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Best Bet
1. Houston Texans (-8.5) vs. Indianapolis Colts – Although Indianapolis has been expecting it for a while, the reality of Peyton Manning not playing has finally set in.
Expect Kerry Collins and Co. to struggle on Sunday. On the other side of the ball, Matt Schaub and his offense will move the ball at will and win by double digits.
They’re the top NFL bet on the board.
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2. Cleveland Browns (-6.5) vs. Cincinnati Bengals – Rookie QB’s rarely succeed in their 1st NFL season let alone start. But that’s exactly what Andy Dalton’s doing on Sunday.
The Bengals have a lot of new faces on the offensive side of the ball and that doesn’t bode well for Cincinnati backers. The Browns are an excellent bet in Week 1 and will cover the TD point spread.
3. Arizona Cardinals (-7) vs. Carolina Panthers – See reasoning above. Look for Cam Newtown to struggle mightily vs. the Cardinals on the road. The Panthers will rely heavily on RB’s DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart but the end result will be the same.
If you’ve upgraded your package to the new DirecTV, you’ll be able to watch Kevin Kolb and Co. will win this in the 23-10 range.
4. Oakland Raiders (+3) vs. Denver Broncos – See Money Line Bet.
The Rest
San Diego Chargers (-9) vs. Minnesota Vikings – San Diego should win going away. The only problem is they have been consistently slow starters under Norv Turner. We think that changes on Sunday.
Tennessee Titans (+1.5) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – The abrupt release of QB David Garrard could potentially divide the Jaguars locker room. We’re betting it has a negative effect on the players’ mindset in Week 1. Look for the Titans win on the road.
New York Jets (-4.5) vs. Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys are young on the offensive line and beat up a bit in the secondary. The Jets come into this game healthy and with Mark Sanchez another year older. Expect New York’s D to keep QB Tony Romo on the run all evening and for the Jets to cover the point spread and win by a TD.
Money Line Bet
Oakland Raiders (+150) vs. Denver Broncos – Some teams just have a team’s number, and the Raiders have owned the Broncos in Denver for a number of years now. Both teams changed coaches in the off season and will have new faces on the field, but look for the Raiders to continue their winning ways in Denver on Monday Night.
Oakland is the more talented team up and down the roster and should build upon the momentum they had at the end the 2010 season.
They’re an excellent money line bet.
