NFL Week 1 Betting Preview: 3 Player Props for Sunday, September 8

Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season is finally here, and our crew is ready to pick some winners. We’ve got 3 player props on tap for Sunday, September 8. It doesn’t get any better than watching games, drinking some beverages, and cashing some tickets!

Let’s keep the positive momentum going that we gained during a very profitable MLB season. Good luck, fellow sports investors! It’s so good to be back!

Michael Wilson Over 2.5 Receptions (-110 at BetMGM)

AZ at BUF: 1:00 PM EDT

We waited all summer long to place our first wager on…. (you guessed it) Michael Wilson! Before you get all pessimistic on me, let me build my case. Wilson may not be a household name, but he has a nice frame (6’2″, 213 pounds) and is a good possession receiver.

Diving into Wilson’s numbers, we see that he went over this receptions total in 8 of his 13 games in 2023. That’s pretty impressive, especially when you consider that his starting QB (Kyler Murray) only played half of the season. The former Stanford star’s median receptions number was also 3 last year, which gives us a bit of value at this current number.

Another thing to like about this Over is the potential game script. The total is sitting around 48, which means that the books are expecting a fairly high scoring game. Arizona is also around a touchdown underdog, so they’ll have to throw the ball quite often. 

I know that a lot of the targets are expected to go to Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison, but I still expect for Wilson to play a key role in this Cards offense. It also doesn’t hurt that Buffalo ranked just 18th a year ago in opponent completion percentage. Let’s cash this Over!

Keenan Allen Over 4.5 Receptions (-111 at Caesars)

TEN at CHI: 1:00 PM EDT

What? We’re trusting a rookie QB to do something positive in his NFL debut. Mikey Nobs, have you lost your ever-loving mind? Maybe, and it definitely wouldn’t be the first time!

Sure, trusting Caleb Williams to complete a lot of passes in his first start sounds scary. However, I just love betting on a seasoned vet like Keenan Allen. The former LA Charger is a salty old dog that has a knack for finding the soft spot in any defense.

Speaking of a soft defense, the Tennessee Titans are in full rebuilding mode after parting ways with Mike Vrabel. While the team did make some solid additions during the off-season, I still expect the secondary to struggle. After all, they ranked just 29th in opponent completion percentage in 2023.

As you might expect, Allen put up some stellar numbers a season ago. I know it was with a different team and a seasoned QB, but his median receptions number of 8 is too good to ignore. Look for Allen to be Williams’s favorite target and a go-to security blanket for him on critical third downs.

Joshua Palmer Under 4.5 Receptions (-116)

LV at LAC: 4:05 PM EDT

Y’all just knew I had to throw in an Under somewhere! Palmer will get more targets now that Keenan Allen has moved on to greener pastures, so this one is a little scary. That said, I think a lot of those extra targets will go to newcomers DJ Chark and Ladd McConkey.

Justin Herbert is a beast, but he did miss quite a bit of preseason and practice time due to injury. Do we really think that he’ll be at his absolute best? I don’t think so!

Palmer is a decent wideout, but I don’t think he’s a legitimate No. 1 guy on the edge. His median receptions number was just 4 last season, and he stayed under this total in 7 of his 10 games. Let’s roll with the Under to finish out the Sunday card!