Week 1 of the 2017 NFL schedule is finally here, so rejoice NFL fans and let the madness begin! After four and a half weeks of meaningless exhibition games, the real season will officially kick off this Thursday evening from Gillette Stadium when the New England Patriots take on the Kansas City Chiefs. You know that the atmosphere will be electric at Gillette as Patriots fans will get to see their team honored as the reigning NFL champions.

Week 1 schedule features great match-ups

The National Football League didn’t waste any time in scheduling some great games right off the bat.

Kansas City travels to New England on Thursday, while the Oakland Raiders take on the Tennessee Titans, the Seattle Seahawks squares off against the Green Bay Packers, and the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the red hot Cleveland Browns.

Yes, hope remains eternal in Cleveland, who played very well in the preseason. A win to start the year against rival Pittsburgh would go far for these young Browns.

One other interesting game to keep an eye on will be the Carolina Panthers taking on the San Francisco 49ers. The Panthers feel like they are ready to make another run at an NFC title, and on the heels of a bad 2016 season, Cam Newton and the Panthers are ready to show they are among the best in the NFC.

A win in San Francisco may not be as easy as it looks this weekend. The 49ers are in a rebuild mode, but they showed some spunk in the preseason and starting the season with an upset win over Carolina would be huge for the Niners.

Odds, TV info and predictions

While the return of the NFL is welcomed by millions of fans all across the globe, Las Vegas odds makers are also salivating at the thought that the 2017 season is finally here as well.

NFL football is by far the most wagered on of the four major sports. Between fantasy football and wagering on games against the point spread, Las Vegas takes in hundreds of millions of dollars every football season. Below is a look at the entire Week 1 schedule, TV start times and networks that will air each game, along with the current NFL odds and predictions.

Thursday, Sept. 7

  • Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (-8) 8:30 pm -- NBC (O/U 48)

Sunday, Sept. 10

  • Arizona Cardinals (-1) at Detroit Lions -- 1:00 pm -- FOX (O/U 48.5)
  • Atlanta Falcons (-7) at Chicago Bears -- 1:00 pm -- FOX (O/U 49.5)
  • Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (-3) -- 1:00 pm -- CBS (O/U 42.5)
  • Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (-5) -- 1:00 pm -- CBS (O/U 39)
  • N.Y. Jets at Buffalo Bills (-8) -- 1:00 pm -- CBS (O/U 40)
  • Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans (-2) -- 1:00 pm -- CBS (O/U 51)
  • Philadelphia Eagles (-1) at Washington Redskins -- 1:00 pm -- FOX (O/U 47.5)
  • Pittsburgh Steelers (-9) at Cleveland Browns -- 1:00 pm -- CBS (O/U 47)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2) at Miami Dolphins -- 1:00 pm -- FOX (O/U 41)
  • Indianapolis Colts at L.A. Rams (PICK) -- 4:05 pm -- CBS (O/U 41.5)
  • Carolina Panthers (-6) at San Francisco 49ers -- 4:25 pm -- FOX (O/U 48)
  • Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers (-3) -- 4:25 pm -- FOX (O/U 50)
  • N.Y. Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-3.5) -- 8:30 pm -- NBC (O/U 48.5)

Monday, Sept 11

  • New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings (-3) -- 7:10 pm -- ESPN (O/U 48)
  • L.A. Chargers at Denver Broncos (-3.5) -- 10:20 pm -- ESPN (O/U 43)

Picks: Tennessee -2, LA Rams (PICK), Cleveland +9, Tampa Bay -2, Packers -3
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