Don's Crystal Ball Week 1 Picks

[thedon]

THE DON'S

Crystal Ball

2010 SEASON

WEEK 1 PICKS

By DonCanabis/TheDon

Analyst/Godfather

Well we survived the 5 months without football and the month of preseason right now everyone is undefeated and with a chance to make it to the Superbowl, well lets get real almost every team it’s not like Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Cleveland and St. Louis are really striking any fear to the rest of the NFL.

Quick Hits

• Some people say week 1 doesn’t matter and in some extent I can agree a lot of team make the playoffs after losing their first game heck some have made it with even a 0-3 record but, if you’re talking about winning it all, week 1 really matters. Superbowl winners have a 36-7-1 week 1 record so not to put pressure but it your team loses this week it has a 15% chance of winning the Superbowl not great odds to start the season.
  
• That’s the thing I personally love about football and why I don’t like the Idea of an 18 game season, Football is the only sport when every game truly matters. In Baseball, Hockey, Basketball you can go into a 10 game losing streak and still have a shot, here a 3 game losing streak and you can almost call it a day and start planning for the next season.
  
• There are 4 teams that I consider could be this year’s biggest surprises if they play not only at their potential but show the little extra. Each year we see at least 2 teams come out of nowhere and make the playoffs and even a run for the Superbowl. In 2006 was the Saints, 2007 the giants, 2008 Arizona, 2009 New York Jets. This year I see Miami, Oakland, Carolina and Detroit as teams that might surprise us.
  
• I really believe this is the year Favre should actually retired, I don’t see him repeating a perfect season like last year, I see him defeated before the season started, his injury is really serious and he doesn’t have the same weapons
  

On to the games

Minnesota at New Orleans -4.5 Ovr/Und 49

The Rematch of the 2008 NFC Championship, this will be bloodbath both teams have it against each other and will come after each other no better way to start the season. The only person that I believe that didn’t want this game this week is Brett Favre. Expect high scoring.

Straight: NO

Spread: NO

Ovr/Und: Ovr

Cleveland at Tampa Bay -3 Ovr/Und 37

Brown Fans look at this week very carefully because this will be the only time this year that your team will have a winning record.

Straight: Cle

Spread: Cle

Ovr/Und: Und

Miami at Buffalo 3 Ovr/Und 38.5

To Franchise going in different directions, if Miami’s young defense and QB can play to their potential this could be a very difficult team.

Straight: Miami

Spread: Miami

Ovr/Und: Und

Cincinnati at New England -5 Ovr/Und 44.5

UPSET OF THE WEEK

If the Bengals can exploit all their weapons and put pressure on Brady I can see them getting this win. New England has many question marks but at the end of the day they still have Brady, Moss and Welker should this be enough? Not this week.

Straight: Cin

Spread: Cin

Ovr/Und: Ovr

Indianapolis at Houston 2.5 Ovr/Und 47

UPSET OF THE WEEK

Houston has always put up a fight against the Colts just to fell flat at the end, Houston now has a team to compete against the Colts and though Peyton takes every game serious this game means a lot more to the Texans I expect an upset this week.

Straight: Hou

Spread: Hou

Ovr/Und: Ovr

Denver at Jacksonville -2.5 Ovr/Und 39.5

Both teams enter the season with big question marks, but injuries makes the biggest in this case the home team and the under.

Straight: Jac

Spread: Jac

Ovr/Und: Und

Atlanta at Pittsburgh 3 Ovr/Und 38

There isn’t such a thing like a sure victory in the NFL, but this is as close as you’ll ever get. Dixon didn’t show anything during the preseason so I don’t expect him to impress me now. The only good thing about this game is 1 less game before Ben is back.

Straight:Atl

Spread:Atl

Ovr/Und:Ovr

Oakland at Tennessee - 6.5 Ovr/Und 41

Campbell’s and Bush injuries worry me for this game if it wasn’t for it I would expect it to be closes match. But taking it that it’s week 1 on the road with key injuries I’ll have to go with the Home team.

Straight: Ten

Spread: Ten

Ovr/Und: Und

Carolina at New York Giants -7 Ovr/Und 41

New York has many weapons for that defense to cover, Moore will be getting pressure for everywhere and I expect Steve Smith to shine that’s S. Smith 2.0. It’s a great test to see if having so many weapons at the front 4 can actually stop Carolinas running game.

Straight:NYG

Spread: NYG

Ovr/Und: Ovr

Detroit at Chicago -6 Ovr/Und 43

This is a closer match than the line Suggests Detroit’s front four will be putting a lot of pressure to Cutler against that oline it’s just a matter of who makes more plays and this game could come up to the last play.

Straight: Chi

Spread: Det

Ovr/Und: Ovr

Arizona at St.Louis 4 Ovr/Und 39

Even with Derek Anderson as the QB Arizona should win this game, Bradford will notice the difference between pre and regular season.

Straight: Ari

Spread: Ari

Ovr/Und: Und

Green Bay at Philadelphia 3 Ovr/Und 47

Not the best way to start a career against a Superbowl contender. Expect a lot of pressure to Kolb early they’ll try to see how he handles it. This should be a high scoring game.

Straight: GB

Spread: GB

Ovr/Und: Ovr

San Francisco at Seattle : 2.5 Ovr/Und 38

I expect Alex smith to have a good year just protecting the football not making tons of mistake I expect Hasselbeck to make many.

Straight: SF

Spread: SF

Ovr/Und: Ovr

Dallas at Washington : 4.5 Ovr/Und 40

Dallas start the season with some question marks after a forgettable preseason, injuries to the Oline could hurt them early on and if this team doesn’t find the endzone fast and click, could get frustrated easily and lose everything. McNabb isn’t 100% and this is the coaching staff first rodeo so even if I expect them to get better the first one isn’t always pretty.

Straight: Dal

Spread: Dal

Ovr/Und: Und

Baltimore at New York Jets : -2.5 Ovr/Und 36

This will be a great test for both teams. The Jets Defense has look great the Jets offense nonexistent. If Baltimore’s offense can score against this team we might have something here. Expect the Ravens to put the first Hard Knocks on the Jets season.

Straight: Bal

Spread: Bal

Ovr/Und: Ovr

San Diego at Kansas City : 5 Ovr/Und 45

The Chargers couldn’t ask for a better opponent to start the season. The chief don’t have the pressure to really test the Left tackle so I expect San Diego to score and start the season with a high note.

Straight: SD

Spread: SD

Ovr/Und: Ovr

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