seattle, and the spread is only 3.5?

DraftKings Sportsbook is showing more respect to the Patriots than the rest of the market, as this game is 4.5 at most shops. I like laying -4.5 with Seattle if it comes down to it, but I’ll take the value on a somewhat key number and lay -3.5 with it being offered.

Then there’s Mike Vrabel’s history in Week 1, which has not been great. Vrabel is 2-5 SU/ATS in Week 1 as a head coach in the NFL, including losing as a home favorite to the Raiders in his first season with New England — a much worse loss looking back now. Of course, there’s also added distraction this year for Vrabel entering Week 1, which we can heap onto his struggles out of the gates.

NFL Pick: Seahawks -3.5 (-115)

New Orleans Saints vs. Detroit Lions (September 13 at 1:00pm ET – Detroit, MI)

Get ready for some fireworks to begin the season in Detroit. The Lions thrive offensively playing indoors, particularly at home. They averaged 32.5 points at home in 2025, after averaging nearly 35 points in 2024 at home. On the flip side, Detroit’s defense ranked 22nd in points per game allowed last season at 24.3.

Then we have this young and upcoming Saints roster. While the defense was solid at home, it fell off on the road, where it allowed 25.3 points per game in 2025. The major difference between seasons here, and what should create the value on this total, is what we can expect from New Orleans offensively.

The Saints finished with the fifth-worst offense in the NFL in 2025. Tyler Shough took over at quarterback in early November against the Rams, and while it took the rookie a few games to get going, he improved the offense down the stretch of the season. The Saints scored 17 or more points in each of their last six games, including 20 or more in four of their last five. In the end, Shough led an offense that averaged 24.8 points over its last five games, and just added to the wide receiver room with a top-10 pick.

While the Lions should win this one, it’s going to take scoring some points. And the Saints are perfectly capable of putting up points in the process of playing catchup. This total should be on the rise.

NFL Pick: OVER 48.5 (-110)