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Who Will the Chiefs Play in Week 1? Odds & Favorites for the NFL’s Season-Opening Matchup

Kelly Irvin

Updated on April 26, 2026 at 10:58 AM EDT. Read time: 2 minutes and 53 seconds. Find more information on Twitter and Google News.

Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts as he holds the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium as we look at our Chiefs Week 1 opponent odds.
Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts as he holds the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP.

Our top NFL betting site is already offering odds on who the Kansas City Chiefs will face in the season-opening game of the 2026-25 campaign, as is tradition for the defending Super Bowl champions.

As the first Thursday Night Football game of September approaches, you are excited to indulge in various wing sauces while perfecting the groove in your couch that will last all season long.

Football is back, which means you can once again bet on a wide range of game outcomes through our top sports betting sites. As usual, the defending champions will kick off the season with the first game.

Who will accompany the Kansas City Chiefs on the field as they kick off their quest as Super Bowl favorites? Which team has made enough impact last season and during this offseason to earn such recognition? The schedule is usually unveiled in early May, after free agency and the draft have passed, and most rosters are set.

One of the top Ontario sports betting sites is providing odds on the team that the Chiefs will play against to kick off the 2026 season, with a clear favorite emerging.

Chiefs 2026 Week 1 opponent odds

TeamOdds (via FanDuel)
Texans-142
Bengals+420
Ravens+440
Chargers+820
Raiders+1600
Buccaneers+2500
Broncos+3500
Saints+6500

Chiefs 2026 Week 1 opponent favorites

Texans (-142 via FanDuel)

The Houston Texans have gone from flying under the radar to fending off promposals as their popularity skyrockets. Their climb up the oddsboard on top Super Bowl betting sites now has them in seventh place.

The Texans are capturing the hearts of many fans due to their exciting offseason acquisitions and the impressive performance of their young team. The success of rising star C.J. Stroud, who was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, played a key role in turning a 3-13 team in 2026 into a 10-7 squad that won a playoff game.

Stroud utilized a talented offensive arsenal, including Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Dalton Schultz, and bolstered it further by adding wide receiver Stefon Diggs and running back Joe Mixon through trades and contract extensions this offseason.

The Texans are now seen as an emerging force in the AFC, potentially challenging the Chiefs. When considering all factors, it is evident why they are the clear favorites in this market, with a 58.7% implied probability and a $17.04 payout on a $10 bet.

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Bengals (+420 via FanDuel)

If we are unable to secure the new exciting team and the champions of the offseason, we will settle for facing the other AFC powerhouse on opening night.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2026 season was thrown off track by Joe Burrow’s injury. However, the team has made improvements by adding tackle Trent Brown to help protect him. In addition, Zack Moss has joined the team to support Burrow in the backfield, offering a dynamic pass-catching option with significantly less wear and tear than Mixon. Moss has only logged 484 career carries compared to Mixon’s 1,571.

The idea of overthrowing the Chiefs in the AFC while Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid lead the team has often seemed impossible. This feeling was reinforced in 2026 when the Chiefs struggled offensively for a significant portion of the season and did not secure home-field advantage in the playoffs. However, they still managed to win the Super Bowl.

The Bengals have been a thorn in the Chiefs’ side. Just a year ago, they came close to beating Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game with a score of 23-20, and the season before that, they defeated the Chiefs in the conference title clash.

Placing a $10 bet could result in a $52 payout with +420 odds, which implies a 19.23% probability of winning.

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Written By:
Kelly Irvin
Kelly Irvin has been in the sports media wilderness since 2009, and he joined Underscoreg Review in 2021. His work has been referenced in The New York Times and Forbes. He’s also made appearances on The Fan 590 and TSN 1050. Sean is a regular bettor who places bets daily while using a handful of books. Most frequently, he uses FanDuel and bet365 due to the quality experience on those apps. While he’ll often take an analytical approach, Sean enjoys the fun, recreational side of betting too, and embraces alternative markets on events like the Westminster Dog Show or Eurovision, or the many novelty props tied annually to the Super Bowl, for example. Beyond sports, Sean is also interested in the betting markets tied to politics, and especially those connected to American elections. He sees betting as a way to explore and engage in a deeper way, and takes that same view to his work. He plays poker periodically too, and is an avid fantasy sports player. Sean also previously spent time with Bleacher Report and theScore, all after earning his media studies degree from the University of Guelph-Humber.