The wait is over for football fans across the world, as the NFL regular season is here and there are some exciting games on the docket. Of course, the Saints and Packers showdown headlines things, while Dallas vs. Tampa Bay on opening night will provide plenty of drama. In this piece, we have NFL picks for the biggest games of the week. Read on for more!
Entering play between the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, look for Dak Prescott to throw for more than 300 yards. Yes, we know what you’re thinking: this is his first game back since he suffered his fractured ankle against the New York Giants last year. Well, Prescott also received a massive four-year extension this offseason and he’s going to want to prove to fans that he was worth it.
That will start on Thursday in a showdown with the reigning Super Bowl champions. While Ezekiel Elliott will get plenty of carries, the pressure will be on Prescott to fire the ball all over the field and keep Dallas in this one. He’ll truly have to be spectacular in order for Dallas to have a shot at winning this one. Because of his comeback mentality, we think Prescott will ball out.
Per the Las Vegas Sportsbooks, the over/under on pass yards for Prescott for this showdown has been set at 288 yards. That’s a high number, but our expectation indeed is that Presott will be throwing the ball with plenty of passion and fire. Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and the other standout pass-catchers will do everything possible to try and get open.
With Prescott ready to put on a show, it’s tough to imagine he’ll finish at around 250 yards or so. From our chair, we think that Prescott should finish right around 300 yards. He’s just too good of a quarterback to not bounce back in his first game of the new season. Mike McCarthy will be counting on him. In this case, our pick is for the over to hit and Prescott to easily surpass 288 yards.
In another fun showdown, the Green Bay Packers will be taking on the New Orleans Saints. These are two high-powered offenses, which means there’s going to be a ton of points being scored, so the Packers and Saints should hit the over. The over/under has been set at 50 points for this showdown of the two NFC sides. Seriously, only 50 points? It’s not like both of these teams are known for their defenses.
Starting with the Packers, Aaron Rodgers will be hyped up to put on a show on Sunday, especially after all the offseason drama between him and the front office. Matt LaFleur will of course get Aaron Jones involved with the ground game, but it will be Rodgers who lights up the stage. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him finish with 350 passing yards and 3-4 touchdowns. That’s how good he is.
As for New Orleans, Jameis Winston is set to start for the Saints. After backing up Drew Brees last year, Winston is taking over as QB1 with Brees retiring. Winston won the job over Taysom Hill this summer, really impressing both during training camp and in preseason action. Winston has a rocket for an arm, he just needs to be smart hanging on to the football.
With all of that said, there’s no way that this game ends in a defensive battle. Both the Saints and Packers will be hoping to really dazzle in their first game of the season. The offenses on both sides are simply too good for this game not to be a high-scoring one. With this in mind, our pick is for the two teams to combine for more than 50 points, with the NFL odds set at -110. Do you agree? Check out our NFL betting sites and get a wager in.
Last but not least, the Seahawks will take down the Colts on the road when they meet up in Week 1. The main reason for that? Russell Wilson. Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in the game when he’s fully healthy. He knows what will be at stake when Seattle opens the season on the road. With the Rams and 49ers also hungry to win the division, Seattle will need to open the season with a win.
We think they’ll be able to do so, as there are so many question marks for the Colts. Carson Wentz has arrived to town from Philadelphia to be the new starter, but he had surgery in the offseason. Wentz can’t seem to stay healthy for a long stretch. He was so inconsistent last year too, which makes him a 50-50 leading up to things against a strong Seattle defense.
Per Vegas, Seattle has odds of -146 to win this one, while the Colts have been placed at +124. Yes, winning on the road to open up the season is never easy and it will be quite the challenge for the Seahawks. At the end of the day, though, Seattle has Wilson at QB and the Colts will send out Wentz. Advantage to the visitors, which is why the Seahawks are our pick.
