No team struggled on the road against the spread more so than the Carolina Panthers last season, who were 1-7-1 against the spread away from home. The Panthers kick off the 2024 NFL schedule on the road as 4-point underdogs against the Saints according to the latest Week 1 NFL odds. That NFC South showdown is one of three division-rivalries on the Week 1 NFL schedule, but should you include any of those matchups in your Week 1 NFL parlay picks?
The Panthers have lost nine consecutive games on the road and four of their past five matchups against the Saints in New Orleans. However, the NFL betting trends don't favor the Saints, either. New Orleans is 0-5-1 against the spread in its past six games played in September and 2-8 ATS in its last 10 season-openers. Before you make any Week 1 NFL picks or NFL parlays, be sure to see what SportsLine senior analyst Larry Hartstein has to say.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. He tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 ATS. Hartstein's weekly Vegas contest selections form the basis of his NFL best bets column, which is 79-48-2 (62.2%, +25.95 units) since its inception in 2022. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
For Week 1, Hartstein has locked in three confident best bets. If you successfully parlay his picks, you're looking at a payout of almost 6-1. You can only see Hartstein's Week 1 NFL picks at SportsLine.
Top Week 1 NFL picks
We can tell you Hartstein loves the Browns (-2.5) to cover against the Cowboys. The Browns were tremendous on defense a season ago, ranking first in both total defense (270.2 yards per game) and passing defense (164.7 ypg).
Cleveland's main playmaker on defense is defensive end Myles Garrett. The former Texas A&M standout recorded 14 sacks last season, his sixth consecutive season with double-digit sacks. The Browns have also been stellar in front of their home fans recently. In 2023, Cleveland went 8-1 both straight-up and against the spread at home, including posting a 6-0 ATS record as a home favorite. The Cowboys, meanwhile, have lost four of their last six season openers, a big reason why Hartstein is backing Cleveland at home on Sunday. See which other NFL parlay picks to make here.
How to make Week 1 NFL parlays
Hartstein also jumped on two other NFL matchups, including backing one team who he says is "poised for greatness." You can only see Hartstein's Week 1 NFL best bets and parlay at SportsLine.
What are Hartstein's top Week 1 NFL picks, and which other NFL matchups should you target for a strong 6-1 payout? Visit SportsLine now to see the Week 1 NFL best bets from the Vegas expert who is up 25.95 units on ATS picks since 2022, and find out.
