Free NFL Predictions- NFL Game Picks for Week #1

Yep, Woody's back and ready for the 2008-2009 NFL season. Are you ready for me? It's been since December of 07' that I even bothered dabbling in predictions, but getting over 50% and doing it a month before the college bowl games started that's not bad. However, with these free NFL predictions they'll be given out at the middle of each week before the Thursday night games.

Am I going to lose some? Of course, I don't have time to spend hours looking into the hundreds of trends and building my own system throughout the year. Fortunately for you though, the NFL game picks for week #1 will give you an indication of where this season will be heading. You will get straight up picks for that NFL office pool and spread winners for all you gambling junkies out there. So I should we wait any longer? Let's get started.

N.Y.Giants vs. Washington Redskins (N.Y. -3.5)

This year's NFL game picks starts with Eli Manning and the Super Bowl Champs taking on the Washington Redskins. A few things to note about this game is the Giants lost so many defensive players (Gibril Wilson, Kawika Mitchell, Reggie Torbor, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyoria) it's funny how high people pick them in Fantasy Football Leagues. Their pass rush defense would be a great asset against Jason Campbell, but the Redskins proved the Giants weren't that super last year regardless of who was playing towards the end of the year.

The big difference for the Redskins to open the season is their offensive line is healthy. This means tight end Chris Cooley will add to the wide receiver core instead of having to stay back and block which led to his down season just a year ago. Unfortunately though, if the offense looks anything like they did against Jacksonville's defense in their pre-season finale, it could be a long day for Washington and its fans. Even though a rivalry, this is definitely an ugly game to give free NFL predictions. In the end, Washington's starters aren't ready.

N.Y. Giants 24 Washington 13

Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Cincy -1.5)

Oh boy, one ugly game to another. You've got the Cincinnati Bengals who have had one winning season in like a gabillion years, and a Ravens team who have rookie QB Joe Flacco at the helm after Smith and Boller are battling issues. Good thing he goes up against a Bengals defense that ranked 26th against the pass and 21st against the run in the league. Expect them to pound the ball with rookie Ray Rice and possibly Willis McGahee if he's healthy enough for the opener.

Cincinnati should be the drama queen of the NFL considering Ocho Cinco becomes an after thought when he injures his shoulder, then finds a way to come back into the news when he officially changes his last name. The addition of a harness on his shoulder only means one large hit and the season could be over for #85. Don't be surprised if the ball is slightly out of his reach he looks more like Randy Moss when he played for Oakland. It will be interesting to see how the defense deals with him and Housh to keep Palmer from throwing all over them. Good thing these are free NFL predictions.

Cincinnati 21 Baltimore 9

Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets (N.Y. -3)

Division rivalries are always interesting when giving out NFL game picks each week and this one has enough storylines for the ages. Who do you root for, the 40 year old quarterback who built a legacy in Green Bay? Or is it the problematic Chad Pennington who has never been the same since his shoulder injury your true choice when given another chance down south. Whoever you choose it will be one to watch, but the game may not be as close as you expect.

Although the Dolphins have won three games in the pre-season they will still be in for a long season. The addition of Jake Long should help both the running game and keep Pennington in a vertical position on the field. On the flipside, it will be interesting to see how well both Favre and Pennington adjust to new playbooks after years of being content in an offensive scheme. It's all going to come down to which team can stop the other and in this game, I give the edge to a defense who isn't learning everything all over again.

N.Y. Jets 27 Miami 13

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Texans (Pitt -6.5)

This is an interesting matchup for the Pittsburgh Steelers to begin the season. Why? Well, the Houston Texans showed signs of brilliance last year, but a landslide of injuries and setbacks left the team scrambling every week. While the Texans racked up over 330 yards in the air last year, their running game was extremely suspect. Heading into the 08' season it looks like the same thing all over again. Coach Kubiak doesn't believe rookie Steve Slaton is big enough to handle the entire load, but he's shown the team he'll share in the work with Ahman Green who recently restructured his contract as an incentive base setup.

The Steelers were good last year, but Jacksonville beating them twice in a month proved to show the defense was aging. Whether or not they show it in the first week will be interesting to see if Schaub hooks up with Andre Johnson time and time again. However, with a lacking offensive running game, it will hurt the Texans in the end. This could be a high-flying shootout, but Houston's QB could wind up with a couple interceptions at the least.

Pittsburgh 31 Houston 21

Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Jax -3)

I really don't have much to say about this game. There playing in what could be the hardest division in the league since no team finished with a losing record in 07'. The teams have split at Tennessee the last couple seasons and with both utilizing their running abilities against top notch run defenses it sounds like a snoozer. Vince Young is definitely not an elite Fantasy QB, but he can produce. He can also be real good at throwing interceptions as well and since he most likely will against the Jaguars I have to give the edge to Jacksonville. Especially with their special teams unit.

Jacksonville 17 Tennessee 10

Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions (Det -3)

Let's face it, the Detriot Lions are the talk of the NFC as an up and coming team this year. The hype behind Calvin Johnson, Roy Williams and Jon Kitna is almost crazy. People are talking another 4,000 yard passing year for Kitna and with a weak NFC North, a possible division title waiting in the wings. When it comes down to it though, the defense will cost them again as they gave up a whopping 27 ppg a year ago and was last in the league in overall offense.

The Falcons are trying out a new offense with new RB Michael Turner and rookie QB Matt Ryan at the helm. Considering Ryan has had issues, he still has shown signs of completely grasping the offense. In the end though, we have to go with the home dog and take the 3 points.

Atlanta 28 Detroit 27

Buffalo Bills vs. Seattle Seahawks (Pick)

So many times people will shy away from games that have a PK line. Why? No idea, except when you're gambling it's encouraged to pick the team to win first and then go through the rest of the trends. However, in this case there is a major question mark to how this will turn out. The Bills will to keep Trent Edwards from turning the ball over so the Seahawks should plan on getting a hard dose of Marshawn Lynch.

The biggest question in this game though is how Matt Hasselbeck will respond, plus the lack of Engram and Branch. He hasn't played at all in the preseason and his sore back could be an issue. This being the case I wouldn't be surprised to see Buffalo get the win here the first game of the season.

Buffalo 17 Seattle 12

New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (N.O. -3)

Hey, last year was an extremely down year for the Saints and with the offense back at full strength they'll look to regain their true playoff form. The Bucs come off a year in the playoffs losing to the eventual champions, New York Giants. So what's the word in this year's matchup considering Tampa Bay swept New Orleans last year? Well, over the last five years the Bucs are 2-3 in their opening road game. The Saints haven't faired well at home either. The key component will be whether or not Brees can air it out and if Tampa can get their running game going. A tough one to decide, so we'll have to take the points on this one.

Tampa Bay 24 New Orleans 23

Philadelphia Eagles vs. St. Louis Rams (Philly -7.5)

When you have NFL game picks that boast over a touchdown as a line there has to be a reason right? Seriously, think back to your fantasy draft and try to remember how far down Steven Jackson went. Not far right? Kind of amazing considering the offensive line issues they've had in the last 12 months and if that is going to hurt him this year. Regardless, these are free NFL predictions so we will tell you that we wouldn't be surprised if he gets hurt, again.

Marc Bulger is one detrimental hit away from calling it a career and Torry Holt usually ends up playing hurt as the season progresses. Will it change for St. Louis this year? Unlikely. Unless the line can hold strong they'll end up in the same perdicament as last year. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles can cash in and get to Bulger more time then he likes. Let's be honest though, betting on Philly is nothing but a roller coaster ride. There one of those teams that if you bet for them they don't show up and if you bet against them, well you know the answer. So what's are NFL game picks analogy here? Big day for the Eagles.

Philadelphia 34 St. Louis 14

Cleveland Browns vs. Dallas Cowboys (Boyz -5.5)

Lucky for you we already looked at this game awhile back in another article. You can view it here, "Best NFL Picks Free- Does The Field Make a Difference?"
In short, the Cowboys are 7-3 straight up playing on grass on the road in their last 10. The Browns are 1-5 in home openers there last six. Normally I would just take the points and the dogs, but the Cowboys look solid this year. Cleveland just won't be ready. Sorry Dawg Pound.

Dallas 37 Cleveland 20

San Diego Chargers vs. Carolina Panthers (S.D. -9)

If it hasn't been said yet, my Super Bowl tandem will be the San Diego Chargers vs. Dallas Cowboys. However, will they cover a large 9 point line given to the Panthers? Yep, and here's why. Remember, these free NFL predictions are based solely on my immediate knowledge of what is going around the football league. Jake Delhomme is probably the most underrated quarterback in the league, even though he was injured last year. When you get him and Steve Smith on the field at the same time they're a competitive team. However, Smith won't be playing and with a tandem like Cromartie and Jammer, it's "Lights Out" for the offense. Blowout boys and girls.

San Diego 28 Carolina 9

San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals (Arz -2.5)

Anybody here excited about Lienhart starting for the Cardinals? Oh that's right, he's not good ol' grocery boy himself is running the show. For how long though? The sleeper of the NFC for the last two years, Arizona has disappointed time and time again. Going up against the 49ers is even worse considering they're 2-4 at San Fran since 2002. So why wouldn't you take the home dogs? It could be because they don't have a real quarterback, they have a hard playbook to learn, a new offensive coordinator and a slew of other things. That's what makes predicting NFL game picks fun.

San Fran 31 Arizona 28

Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears (Indy -9.5)

This will be an exciting year for the Colts opening up their new stadium and according to their sources Peyton Manning will be fine. Taking on the Chicago Bears to start the season will be an interesting matchup, but not one where you will likely see a close game. Dungy doesn't like kicking to Hester so the special teams will be downgraded for the Bears. Their defense is stout, but Manning up against their best vs. Orton up against Indy's best? If Peyton goes down they have a shot, but otherwise, it's another laugher.

Indianapolis 27 Chicago 10

Green Bay vs. Minnesota (G.B. -2.5)

The land of Favre is swiftly forgotten and the Rodgers era has officially begun, blah blah blah. Minnesota had the #1 run defense in the entire league last year and added Jared Allen in the off-season. So don't expect Grant to get the same love as he would if Favre was still there. Rodgers is going to have to pass against the Vikings if they're going to pull out a win.

Seriously, Tavaris Jackson isn't that good, so it's not a big loss since they revolve around the run game anyways even though he'll try to start week #1. A couple teams stacking 8 in the box, sounds like quite the boring game. Plus, it's hard to take the trends from when the offense revolved around #4. The biggest thing to look at is Green Bay's ability to stop Adrien Peterson only 45 yards on 11 carries thanks to a knee injury. Here's the best kinds of free NFL predictions that can be thrown your way on this game. If Gus Frerotte started, I think the Vikings would be a lock. An injured Jackson? A Green Bay triumph. He will be one dimensional.

Green Bay 16 Minnesota 10

Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos (Den -3)

Well, all that needs to be said here is Denver better start out the season 1-0 because their next 7 are ridiculous. However, in this game you'll remember a rivalry dating back for decades. The only thing that can be said here is the Raiders will miss Sapp whether or not they got a nice groomer in the draft or not. It will be hard to say how McFadden and Russell look on offense, but the Broncos have owned the Raiders for years.

In fact, the late 34-20 loss to Oakland in early December was the first time the Broncos had lost to them since November 2004. Even though Denver is my favorite team, an unbiased point of view would show to take them and the veterans. Can't believe we're calling Cutler and Marshall veterans. Crazy. However, they should pull this one out.

Denver 24 Oakland 20

So there's your first free NFL predictions for the 2008-2009 season. Now, even though these are NFL game picks for you to utilize if you choose to, this doesn't mean we condone gambling. This being said, what you find here is all for fun. All these NFL game picks are for entertainment purchases only and if you lose, don't come crying back to me. In the meantime, it's time so get ready to have some fun in the upcoming football season. Good Luck!