NFL Week 1 Survivor Pool Picks: Eagles Over Lions, Ravens and Colts Headline Top Predictions

We’re baaaaaaack!

Week 1 of the NFL season is upon us, and that means it’s time for the BetSided Survivor Pool Picks to start, after our guy Iain MacMillan won last year’s contest. 

Every week, we will deliver our favorite pick to win and advance and hopefully help you, our readers, win your own Survivor Pool. 

So, who do you want to tail this week? 

Here are our editors’ picks for Week 1, based on the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook:

NFL Week 1 Survivor Pool Picks 

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are 10-4 in Week 1 under John Harbaugh, and honestly should be 11-3 after botching an overtime game to the Las Vegas Raiders a season ago on Monday night.

Baltimore was decimated with injuries a season ago, but now everyone is back, healthy and gets to likely tee off against Joe Flacco on the other side of the ball as Zach Wilson recovers from injury.

Unless you’re playing the “Joe Flacco” revenge game narrative, taking the Ravens early offers plenty of flexibility later on, especially with heavier favorites at the top of the list. — Ben Heisler

As I write, Baltimore is tied with San Francisco as the second-largest favorite of the week behind Indianapolis, but I'm fading the New York Jets whenever I can early in the season. 

Reports out of camp are that Joe Flacco looks good as a possible Zach Wilson replacement, but so what? Lamar Jackson leads a revitalized Ravens' offense that should decimate New York. 

You can expect a bounce-back season from the former unanimous MVP. The Ravens are 9-1 in their last 10 games with the Jets and have advantage at seemingly every position except wide receiver. I'm backing Baltimore as a survivor pick, parlay and teaser piece, as well as on the spread to open 2022 with a convincing statement victory. – Joe Summers

It's all about surviving Week 1. There are 10 home underdogs in the opening weekend of the slate and I can see some entries being crushed early with some upsets, so let's go to a reliable road favorite to get us off and running. 

While Zach Wilson may be able to start Week 1, I'm not bullish on his ability to handle the Ravens pass rush. If it's Joe Flacco, I definitely don't see a revenge game angle at MetLife Stadium.

Lamar Jackson, when healthy last season, had the Ravens amongst the NFL elite in wins of the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. Healthy and hungry for a contract extension, I think Jackson sets the tone with a blowout win, regardless of who is at QB for Gang Green. – Reed Wallach

Indianapolis Colts

Yes, Frank Reich has struggled in Week 1 as a head coach, but the schedule makers awarded him with a cupcake matchup in 2022. 

The Indianapolis Colts will take on the Houston Texans in Houston, and Reich probably has his best quarterback since Andrew Luck in Matt Ryan leading the way. 

Indy is set as an 8.5-point favorite, and while I’m not 100 percent confident that it will cover that number, it should be able to handle Davis Mills and Houston. The Colts are one of the better defenses in the NFL, so as long as Ryan and Jonathan Taylor get the offense going, Houston is going to have a hard time keeping up in Week 1. – Peter Dewey

This is one of the most lopsided division rivalries in all of the NFL. 

In 41 total games against the Texans, the Colts are 32-9. They’ve won eight of the last 10 matchups – with one of the losses going into overtime. Indianapolis has an upgrade at quarterback and still has arguably the best running back in football. 

Unless Houston has magically gone from the worst rushing defense in the league to the best one, expect Jonathan Taylor to have a big day on the ground and Matt Ryan to have easy throws off of that. Also, I got eliminated last year in Week 1, so I’m going with a safe choice to start this season off. – Donnavan Smoot

Philadelphia Eagles

I'm not buying into any of the offseason hype for the Detroit Lions. 

I don't care that they were on Hard Knocks, and I certainly don't care that Dan Campbell is a likable coach. 

The only thing I care about, is whether or not a team can win games, and I don't think Detroit is that team just yet. 

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles boast one of the best defenses in the NFL and their receiving core got a boost this offseason by acquiring A.J. Brown. I'm high on the Eagles in 2022, and low on the Lions so it makes my Week 1 survivor pool pick fairly easy. – Iain MacMillan