NFL Picks Week 1: Advice on Latest Vegas Odds and Spreads for Upcoming Schedule

The start of the NFL season gives handicappers a chance to analyze how well each team has done since the end of the 2014 season.

No matter how a team finished last year, it may not have anything to do with how the team will perform this year. That applies to all teams, including the Super Bowl champions. The New England Patriots may look the same, especially when head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady are on the sidelines.

However, Darrelle Revis is playing for the New York Jets, and Vince Wilfork is manning the middle of the defensive line for the Houston Texans. The defense that made so many big plays last year—with a plus-12 mark on the takeaway-turnover table—will face many challenges this year.

Other teams, like the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers, have made major changes to their coaching staffs and personnel. Handicappers must consider every move made in the offseason, the cohesiveness shown in the preseason and the health of each team when considering the 16 games on this week's schedule.

Game	Line	Prediction
Pittsburgh at New England	NE (-7.5)	New England
Indianapolis at Buffalo	Ind. (-2.5)	Buffalo
Green Bay at Chicago	GB (-7)	Green Bay
Kansas City at Houston	Even	Kansas City
Carolina at Jacksonville	Car. (-3)	Carolina
Cleveland at NY Jets	NYJ (-3)	New York Jets
Seattle at St. Louis	Sea. (-4.5)	St. Louis
Miami at Washington	Mia. (-4)	Miami
New Orleans at Arizona	Ariz. (-2.5)	New Orleans
Detroit at San Diego	SD (-2.5)	San Diego
Baltimore at Denver	Den. (-4.5)	Baltimore
Cincinnati at Oakland	Cin. (-3)	Oakland
Tennessee at Tampa Bay	TB (-3)	Tennessee
NY Giants at Dallas	Dal. (-7)	Dallas
Philadelphia at Atlanta	Phil. (-3)	Philadelphia
Minnesota at San Francisco	Min. (-2.5)	San Francisco

Emotions riding high in Buffalo

Rex Ryan is set to coach his first game for the Buffalo Bills, and he has the benefit of doing so in front of his home fans, who are expecting a bit from a team that was 9-7 last year.

While the Tyrod Taylor-Andrew Luck quarterback matchup may seem to be a no-brainer in favor of the visiting Indianapolis Colts, Taylor's athleticism has been impressive throughout the summer. If he can make a play or two early in the game with his arm or his legs, it could put pressure on the Colts.

The Colts come in as road favorites, which is never an easy position. The Bills are going to try to put the pressure on Luck with their strong defensive line, and they could get the fourth-year quarterback on the run.

The Colts made one of the better moves of the offseason by bringing in veteran running back Frank Gore. He gives the Colts the toughness and the consistency they have not had at the position in years, which should help the team win many games.

But this may not be one of them, as the Bills have emotion on their side as they play for their new head coach in front of their rabid fans. It may be enough to steal the opener.

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Chiefs understand they can't let any game slip away

The Kansas City Chiefs were a solid team in 2014, finishing the year with a 9-7 record and falling just short of making the playoffs.

The season was marked by several impressive victories, including a 41-14 Week 4 battering of the Patriots, a Week 10 road win over the Bills and a Week 11 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. 

The Chiefs were the only team in the league to beat both Super Bowl participants, but a further look at last season's results reveals that Kansas City missed too many opportunities. It lost its season opener at home to a poor Tennessee Titans team, lost a road game against the Oakland Raiders and also dropped a winnable game against an Arizona Cardinals team that was beleaguered by injuries.

If the Chiefs are going to get back to the playoffs and possibly win the AFC West, they can't let any games slip through their grasp. They are not a superteam—and they will lose games—but they can't give any away.

Head coach Andy Reid remembers what happened in last year's opener against the Titans. He must make sure his team is ready to roll from the opening kickoff. With a nasty pass-rushing defense that features Justin Houston (22.0 sacks in 2014), the Chiefs should be able to outlast the Texans and reverse last year's Week 1 disaster.

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Giants no longer own Jerry's palace

It seems like it was yesterday when the New York Giants owned the Dallas Cowboys and regularly played their best football in Dallas.

The Giants reeled off a 6-2 record both straight up and against the spread from 2009 through 2012 when playing the Cowboys. However, the Cowboys are 3-1 both straight up and ATS against their longtime rivals in the last two seasons.

Both teams were stronger on the offensive side of the ball than they were on defense last year. The Cowboys ranked seventh in yards per game, while the Giants were 10th in that category. Dallas ranked 19th in yards allowed, while the Giants were 29th.

Both teams have excellent quarterback leadership in Tony Romo and Eli Manning, and the offensive units still seem to be significantly ahead of their defensive counterparts.

The Cowboys have more talent on offense, and they should start off well at AT&T Stadium against a team that once had its way with them but no longer does.