The lines are from Vegas and the home teams in CAPS.
CHICAGO -3 over Green Bay
First off, we’re not the biggest Mitch Trubisky fans and also think there’s room for regression from the Bears defence. But how sure are we that the Packers are great team? Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams are certainly among the elite, but can the defence stop the creative Bears offence?
CAROLINA +2.5 over Los Angeles Rams
There are a few factors working against the Rams here. They’re playing an early game on the opposite coast, struggled against top teams late last season and the Panthers aren’t exactly a pushover. It never hurts too much to bet a decent home dog early in the season, either.
Atlanta +3.5 over MINNESOTA
The Falcons defence was pretty bad last season, but suffered through a lot of injuries to key pieces which have since returned. The offensive line was upgraded and Matt Ryan could be primed for another MVP-level season.
Tennessee +5.5 over CLEVELAND
The hype train is all over the Browns, but you should remember the Titans were incredibly close to making the playoffs last season and are well-coached. Cleveland should take this one, but we’ll take the points.
JACKSONVILLE +3.5 over Kansas City
The Jags addressed their biggest fault by signing Nick Foles this off-season. The Chiefs may need to pull out some tricks to outclass the Jags defence, which still has all the key pieces from 2017’s outstanding unit. Feels safer to take the home dog.
Baltimore -6.5 over MIAMI
The Dolphins never really stood a chance this season – and then they traded away their franchise LT. The Ravens shouldn’t have much trouble in Miami and we wouldn’t be too scared about a backdoor cover, either.
Buffalo +3 over NEW YORK JETS
The two teams battling for the silver medal in the AFC East slug it out. These teams should be even, but the unit we like best in this matchup is the Bills defence.
Washington +9.5 over PHILADELPHIA
Though the offence is shaping up to be underwhelming, let’s not forget that Washington’s defence should be fairly solid. In a Week 1 rivalry game, we’ll take nearly double-digit points.
Indianapolis +6.5 over LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Everyone is quick to pile on against the Colts after Andrew Luck’s retirement, but the Chargers are missing several key pieces. L.A. also lacks a home-field advantage, making this amount of points very tempting.
SEATTLE -10 over Cincinnati
There’s not much to like about the Bengals having open a season, which was already expected tough, in the cauldron known as Qwest Field. Should be a walkover for the Seahawks.
Detroit -2.5 over ARIZONA
It’ll be interesting to see how Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury’s air raid offence plays out in the opener against a solid defence. The big factor here is that the Cards might not be able to stop the Lions when they have the ball.
DALLAS -7.5 over New York Giants
With Ezekiel Elliott signed on and the offensive line back together, the Cowboys shouldn’t have too much trouble in this one. The only thing we’re weary of is a back-door cover thanks to some Saquon Barkley heroics.
TAMPA BAY (pick) over San Francisco
We have concerns about both of these teams on both sides of the ball, so it’s probably safest to take the home team without having to spot any points.
Pittsburgh +6 over NEW ENGLAND
The defending champs open on Sunday night against some bitter rivals eager to get back to the playoffs. The Steelers should be fired up to put a damper on the Pats’ celebrations and we should be able to count on at least a cover from the visitors.
Houston +7 over NEW ORLEANS
We’re not sure what to expect from the Texans after their bevy of moves last week, which makes us unsure about taking the points. The Saints remain a Super Bowl contender and should come through on this early Monday nighter.
Denver (pick) over OAKLAND
With all of the drama surrounding Antonio Brown, there’s no way we’d wager on the Raiders in this one. The Raiders are just too much of a mess to back without getting some points.
Last season: 117-126-9
Last playoffs: 6-4-1