The first week of the NFL regular season has some gems. Click here to buy a 7 day package or a season package. Now onto the big games for the week.....
San Diego at Oakland - Monday @ 10:15 PM EST
Last season was inexplicable for San Diego. Many picked them for championship contention. They did finish in a first place tie but then again, so did Oakland. Neither got into the post season. Both think they will this time around.
How they match up:
Chargers Defense vs. Raiders Offense
The Chargers’ D came around late, too late. It didn’t help that they had short fields to defend way too often, but more was expected from this unit. Three big draft picks were used to solidify the D. LB Melvin Ingram, DE Kendall Reyes and SS Brandon Taylor. They won’t be starting, but they’ll play. They were the league’s worst against 3 rd down last year. Can’t happen again.
The best news for the Raiders’ offense is that Carson Palmer has a whole season to work with this season. He has shown signs of the Carson of old. RB Darren McFadden is a great running back, but he’s had trouble staying on the field. Depth could be an issue, Michael Bush is gone. WR Darrius Heyward-Bey looks like the guy they were willing to take heat for drafting a few years ago.
Pass rushing will be the issue. It always is with Carson Palmer. Without it, he can tear up any defense. With it, and the feet start to shuffle. San Diego has enough injury trouble out of the gate that it will be hard to tell how they’ll be in the long run. Not likely anyone in this division goes undefeated so every in division game is huge.
Raiders Defense vs. Chargers Offense
Every NFL team faces injuries during the season, but Oakland had to continually reshuffle a year ago, and it doesn’t look like that has stopped yet. The LB corps has struggled and they’ve got injuries to deal with as the season begins. CB’s haven’t been able to stay on the field. There is great potential here, but if the starters can’t stay on the field, not much depth.
Phillip Rivers was consistently inconsistent a year ago. And the Vincent Jackson saga ended when he left for Tampa. WR Robert Meachem and WR/PR Eddie Royal are in as well as FB LeRon McClain. The offense was strong enough last year, although the running game didn’t contribute as much as they’d like. Turnovers came at the worst possible times, upturning what looked like was going to be a great year.
There are enough differences for SD that even a shaky Oakland D may be able to keep them from taking over. Both of these units should improve as they get used to each other. But staying healthy, as usual, will be a key for both.
Who will cover the spread?
This is anyone‘s game. If either is likely to jump on the other, you’d expect San Diego to be able to get some points on the board. But, that hasn’t been enough over the years in this matchup. It’s likely to come down to the final series, and the odds makers agree, making Oakland a 1 point favorite. Home teams lost both games a year ago. The Raiders were the better team against the spread a year ago. Neither was what you’d call dependable.
There are still quite a few people hailing San Diego as the favorite in the AFC west. They made some changes, but this division is nearly even, top to bottom. The Chargers always seem to put together a killing stretch, where their hopes are dashed. Oakland hasn’t had a good break since before the tuck rule. They are way overdo to put a season together and head to the playoffs. So, which of these two hopefuls will get out of their own way and get there finally? Click here to get this NFL pick for only $20.
Cincinnati at Baltimore - Monday @ 7:00 PM EST
The Bengals turned in a playoff year last season, but they struggled to beat the best teams on their schedule. Might as well start with the Ravens, who they’ll have to beat once in a while to make additional gains. The Ravens have a tough act to follow. Oh, and that kicker that missed the kick to go to the Super Bowl? He’s gone.
How they match up:
Bengals Defense vs. Ravens Offense
While much attention was paid to the Bengal offense and QB Andy Dalton and WR AJ Green, the defense at least held their own as the team put together a nice winning trend. But big TE’s were a problem. This may be the key to the opener. LB Rey Maualuga anchors the defense which is still young and hungry. DE Carlos Dunlap is questionable for the Bengals.
Much is riding on the shoulders of QB Joe Flacco. He’s been to the doorstep, but couldn’t get through to the party last year. His TE’s are hopeful, but banged up headed into week 1. Might help to have an extra day. Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta were huge weapons for B’more against the Bengals last season. Many thought Ray Rice didn’t get the ball enough. That should change.
HC Marvin Lewis was a defensive coordinator, so it’s no surprise that this team’s defense helped lead the Bengals back to respectability last year. Both games were competitive last year, but this game may come down to who can play and who cannot.
Ravens Defense vs. Bengals Offense
This category could present some trouble for the home team. Three losses, including the injury to Terrell Suggs means change that may be hard to pull off for Baltimore. Hopes may rest on scoring more, since the D will at least take time to adjust. Ray Lewis lost some weight to maintain the body that has served him well. S Bernard Pollard has sent a warning to Green. No bounty involved though.
Last season, the youngest parts of the Bengal Offense led them to the playoffs. QB Andy Dalton was a great leader. WR AJ Green could do no wrong. Expect them to be leading the way again, but Bernard Scott, so effective at RB last year, is banged up, may not be ready for the opener. The Bengals won 9 nail-biters last year, but they’ll need a relatively big score to get that first win against one of the contenders.
This matchup may be mostly who isn’t there as opposed to who is. They say that provides opportunity, but I imagine, Baltimore would love to have Suggs and Cinci would love to have Scott, just to see if this might be the time they get over the hump. The Ravens’ defense always seems to come up with a game changing play.
Who will cover the spread?
Baltimore’s eyes are always on the bigger prizes down the road, but they took an improved Bengal team down twice last year and are likely capable of the same this time around. It may look different though. With all the changes on D, this Ravens team may actually attempt to outscore people this season. Sometimes, sophomore QB’s take a step back in their second seasons. Cincinnati didn’t get Dalton and Green much help in the off season. If you don’t make improvements in this league, you usually fall some.
The odds makers still aren’t Bengal believers; they’ll go with making Baltimore a 6 point favorite. The real question is which team’s contractor will be most able to patch up their damaged parts and allow the strongest on their team to survive and prosper. With Pittsburgh in a tough spot on Sunday night, this game provides a chance to get out front in the division for the winner. Which building goes up first?…click here and purchase our expert pick for only $20.
Pittsburgh at Denver - Sunday @ 8:20 PM EST
Quite a few of the combatants from last year’s first round playoff game are gone. It’s not Tim Tebow, it’s not Hines Ward. But, this should be a great starting place for both teams. The Steelers have made replacements with youth in mind on both sides of the ball. Denver has Peyton. What else could they need?
How they match up:
Steelers Defense vs. Broncos Offense
The Steelers have been drafting replacements for their stern defense for years. This year, they get to depend on them. James Farrior is gone, James Harrison is coming off of surgery, Aaron Smith retired. Ziggy Hood is in at DE. Ryan Mundy is in at S, since Ryan Clark can’t play in altitude. The LB corps is thin since backups are banged up. Might be up to Dick LeBeau to mix and match to have what they’ve been used to.
With Peyton Manning at QB everything changes for the Broncos. They somehow managed .500 with a magic act a year ago and it was enough for a division title. Manning will be expected to add wins. This will be a hybrid of what we saw in Indy with Manning. There’s going to be some spread, and some power. They led the league in rushing last year. Might not this time, but they want to run for sure.
The Steeler defense was tops against the pass in yardage yielded last year. But they gave up plenty of big plays, including a few on this field to end their season. It’s tough to get pressure on Manning when he knows where all his targets are. It could take a week or two for him to know for sure.
Broncos Defense vs. Steelers Offense
Who wouldn’t want DE Elvis Dumervil and LB Von Miller chasing after opposing QB’s. Add Champ Bailey to the mix and you wonder why this defense didn’t have a stellar season a year ago. There were too many games in the 30’s and 40’s. The hope is that Manning will get the lead often enough to unleash the pass rush which added DT Derek Wolfe. He’s going to start on the D line.
The Steelers had been using less and less Ward and more and more Wallace and Brown over the past few years. The new OC, Todd Haley may be harder to get used to than the personnel changes. Pittsburgh added two high draft picks for the OL, but David DeCastro is out with an injury and Mike Adams isn’t ready yet. This may take some time, but there is still QB Ben Roethlisberger.
Keeping Ben’s uniform clean will be important on Sunday. He does well on the run, but this team can close you out better than most. Some ran against Denver a year ago, and if the Steelers can figure out who’s going to tote it, they’ll want some focus on the ground game.
Who will cover the spread?
As one might expect, since there are so many variables in this game just a 2 point Denver edge. It is a tough place to play, but the Steelers are tough wherever they play. Pittsburgh has more injury issues than the Broncos do. The light air gives the kickers a boost on both sides. Pittsburgh has had their troubles against the Broncos over the years. All year, last year, the Steelers didn’t cover as an away underdog. The Broncos didn’t cover as a home favorite. There are lots of wild cards in this game.
One purpose and one purpose only. Peyton Manning was brought in to make a run at the Super Bowl. They’re on national television on Sunday night and they’re eager to show just how serious they are. For the Steelers, they’ve got to win games to stay with Baltimore in the AFC North. There is no game that they can afford to lose. With as much riding on this game, you’ll need a referee to separate the combatants. To find out who’s hand will be in the air at the end of this bout, click here and pay only $20.
San Francisco at Green Bay - Sunday @ 4:25 PM EST
You might think this would be a look ahead at the NFC title game. It might have been that a year ago if the NY Giants hadn’t ruined everyone’s party. What a way to start. The 49ers kept their brutal defense in tact and added targets for Alex Smith. It’s hard to even identify what the Packers had to improve on. These two will be somewhere near Super Bowl 47.
How they match up:
49ers Defense vs. Packers Offense
You couldn’t run on them. Given that fact, some passing yards were amassed, but not really a lot. They took the ball away 38 times. They only surrendered 229 points. It’s all good. They may wind up needing more depth at LB, but all in all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it applies here. A team that can stop the run, take the ball away and even score some on defense has no problems on this side of the ball.
See above for if it ain’t broke… This offense is powerful. A great QB, top notch receivers. Running backs who get enough yards to keep the defense honest. Aaron Rodgers threw for 45 touchdowns last year. Coaches poured over statistics in the off season and found a few categories where there’s room for improvement, but if the Packers duplicate last season’s offensive numbers, that may be enough.
It’s only week one and we’ll be seeing one of the best O vs. D matchups we will see all year. The Pack O line will be heavily counted on, Rodgers was sacked 36 times last year. And this team will come after him. Rodgers’ accuracy will be the key. If he can maintain it, they’ll score points. If the
49ers take away his comfort zone, not so much.
Packers Defense vs. 49ers Offense
The Packers need to do a better job in the secondary. They were dead last in yards yielded last season. #1 draft pick, LB Nick Perry will be asked to put some pressure on opposition QB’s. For the most part, the defensive deficiencies didn’t get much focus since the Pack was able to just pile on more points. Until the game that really mattered, of course.
It’s not much of a compliment to consider someone a game manager. That’s where QB Alex Smith has been for the past couple of seasons. And, yes there was a move made to get Peyton Manning. Most importantly, Randy Moss and Mario Manningham have been brought in to help Smith. Most importantly-2, Smith did little to hurt his team a year ago.
The 49ers and Packers made moves to shore up the weakest parts of their game. That should mean that the 49ers’ offense is better and that the Packers’ defense is better as well. If Smith and his team have taken the next step, the Pack D will need to step their game up to win this one.
Who will cover the point spread?
This game brings so many points to expect that the 5 the Packers are favored by likely take the score comfortably into the 20s for both. In fact, it doesn’t seem to matter who is on the defensive side, Rodgers can rip them apart. It’s only one game, but it is likely to be one of the better ones. Both teams were dependable against the spread a year ago. SF was 11-3, GB was 11-5. The Packers were 6-1 as home favorite. This is the first meeting since Harbaugh has been head coach by the Bay.
Last year, SF was on such a roll, they won big games against everyone, everywhere. Green Bay was trying to get back to the Super Bowl. Neither finished. Be sure the goal is to get there this time. Purchase this expert NFL pick for only $20.
Washington at New Orleans - Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
It is a new day in Washington. There’s really not been a QB to depend on since Joe Theismann. It will be a while before the ‘Skins know if this is it,
but hopes are quite high. It is a new day in New Orleans. Suspensions, bounties, punishments and a chip on the shoulder. How big’s the chip?
How they match up:
Redskins Defense vs. Saints Offense
The defense has held the Redskins as high as they could be held in recent years. There is concern that LB Brian Arakpo will not be ready to go, although at this point, he’s listed as probable. The defense wasn’t as strong last year as in the previous year. And in a division that has the Eagles, Giants and Cowboys, it doesn’t pay to slip in any category.
There isn’t anything the New Orleans offense can’t do. And yes, a few ripples of gray matter along with some of their key players aren’t going to be involved in week 1. To hear the Saints talk, Drew Brees is going to take his team’s frustrations out on the opposition. So far, at least, that’s just talk. This offense will score their share of points. The suspensions were on defense.
Somehow, the Redskins have to get pressure on Brees. All opponents know it, few can actually pull it off. DC Jim Haslett has his hands full trying to slow down a motivated Brees.
Saints Defense vs. Redskins Offense
There were times a year ago that it looked like the Saints wanted their opponents to score so Drew could move the ball up the field again. And now, bounty gate. Obviously there are significant losses to suspension. Still it’s hard to imagine a more porous defense than the Saints brought to the yard a year ago. Those in the know say DE Akeem Hicks is a steal.
So much attention has been paid to RGIII that other deficiencies may have gone unnoticed. It looks like Evan Royster is at the top of the RB list. There really isn’t a great receiver on the roster. Pierre Garcon was added to help balance the receiving corps. Mike Shanahan usually likes to run the ball and it could be that Griffin will get to do some of that.
This will be the first time Griffin will see an NFL defense armed with a plan to stop him. He may have an edge if he can recognize what’s happening quickly enough. This is not one of the league’s best units. Still, if the defense can’t do their part, it will be up to Griffin to keep the scoreboard humming.
Who will cover the point spread?
The Super Dome is loud. And they’ve got a few things they aren’t real happy about to settle. Not that winning games can undo the horrible off season the Saints have endured, but they have been telling the league that they aren’t going down softly. Both teams play in competitive divisions, so losses hurt at any time. Washington has been on the outside looking in for years, and RGIII has been brought in to stop the slide.
New Orleans covered every home game a year ago. This time, they are favored by 7. For some, those division wars are the most important ones the teams face. New Orleans considers their division the NFC and they are hungry to head to the Super Bowl. If Orakpo can get to Brees, there is some hope for Washington. If they can’t slow Brees down, they cannot win. The Redskins won 2 of their last 10 a year ago. The Saints still can‘t believe the 49ers game from a year ago. So, is the chip on the Saints’ shoulders big enough to carry them to victory? Can they continue to cover at home? To find out the answer to these questions, purchase our selection here for only $20.
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