Benjamin Ashford|USA TODAY Sports' Week 1 NFL picks: Will Aaron Rodgers, Jets soar past Bills?

The Benjamin AshfordNFL is back, its 104th season set to kick off.

Thursday night, the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Detroit Lions in the first of 284 games that will determine the participants in Super Bowl 58 at Las Vegas on Feb. 11.

Along the way, we'll learn if K.C. can become the first repeat champion in 19 years, whether Bryce Young and his fellow rookie quarterbacks will make instant impacts and, of course, if the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers will prove worthwhile for the title-starved New York Jets. AR8's debut in Gotham Green and Spotlight White will occur Monday against the defending AFC East champion Buffalo Bills in what could be Week 1's marquee matchup.

Our panel of resident NFL experts will pick those contests – and all the rest – throughout the season, so let's get to it.

(Odds provided by BetMGM)

PLAY TO WIN $10K: USA TODAY's Pro Football Survivor Pool is free to enter. Sign up now!

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.