The 2026 NFL Season is now just two days away from beginning. The regular season opens up on a Wednesday this year, so we do get football one day earlier. And as it would be, the first game of the 2026 season is a rematch of last year's Super Bowl.
Anyway, with how unexpected the 2025 season largely was, there is a chance that the 2026 season could bring more of the same. Seattle and New England represented each conference in the Super Bowl, but both teams were out of the playoffs the year prior.
As we have done throughout the regular season each week, and for years now, we have our weekly picks and score predictions for the first regular season week of the newest season. Let's get into those picks and score predictions here.
2026 NFL Picks and score predictions for each game in Week 1
Wednesday, September 9th
New England Patriots @ Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 PM ET
The Patriots and Seahawks get us started, and if the Super Bowl tells us anything about how this matchup could go, the Seahawks will win again. What we saw last year was the Patriots taking advantage of an incredibly easy schedule, and while the 2026 season is totally different and simply not impacted by 2025, some have doubted whether the Pats are for real or not.
And one thing is certain - Seattle is among the deepest teams in the NFL and were quite tough on both sides of the ball. With the Seahawks getting this game at home and it being the first game since the Super Bowl, I do have a hard time picking against them.
Seattle emerged last year as the most balanced team in the sport, and with most of the same players back in the picture for Week 1 and beyond, give me Seattle to defend their home turf.
Prediction: Seattle wins 24-16
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