NFL Predictions Week 1: Picks and Odds Advice for Opening Schedule

At long last, Week 1 of the NFL regular season has arrived. 

And while the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos kicked things off in style on Thursday night, that was merely an appetizer in advance of a jam-packed 13-game slate on Sunday that will lead into a pair of Monday Night Football showdowns.

But before things officially get underway, it's time to make some last-minute picks and take a look at this week's lines.

In addition to the Week 1 overview, we'll examine a few games that present intriguing opportunities based on current spreads. 

Week 1 Picks and Odds

Matchup	Spread	Prediction
Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens	BAL -3	BUF 22, BAL 17
Chicago Bears at Houston Texans	HOU -5.5	HOU 34, CHI 16
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons	ATL -2.5	ATL 23, TB 20
Oakland Raiders at New Orleans Saints	NO -1.5	NO 37, OAK 33
Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars	GB -5	GB 30, JAC 16
Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans	MIN -2.5	TEN 17, MIN 14
Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets	CIN -2.5	CIN 26, NYJ 23
Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles	PHI -3	PHI 20, CLE 13
San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs	KC -6.5	KC 24, SD 17
Miami Dolphins at Seattle Seahawks	SEA -10.5	SEA 38, MIA 20
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys	Even	DAL 26, NYG 24
Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts	IND -3	IND 27, DET 26
New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals	ARZ -7	ARZ 31, NE 23
Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Redskins	PIT -3	PIT 31, WSH 28
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers	LA -2.5	LA 19, SF 16

Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The Tennessee Titans aren't exactly betting darlings.

Case in point: The Titans are 0-4-1 against the spread over their last five games and 3-22 straight up over their last 25 games, per OddsShark's Stephen Campbell. 

Those numbers should serve as deterrents when it comes to evaluating the Titans' Week 1 clash, but the Minnesota Vikings are entering Sunday's meeting with questions aplenty at quarterback after Teddy Bridgewater suffered a season-ending knee injury. 

With Shaun Hill under center, the Vikings offense won't be at its most potent, which means it will be up to running back Adrian Peterson and the team's offensive line to shoulder the load.

"Given the circumstances, we know the pressure comes down on the line," left guard Alex Boone said, per the Star Tribune's Mark Craig. "So we have to kick [Tennessee’s] butt in the run game and let Adrian do his thing."

That means the Vikings could be in for a grind-it-out affair with the Titans—who can realistically be considered the team with the more electric offense thanks to quarterback Marcus Mariota, running backs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry, tight end Delanie Walker and receivers like Tajae Sharpe and Rishard Matthews. 

In what figures to be one of the lowest scoring games of the weekend, the Titans have a nice shot at pulling off an upset 

Prediction: Tennessee Titans 17, Minnesota Vikings 14

Chicago Bears at Houston Texans

If you're eyeing games with blowout potential, the Houston Texans' meeting with the Chicago Bears should be enticing.  

Although Houston was plagued by inconsistency at quarterback throughout the 2015 season, Brock Osweiler's arrival figures to stabilize an offense that ranked tied for 21st in average scoring (21.2 points per game) last season. 

The Texans will also be aided by the arrival of workhorse running back Lamar Miller, who is looking to be featured heavily after years of misuse with the Miami Dolphins. 

"Last season, Miller averaged 4.5 yards per carry, but was given only 12.1 carries per game," Pro Football Focus' Scott Barrett wrote. "A full 34 other running backs averaged more carries per game, including the likes of Rashad Jennings. In 2014, he averaged 5.1 yards per carry (tied for second-most), but ranked only 18th in carries per game."

Sprinkle in the continued evolution of No. 1 wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and the arrival of rookie slot maestro Braxton Miller, and Houston has the makings of an explosive offense on the rise. 

That's all bad news for the Bears, who ranked 20th in average points allowed (24.8 points per game) last season. 

And if Chicago falls behind early, it could be in big trouble. 

While the Bears can lean on Jay Cutler, Alshon Jeffery and Jeremy Langford to do some of the heavy lifting, asking wideout Kevin White—who missed his rookie season due to a leg injury—to shoulder a big workload is a risky proposition. 

Also, consider that left guard Josh Sitton was signed on Sept. 4 and hasn't had much time to work with the rest of the team's offensive line, and the Bears figure to be at a major disadvantage on the road. 

Prediction: Houston Texans 34, Chicago Bears 16

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants will open their respective regular seasons in what amounts to a compelling clash between two NFC East teams in limbo.

While the Giants have plenty of established talent on both sides of the ball, they're entering Year 1 under new head coach Ben McAdoo.

Dallas, meanwhile, will be pinning its hopes on rookie quarterback Dak Prescott with Tony Romo sidelined indefinitely due to a back injury.

Based on stability alone, the Giants would project as the safer pick. However, recent trends indicate that Dallas is the savvy pick here.

According to OddsShark's Joe Osborne, the Cowboys are 5-1 straight up in their last six meetings with the Giants, while Big Blue is 0-5 straight up and 1-4 against the spread over its past five Week 1 contests dating back to 2011. 

Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. could threaten to thrash a Cowboys secondary devoid of shutdown playmakers, but his play alone may not be enough to send Dallas spiraling on Sunday afternoon. 

Look for the Cowboys to control the game flow as they lean on running back Ezekiel Elliott and the league's most tenacious offensive line in a tight but ultimately fruitful Week 1 clash with their biggest rival.  

Prediction: Dallas Cowboys 26, New York Giants 24