NFL Week One Picks

Football is Back (Finally)

Click edit above to add content to this empty capsule.

It's that time of year again, and if you're like me, it is not a minute too soon. I like a good hockey game and an MMA pay per view makes for a good evening, but for me nothing compares to the National Football League.

That compact sixteen game season, where every game is crucial, just can't be beat for the build up of drama and excitement. Unlike all those other sports with 80-100 games a year, there is no room to take a day off in the NFL.

As I did last season during the playoffs, I will be writing weekly hubs picking the games both for the actual winners and against the point spread.

Thanks in large part to the Cardinals winning when they were supposed to get trounced in the playoffs and then losing in the Superbowl, once I finally believed in them, I did fairly mediocre overall last season. I had some good weeks and some bad weeks, eventually averaging out to 5-6 straight up and 6-5 against the spread. I also threw in a couple sucker bets on the Superbowl (the over/under and the coin toss), and appropriately enough, ended up covering one and losing one.

I expect to do better this year, although I do tend to start slow and then come on strong at the end (I've won in three out of the four years I've participated in pick'em leagues). I'm not sure exactly why that is, but one of my theories is that I'm not much of a college football fan and it takes a few weeks to judge how the players coming in from the draft will impact teams.

Anyway, the moral to the story is that if I stumble a bit out of the gate stick with me and I'll right the ship by midseason. However, before I get into picking individual games, this hub will be devoted to predicting the winners of each division, as well as the playoffs and the eventual Superbowl winner. In future weeks I will devote more time to analyzing the individual matchups, but in the first week it's kind of a crap shoot anyway since you don't have any actual games to judge teams by.

So go break open your piggy bank, get all your money together (a second mortgage is a possible option), and get ready to bet it all on my Superbowl pick. (READ THE ENTIRE POST ON HUBPAGES)

The Week One Picks

1. Atlanta vs Miami (+4) -------- Straight up: Atlanta / Against the Spread: Miami
2. Cincinnati vs Denver (+4.5) ------- Straight up: Cincinnati / Against the Spread: Cincinnati
3. Minnesota @ Cleveland (+4) -------Straight up: Minnesota / Against the Spread: Minnesota
4. Indianapolis vs Jacksonville (+7) ------- Straight up:Indianapolis / Against the Spread: Indianapolis
5. New Orleans vs Detroit (+13) ------- Straight up:New Orleans / Against the Spread: New Orleans
6. Dallas @ Tampa Bay (+6) ------- Straight up: Dallas / Against the Spread: Tampa Bay
7. Philadelphia @ Carolina (+1) ------- Straight up: Philadelphia / Against the Spread: Philadelphia
8. Baltimore vs Kansas City (+13) ------- Straight up: Baltimore / Against the Spread: Baltimore
9. Houston vs New York Jets (+4.5) ------- Straight up: New York / Against the Spread: New York
10. New York Giants vs Washington (+6.5)-------Straight up: New York/Against the Spread: New York
11. Arizona vs San Francisco (+6.5) ------- Straight up: Arizona / Against the Spread: San Francisco
12. Seattle vs St. Louis (+8.5) ------- Straight up: Seattle / Against the Spread: St. Louis
13. Green Bay vs Chicago (+3.5) ------- Straight up: Green Bay / Against the Spread: Green Bay
14. New England vs Buffalo (+11) ------- Straight up: New England / Against the Spread: New England
15. San Diego @ Oakland (+9.5) ------- Straight up: San Diego / Against the Spread: San Diego