Before the Season begins, look at the NFL Straight Up Picks for Week 1. The rebuild currently underway in New England looks like it will follow a “draft and develop” model, with the team grooming its draft picks into stars.
That trend continued this week when the team signed tailback Rhamondre Stevenson to a four-year, $36 million extension that includes $17 million in fully guaranteed money.
Other players that the Patriots have extended after drafting them in the last three or four years include safety Kyle Dugger, tight end Hunter Henry, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and offensive tackle Mike Onwenu.
How long will it take to turn the Pats back into a contender? In a suddenly tough AFC East, it’s hard to say. As you start to think about your online betting for the 2024 NFL regular season, take a look at our top picks for Week 1.
NFL Straight Up Picks & Expert Analysis | NFL Odds Week 1
Houston Texans -129 vs Indianapolis Colts +101
Sunday, 1:00 pm ET | C.J. Stroud led the Texans to an AFC South title last year, but he only got the split against Indianapolis. In Week 2, the Colts beat the Texans, 31-20, even though Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson got a concussion in the second quarter and had to leave the game.
Richardson only made it through one whole game in the 2023 season, and he comes into 2024 as a major question mark in terms of durability – as well as rust.
The Texans added Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon to their skill player stockpile as well as Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry on defense, which tells me the Texans were more interested in getting better than the Colts were.
NFL Pick: Houston to win
Tennessee Titans +172 vs Chicago Bears -226
Sunday, 1:00 pm ET | Both of these teams were aggressive in the off-season as the Bears got their latest franchise quarterback experiment up and running by drafting Caleb Williams. The Titans brought in L’Jarius Sneed and Calvin Ridley.
Can Williams break a trend for top-draft choice quarterbacks, though? The last 15 signal-callers taken first overall have gone 0-14-1 in their starting debut.
The Titans have a new DC in Dennard Wilson who has a reputation for aggressive schemes, but the Tennessee quarterback is slated to be Will Levis, who threw four touchdown passes in his rookie debut and then fell off the table offensively.
Also, the Titans lost Derrick Henry and replaced him with…Tony Pollard.
NFL Pick: Chicago to win
Dallas Cowboys -117 vs Cleveland Browns -108
Sunday, 4:25 pm ET | The Browns added Jerry Jeudy at wide receiver, and already had the quietly productive Amari Cooper running routes as well. Jim Schwartz has an ironclad defense back, and the quarterback situation should be improved.
It’s time for Deshaun Watson to get up and running, but even if he stumbles, there’s the productive (if unpredictable) arm of Jameis Winston waiting behind him on the bench.
The Cowboys’ biggest free-agent additions were no more exciting than retread tailback Royce Freeman. They made a couple of nice draft picks, but they didn’t add the sort of skill players on either side of the ball that will make the Cowboys a dangerous one.
NFL Pick: Cleveland to win
N.Y. Jets +193 vs San Francisco 49ers -255
Monday, 8:20 pm ET | So many questions surround this game. Will Aaron Rodgers have an off-season worth of rust after missing just about all of the 2023 campaign – and then skipping minicamp as well?
Can the Jets’ defense really handle the firepower that the 49ers have at all of the skill positions? We’ll be seeing a lot of the Jets in prime time in the first half of the season, and the opener could give us a clue as to whether they’re ready for contender status.
I don’t see them going to San Francisco and winning this game, though.
NFL Pick: San Francisco to win
.@MJD was so cold he could pull off getting 177 rushing yards & 2 touchdowns on just 8 carries 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tLAuBiYpOw
— NFL (@NFL) June 24, 2024
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