NFL Week 1 Bets: Matchups to target

The Chicago Bears host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Soldier Field on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at 8:20 p.m. ET. FOX Sports reported that the Bears enter the contest with a 6-2 record, while the Buccaneers stand at 3-5. Both teams carry two-game winning streaks into the game, with Chicago coming off a 34-17 road victory against Seattle and Tampa Bay recording a 16-0 shutout against Atlanta in Week 8. According to FOX Sports, the game highlights a clash between two of the league's top rushing offenses and stingiest run defenses. Tampa Bay ranks first in the NFL in rushing, averaging 168.6 yards per game, and allows just 80.0 rushing yards per game, which is the fewest in the league. Bucky Irving leads the Buccaneers on the ground with 728 yards on 147 carries, averaging five yards per carry with five touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Bears rank second in rushing at 150.8 yards per game and surrender 86.8 rushing yards per game, ranking third fewest in the NFL. D'Andre Swift leads Chicago's rushing attack with 545 yards on 143 carries, averaging 3.8 yards per attempt with 10 touchdowns. Through the air, FOX Sports noted that Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has recorded 679 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions this season. Mayfield faces a tough test against a Chicago defense that has accumulated 22 sacks and added Jeffery Simmons via trade, which CBS Sports reported has unlocked another gear for the Chicago defense after his debut against Seattle. Tampa Bay's defense leads the NFL with 12 interceptions and allows 285.9 yards per game, ranking third best in the league. For Chicago, quarterback Caleb Williams has thrown for 1,267 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception. Prediction markets and models have weighed in on the matchup as well. CBS Sports reported that a Chicago win trades at 72% at Polymarket, while a Tampa Bay victory sits at 28%. The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and entered Week 9 on a 60-51 run on top-rated picks dating back to 2024. Additionally, CBS Sports noted that users can utilize the Polymarket promo code CBSSPORTS to secure a $25 bonus upon depositing $10 or more. Other games across the NFL schedule have drawn attention from analysts as well. FanDuel reported on additional matchups, noting that the Indianapolis Colts hold a 2-6 record and face the Dallas Cowboys, who rank last in opponent-adjusted defensive EPA per play at +0.12 and allow 26.6 points per game. Jonathan Taylor has rushed for 610 yards and eight touchdowns through eight games for Indianapolis, while Daniel Jones has thrown nine interceptions against five touchdowns. In another matchup analyzed by FanDuel, the Cleveland Browns average 17.4 points per game and may play without Deshaun Watson due to a concussion, facing a New Orleans Saints team that averages 23.1 points per game. The winless Los Angeles Chargers sit at 0-7 but rank ninth in defensive EPA per play at -0.038, preparing to face a Houston Texans offense that ranks 28th in rushing success rate at 34.0%.