Two of our staff writers/analysts offer up their picks against the spread for Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season: ## Joe Rodgers ### Steelers +5.5 at Patriots We've seen sharp money come in on the Steelers, and I’m on board with that sentiment. I don't expect the Steelers to take a step back after losing Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown -- if anything, clearing the locker room of headaches will help Pittsburgh. The Patriots have scrambled to add offensive line help after losing starting center and offensive captain David Andrews (blood clots) and will have Ryan Izzo (zero NFL catches) starting at tight end for Sunday night's game, with Benjamin Watson and Lance Kendricks suspended. Against a Steelers pass-rush that leads the NFL in sacks the past two seasons, the loss of Andrews is big. Throw in the addition of cornerback Steven Nelson and NFL-ready rookie linebacker Devin Bush, and Pittsburgh is arguably stronger than it was last season. __Also read__: [Betting market moves against Raiders with AB suspension looming](https://www.betchicago.com/raiders-betting-antonio-brown-suspension) ### Bengals +9.5 at Seahawks This is just too many points in a game where both teams’ offenses have the advantage on the ground. Seattle is a run-first offense that will eat the clock, while the Bengals lean on Joe Mixon against a Seahawks unit that allowed 116.2 rushing yards per game and 4.9 yards per attempt last season. After being vanilla in the preseason, Bengals coach Zac Taylor is expected to open up his play-action offense against a team he's faced several times when he was an assistant coach with the Rams. I expect a lower-scoring game, putting underdog points at a premium. __Early game rundown__: [Noon CT kickoffs](https://www.betchicago.com/nfl-week-1-betting-lines-jaguars-chiefs-total) ## Mike Roselli ### Panthers +2 vs. Rams Hopefully, you got on the Panthers +3 early, as the line continues to crash in this one (it's down to 1.5 on some oddsboards on Friday), and while I agree with the move on the underdog, don’t be surprised if we see public money push the number back up to Rams -3 on Sunday morning. There is still some value getting +2.5, but getting a full field goal is where this game warrants a full-unit investment. If the Rams have an Achilles’ heel this year (or at least a unit with the most question marks), it is their offensive line. On the flip side, the Panthers’ defensive front is their biggest strength. That matchup will be heightened in front of the Carolina faithful, and you cannot ignore Rams QB Jared Goff’s poor home/road splits. The Panthers win this game outright on Sunday. __Listen__: [The Bet Pro Football Podcast presented by BetIndiana](https://www.betchicago.com/bet-pro-football-podcast-betindiana-week-1-colts) ### Jaguars +3.5 vs. Chiefs This is the perfect time to buy low on a Jaguars team that many people seem to forget were beating the Patriots on the road in the AFC Championship game just two seasons ago. Now they have improved at the QB position, dumping Blake Bortles and adding Nick Foles, and bring back their nasty (and motivated) defense. You shouldn’t be in any rush to bet this, as a surge of public money on Sunday may push it up (and possibly over) +4. Chiefs coach Andy Reid is notoriously excellent with extra time to prepare, but the Jacksonville defense has also had time to get ready for Patrick Mahomes and the high-flying Kansas City offense. This is shaping up to be a Pros vs. Joes game, and it might end up being one of those spreads where we look back in a few weeks and couldn’t believe we were getting this many points with the stellar Jaguars defense at home. __More__: [NFL Week 1 betting coverage](https://www.betchicago.com/nfl-week-1-betting-lines-odds-picks-2019)