NFL football is officially back! With all of the headlines dedicated to the ongoing Antonio Brown/Oakland Raiders saga, you'd be forgiven if you forgot that there is actual football set to be played this weekend.
Looking for NFL picks? If you answered no, well, sorry to bother you. But if you're thinking of getting some action on the gridiron, you've come to the right place.
Below are my top picks for Week 1. For more great football betting content, head over to our NFL page.
Patriots -5.5 vs the Steelers
Patriots vs Steelers Game Center
Listen, no one hates the New England Patriots more than I do, but regardless of how you feel about the Brady Bunch, you have to respect their ability to get the job done at Gillette Stadium against the Steelers. Since Gillette opened in 2002, Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU there with Tom Brady quarterbacking for the Pats. Not great!
In that span, those losses have come at an average combined score of 37-19. I don't put too much stock into past trends, but those numbers are hard to ignore. The Patriots will celebrate yet another banner (ugh) in Sunday Night Football and should follow that up by coming out strong and easily covering the spread as favorites. Besides, the Steelers are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight Week 1 contests.
Falcons-Vikings UNDER 46.5 points
Falcons vs Vikings Game Center
Look, betting unders is not for the faint of heart. It's a weird feeling sitting on your couch, drinking a beer, watching the game and hoping that nobody scores any points. But NFL betting is tough, and you have to seek edges when you can get them. That's why I normally bet on totals more than spreads - especially early in the season.
The Vikings had a season to forget in 2018, but one thing remains the same: this defense is flat-out nasty. The Vikings had the No. 1 defense in the NFL in 2017 but slipped a bit on that front last year. Minnesota is fully healthy on defense which is great news considering they went UNDER in 10 of their 16 regular-season games in 2018 despite dealing with consistent injury issues.
Still, Minny’s defense was excellent at U.S. Bank Stadium, which has become an extremely tough place for opponents to play in. I think the Falcons are primed for big things offensively this year, yet Atlanta will be in tough to get clicking on that side of the ball in Week 1 and an UNDER could be in store.
Broncos -2 vs the Raiders
Broncos vs Raiders Game Center
UPDATE: According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Antonio Brown has been released by the Oakland Raiders and has signed with the New England Patriots.
What is going on in Oakland right now? Since acquiring Brown from the Steelers in the offseason, the star wideout's tenure in California has been nothing short of a disaster.
Brown's blowup with general manager Mike Mayock resulted in yer another fine, and as of Saturday morning he even went as far as asking the Raiders to be released on Instagram. That's quite a turnaround considering Jon Gruden announced he would play in Monday Night Football on Friday.
I'm far from a Joe Flacco believer, but I simply don't know how you can trust the dumpster fire that is the Raiders right now. If Brown doesn't play, which is seeming to be the most likely scenario, Oakland's offense will take a major hit. The Broncos' defense is still a top-tier unit and should give Derek Carr fits under center. The Broncos are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven against the Raiders, but don't let that trend scare you off. Take the Broncos as road faves.
