NFL Week 1 Picks: Safest Teams to Choose Against the Spread

Point spreads make it difficult to predict NFL games, but there are some options in Week 1 that are ripe for the picking. 

The first week of the NFL season is the toughest to forecast. Teams that are expected to be good often have a giant flop, while those on the bottom of power rankings show the world what they can do.

Fortunately, these games should provide some safe picks for those looking to make some bets.

Note: All point spreads are courtesy of Vegas Insider.

Chicago Bears (-9.5) over Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck has the potential to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but it is a tall order for any rookie to pull this type of upset in his first career game on the road in Chicago.

The Bears were cruising last season at 7-3 before Jay Cutler and Matt Forte went down for the year. Now they are healthy and looking to redeem themselves. With Brandon Marshall now on the team as a No. 1 receiver, the team could be even better.

Indianapolis simply does not have enough talent to keep this game close.

New England Patriots (-6) over Tennessee Titans

The Patriots were a couple of plays from winning the Super Bowl last season, and could be even better this year. The young defense should improve after a full offseason of working with the coaches, and the offense should get better with the addition of Brandon Lloyd out wide.

Running backs Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen will surprise people while stepping into more prominent roles.

Tennessee should be improved in the long run with Jake Locker at quarterback, but the team did not win any of the games in which he threw more than one pass. It is unlikely to think he can keep his team within a touchdown of the Patriots.

Arizona Cardinals (+2.5) over Seattle Seahawks

Few noticed, but the Cardinals finished last season by winning seven of their last nine games. They certainly have holes on their team, but they started to play well with John Skelton at the helm.

Russell Wilson had an outstanding preseason to earn the starting job for the Seahawks, but he is still a rookie who many thought was a reach to be selected in the third round. Plus, he will likely have a short leash if he struggles early with free-agent acquisition Matt Flynn on the bench.

Arizona is also 10-6 at home in the last two seasons, compared to Seattle's 5-11 road record. In this competitive divisional game, you are better off taking the Cardinals with the points.

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