NFL Opening Weekend Predictions

It's that time again folks, NFL football is back! It seemed as if the offseason could not be any longer, but the season has finally arrived with the thoughts of Super Bowl in the minds of fans everywhere (unrealistic or not). Each week I will be making predictions for the games, both based on spread and just as a straight pick. For all of my betting readers, I love to look at the spread because it makes even a game like the Jaguars vs Patriots an interesting game for the entirety of the game. This week my breakdowns will be of games featuring a rookie quarterback and how I think they will fair this week. So without any further waiting, let's get into it.

Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears

Spread: Bears (-9.5)

Andrew Luck's long waited NFL debut starts against a very tough and disciplined defense in Chicago. Colts nation is hoping to see a resemblance to their leader for the last decade, Peyton Manning, but I just do not see that happening. The Bears offense comes with a brand new number one receiver in Brandon Marshall who is reunited with Jay Cutler in what could be a scary combination when you add in Matt Forte. The Bears are just better, and the rebuilding Colts do not have enough on either side of the ball. I like the Bears to win this game, and although the high spread scares me a bit, I still like the Bears on the spread as well. 

Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns

Spread: Eagles (-9.5)

Football season is back, and the Browns come into opening day with another new starting quarterback. Brandon Weeden will have his hands full with a blitz happy Eagles defense against a weak Browns offensive line. The Browns defense is pretty solid, but with the amount of time they will spend on the field due to poor offensive play, they will likely be worn down by a fast Eagles offense. Look for Mike Vick and LeSean McCoy to have great days, but I do believe this game will be closer than many believe. I like the Eagles to win this game, but I am going to take the Browns on the spread. 

Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints

Spread: Saints (-7.5)

Another rookie quarterback debut in this game, but with a much different situation than with the other two quarterbacks. Robert Griffin III joins a much better team in the Redskins and many people believe he may actually be better than the number one overall pick in Andrew Luck. He will have his hands full in New Orleans which is one of the five toughest places to play in the NFL and will be facing a team that is out to prove people wrong. The Saints are coming off a tumultuous offseason in which they lost their head coach, general manager, defensive captain, and had a large contract dispute with their Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees. Even with all that, the Saints have proven that they are sticking together and are determined to continue their success. I like RG3 a lot, but the combination of an angry Saints team, the Superdome, and being RG3's first game, I have Saints winning this one and I like New Orleans to cover the spread as well.

Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans

Spread: Texans (-13)

Ryan Tannehill may have the worst situation of all the rookie starters this week. Not only is his team much worse on paper than the other teams, but he opens up against arguably the best defense in the NFL on the road. The Texans defense presents issues for teams in all aspects of the game and even with the losses of Demeco Ryans and Mario Williams, the Texans do not seem to have lost a step. Tannehill has the worst receiving core in the NFL and a rookie head coach as well. Everything stacks up against Miami in this game, but one thing that may help is if the Texans star tailback Arian Foster can't play due to injury. Regardless, I like the Texans to win this game and cover the HUGE spread of 13.

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals

Spread: Seahawks (-3)

The final matchup featuring a rookie quarterback this week has the biggest surprise of all the games today. Russell Wilson was a third round draft pick and beat out Matt Flynn who signed a big contract as a free agent this offseason and was expected to be the starter. Wilson gets it a little easier this week as he faces a Cardinals team who has a ton of question marks offensively and is not exactly intimidating on the defensive side of the ball. Wilson has a great defense in the Seahawks and a running game that can carry him when he is struggling. I like the Seahawks in this game and I do believe that Wilson will cover the spread in his first NFL victory.

Other Predictions

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets

Spread: (-3) Jets

Game Winner: Bills

Spread Winner: Bills

New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans

Spread: (-5.5) Patriots

Game Winner: Patriots

Spread Winner: Patriots

Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings

Spread: (-3.5) Vikings

Game Winner: Vikings

Spread Winner: Jaguars

St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions

Spread: (-9) Lions 

Game Winner: Lions

Spread Winner: Lions

Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs

Spread: (-2.5) Falcons

Game Winner: Falcons

Spread Winner: Falcons

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers

Spread: (-5) Packers

Game Winner: Packers

Spread Winner: 49ers

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Spread: (-2.5) Panthers

Game Winner: Panthers

Spread Winner: Panthers

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

Spread: (-1.5) Broncos

Game Winner: Broncos

Spread Winner: Broncos

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

Spread: (-7) Ravens

Game Winner: Ravens

Spread Winner: Bengals

San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders

Spread: (-1) Raiders

Game Winner: Raiders

Spread Winner: Raiders

There it is folks, love or hate it, let me know what you think. I will continue to do this every week and I look forward to hearing what my reader’s feelings are towards my picks and cannot wait until 1 o'clock today!

*All lines were taken from vegasinsider.com