Pigskin Picks – Week 1
4 min read
It’s that time of year again, the start of the NFL season. For most football fans, that includes not only watching your favorite team each week but also filling out those little cards in hopes you can predict the winner of each game. For some of you, that also brings about the occasional bet on whatever game happens to be televised in your area.
Each week, I’m going to give you a little cheat sheet in which you can use to make your decisions a little easier. The odds that I use will be those provided by MGM Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada. This weekly column is simply meant to provide you with a little information, and a little enjoyment. We will give you at least 1 upset each week, as well as what should be considered as close to a guarantee as possible in the NFL.
With that said, let’s get to it.
Week 1
Thursday, September 5th 8:20 PM EST
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a 3 point favorite and Chuck Pagano’s defense should be enough to cover the spread. The Bears start their 100th-year celebration with an opening game victory.
Sunday, September 8th 1:00 EST
Los Angeles Rams @ Carolina Panthers
The Rams are a 3 point favorite and should celebrate Goff’s new contract with a win.
Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are a 10 point favorite and should have no trouble covering the spread.
Buffalo Bills @ NY Jets
There is no favorite for this game, and while the Jets added a few pieces in the off-season, we don’t think it’ll be enough to overcome the Bills who look to make an impact in the AFC East this year…. give this one to the Bills.
Atlanta Falcons @ Minnesota Vikings
Again, there is no favorite for this game, but look for the Vikings to ground the Falcons and pick up the win at home.
Baltimore Ravens @ Miami Dolphins
The Ravens are a 7 point favorite and should have no issues covering the spread as the Dolphins seem to have begun their fall to the bottom of the league.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The Chiefs are a 3.5 point favorite but look for the Jaguars defense to derail the Mahomes hype train and give Foles his first win as a Jaguar.
Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns
The Browns are a 5.5 point favorite and should be just good enough to overcome a stingy Titans defense.
4:05 PM EST
Indianapolis Colts @ Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are a 6.5 point favorite and the home field advantage will prove to be the deciding factor as the Colts lose their first game in the post-Luck era.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Seattle Seahawks
They’ve given no favorite for this game, but the Seahawks should easily win at home, making this our guarantee of the week.
San Francisco 49ers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The 49ers are a 1 point favorite, but we are predicting the Buccaneers will start the Arians Era off with a win and give us our upset of the week.
New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys
Dallas is a 7 point favorite and should be able to get by the Giants at home even with the Elliott drama.
Detroit Lions @ Arizona Cardinals
The Lions are a 2.5 point favorite but should be more than capable of walking out of Arizona with a win as the Cardinals will be battling the Dolphins for the worst team of the year award.
8:20 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots
The Patriots are a 5 point favorite and we’re not about to suggest that Brady doesn’t win the season opener at home. It should be a close one, and while the Patriots will win at home, they will struggle to beat the spread. Give this one to the Steelers with the points.
September 9th
7:10 PM EST
Houston Texans @ New Orleans Saints
The Saints are a 7 point favorite and we don’t expect the scoreboard to reflect anything different. Brees begins the year with a win at home.
10:20 PM EST
Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders
There’s no favorite given for this game, but we almost never bet against the Broncos in primetime at home, and we’re not going to bet against them this time on the road. Give this one to the Broncos simply because there are too many questions still unanswered when it comes to the new look of the Raiders.
Papa Buc, Ybor Buccaneer, Bucs Life News, it’s employees, writers, staff, advertisers, and affiliates are not responsible for any bets placed. You assume all responsibility for any and all bets placed, money won, and money lost. Never bet more than you can afford to lose, and make sure to bet responsibly. All odds were current as of the writing of this article and are subject to change up to the kick-off. We are not responsible for the information provided via MGM Mirage. If you’ gamble away your life savings, not only are we not responsible and STBY.
