The NFL is officially back in business with the preseason in the books and the real deal set to kick off this week. The Kansas City Chiefs are the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champions but they will have plenty of competition from familiar contenders as well as some new teams potentially entering the mix this coming season. And we're finally back with an official week of NFL picks and score predictions ahead of Week 1.
The offseason simultaneously felt like it took an eternity and also went by in a blur with plenty of teams making wholesale changes, including a whopping six quarterbacks being selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Thanks to all of the offseason change, we're being blessed with a wide variety of intriguing matchups and storylines to kick off the 2024 season.
Including a rematch of the 2023-24 AFC Championship Game...
2024 NFL Picks and score predictions for Week 1
Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs
Thursday, September 5, 8:20 PM ET
The 2024 NFL season is going to kick off with one of the best matchups of the entire week. In fact, at least on paper, this probably is the best matchup of the entire week.
Kansas City didn't play host to the AFC Championship game, but they'd rather play host to the NFL season opener because it's typically going to be the Super Bowl champs hosting that game. And this matchup between the Chiefs and Ravens represents the beginning of Kansas City's quest to win a third championship in a row.
The Chiefs are favored at home by three points in this one, which tells you that the oddsmakers think this game is a toss-up on paper. And it really is. As good -- great -- as the Chiefs have been in recent years, they haven't exactly been a dominant regular season team. That could change this year as the over-under is set at 11.5 wins for Andy Reid's crew this season, but the Chiefs did lose one very significant piece of their defense in 2024 -- cornerback L'Jarius Sneed.
Is the secondary in Kansas City going to be more susceptible this year without Sneed and Trent McDuffie holding things down at cornerback?
They're getting a brutal early test against the Ravens and Lamar Jackson with a new "king" in the backfield. Derrick Henry has joined the fray in Baltimore, and this roster looks locked and loaded for another big run in the AFC. The Ravens can't overlook regular season success in their division, however, and this game could end up having huge playoff implications in terms of seeding at the end of the year.
Even though the Chiefs lost at home last year to open the season against Detroit, how can you pick against them at home, even against a tough Ravens squad?
Prediction: Chiefs win 27-26
Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Friday, September 6, 8:15 PM ET (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Although both the Packers and Eagles have high expectations this year thanks to their MVP-caliber quarterbacks in Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts, respectively, the massive crowd in Sao Paulo, Brazil is going to be the first to get an in-person look at the new defensive schemes for these two teams.
For the Philadelphia Eagles, the decline from Jonathan Gannon to Sean Desai was steep last season. Philly’s defense was a sieve all year and teams had their way through the air against them, especially against cornerback James Bradberry. The Eagles tried replacing Desai midseason with Matt Patricia, but to no avail.
Now, it’s Vic Fangio to the rescue. And you know Fangio is likely the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL because the Eagles were able to poach him away from the Miami Dolphins in a lateral move. Fangio’s defense is going to have a fun time defending the plethora of weapons at Matt LaFleur’s disposal. The Packers have an embarrassment of riches at the offensive skill positions.
For the Packers, it’s Jeff Hafley calling the new-look defense. The former Boston College head coach has one of the most talented defensive fronts in football and a new-look secondary to back them up. They’ll have their hands full against the athleticism of the Eagles at the skill positions as well.
This could be a track meet in Week 1, even with the over/under set at 48.5.
Prediction: Eagles win 30-23
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Atlanta Falcons
Sunday, September 8, 1:00 PM ET
The quarterback matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers (Russell Wilson) and Atlanta Falcons (Kirk Cousins) will be like an episode of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.
Just a couple of old guys, making us all laugh.
All kidding aside, this game is fascinating from both teams’ perspectives and will really represent a good proof of concept as to whether or not whatever each franchise thinks they’re getting from their new quarterbacks is actually going to work.
Or will we be one step closer to fans calling for Justin Fields and Michael Penix Jr.?
Russell Wilson was cut earlier this offseason by the Denver Broncos and you know that the entire organization wanted him out of there because ownership signed off on the $85 million dead money hit and paying nearly $38 million for him to play with the Steelers in 2024. The Steelers, on the other hand, are viewing Wilson as an appreciable upgrade to what they had last year in Kenny Pickett. How could it be worse, right?
The Falcons are thinking along the same lines after moving on from both Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke this year, trading them to teams in need of backups. The Falcons made a massive investment ($180 million over four years) in Kirk Cousins despite the fact that he’s now entered his “late” 30s and is coming off of an Achilles injury.
These two teams are taking calculated risks on very different ends of the financial spectrum. But my money right now would be on Cousins and the Falcons, even though they have a lot more “new” to sort through than the Steelers.
Prediction: Falcons win 23-19
Arizona Cardinals @ Buffalo Bills
Sunday, September 8, 1:00 PM ET
Everyone in the NFL world is going to be interested to see how the new-look Buffalo Bills actually…look out there on the field in action. The Bills lost a lot more this offseason than people really seem to realize, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
The Bills are replacing a lot of starters on both sides of the ball, including longtime veterans like Stefon Diggs, Jordan Poyer, and Micah Hyde. They also moved on from Tre’Davious White and Gabe Davis.
So who is Josh Allen going to be throwing to in this game? Well, I think if you drafted Dalton Kincaid in fantasy football, you’re going to be a happy camper throughout the course of this season. And the Bills might be a little fortunate in Week 1 to draw the Arizona Cardinals early in the season, because Jonathan Gannon’s crew is one that I’m expecting to make more waves this year than most others seem to think.
The Cardinals have a healthy Kyler Murray, who is one of the most dangerous dual-threats at QB in the NFL. Murray now has a big-time weapon at receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr. and a couple of running backs to wear teams out in James Conner and rookie Trey Benson. I love the Cardinals’ offensive skill talent and I do view them as a sleeper this coming season.
The Bills are favored by six points at home and I struggle with the idea of them either blowing the Cardinals out in this game or the Cardinals pulling off a shocking upset. My gut tells me to take the Bills blowout, but my heart is telling me to take the Cardinals in the road upset for Week 1, where weird things are bound to happen.
Prediction: Cardinals win 28-24
Tennessee Titans @ Chicago Bears
Sunday, September 8, 1:00 PM ET
It’s the debut of Caleb Williams in front of the home fans in Chicago.
This atmosphere is going to be electric, and while Williams will be the focus, I’m thinking the Bears’ defense will be the ones to really benefit from having that 12th man behind them against a team like the Tennessee Titans.
For those who have been really paying attention, the Bears have quietly assembled a very good defense under general manager Ryan Poles. The big headline moves have been on offense, but Chicago has a good defense and one of the best and toughest secondaries in the NFL. With that unit fully healthy and Matt Eberflus calling plays, the combination of a first-year head coach (Brian Callahan) and young quarterback (Will Levis) could have a rough go of it in Week 1.
The Bears are favored by just four points at home in this one, a pretty reasonable number given you typically favor the home team in toss-up types of matchups, but I have a feeling Eberflus’s defense is going to feast against the new-look Titans.
Now, the wild card here is Will Levis. If Levis comes out and plays as well as we saw him play at points last season, the Bears will be on upset alert. And as much hype as Chicago has received this offseason, you would think this would be some huge upset. But keep in mind, the Bears are working with a lot of new parts as well, especially offensively.
I think we’ll see both of these young quarterbacks go through some growing pains and really have to lean on defense and their running backs. And the Bears come away with a Week 1 win.
Prediction: Bears win 21-16
New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, September 8, 1:00 PM ET
This game is the biggest point spread on the Week 1 slate with the Bengals favored heavily (-9). Even though there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the Bengals and a number of their star players this offseason, the oddsmakers are obviously expecting them to put things aside and play ball in front of the home crowd vs. New England.
And I would say that’s a fair assumption.
The Bengals have a healthy Joe Burrow and a full complement of weapons despite rumors early in the offseason that Tee Higgins could be traded or wanted to be traded (or both). The Bengals are also currently dealing with contract friction revolving around superstar receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who has seen a number of his peers setting records this offseason and wants a slice of that cake.
Off-field distractions aside, the Bengals are an established AFC powerhouse while the Patriots are a rebuilding team. Jacoby Brissett is taking the ball for New England, although it feels like the proverbial sand timer has been flipped and we’re just waiting for the team to determine it’s the right timing for rookie Drake Maye to step in.
The Patriots have some exciting young playmakers at receiver who will get a great test in this game against the Bengals as well as a defense that could give Cincinnati some fits. Without Matthew Judon, the Patriots are going to be hoping for a breakout from former second-round pick Keion White, who could end up being a stud for them this season.
As good as the Pats’ defense can be, I think the Bengals will win this one at home handily.
Prediction: Bengals win 24-14
Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, September 8, 1:00 PM ET
Here we have our first home underdog of the Week 1 slate with the Houston Texans (-2.5) being favored over the Indianapolis Colts, even with the Colts heading into the season fully healthy and with Anthony Richardson on the comeback trail.
The Texans have been everyone’s flavor of the offseason, and understandably so. They drafted the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year in 2023 in CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., and all they did this offseason is upgrade. The Texans went out and snagged Stefon Diggs in a trade with the Buffalo Bills while adding pass rusher Danielle Hunter from the Vikings in free agency.
And they made plenty of other moves to upgrade beyond that.
The Texans look like they could be a force in the AFC, but the Colts might have something to say about being overlooked in this early AFC South matchup. Indianapolis won 9 games last year with Gardner Minshew mostly leading the charge at quarterback. With all due respect to Minshew, the Colts obviously feel like they can be even more dangerous with Richardson at quarterback, and we’re about to find out.
This is a great early test for both of these young quarterbacks going against talented defensive fronts. Although momentum doesn’t exactly carry over from one season to the next, I still like what we saw from the Texans last year a lot and I feel like they’re going to go on the road and make an early statement here.
Prediction: Texans win 27-22
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Miami Dolphins
Sunday, September 8, 1:00 PM ET
Get your popcorn ready, because this matchup between the Dolphins and Jaguars could end up being one of the highest-scoring games of the Week 1 slate.
We all know the Miami Dolphins and their newly extended head coach Mike McDaniel bring the fireworks almost every week. The Dolphins have an electric offense and they are fully healthy going into the season with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle leading the charge at receiver along with Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane, and rookie preseason stud Jaylen Wright being added to the mix.
Just what the Dolphins needed, right? Another playmaker.
The Jacksonville Jaguars did some upgrading in the playmaker department on their own this offseason, adding Brian Thomas Jr. in the 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of LSU. Throughout the preseason, Thomas was as-advertised and looks like he’s poised to have a big year with Trevor Lawrence slinging him the rock. The Jaguars also went out and added Gabe Davis who left the Buffalo Bills in free agency.
The biggest question for Jacksonville in this game will be: Are the changes and additions made to the defense going to be enough for 2024?
It may be an extremely unfair game to determine the answer to that question. The Jaguars hired Ryan Nielsen to be their new defensive coordinator and brought in the likes of Arik Armstead, Darnell Savage, and Ronald Darby to upgrade personnel on that side of the ball. The Jags are hoping that those guys can be the missing pieces of a defensive unit that helped lead to this team’s demise after starting 8-3 in 2023.
But again, the Dolphins are not a fair barometer to start the season. They are a well-oiled machine offensively, so if the Jaguars come out and put on the clamps, that defense might be championship-caliber.
Prediction: Dolphins win 28-23
Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints
Sunday, September 8, 1:00 PM ET
This particular matchup is one of the top contenders for dud of the week when it comes to overall intrigue. The first thing that really stands out when you think about the Carolina Panthers right now is whether or not Bryce Young is going to be able to excel under new head coach Dave Canales.
Canales has worked miracles with a couple of quarterbacks in recent years, helping Geno Smith turn his career around completely with a Pro Bowl season in Seattle in 2022 and then helping Baker Mayfield earn a $100 million contract this offseason after his work last year in Tampa Bay.
It’s no wonder the Panthers hired him to be their head coach after Bryce Young’s struggles as a rookie, which got Frank Reich and his staff fired. Panthers ownership saw the work CJ Stroud was doing with the Texans and simply couldn’t believe their hand-picked staff seemingly got that one wrong. But there’s still time for Bryce Young…this season, at least.
The Panthers are going on the road to face a Saints team with major question marks on the offensive line, at quarterback (long term), and apparently still with Alvin Kamara. The Saints were a top-10 team last year in terms of scoring offense and scoring defense, but they beat up on a lot of bad teams late in the season.
New Orleans is understandably favored by four points at home in this game and I think they have the veteran presence to be able to hold off a young Panthers roster, but Carolina could surprise some people this season if Bryce Young ends up taking steps forward.
Will we see those steps taken right away this season? I could see this game going either way but I’ll take the Saints at home.
Prediction: Saints win 20-16
Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants
Sunday, September 8, 1:00 PM ET
Well, we may have spoken too soon regarding the absolute dud of the week when it comes to the overall matchup.
Unlike the Panthers and Saints, though, there is at least the potential for fireworks with the Vikings and Giants here at the wide receiver position for both teams. The Vikings obviously boast one of the game’s absolute best receivers in Justin Jefferson, who could be WR1 of the entire NFL right now. The Giants just drafted Malik Nabers, who could be in line to eventually join that discussion as well.
And both guys just happen to be LSU guys. Geaux Tigers.
The reason this game could end up being a dud should be obvious: The quarterback matchup is Daniel Jones vs. Sam Darnold.
Although these two guys were top-10 picks in their respective draft classes, they have struggled badly in their opportunities with turning the ball over at a high rate as well as staying on the field in the first place. Neither player has been a model of consistency when it comes to on-field production or health, but both guys have chances to solidify themselves as long-term starting options this season.
Will either of them actually do that? That remains to be seen, obviously, but they have a chance to make a good first impression here in Week 1 with the Giants our second home underdog of the week at -1.5.
Neither of these teams seems to have the standout piece of the roster to separate it from the other when we’re talking about NFL picks and score predictions. The over/under is set at a meager 41.5 for this game, so the oddsmakers aren’t expecting a high-scoring affair.
Prediction: Giants win 24-18
Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers
Sunday, September 8, 4:05 PM ET
Everybody is at least a little bit intrigued to see how things are going to go early on this season for Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers, now that he’s officially left the Michigan program after years of rumors that he wanted to get back into the NFL.
Harbaugh has been a winner at every stop he’s made, both college and pro. He’s turned around programs and made a Super Bowl contender out of the 49ers the last time he was in the league before he made the Michigan program a National Champion. The Chargers don’t usually pull out a blank check for a head coach but they did in Harbaugh’s case.
And he’ll be expected to have the team in position to compete for a division title in short order.
Even though the Chargers are reloading and building the roster to match Harbaugh’s vision, the combination of Harbaugh in the head coach chair and Justin Herbert at quarterback will be expected to have this Chargers team in most games, regardless of the rest of the personnel. Can Harbaugh right this ship in LA?
The Raiders are coming to town with Gardner Minshew at quarterback, so you have to figure that the Chargers are salivating at the opportunity to get off to a hot start. The Raiders have the worst QB situation in football right now and could be in line to pick 1st overall in the 2025 NFL Draft if things go haywire. Antonio Pierce is entering his first year as the official head coach of the Raiders after serving in an interim role last year.
The Chargers are only favored in this game by three points, but this could end up being one of the biggest blowouts of the week, if you ask me.
Prediction: Chargers win 31-17
Denver Broncos @ Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, September 8, 4:05 PM ET
The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks used to be division rivals, but nowadays they’re more known for coming together on one of the worst trades in NFL history.
At least, from Denver’s perspective.
Just over two years ago, the Broncos and Seahawks came together on a blockbuster deal that sent quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos for a king’s ransom of picks and players. The Broncos weren’t any better for it and have already moved on from Wilson after two disappointing seasons, while the Seahawks are somewhat in a no-man’s land at quarterback themselves.
The Broncos have moved on to rookie Bo Nix, the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and the first rookie quarterback in franchise history since John Elway to start Week 1. Nix will have a tall task in Week 1 going up against a Mike Macdonald-coached defense, even though it’s his first year as head coach of the Seahawks.
Sean Payton and the Broncos have fully bought into a youth movement this offseason while the Seahawks have an intriguing blend of older veterans and young studs. Seattle is favored by a pretty healthy 5.5 points at home in this one and the Broncos could have them on upset alert.
It’s easy to forget based on some of the headlines from this offseason, but Denver won eight games last year with an inefficient passing game and a horrendous defensive front. Those two areas of this Broncos roster are, by all accounts, substantially upgraded this offseason. Sean Payton has his hand-picked QB and understands his team needs to get off to a much better start than we saw a season ago.
Prediction: Broncos win 24-20
Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns
Sunday, September 8, 4:25 PM ET
The Dallas Cowboys crossed off one of the biggest items on their offseason to-do list recently by giving star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb a massive contract extension. Now, what’s going to happen with quarterback Dak Prescott?
Prescott was a legitimate MVP candidate last season for the Cowboys and is going to be relied upon even more going forward as the Cowboys’ ship took on quite a bit of water this offseason with so many major losses on either side of the ball. Luckily for Prescott, he’s not going to be missing Lamb during this whole contract situation as it plays out.
The first test for Prescott and the new-look Cowboys will be against the Cleveland Browns, who shockingly won 11 games last year despite seemingly cycling through a new quarterback every single week. The Browns made a number of moves this offseason to upgrade the supporting cast around Deshaun Watson, who remains one of the NFL’s great mysteries at the quarterback position.
Watson has appeared in 12 games over the last three calendar years. He missed a lot of time last year due to injury, and his situation this offseason was handled very carefully due to injury once again. Are the Browns going to be able to rely on him or is it about to be the Jameis Winston show in Cleveland?
One way or another, the Browns boast one of the best defenses in the entire NFL with studs at all three levels. Jim Schwartz is going to be sending a lot of diverse looks at a Cowboys offensive line which now includes a rookie starting left tackle (Tyler Guyton) after the departure of Tyron Smith in free agency.
The Browns are favored at home by just 2.5 points, so the oddsmakers still like the Cowboys’ chances of getting an “upset” on the road it seems.
Prediction: Cowboys win 23-21
Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, September 8, 4:25 PM ET
If you’re looking for the game that is most randomly placed in the late afternoon window, it’s got to be this one, right?
Even though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won a playoff game last year, this matchup doesn’t strike as one of the more intriguing of the week, but that may only be personal preference.
At any rate, audiences are going to get a pretty good look at 2nd overall pick Jayden Daniels, the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders in Week 1 after winning a Heisman earlier this year at LSU. Daniels is one of the most highly anticipated young quarterbacks in the league thanks to his outstanding dual-threat capabilities.
He is going to get a trial by fire going up against a veteran-laden Buccaneers defense with playmakers at all three levels and a head coach in Todd Bowles who shut down Jalen Hurts and the Eagles last season in the playoffs.
On paper, this seems like a pretty brutal matchup for the Commanders, who are still a work in progress as an overall roster and franchise. There has been so much change in DC this offseason that it would be foolish to expect them to come out and just truck the Buccaneers right away, especially on the road. Still, the Bucs are only favored at home by 3.5 points, which feels a little surprising given how well they played at times last season.
Baker Mayfield got himself the bag this offseason from the Bucs after getting a shot there last season, and the Bucs have a lot of continuity on both sides of the ball. I think we’ll see that team come out swinging to start this season.
Prediction: Buccaneers win 27-17
Los Angeles Rams @ Detroit Lions
Sunday, September 8, 8:20 PM ET
It’s going to be very interesting to see what kind of reception Matthew Stafford gets in a trip back to Detroit in prime time.
Stafford won a Super Bowl in his first year after getting traded by the Lions to the Rams, but the Lions have been able to rather quickly become contenders in the NFC as well.
Detroit backed up the Brink’s truck this offseason and started handing out big-money contracts like an episode of Oprah!
You get a deal, you get a deal, you get a deal!
Jared Goff got the bag along with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell. Those three core pieces of the Lions have obviously been instrumental in the team’s ascent over the last few seasons, but they’re also big reasons why this team should be expected to contend once again in the NFC in 2024.
They are going to get a tough test early on with the Los Angeles Rams coming to town, and for the first time in the regular season, we’re not going to see no. 99 in Los Angeles terrorizing opposing offensive lines from the inside out. Aaron Donald retired this offseason, leaving a massive gap for the Rams to fill, and that’s going to obviously take time.
And Donald is 1-of-1, so it’s not going to be a true “replacement” anyway.
Still, the Rams can put up points offensively, and they’re going to test a new-look Detroit Lions defense with some significant changes in the secondary as well as along the defensive line, where DJ Reader hopes to make a huge impact for them this season coming over as a free agent from the Bengals.
The Lions are favored at home by 3.5 points in this one and I think they can cover that against the Rams to start the season off right.
Prediction: Lions win 34-30
New York Jets @ San Francisco 49ers
Monday, September 9, 8:20 PM ET
It’s going to be a long wait for New York Jets fans to get to their Monday night matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The return of Aaron Rodgers is one of the most anticipated moments of the 2024 NFL season, especially with all of the offseason hype and praise that has been heaped upon the New York Jets.
The Jets have been labeled as having one of the best rosters in the NFL. They’ve been labeled as a top-5 team by a lot of national outlets.
Still, some – like myself – remain with a healthy level of skepticism for this Jets team. There is no guarantee that the Aaron Rodgers they are getting – even if he’s healthy this season – is the Aaron Rodgers they seem to think they are getting. Rodgers last played a full regular season for the Green Bay Packers in 2022, and things didn’t go well for him or them. They missed the playoffs completely.
Then Rodgers missed all of last season due to an Achilles injury, one of the worst you can suffer as an NFL player, much less a 40-year old NFL player.
Rodgers has an uphill battle ahead of him, but he does have a good supporting cast. And the Jets are going on the road to face off against a familiar foe for head coach Robert Saleh, who was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator before he became head coach of the Jets.
So who will it be in this one – the master (Kyle Shanahan) or the pupil (Saleh)?
The 49ers got a deal done (finally) with Brandon Aiyuk and have a full complement of offensive weapons. Their defense might be a little more suspect than we’re accustomed to seeing on paper, but this is still one of the NFL’s elite teams. The oddsmakers like the 49ers (-3.5) but are expecting a low-scoring game with an over/under of 43.5.
I’m taking the reigning NFC champions at home.
Prediction: 49ers win 24-20