2010 NFL Football - Week 1 Betting Picks

The 2010 season starts on Thursday with a great game. It's a rematch of the NFC Championship game when Brett Favre and the Vikings was one or two plays away from going to the Super Bowl. The Saints ended up winning the game and went on to win their first Super Bowl. The rest of the schedule is pretty loaded and should be an interesting week. Here are my betting picks against the spread for Week 1 of the 2010 NFL season.

Minnesota Vikings (+5) at New Orleans Saints (-5) - My pick is New Orleans

Brett Favre hasn't had much practice and he's still having ankle issues. The Vikings will miss Chester Taylor's pass catching ability out of the backfield and Sidney Rice as a deep threat. The Saints appear to be the same team on paper this season and I see them covering this game, because the Super Bowl champ always wins and covers the next season's opener.

Carolina Panthers (+7) at New York Giants (-7) - My pick is Carolina

This line seems kind of off. I know that Carolina wasn't great last season and they lost Julius Peppers, but Matt Moore showed promise and they still return DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. The Giants had defensive issues last year and I'm not sold on either Ahmad Bradshaw or Brandon Jacobs to help make the Giants offensive attack balanced. I see the Panthers ruining the Giants home opener and not only win against the spread, but win outright.

Miami Dolphins (-3) at Buffalo Bills (+3) - My pick is Miami

The Dolphins is a darkhorse to win the AFC East this season, if they can take care of their own business. They need to win their divisional games and the rest should play itself out. The Bills lack blue chip players are nearly every position and will have trouble winning games this season, Miami should thank the scheduling Gods for not having this game in December. The Dolphins win and cover this game.

Atlanta Falcons (-2.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (+2.5) - My pick is Atlanta

This line should be higher in Atlanta's favor, but the Steelers are a "public team," so homers for the team bet blindly on their team. The Steelers are without Big Ben and trot Dennis Dixon out there to start. Dixon looked "good" in garbage time last season, but Atlanta is a good football team. The Steelers defense will have to play out of their minds to keep this one close. I am picking the Falcons to cover this game big.

Detroit Lions (+6.5) at Chicago Bears (-6.5) - My pick is Detroit

I really don't feel great that I am picking the Lions. It's not that I don't feel comfortable in doing so, but the franchise has been synonymous with losing for the last decade. The Lions have had a couple decent drafts in a row and some of their younger players are starting to turn the corner. The Bears add Mike Martz in as Offensive Coordinator, but that will a disaster if they can't get better at protecting Jay Cutler. Martz's plays take longer to develop and Cutler will end up on his back more times than any other time in his career. I see the Lions keeping this game close and winning against the spread.

Cincinnati Bengals (+4.5) at New England Patriots (-4.5) - My pick is new England

I know the Bengals made the playoffs last season and I should like them more, but the AFC Central teams didn't show up to play them last season. They swept their division and backed into the playoffs. New England does well when they have plenty of time to study their opponent. Since this game was announced months ago, I see the Patriots taking care of business at home and covering the spread.

Cleveland Browns (+3) at Tampa Buccaneers (-13.5) - My pick is Cleveland

The Browns played themselves out of a top 3 pick last season by winning their last few games of the season. Jake Delhomme steps in at QB and adds a few new weapons on offense and defense. Tampa Bay was another team that scraped the bottom of the league in 2009. Josh Freeman gained a lot of experience last season, but they have a lot of youth on their team as well. The Browns should be able to keep this close and pull out a victory and cover, if Delhomme takes care of the ball.

Denver Broncos (+2.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5) - My pick is Denver

Denver's training camp reads like a MASH unit. Everyone from Elvis Dumervil to Knowshon Moreno have been injured. The Broncos started out red hot last season, but cooled off and didn't even make the playoffs. They added some pieces, but lost Dumervil for the season with injury and traded away Brandon Marshall. The Jaguars had trouble scoring points last season and could be the last year in Jacksonville for head coach Jack Del Rio and for starter David Garrard, if they don't pull out a winning season. I see Denver winning a close game, I would pick them with the money line.

Indianapolis Colts (-2) at Houston Texans (+2) - My pick is Indianapolis

I realize that everyone picks Houston to finally make the playoffs before every season, but having the spread at only 2 points in favor of the Super Bowl runner-ups, is ridiculous. I know that Sage Rosenfels is no longer on the Texans and can't fumble away victories, but the Colts are going to cover this one big.

Oakland Raiders (+6) at Tennessee Titans (-6) - My pick is Tennessee

I realize that one of these years the Raiders will win games like this, but not in 2010. The Titans are still a dangerous team with the speed of Chris Johnson and Vince Young. The safeties have to play in the box to stop the running attack and that could leave Kenny Britt open a few extra times a game. The Titans should win and cover this game at home.

Green Bay Packers (-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (+3) - My pick is Green Bay

The Packers have looked great this preseason and I look for them to keep adding to their resumé this season and cover in Philadelphia. Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings should have big games against the Eagles secondary. Kevin Kolb looked impressive last season for the Eagles, but the Packers defense is very tough and will throw out a ton of different looks to confuse the young QB. The Packers are my pick to win the NFC this year.

San Francisco 49ers (-3) at Seattle Seahawks (+3) - My pick is San Francisco

The 49ers are the favorite to win the weak NFC West this season and Seattle looks to be in full rebuilding mode. The Seahawks don't have many blue-chip players yet and will have issues this year winning games. If Alex Smith can hit his receivers and Frank Gore stays healthy, they should have a big season. The Niners will cover this game on the road.

Arizona Cardinals (-4) at St. Louis Rams (+4) - My pick is Arizona

The Cardinals is another team in transition, but won't get much of a test during Week 1. The Rams haven't done much to improve their team in the off-season and lost their best wide receiver (Donnie Avery) to injury for the season. The Cardinals have Derek Anderson as their starting QB and some key pieces were traded or signed elsewhere in the off-season. Arizona should win this game and cover the spread against an even weaker Rams team.

Dallas Cowboys (-3.5) at Washington Redskins (+3.5) - My pick is Dallas

I struggled with this pick the most out of any of the other games on the schedule this week. The NFC East is a toss-up at this point and it will all come down to which team has a better divisional record. The Cowboys have their eyes set on the Super Bowl and the Redskins are definitely improved, but to what extent is still to be determined. This is a true rivalry game and should be intense, since it's also opening weekend. The Cowboys offense is improved and looks like a team ready to take the next step. Both teams have issues at left-tackle, so both teams should be able to pressure the quarterback. The Cowboys are a stronger team, so I am picking them to win and cover.

Baltimore Ravens (+2.5) at New York Jets (-2.5) - My pick is NY Jets

This should be one of the better games during Week 1, since both teams have been picked by experts to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this season. The Ravens improved their offense by adding receivers to a prolific rushing attack. The Jets improved their team on both sides of the ball, but adding veterans at skilled positions. If Darrelle Revis wasn't playing, I would pick the Ravens to win against the spread, but since he just ended his holdout, I will pick the Jets to cover, it will be that close of a game.

San Diego Chargers (-4.5) at Kansas City Chiefs (+4.5) - My pick is San Diego

It's been a long time since a Monday Night Football game has been played in Kansas City. I can see that energizing the Arrowhead crowd, but that can only do so much for the team. I believe KC is an improved team, but San Diego, even without Vincent Jackson, is a much better team. The Chargers should win this game big and cover this spread at halftime.

These picks are for entertainment purposes.

NFL Week 1: What We Learned Today

Week 1 of the NFL season is always full of surprises and busts. Nobody leave Week 1 without a lot to talk about. Who was the White Boy of the week? I have a feeling that a player on Denver could be taking hope the award this week. Check out what we learned in week one, and I'm sorry, there is no mention of Kanye West or his performance at the MTV VMAs...maybe later.

We learned a lot this week, including who are pretenders, contenders, fantasy studs, and my favorite, fantasy goats. I think a few of my sleepers came through this year, which makes me happy.

- White Boy Of The Week - This week the nod goes to Brandon Stokley. That amazing tip catch that he made in the Dever game against Cincinnati earns him the award. I loved him when he was with the Colts and wish he was still in that uniform.

- The Seattle Seahawks look like they are back, but they played the Rams, which may not mean much. Hasselbeck threw two picks, but rebounded nicely. Look for Nate Burleson to have a big year. By the way, you can go ahead and drop Deion Branch.

- Marc Bulger looked bad, but at least he didn't throw any interceptions. Torry Holt is no longer in St. Louis, so the best receiver he has is Donnie Avery, which would be a #3 receiver on any contender.

- The Cardinals have a case of the Super Bowl hangover. It didn't help that Anquan Boldin is banged up and they switched it up by throwing to Tim Hightower out of the backfield more. The running game is still non-existent, so drop Beanie Wells and add Tim Hightower. If Kurt Warner has a few more weeks like this, he could end up on the bench by Week 8.

- Mike Singletary has the 49ers looking pretty good. I know that they always play Arizona tough, but Shaun Hill looked great. Frank Gore was horrible, but he usually gets better as the year progresses. Also, Patrick Willis is going to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year at some point his his career, what a great player.

- The Albert Haynesworth acquisition by the Redskins looks to have paid off a little. They didn't beat the Giants, but holding the Giants to around 4.0 yards per carry was huge. Jason Campbell was accurate and that was a good sign for the season, since the Giants defense is one of the best.

- The Giants didn't look great, but thanks to Osi Umenyiora's fumble return for a touchdown, they beat the Redskins. Brandon Jacobs was bad and averaged less than 3.0 yards per carry. Also, Steve Smith is the go-to-receiver for the Giants, add him in every fantasy league.

- Adrian Peterson was a beast and ran for 180 yards and scored three touchdowns. Brett Favre didn't have to do much, since it's Peterson's show. Once teams start putting 8 or 9 guys in the box, Favre won't be a good fantasy option.

- Cleveland did better than expected this week. They faced a good Vikings defense and still put up a few scores. Brady Quinn was the smart decision as the starter and Robert Royal could turn into a nice fantasy pick-up, since he's probably on the waiver wire right now. James Davis was hurt in a car accident earlier in the week and wasn't 100%, don't count him out as a possible sleeper this year.

- The Bengals was expected to put up some points against the weak Broncos defense, but that didn't happen. Carson Palmer looked okay, but threw a couple of picks. Rey Maualuga looked great for Cincinnati, a nice addition to their defense.

- Kyle Orton didn't throw any interceptions and he was helped out by a tipped pass to Stokely. Brandon Marshall looks like he's still a few weeks away from learning the offense, but he'll be a monster by Week 4. Brian Dawkins did the job for the Broncos, he'll make that defense much better.

- Adding Tony Gonzalez to the team is making Matt Ryan look even better than last year. The Atlanta Falcons may not need to rely on Michael Turner and he was a non-factor. Michael Jenkins and Roddy White could see less looks because of Gonzalez.

- The Miami Dolphins are going to regress this season. They had a few lucky breaks last season and Chad Pennington can only do so much without any elite receivers. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are going to split time and neither should be started if you have a back that isn't in a time-share.

- The Packers looked good against the Bears and their defense looks to be back. Aaron Rodgers is going to have a big year and Ryan Grant even looked the part. They could end up winning the division if they play like they did this week.

- Jay Cutler was bad, bad, bad. I know a lot of Bears fans are going to change their tune if Cutler keeps up this play. He threw too many interceptions and Matt Forte never got going. He will not see many receptions this year and may have a bit of a sophomore slump.

- Mark Sanchez had a pretty good rookie debut for the New York Jets. He threw for 272 yards and did his job against the Texans. Dustin Keller will be a great option for him and will finish the year as a top-3 tight end this year. Don't count out Thomas Jones as a fantasy stud this year, Leon Washington is not an every-down back.

- The Texans' offense didn't live up to the hype and the Jets defense cramped their style. Steve Slaton looked like a boy against them and Matt Schaub never got them going and only averaged 5.0 yards per attempt. The Texans could turn it around, but this wasn't the way they wanted to start the season.

- Joe Flacco is for real and he will throw it more this year. He threw for over 300 yards and the offense looked great. Ray Rice is for real and should be owned in all leagues, although Willis McGahee should be owned in deep leagues, since he could see some work.

- The Chiefs made it a game against Baltimore and it wasn't expected. Matt Cassel was out and Brodie Croyle started the game and did a good job. He didn't turn the ball over and he targeted Mark Bradley and Dwayne Bowe. Larry Johnson had a bad game, but they played the Ravens, you weren't expecting much from him.

- Jake Delhomme is bad, he hasn't been the same since his surgery and this could be the end of the road. Carolina signed him to an extenstion, but man did he look back against Philadelphia. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart didn't do much, but the offense never had a chance today. Steve Smith was a non-factor and Asante Samuel held him to the minimal contribution.

- Donovan McNabb broke a rib today and looks doubtful for next week, but Kevin Kolb stepped in and went 7/11, but only threw 23 yards. The offense didn't have many yards, but when Jake Delhomme is giving you the ball in good field position, you dont need many yards. Also, DeSean Jackson looked great and could be a nice option in any league at receiver or if you pick the Eagles special teams/defense for your fantasy football team.

- Who needs Terrell Owens? Tony Romo looked great against Tampa Bay, but many quarterbacks will this season. Patrick Crayton and Roy Williams racked up a bunch of yards and made it look easy. Marion Barber was dependable and Felix Jones wasn't needed in this one. Jason Witten will always be Romo's #1 target, so he will get his turn in this high-octane offense.

- Carnell "Cadillac" Williams is back and looks like a re-built version. He ran all over and Derrick Ward spelled him when he needed a breather. Tampa Bay's rushing offense will be good and Byron Leftwich did his job and didn't even get sacked today. He will get sacked a lot this season, but his offensive line did a great job against the Cowboys and their pass rushers.

- Matthew Stafford didn't fair as well as Mark Sanchez in his rookie debut. He threw 3 picks and ran for a touchdown and the Lions lost. The Lions offense didn't look that great and their defense looked much worse. Their corners did a horrible job and teams will be passing all over the Lions every week. Calvin Johnson didn't score any touchdowns, but he had a good week, considering all of the factors.

- Six passing touchdowns, I'd say that is a pretty good start of the year by Drew Brees. He could challenge Tom Brady for his passing touchdown record by year-end. Mike Bell looked great and really ran it down the Lions defense. He could end up being a nice fantasy running back, if the Saints could play the Lions every week. Marques Colston didn't see much love this week, but did catch a touchdown. The Saints receiving corps will be hit or miss, since Brees spreads the ball around, so if you have any of them, start'em.

- The Jaguars did a decent job against the Colts, but couldn't get into the end zone, but once. Maurice Jones-Drew ran the ball effectively, but he has had a history of doing really well against the Colts. Torry Holt will be the only receiver on Jacksonville worth owning in Jacksonville and when he was open, he caught the ball, but that was rare. I'm not high on David Garrard this year, trust me, he's going to have troubles this year.

- Reggie Wayne wasn't missing Marvin Harrison at all. He caught 10 passes for 162 yards and scored a touchdown. Peyton Manning went over 300 yards passing, but Anthony Gonzalez went down with an injury, and that could hamper their offense for the next month or so. Joseph Addai and Donald Brown looks to be splitting time at running back, it's a formula that worked in the past and could work this year.