Bills vs. Bears and more

The 2024 NFL preseason is officially here, as all 32 teams will be in action this week, starting Thursday.

Highlighted by what should be must-see, regular-season matches, Week 1 of the preseason is more about figuring out who you are than who the other team is.

Below, FrontPageBets takes a look at the odds and betting lines for each NFL Preseason Week 1 games:

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Week 1 of the preseason kicks off with two games Thursday night:

First up are two Thursday night preseason games, featuring the defending NFC North champion Detroit Lions, who last year won their first playoff game in 32 years, making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game before losing the San Francisco 49ers.

This year, the Lions come in as the favorite to again win their division and just behind the 49ers to win the NFC and go to Super Bowl 59.

But in Week 1 of the preseason, we likely won’t see any of the key players for Detroit, especially quarterback Jared Goff.

Don’t expect to see New York’s starters either, including quarterback Daniel Jones who is coming off a 2023 season-ending knee injury.

Friday’s preseason slate gives us three games:

It’s been nearly a year since the Baltimore Ravens’ 24-game preseason win streak ended at the hands of the Washington Commanders. Prior to that Aug. 21, 2023, loss, the Ravens hadn’t dropped a preseason game since 2016.

Now it’s time to build a new streak, and that can start against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Of course, this game would be much more important if it was scheduled for November as opposed to early August, as again, most starters will sit out. However, this is a chance for both teams, who disappointed in the playoffs, to get some momentum heading into the regular season.

Nine Week 1 preseason games will be played on Saturday:

The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs kick off their 2024 season against Jacksonville on Saturday night.

And while MVP Patrick Mahomes most likely won’t see any playing time, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said earlier this week that starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence will suit up and play a “series or two.”

Speaking of starting quarterbacks playing in Week 1 of the preseason, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he would also play Joe Burrow on Saturday night against Tampa Bay. Burrow missed the second half of last season due to injury.

As for the No. 1 player taken in the 2024 draft, Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams’ status for Saturday night’s game against the Bills is uncertain. Williams didn’t play in the Hall of Fame game last week, but none of the team’s starters did.

Week 1 of the preseason will wrap up Sunday with two final games:

Sunday’s first game between the Broncos and Colts could be one worth watching early, especially at the QB position.

Expected Colts’ starter Anthony Richardson missed most of his rookie season with a right shoulder injury, but is back healthy for his sophomore campaign. At midweek, it wasn’t clear if Richardson would play Sunday against the Broncos, but if he does, it’ll be his first action since Week 3 of last year.

The Denver quarterback situation is up in the air, as first-round draft pick Bo Nix is competing with Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson for the top spot.

In a depth chart released this week, Stidham was listed as the Broncos’ starter, with Wilson No. 2 and Nix third. However, a good showing by Nix in the preseason could put him in the mix to eventually be QB1.

Veteran quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford won’t play for the Cowboys and Rams, respectively, in their game Sunday, as Prescott hasn’t played a preseason game since 2019 and Stafford has nothing to prove.

Prescott’s absence should give plenty of snaps to Trey Lance, who is battling for Dallas’ backup QB spot against Cooper Rush, which is something to keep an eye on, especially if this is Prescott’s last year in Big D.

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