There is an exciting slate of 13 games on Sunday. Here are final score predictions for all of the Week 1 Sunday contests, with reasoning.
Keep track of my “Sunday Score” all season long. This weighted formula gives me five points for every correct outcome. For every team whose score I predict exactly correct, I get an additional three points. Here’s how I’ve fared so far:
Sunday Score: 0
Winner/Loser picked correctly: 0/0
Los Angeles Rams 27, Carolina Panthers 17
The Panthers will pull within one possession in this one a couple times, but they will never be able to close the gap. Curtis Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and Cam Newton will all have big games in Carolina’s offense. Meanwhile, Aaron Donald, Jared Goff, and Cooper Kupp will explode for fabulous showings for the Rams.
Washington Redskins 13, Philadelphia Eagles 31
The Redskins might be able to throw together a couple scores, but they won’t be able to rely on their receivers as much as they need to with Jordan Reed out and an elsewhere dampened wideout staff. Derrius Guice and Paul Richardson will have big games for Washington, while Alshon Jeffery, Dallas Goedert, and Ronald Darby will highlight the matchup for Philly.
Bills 17, Jets 16
In what is sure to be somewhat of a close matchup, the Bills will find a way to get the edge. Robby Anderson and Sam Darnold will both have good showings for the Jets, while Buffalo will be led by Cole Beasley, Josh Allen, and an all-around strong and cohesive secondary.
Falcons 31, Vikings 10
The Falcons have the best offense in the NFL, as well as a really strong defense. Calvin Ridley will find a way to torch Minnesota’s secondary while Julio Jones and Matt Ryan will also go off for huge contests. For the Vikings, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen are due for big games.
Ravens 20, Dolphins 17
In a game that will be closer than many may have anticipated, the Ravens will just barely be able to fend off the Dolphins and secure a Week 1 victory. Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews will have big games for Baltimore, while Josh Rosen and Albert Wilson will post impressive performances for Miami.
Kansas City Chiefs 33, Jacksonville Jaguars 16
Both teams’ kickers will be busy, hitting seven field goals combined, but the Chiefs will pull away with an extra pair of touchdowns. Patrick Mahomes will go off (shocker, right); as will Sammy Watkins and Dee Ford. For the Jags, Jalen Ramsey will live up to his hype, shutting down Tyreek Hill.
Tennessee Titans 17, Cleveland Browns 21
The Titans travel to Cleveland as Taywan Taylor suits up in orange and black against his old team. Taylor, along with Myles Garrett, will have big showings for the Browns. Meanwhile, the Titans will see impressive performances from Marcus Mariota and Derrick Henry.
Indianapolis Colts 10, Los Angeles Chargers 24
Jacoby Brissett will do better than many are expecting, but he won’t boast his skills in Week 1. Instead, Marlon Mack and Darius Leonard will do big things for the Colts, who will fall short of the Chargers, led by big games from Keenan Allen, Nasir Adderley, and Hunter Henry.
Cincinnati Bengals 0, Seattle Seahawks 31
The Bengals will be crushed all season long, and they will get a taste of their long season with a huge Week 1 loss in Seattle. The Seahawks will get big showings from Will Dissly and Bobby Wagner, while the Bengals will see strong performances from, uh, someone … ?
San Francisco 49ers 10, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27
The Buccaneers may not be the underdogs here, but it’s still expected to be a close game. Not gonna happen. Jameis Winston, O.J. Howard, Ndamukong Suh, Chris Godwin, and Mike Evans will all have big games. The Niners will see good games from George Kittle and Trent Taylor.
New York Giants 14, Dallas Cowboys 10
In what is clearly the biggest upset on this list, I see the Giants, led by Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard, stunning the Dallas Cowboys in Texas. Dallas will see solid showings from Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliott, as always, but it won’t be quite enough.
Detroit Lions 14, Arizona Cardinals 10
The Lions won’t see too many wins this season, but they’ll open their season with one against the Cardinals, led by rookie head coach Kliff Kingsbury and same-status quarterback Kyler Murray. In addition to Murray, Larry Fitzgerald will have a big game. For Detroit, Kerryon Johnson and Danny Amendola will ball out.
Pittsburgh Steelers 31, New England Patriots 34
It’s an extremely safe bet to imagine this one ends with the difference-maker being a simple three-point kick, so the only challenge is getting the actual numbers right. New England’s defense will be lights out this year, but JuJu Smith-Schuster and Donte Moncrief will get the best of the Pats’ defense this time around. For New England, Josh Gordon and Matt LaCosse will see big games.
