After a solid season of giving out NFL plays last year, I am back with my plays for Week 1 of the 2016-17 NFL season. And without further ado, here are my plays for the week… EARLY GAMES Falcons -1 (-125) > Buccaneers 3.75u to win 3u Tampa Bay hasn’t won a season opener since the 2012-13 season and I see that trent continuing into the following year. Falcons QB Matt Ryan has never lost a home opener at the Georgia Dome in his eight starts with the team, and I expect that trend to continue, as well. This will be the final home opener they play at the Georgia Dome and I expect them to come out with the win. I think it with be a closely contested, entertaining game that could potentially come down to a field goal, but when all is said and done, I think the birds start the season off with a victory at home. Ryan generally plays well at home and I expect him to have a big game in this one, connecting for at least three touchdowns. Jets +3 (-150) > Bengals *buy 2pts 3u to win 2u Ryan Fitzpatrick has resigned with the Jets and I like his chances of leading his team to victory in their season opener at home. I see him having a big game, completing at least three touchdown passes and giving Andy Dalton something to try and keep up with. It will be a gun fight but I think the Jets defense will be the difference maker, as I see them giving Dalton a good amount of trouble on the field. I see some recorded sacks, fumbles and interceptions for the Jets defense in this match-up. Jets CB Darrelle Revis will be covering Bengals star receiver AJ Green and I think that is going to be a very interesting match-up. I don’t know if Revis will shut Green down, but I think he will limit him. I think this will be a good season for both teams, but a better one for the Jets, and I see them starting strong with a week one victory at home. That said, I am opting to take them on the spread, rather than straight up at +113 on the moneyline; in fact, I’m buying two points to take them from +1 to +3. DAY GAMES Lions +4 (-133) > Colts buy 1pt 1.33u to win 1u I predict this will be a high scoring game, but with the Over being set at 51 currently, I can’t confidently say that it will go over. However, I do expect lots of points to be scored on both sides here, so I think there’s a good chance that Detroit keeps it close and potentially pulls out with the win. I wouldn’t blame anybody for taking a shot on them straight up at +150, but I’m opting to just take them on the spread here; in fact, I’ll be buying one point to take it from +3 to +4. MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Redskins +4.5 (-170) > Steelers buy 2pts 1.7u to win 1u I expect this to be a close game and I think the Redskins have a decent chance of winning this one outright, though I am not confident enough to take them on the moneyline at +125. In fact, I will be buying two points to get them at +4.5, as I feel that is a safe play and is worth the extra juice. Top NFL cornerback Josh Norman has a stiff test in front of him in defending top NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown and I think he will find some success with the match-up, limiting the star receiver to less than 65 yards on the field. I see Kirk Cousins having a good game and a solid start to the season. This Monday Night game should be close and could be decided by a field goal, and to conclude, I’m taking Washington with the points and even buying a couple. Rams -1 (-125) > 49ers 3.75u to win 3u I think the Rams start their first season back in Los Angeles strong with a win over the 49ers on the road in San Francisco. I expect receiving touchdowns and running touchdowns, potentially putting up 30 or more points on the board. I think this game will come down to whether the Niners can keep up with the Rams on the scoreboard, and I don’t think the Rams defense allows them to. I’ll make a bold prediction and say Los Angeles wins this one with a final score of 37-16. Games to Avoid Betting: Browns/Eagles and Raiders/Saints
Gabe Killian’s Plays for Week 1 of the NFL
