NFL picks Week 1: Against the spread

Week 1 of the National Football League season is finally here, and that means NFL picks. So much of the fun with football is watching the game and perhaps even throwing down a friendly wager on the game.

This week is the best, because nobody has a track record. Sure, the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers are expected to be dominant, but what if they fall apart in 2015? On the flip side, there are always teams that come from the abyss to become a force. Since the playoffs were reconfigured in 1990, at least four new teams have made the postseason every year. How’s that for unpredictable?

After careful consideration and intense arguments, here is where the FanSided staff sits on the Week 1 picks:

[table id=104 /]

There is ample agreement for the Thursday Night Football game, along with many of the early games on Sunday afternoon. Despite it being a Pick’EM, nobody sees Houston being able to beat Kansas City at NRG Stadium. Meanwhile, the Redskins are universally expected to be about as stable as Three Mile Island, and have been picked to lose at home against the Dolphins.

In primetime, there is a split opinion on whether the Giants will be able to cover the 6.5-point spread at AT&T Stadium against the Cowboys. Tony Romo and Dez Bryant promise to be a prolific duo, but can Jason Witten and a group of mediocre running backs provide enough support?

Finally, the Monday night games bring plenty of agreement. Philadelphia looks poised for a playoff run with a remade roster while the Falcons still have plenty of problems both on defense and the offensive line. In the final game of the evening, we get the Vikings and 49ers, two teams going in very opposite directions.