NFL Football Lines for Best and Worst Games

When the NFL schedule is released each spring, fans immediately search for the top matchups. Those great games often live up to their high expectations when the two teams take the field later that fall. But the same can be said for the bad matchups that fans already know to avoid months in advance.

With less than two months until Week 1, here are some of the best games the 2022 NFL season has to offer, along with the worst games no one should go out of their way to witness. Let’s get right to it so you can continue planning your bets against the NFL Lines.

2022 NFL Betting Schedule: The Best and Worst Games This Season

Best Game #1: Bills at Rams (Week 1)

The defending champion Los Angeles Rams play host to the Buffalo Bills, the favorites to win Super Bowl LVII. There’s a chance the league’s first regular-season game in 2022 is also its best.

There is no shortage of star power and storylines. The quarterback battle between Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen should result in plenty of points, especially with both offenses known for their pass-first mentality. But each club also boats a top-five defense, with Aaron Donald leading LA and Von Miller going against his former team with Buffalo.

This game screams Super Bowl preview. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait very long to see it.

Worst Game #1: Texans at Bears (Week 3)

The Houston Texans will travel to Soldier Field in September to play the Chicago Bears in a game that shouldn’t determine anything other than the top of next year’s draft order.

This matchup is so revolting, there is mathematical proof showing how bad it actually is. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) ratings, Chicago is ranked 32 out of 32 teams. Houston, meanwhile, is 30 out of 32, pitting two of the three worst teams in football against one another.

While the Bears play the New York Jets — who are ranked No. 31 — in Week 12, there is some sort of intrigue in second-year QBs Justin Fields and Zach Wilson going head-to-head. But the big storyline with Texans-Bears is what, the return of Lovie Smith? Yikes.

Best Game #2: Chiefs at Chargers (Week 11)

The AFC West is loaded this year, with Davante Adams joining the Raiders and Russell Wilson suiting up for the Broncos. But many expect the class of the division to be the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, making their two matchups must-see TV.

The Chiefs and Chargers meet in Kansas City for a Thursday night game in Week 2. But in Week 11, the rivalry shifts to LA, where Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs can hand Justin Herbert and the Chargers a serious blow to their playoff aspirations.

Both matchups between KC and LA last year were one-possession games. Not only that, but the two juggernauts combined to score 116 points in those contests. Expect more of the same when they meet again in November as playoff races really start to take shape.

Worst Game #2: Giants at Seahawks (Week 8)

If “Possible Geno Smith Revenge Game” is the main selling point for a midseason NFL game, chances are it’s not going to be a very enjoyable game.

In the final weekend of October, Daniel Jones and the New York Giants will head to the Northwest to face a Seattle Seahawks team with no Russell Wilson. The Giants have another new coach after a miserable 4-13 season. But the Seahawks won’t be much better, as Smith or Drew Lock will be tasked with keeping the club relevant.

These teams played a 17-12 barnburner in 2020, but there’s a realistic chance this year’s rematch will be even worse. Avoid at all costs.

Best Game #3: Packers at Buccaneers (Week 3)

More and more young quarterbacks are taking over NFL Sundays, with guys like Mahomes, Allen, and Herbert leading the way. But in Week 3, it’s Aaron Rodgers versus Tom Brady in one of 2022’s most highly-anticipated showdowns.

The last time Rodgers and Brady went face to face, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers upset the Green Bay Packers 31-26 in the NFC Championship in 2021. Since then, Rodgers won a second straight MVP, while Brady briefly retired and unretired after leading the league in passing yards.

Rodgers has a chance to beat Brady for the first time since 2014 and set the tone for the rest of Green Bay’s season. Meanwhile, this might be Tampa Bay’s last season as true contenders. Buckle up.

Worst Game #3: Falcons at Panthers (Week 10)

The downside to Thursday Night Football is that every team makes an appearance, no matter how bad they might be. There’s no better example of that than the Week 10 showdown between the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers.

While the Bucs and Saints battle for NFC South supremacy, the Falcons and Panthers will try to avoid the cellar. Atlanta traded franchise icon Matt Ryan to the Colts and lost Colvin Ridley to suspension, leaving Marcus Mariota in charge of a highly-mediocre team. Meanwhile, either Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold will lead Carolina in a game aired exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Don’t be fooled by the allure of a divisional rivalry. There’s not much reason to look forward to Mariota vs. Mayfield in a forgettable November game in Charlotte.

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?