NFL TV Schedule 2020: Week 1 Coverage Map, Game Times and Predictions

Week 1 of the NFL season can be an unpredictable affair. Looking back to last season, some surprising results—like the media-darling Cleveland Browns getting walloped by the Tennessee Titans—set the stage for what proved to be a thrilling NFL season.

Week 1 of the 2020 season might be even more unpredictable than usual. With no preseason to provide insight into how teams are performing, there's no telling how this opening slate might unfold.

To ensure you don't miss any of the action, here you'll find the full opening-week schedule, television-coverage information and score predictions. You'll also find a closer look at two of the most anticipated matchups of the week.

Week 1 Coverage Map (via 506 Sports)

2020 NFL Week 1

Thursday, September 10

8:20 p.m. ET

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs (NBC): 31-24 Kansas City

Sunday, September 13

1 p.m. ET

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (CBS): 24-20 Baltimore

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Football Team (Fox): 20-16 Philadelphia

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (CBS): 30-17 Indianapolis

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills (CBS): 28-20 Buffalo

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (CBS): 23-16 New England

Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons (Fox): 26-24 Atlanta

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (Fox): 20-16 Detroit

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (Fox): 23-21 Minnesota

Las Vegas Raiders at Carolina Panthers (CBS): 21-20 Carolina

4:05 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals (CBS): 30-28 Los Angeles

4:25 p.m. ET

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (Fox): 28-26 San Francisco

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints (Fox): 27-24 New Orleans

8:20 p.m. ET

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams (NBS): 30-17 Dallas

Monday, September 14

7:10 p.m. ET

Pittsburgh Steelers (-5.5, 47.5) at New York Giants (ESPN): 20-16 Pittsburgh

10:20 p.m. ET

Tennessee Titans (even, 41) at Denver Broncos (ESPN): 26-24 Tennessee

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs

Jason Behnken/Associated Press

The NFL is back to having the reigning Super Bowl champions kick off the season at home. The Houston Texans are a great choice for the opponent, as this puts two of the league's best young quarterbacks on the field for the opener.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes believes that he and Texans signal-caller Deshaun Watson are in the early stages of what could be a very long AFC rivalry.

"I think I said something to him last year at the end of the game, that we're going to have these battles for a long time," he said, per Ed Easton Jr. of Chiefs Wire. "We're two opponents in the same conference in the AFC, so I'm sure I'll see a lot of games against him."

The Chiefs and Texans faced off twice last season, once in the playoffs. While they split the two-game series, Kansas City won the game that mattered most. Mahomes and Co. overcame a 21-0 first-quarter deficit to win by 20 and advance to the AFC title game.

Houston will naturally be looking for a little payback, but the Texans will be hard-pressed to get it. Kansas City had a nearly perfect offseason, locking up guys like Mahomes, Chris Jones and Travis Kelce for the foreseeable future and losing very few of last year's starters.

Only Damien Williams and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif won't return after both chose to opt out of the 2020 season.

Houston didn't have an awful offseason, but it did trade away star wideout DeAndre Hopkins. While the additions of Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb will help mitigate that loss, a lack of offensive chemistry could be a concern.

Plus, Houston did virtually nothing to address its 29th-ranked pass defense. Against the high-flying Chiefs, that's a significant problem. Expect a fair bit of back-and-forth in this one, but the Texans are going to struggle to keep pace.

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams

Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

Sunday night's featured game between the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams is a big one for both teams. The Cowboys will be looking to get off to a fast start under new head coach Mike McCarthy. Meanwhile, Los Angeles will be opening its new stadium and trying to show that this is Jared Goff's team.

It has to be Goff's team now because the Rams parted with star running back Todd Gurley in the offseason—along with key contributors Brandin Cooks and Dante Fowler Jr. Goff has rarely had to carry the offense because opponents have consistently been concerned about Gurley. This year's committee backfield isn't likely to command the same amount of attention.

L.A. has three options in Malcolm Brown, Darrell Henderson and rookie Cam Akers, but there isn't a definitive starter among the bunch.

"Exactly how those carries are distributed, will be something that will be determined really as the week progresses and as the game unfolds," head coach Sean McVay said, per Blu Jackson of the team's official website.

Against a Dallas run defense that ranked 11th last season, the Rams may have to become a bit one-dimensional. If Goff can't make the most of it, this one could get ugly.

Dallas has a plethora of offensive weapons, like Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. Goff is going to struggle to match points if the Cowboys are focused on stopping him.

Another storyline to follow here is Prescott's performance under McCarthy. He's due to get an extension or hit free agency again next offseason—if he isn't franchise-tagged for a second consecutive year—and a strong 2020 season will only drive his asking price further into Mahomes and Watson territory.

We'll get an early idea of how Prescott, McCarthy and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will operate together on Sunday night.