NFL Week One Picks Against The Spread

After fanning on the Cowboys-Giants opening game, we’ll see how well the rest of the week goes:

Buffalo +3 over NY Jets- The Bills defensive line will be too much for New York, who won’t be able to score enough to win the opener at home.

Chicago -10 over Indianapolis- Andew Luck will have a good game, but the Jay Cutler-Matt Forte-Brandon Marshall triumverate will be too much for the Colts defense.

Philadelphia -9 over Cleveland- The attacking Eagles defense and playmaking offense is not a good matchup for a young Browns team in its opener. Trent Richardson will be a bright spot, though.

New Orleans -7 over Washington- Robert Griffin III will play in one of the league’s toughest environments in week one and won’t be able to keep up with the Saints’ firepower on offense.

New England -5.5 over Tennessee- Asking Jake Locker to go point for point with Tom Brady in week one is an impossible task. Chris Johnson needs a monster game for this one to even be within single digits.

Jacksonville +4 over Minnesota- Expect a strong effort from Rashad Jennings and Maurice Jones-Drew and an upset road win for Mike Mularkey’s Jaguars.

Houston -12 over Miami- The Texans may have the AFC’s best defense (yes, I know about Pittsburgh and Baltimore) and Wade Phillips’ attack will be too much for Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins to handle.

Detroit -7.5 over St. Louis- The abysmal Lions secondary will make this more interesting than it should be, but the Calvin Johnson matchup nightmare will be enough for Detroit to prevail.

Kansas City +3 over Atlanta- In Tony Gonzalez’s return to Kansas City, it will be an inspired effort from Romeo Crennel’s Chiefs that will lead to an upset at home over the sneakily declining Falcons.

Green Bay -4.5 over San Francisco- The Niners defense is so good, but the opening game means that defenses won’t be totally up to game speed right away which generally gives the offense the advantage. Look for the Packers to get up and down the field in the no-huddle and take this one.

Carolina -2.5 over Tampa Bay- A lot of people are taking Greg Schiano’s new look Bucs team, but the Panthers’ ability to run the ball will allow them to control the clock and this game.

Seattle -2.5 over Arizona- Russell Wilson will have a strong debut over a team with no viable QB, and the Seahawks defense will show the league that it’s an asset.

Denver -1.5 over Pittsburgh- Peyton Manning loves the big stage, but it will be the Broncos pass rush that makes the biggest difference against a lackluster Steelers offensive line.