2020 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 1

Las Vegas Raiders (0-0) at Carolina Panthers (0-0)

Sunday, September 13, 1PM ET

I’m sorry, but I just don’t have any faith in this Carolina Panthers club heading into this new season. I love that they’ve got Teddy Bridgewater under center and Christian McCaffrey to provide support, but the overall talent level is lackluster across the board.

They’ve lost so much this offseason. From Luke Kuechly to Ron Rivera, the Panthers just aren’t in a good place right now. Sure, they’ve got some building blocks to work with, but the roster as a whole is underwhelming — there’s a reason why so many folks see them landing near the bottom of the standings at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign.

With that said, I’m still not sure the Raiders are ready to contend either. They looked good at times in 2019, and then often followed up strong performances with blundering losses. Derek Carr is still the man at quarterback and Josh Jacobs looks like a star at running back, but something isn’t right with this club.

Las Vegas gets the win in Week 1, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be a sensational this season. Even with the added weapons on offense, I’m still not sure they’ve got the right man in charge to lead them to the playoffs. I guess we’ll find out as the year progresses.

Prediction: Raiders win 28-21