1. San Francisco 49ers (-5) vs. GB – The Packers are talking a big game, but when push comes to shove, the 49ers massive lines – both offensive and defensive – will out muscle them to the 10 point victory.
Next in line
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4.5) vs. NYJ – It is difficult to trust Josh Freeman, except when the Bucs are facing a team with a QB worse than he is. The revamped Bucs secondary will complement an already strong run defense and force QB Geno Smith into mistakes, en route to a win by at least a TD.
3. Houston Texans (-5.5) vs. SD – The Chargers are facing a rebuilding year, and have a lot of holes defensively. The Texans have retooled and are a Super Bowl candidate. Look for their defense to smother Rivers and Co. and for Houston to win by double digits.
4. Cincinnati Bengals (+3) vs. Chi – See money line bet analysis.
Rounding things out
Minnesota Vikings (+6) vs. Det – The Lions always seem to come up short when heavily favored over their division rival. The Vikings will keep this close and may pull off the upset.
New England Patriots (-10.5) vs. Buf – Bill Belichick is always tough on rookie QBs. That won’t change this weekend.
Washington Redskins (-4.5) vs. Phi – The betting line is likely due to respect for Chip Kelly’s offensive scheme. It won’t change the outcome on Monday. Kelly’s not blessed with the superior talent he had at Oregon and this isn’t the Pac 10. The Redskins are a better team across the board.
Money Line Analysis
Cincinnati Bengals (+125) vs. Chi – The Bengals are a Super Bowl contender loaded with young talent. The Bears have a new coach with a new system, and are dealing with some turnover defensively from a year ago. They’re still very formidable at home, but the unknowns coupled with a talented Bengals team will result in a W for Cincinnati in Week 1.
