NFL team total bets for Week 1

On Wednesday, we broke down the best total bets for the NFL's Week 1 slate. But what if you're only sure about one side of a total? You know one team will score in bunches but can't trust their defense, or you're worried a leaky defense might ruin your under bet on an abysmal offense.

Each week of the NFL season, we'll highlight our best bets on projected team totals, which are released closer to kickoff of each respective game.

Here are our picks for Week 1:

New Orleans Saints team total over (vs. Houston Texans)

Play: 30.5 or lower

The game total between New Orleans and Houston is reaching historic levels for a Week 1 game, but you don't have to play both sides. Instead, grab the better offense at home against a defense with serious question marks heading into the year.

The Texans' secondary was already hit hard during the offseason with the losses of Kareem Jackson and Tyrann Mathieu. This week's stunning trade that sent Jadeveon Clowney to Seattle leaves the defense even more vulnerable against Drew Brees and New Orleans' myriad of offensive weapons.

In 16 regular-season home games since the start of the 2017 campaign, the Saints averaged 32.1 points. They scored at least 31 in seven of their eight home contests in 2018, and they'll likely come out firing this year after the bitter end to last season.

Arizona Cardinals team total under (vs. Detroit Lions)

Play: 21.5 or higher

Expectations are high for No. 1 pick Kyler Murray's debut in new head coach Kliff Kingsbury's offense, but reality could fall well short in Week 1. The Cardinals' offensive line ranked dead last in pass-blocking in 2018, per Pro Football Focus, and opens 2019 against one of the league's nastier defensive lines.

The Lions are also expected to feature a heavier run approach this year under new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, and the team's commitment to tight end T.J. Hockenson in April's draft suggests as much. That means fewer plays overall for Kingsbury's offense, which some have said boasts a tempo unlike anything in the NFL.

The total for this game opened at 49 and has dropped to 47.5, so the Cards' total may creep near 21 by game time. Anything above that is a worthwhile play in Murray's debut. He'll rack up the yards this season, but points will be hard to come by.

Oakland Raiders team total under (vs. Denver Broncos)

Play: 21 or higher

While serving as the Bears' defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio engineered one of the most dominant defenses we've seen in years. Now he's the head man in Denver, where he's got one of the best pass-rushing duos in the NFL paired with elite talent in the secondary.

The Raiders' air attack was mediocre in 2018 but struggled mightily with pass-blocking, which is a recipe for failure this week. Oakland's best bet to score might be feeding first-round pick Josh Jacobs in the run game, but Fangio has been a run-stuffing wizard dating back to his years at San Francisco and Stanford.

With the drama surrounding Antonio Brown and concerns with Derek Carr's regression as a passer, it's hard to imagine the Raiders lighting it up on Monday night. Grab anything near 21, and it wouldn't be crazy to dip even lower if you can't find a better number.

C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.