As is tradition, the defending Super Bowl champions will kick off the new NFL season on Thursday night. The Kansas City Chiefs will try to win their third Super Bowl in five years, and their quest will start when they take on the Detroit Lions in Arrowhead Stadium. Detroit has been one of the most hyped teams of the offseason after winning eight of their last ten games to close out the 2022 season, but the Lions will have their work cut out for them and are close to a touchdown underdog per the NFL betting odds.

The 2023 NFL season will get underway on Thursday, September 7, 2023, from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Kansas. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

NFL Week 1 Betting Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook

Detroit Lions +6.5
Kansas City Chiefs -6.5
Total 54

Plays: Kansas City -6.5 and Over 54

There’s no doubt that the Detroit Lions are likeable and more competitive than they have been in quite some time under third-year head coach Dan Caldwell, but the hype for a team that has not won a playoff game since 1991 is absurd. Many pundits are calling for Detroit to win the NFC North for the first time in 30 years, yet the Lions have had a bottom five defense in points and yards for each of the last three seasons. Detroit finished dead last in total defense and 28^th in scoring defense in 2022, and this team didn’t do much to improve in that area this offseason. C.J. Gardner-Johnson was a nice pickup in the offseason, yet there weren’t any other big additions, and there is a considerable amount of pressure on Aidan Hutchinson to step up his game in his second season.

Detroit did have a top five offense in both points and yards for the first time since 2011 last season. The Lions struck gold with Amon-Ra St Brown, but every other skill position player is a question mark. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta are highly touted rookies, yet it’s hard to count on rookies if you are trying to make the playoffs. Jameson Williams is a gigantic question mark due to injury and suspension, so former No. 1 receiver Marvin Jones will be asked to fill a secondary role even though his production dropped off a cliff last year in Jacksonville.

The one thing that you can definitely count on for Detroit is that this will be an elite offensive line. This could be a top three O-Line this season with Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell on the outside, and Frank Ragnow as an S-Tier center. That should help the ground game and protect Jared Goff, but there are too many questions otherwise to bank on this team against quality opponents.

Kansas City has won eight straight openers coming into this season. The Chiefs have scored at least 27 points in each of those games, and the Over has been a superb bet for each of the last seven years. We have seen at least 54 points scored in each of Kansas City’s last seven Week 1 games, and that helps explain why this is the highest Over/Under per the football betting line.

Patrick Mahomes has already done enough to have a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The question now is just how elite he can be before he steps away from the game. The two-time Super Bowl MVP is coming off a season in which he led the league with 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. Mahomes is 64-16 as a starter through 80 regular season games, and he silenced any remaining doubts by taking Kansas City to a 14-3 record without Tyreek Hill in 2022. The receivers are a big question mark for the Chiefs once again heading into the 2023 season, but the offensive line is great, and Travis Kelce is the best receiving tight end in the game.

That makes a Same Game Parlay of Kansas City and the Over one of the more enticing bets you will find when betting the NFL this season. Detroit should be able to score at least 21 points, while Mahomes and the Chiefs have scored at least 33 points in seven straight Week 1 games.