Week 1 NFL picks, predictions, best bets from Vegas expert: This 3-team football parlay would pay almost 6-1

In addition to finishing with the worst record in the NFL, the Carolina Panthers had the worst record against the spread (4-11-2) last season. To make matters worse, they didn't control their own first-round draft pick after trading it away to acquire Bryce Young in the 2023 NFL Draft. Young struggled as a rookie, but there's hope he can take a significant step forward in his development after Carolina made roster improvements this offseason. The Panthers are 4-point underdogs on the road against the Saints according to the latest Week 1 NFL odds from the SportsLine Consensus. Should you continue to fade the Panthers in 2024, and which Week 1 NFL lines should you target as your put together your Week 1 NFL parlay cards? 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 . Both teams were profitable against the spread in 2023 but Cleveland had the slight edge, going 10-7-1 against the number while Dallas went 10-8. However, the two franchises were trending in different directions for bettors late in the season, with the Cowboys failing to cover four of their last five while the Browns covered four of their final six.

Cleveland also covered its last six games at home and should have a distinctive home-field advantage on Sunday after making only its second playoff appearance in 21 years last season. Dak Prescott was sacked three times or more on 10 occasions last year and that Dallas offensive line will have its hands full with Myles Garrett in Week 1. The Browns ranked first overall in total defense in 2023 and Hartstein is banking on that unit making life difficult for Prescott after a tumultuous offseason in Dallas. 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.