Week 1 NFL Picks: Patriots Beat Heat In Miami, Broncos Roll In Primetime

With all due respect to the legendary Andy Williams, this is the most wonderful time of the year.

That’s because NFL football is back, and no matter how many head-scratching rule changes or puzzling disciplinary decisions the league makes, one thing remains true: We are addicted to football.

We got a little bit of our fix Thursday night, when the Seattle Seahawks rolled the Green Bay Packers in Seattle, and we’ll get a full helping on Sunday and Monday as Week 1 kicks off the season.

The return of football also means the return of NFL picks, so without any further ado, let’s get into ours for Week 1.

New Orleans (-3) at Atlanta

The Saints are a trendy pick to challenge the Seahawks for the NFC title, and they’ll get off to a good start on the road against the Falcons. PICK: New Orleans

Minnesota at St. Louis (3.5)

The Vikings are stockpiling young talent, and they still have Adrian Peterson. Despite quarterback question marks, that should be enough to get them by the Shaun Hill-led Rams. PICK: Minnesota

Cleveland at Pittsburgh (-7)

The AFC North stinks. Both of these teams will stink this year. On Sunday, though, the Steelers will stink less. PICK: Pittsburgh

Jacksonville at Philadelphia (-10.5)

This has a chance to be the biggest mismatch of the weekend, as the high-flying Eagles are going up against a Jaguars defense that had the league’s fourth-highest opponent passer rating last season. PICK: Philadelphia

Oakland at New York Jets (-5.5)

Who really knows what the Jets will be this season, but you have to like that defense’s chances going up against the Raiders and rookie quarterback Derek Carr. PICK: New York

Cincinnati at Baltimore (-1)

Remember what we said about the AFC North? Anyway, we like the Bengals on the road here in a virtual pick ’em situation. PICK: Cincinnati

Buffalo at Chicago (-7)

Many think the Bills will be an improved team this season, and that might be true. However, the Bears have too many weapons for them to handle, and the home favorite seems like the pick here. PICK: Chicago

Washington at Houston (-3)

The Texans already had a solid pass rush before adding No. 1 pick Jadeveon Clowney to the mix. He and J.J. Watt should make it a tough day for RG3, and Houston  should come away with the win. Also, hammer the under. PICK: Houston

Tennessee at Kansas City (-3.5)

This line seems low, but there are plenty of people who think the Chiefs are bound to come back to earth after last year’s playoff season. Still, we’ll take them by at least a touchdown against a “meh” Titans team. PICK: Kansas City

New England (-5) at Miami

The big question surrounding this one will be the health of Tom Brady and his “calf” injury. The Dolphins’ pass rush is legit, and they’ll look even better if Brady’s supposed injury starts barking. However, we still like the Patriots pulling away with a late score. PICK: Patriots

Carolina at Tampa Bay (-3)

The Bucs have improved, and the Lovie Smith era brings hope. For better or worse, though, we’ll believe that when we see it. PICK: Carolina

San Francisco (-4.5) at Dallas

The 49ers have some issues on both sides of the ball, but the Cowboys are the Cowboys, and we don’t mean that in a good way. The San Francisco offense should be revitalized by the banged-up Dallas defense. PICK: San Francisco

Indianapolis at Denver (-8)

That extra point is tempting, but this just feels like one of those games where Peyton Manning and the Broncos’ offense runs wild. Andrew Luck is for real, but the question remains whether the Colts have put enough around him. PICK: Denver

New York Giants at Detroit (-6)

Hopefully the scoreboard operator is ready to go, as this one has all the makings of the shootout. If that’s the case, the safe bet seems to be the Lions and all of those offensive weapons. PICK: Detroit

San Diego at Arizona (-3)

This is the annual late-night Week 1 Monday night game that no one other than degenerate gamblers and fantasy football owners care about. We like the Chargers’ offense to make the difference here. PICK: San Diego

All lines courtesy of Bovada.lv