We’re almost to the first weekend of the NFL season, meaning it’s finally time to come back from that .500 finish to last year’s NFL handicapping season.
Generally, I’m not a huge fan of favorites, but I’m not going to be scared away from those teams this year. Here’s my three NFL week 1 favorites that will cover the spread.
Check out which three underdogs will cover in week 1
Philadelphia Eagles (-1) at Washington Redskins
Sean McVay’s exit will have more of an impact than many believe this season. He was the offensive coordinator since 2014 for the Redskins, somehow getting Kirk Cousins into the regular discussion about being among the best fantasy football quarterbacks. Cousins isn’t that good, so without McVay calling the plays, I’m skeptical of how good that offense can be.
Defensively, the Redskins leave plenty to be desired, too. Washington was one of the worst defenses in the league last year after spending big in the offseason. The Redskins committed to getting better in the draft, but those players are still not ready to make a major impact just yet.
As for the Eagles, the offense should be improved with the addition of Alshon Jeffery. The offensive line is good enough to give quarterback Carson Wentz some time. The defense doesn’t have much flash, but it’s solid in its different levels. The Eagles must go on the road, but I’m with the bettors on this one. The Redskins began the betting season as 2.5-point favorites, only to see the action swing toward the Eagles. — Go Chalk with Philadelphia
Arizona Cardinals (-2) at Detroit Lions
I love the Cardinals in this game. This is my favorite pick of the week.
Arizona’s talent is just flat-out better than Detroit’s. I was all over Arizona fading last year and not traveling well. Now, I’m going with the opposite. Even last year, the defense didn’t disappoint too much on the road. There were some bad bounces and interception and kickoff returns. That doesn’t translate to the following year.
The Lions didn’t beat any good teams last year, losing to all the playoff teams on their schedule. Detroit beat up on bad teams and did it in close fashion. The Cardinals will employ a defense that will shatter Matthew Stafford’s confidence to go along with an offense that can be explosive.
Nobody’s talking about the Cardinals after last year’s dismal failure. I was off the bandwagon before 2016 started, but I’m hopping back on this year. With a renewed focus and still plenty of talent, Arizona should be back in contention for the playoffs. They’ll start the season on the right foot against a Lions team that I anticipate will be much worse this season. — Go Chalk with Arizona
Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Rams (-4)
Andrew Luck means a lot to Indianapolis. He means so much that oddsmakers have given him a seven-point value, swinging this spread from three points in favor of the Colts to four points in favor of the Rams.
That’s a big jump, but it makes sense. No team is more dependent on its quarterback than the Colts. It’s been that way for decades and will continue into 2017. The defense is horrendous and the offensive line may be one of the worst in the NFL. Other than a few playmakers on the outside on offense, this team is one of the worst personnel-wise in the NFL.
As for the Rams, they take a lot of heat nationally, but it’s not really that bad of a team. The defense is above-average, even without Aaron Donald in the middle. Offensively, they were one of the worst units we saw in a decade, but the moves made with the head coach and adding Sammy Watkins makes me believe this year’s team will be a different story.
Watch for Todd Gurley to get back on track in this game and the Rams blow out the Colts in week 1, sending Indianapolis into panic mode one week into the season.
