DV's NFL 2010 Season - Week 1 Picks!

Minnesota Vikings - 20 at New Orleans Saints(-5) - 31

The Saints should win this game easier than most people think. Favre’s ankle is a concern and he’s only been back playing football for less than a month; Sidney Rice is out for at least six games; and the Viking defense will field just three official cornerbacks going into New Orleans - which will force them to be less aggressive on defense. The Superdome will be as loud as ever, the Saints have too many weapons, and Brees should have his way.

Miami Dolphins(-3) - 23 at Buffalo Bills - 13

Buffalo is 5-0 ATS in their last five home openers but Miami should buck the trend. They tend to struggle in bad weather (72 degrees with a chance of scattered showers on Sunday) when playing up north but benefits greatly with their divisional road game in Buffalo being scheduled so early. Expect a low scoring affair as both teams will look to pound the ball on the ground.

Oakland Raiders - 16 at Tennessee Titans(-6.5) - 28

One thing (among the many things) Oakland does poorly is defend the run - and what’s the one thing the Titans do best? Run the ball. It doesn’t bode well for the Raiders in their opener as Tennessee should control the time of possession with the ground game and leave it up to their defense to stifle the meek Raider offense. Raiders must contain the run and find a way to throw the ball if they hope to have a chance at winning.

Denver Broncos - 14 at Jacksonville Jaguars(-2.5) - 21

The Tim Tebow era begins and there’s a good chance Alltell stadium will be filled with more Bronco fans than Jaguar fans at this one. Denver has been decimated by injuries during the preseason and will struggle to find a pass rush with Elvis Dumervil out for the year. David Gerrard will be looking to bounce back from a poor year and the emergence of Mike Sims-Walker should help. There are some concerns over the health of Maurice Jones-Drew but he should be healthy enough to be effective against the Bronco defense.

Carolina Panthers - 19 at New York Giants(-7) - 27

The Panthers have a nice tandem in the backfield but an unproven quarterback under center, and no second option behind Steve Smith. Also, their defense took a big hit with the departure of Julius Peppers. The Giants will stack the box until Matt Moore can prove he’s capable and double Smith to force the ball elsewhere. While on offense, Eli Manning will look to air it out to his stable of talented receivers.

Indianapolis Colts - 27 at Houston Texans(+2) - 28

There is some question along the offensive line for Indy but the return of Anthony Gonzalez makes this the deepest group of receivers Peyton Manning has ever had. Bob Sanders is once again healthy and the former defensive MVP should cure most ills on that side of the ball. Brian Cushing’s suspension hurts and it could come down to a defensive stop for the Texans. Another difference maker could be who wins the ground game and keeps the opposing quarterback off the field. I like Arian Foster in this one and see the Texans winning a close one at home.

Atlanta Falcons(-2) - 21 at Pittsburgh Steelers - 17

With Roethlisberger suspended for the first four games and Byron Leftwich injured, the Steelers turn to Dennis Dixon in their opener. Dixon has enough talent around him to be effective and Pittsburgh has a good chance of winning if the young quarterback can limit his mistakes. Atlanta must stop the run because they will be getting a heavy dose of Rashard Mendenhall and Matt Ryan must start strong after a disappointing regression last season.

Cleveland Browns(+3) - 21 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 16

There are too many question marks surrounding both sides of the ball for the Bucs. Josh Freeman is only in his second year and their top wideout is an unproven rookie. Whereas the Browns have a good veteran presence on their roster. This game could come down to a special teams play because Josh Cribbs is one of the best return men in the game. I like the Browns in this one and expect them to usher in the Mike Holmgren era with a win.

Cincinnati Bengals(+4.5) - 21 at New England Patriots - 24

New England should win their home opener but Cincy will keep it close. The Patriots are expecting a lot from their young secondary and they’ll have their hands full with Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens, and impact rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham. Despite Randy moss being unhappy with his contract and Wes Welker not being 100%, secondary play will be key for the Bengals too.

Detroit Lions(+6.5) - 24 at Chicago Bears - 28

Jay Cutler torched the Lions with four touchdowns in their last meeting and he should continue to have success against them. However, the Lions are much improved on offense and should be able to put points up on a Bears defense that looked very suspect in the preseason. Jahvid Best must have a good game to make the Bears honor the ground attack and keep double teams away from Megatron.

Green Bay Packers(-3) - 28 at Philadelphia Eagles - 20

Aaron Rodgers is on a roll right now and he has the Green Bay offense operating in mid-season form already. Kevin Kolb struggled in the preseason and the Packer defense is hard to throw on. They’ll need a good game from LeSean McCoy to make things easier on the young quaterback. I like the aggressive Philly defense but Green Bay’s offense is just too potent.

San Francisco 49ers(-3) - 21 at Seattle Seahawks - 12

The 49ers have one of the best defenses in the league and they’ll be facing a Seahawks team with a shaky offensive line. San Francisco should dominate with the running game and the only chance Seattle has is if Leon Washington can affect field position to Seattle’s advantage with the return game. Vernon Davis versus Earl Thomas will be a nice matchup to watch for.

Arizona Cardinals(-3.5) - 24 at St. Louis Rams - 17

Sam Bradford looked like the real deal in the preseason but the truth is, he’s still a rookie QB with a bad o-line and either unproven, or inconsistent, wide receivers. They Rams expect too much of Steven Jackson and they can’t win on his production alone. Even with Anquan Boldin gone, Steve Breaston is an adequate compliment to Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals hope to have a more balanced attack with the run game this year. If Derek Anderson can limit his turnovers, Arizona should come away with an easy win on the road.

Dallas Cowboys(-3.5) - 26 at Washington Redskins - 21

Donovan McNabb isn’t one hundred percent and Albert Haynesworth won’t be playing. Washington will need to run the ball effectively if it hopes to stand a chance. Dallas has a trio of explosive runners and a deep group of receivers. They struggled a bit to score in the preseason but should do fine against the Redskins. Containing Demarcus Ware will be key for Washington to move the ball and allow their talented tight ends to get free.

Baltimore Ravens(+2.5) 21 at New York Jets - 20

This is the game of the week. New York is probably a little overrated coming into the season and I’m sure Baltimore feels like a forgotten favorite. These are two of the best defenses in football, but Baltimore has some questions along their secondary. For New York, it’ll come down to how efficient Mark Sanchez can be. The Ravens must run the ball well in order to pass effectively. With the addition of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, they have one the deepest groups of veteran receivers in the league.

San Diego Chargers(4.5) - 24 at Kansas City Chiefs - 16

Ryan Mathews will be fed early and often. Plus, look for an early deep ball from Philip Rivers. The newly renovated Arrowhead Stadium will be rocking so it’s important for the Chargers to come out with a fast start. They must stop the Chiefs potent running attack on defense and pressure an easily rattled Matt Cassel. The Chiefs have to get the ground game going for any kind of a chance at winning. It is imperative that Cassel limit his turnovers and expect the little dynamo, Dexter McCluster to get the ball frequently in open space.

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