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Which upsets are about to go down in Week 1?The answer lies with a pair of cla sic NFL franchises trying to get back into the postseason.Green Bay which mi sed the playoffs in Aaron Rodgers' last season with the team will start a new chapter with quarterback Jordan Love. The Packers are underdogs at Chicago which is anticipating a full-fledged breakout for third-year quarterback Justin Fields.Pittsburgh, meanwhile, mi sed the AFC playoffs and is looking for improvement with second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. The Steelers have a tough home opener against San Francisco.Will the Steelers and Packers pull off small upsets? Is there a third one out there in what should be a predictably unpredictable Week 1?Each week, Sporting News will pick the games straight up and against the Walt Weiss Jersey spread: Last season, we were 184-98-2 S/U for a winning percentage of .651. That was an improvement from 2022, when we finished 172-96-1 for a .641 winning percentage. (Odds courtesy of BetMGM).Here are our straight-up picks for Week 1 ():MORE NFL PREDICTIONS: (Getty Images) Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs (-6.5)The Lions have over-the-top hype and it's OK to be cautious knowing the franchise has one playoff victory since 1991. This is a good team, however, and they were 8-3 ATS as an underdog last season. Jared Goff, however, was not nearly as good on the road (87.4 rating in 2022). The defending Super Bowl champion is 14-4 S/U in the NFL Kickoff Game. Patrick Mahomes keeps the Chiefs ahead, and they hold off a Lions' rally.Pick: Chiefs 36, Lions 29Result: Lions 21, Chiefs 20Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (-2.5)Two young teams square off here, but the Falcons are a year ahead with Desmond Ridder at quarterback, Kyle Pitts at tight end and the addition of Bijan Robinson at running back. The Panthers should be excited about the future with Bryce Young. Carolina was 2-5 S/U as an away underdog last season, and one of those lo ses was a 37-34 overtime lo s at Atlanta.Pick: Falcons 27, Panthers 21Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5) at Cleveland BrownsJoe Burrow returned to practice last week. Cleveland has had his number Burow is 1-4 in five career starts against the Browns and has yet to win on the road. The Browns also are under the radar a bit despite some savvy offseason additions in Elijah Moore at receiver and Za'Darius Smith at edge rusher Catfish Hunter Jersey . Deshaun Watson should be better, too. The Bengals lost 32-13 at Cleveland last year. This is a good upset pick, but we're sticking with Cincinnati in a close one that gets wild in the fourth quarter. If Burrow does not play, then we will re-evaluate.Pick: Bengals 34, Browns 28 Getty Images Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3.5)Anthony Richardson will be making his first start against a Jacksonville team that took off around Doug Pederson and Trevor Lawrence last season. The Jaguars ranked 26th in the NFL in sacks last season, so monitor how much they turn up the pre sure. Calvin Riley who has been reinstated after a year-long suspension will make his presence felt as a new target for Lawrence.Pick: Jaguars 31, Colts 21Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings (-6.5)The Buccaneers enter a new chapter with Baker Mayfield at quarterback, which adds to the unpredictability of a road opener against the Vikings. Minnesota is being undervalued this offseason despite a 8-2 S/U home Rickey Henderson Jersey record last season. The Bucs show a little more fight than expected, but Minnesota much like last season finds a way in a one-score game.Pick: Vikings 21, Buccaneers 20Tenne see Titans at New Orleans Saints (-3.5)The Saints are at home for Derek Carr's debut, and that should make a difference for an offense that averaged 19.4 points per game last season. New Orleans also made some key additions on defense through a draft that added depth with Bryan Bresee and Isaiah Foskey. That helps against the Titans and Derrick Henry. Carr earns high marks for a solid debut.Pick: Saints 30, Titans 27 (Getty Images) San Francisco 49ers (-3) at Pittsburgh SteelersRemember when the Steelers pulled off an upset against Cincinnati in Week 1 last season? The 49ers have not won at Pittsburgh since 1996, and Pittsburgh has a defense that could surprise at home. This feels like the unexpected upset we'll over-react to, especially when it comes to the 49ers' quarterback situation in the fallout from the Trey Lance trade.Pick: Steelers 26, 49ers 23Arizona Cardinals at Washington Commanders (-6)Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray will start the season on the PUP list, and there remains no timetable for return. Joshua Dobbs is expected to start in Week 1 after being traded from Cleveland. Bet on Washington, especially after Sam Howell's strong preseason. The Commanders were 4-3 ATS as a favorite last season, however, so it's not a sure thing.Pick: Commanders 24, Cardinals 16Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens (-9.5)C.J. Stroud will be making his first start for the Texans, but it's a tough spot to open on the road against what should be a loose Ravens' team around Lamar Jackson. Baltimore is 11-4 in Week 1 under John Harbaugh, and they have won five of their last six openers. Dave Henderson Jersey Those five victories were by an average of 32 points per game. That's not a typo. Jackson connects with Odell Beckham Jr. for at least one score, and the Ravens roll from there.Pick: Ravens 34, Texans 16 Getty Images Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (-2.5)From a perception standpoint, few games will elicit a larger over-reaction in Week 1. Justin Fields is projected to take the next step, but nobody will believe it if he can't beat Green Bay. Fields is 0-4 against the Packers. Jordan Love will make his first start against a franchise that Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers torched for a 46-15 record as starters with the Packers. Fields and Love both show promise in a fantastic back-and-forth matchup.Pick: Packers 30, Bears 28Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos (-3.5)There are several subplots in this one. This is Sean Payton's debut with Denver. Will that lead to an improved Ru sell Wilson? Jimmy Garoppolo also is making his debut with Las Vegas. The Raiders are 6-0 S/U in this AFC West rivalry the last three years and they have won the last three in Denver Kendall Graveman Jersey by an average of 5.7 points per game. Denver breaks that streak against former coach Josh McDaniels.Pick: Broncos 28, Raiders 23Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5) at New England PatriotsHow far removed are we from that Super Bowl LII cla sic between these teams? Former Alabama quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Mac Jones will be the focus, but we're watching how D'Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny fare against the Patriots' interior defense. New England was 0-3 ATS as a home underdog last season. The Pats slow this one down, but the Eagles avoid the big mistake on the road.Pick: Eagles 24, Patriots 17 (Getty Images) Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Chargers (-2.5)It's Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa in what has the potential to be an early-season shootout. The Chargers have a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore, and that means Justin Herbert, who had 367 pa sing yards in a 23-17 victory against the Dolphins last season. Tagovailoa gets revenge this time, and Tyreek Hill clears 100 yards with ease.Pick: Dolphins 32, Chargers 27Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (-5.5)Matthew Stafford is back for the Rams, who had the worst kind of Super Bow
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发表于 2023-11-5 13:22:07