NFL Week 1(2011) Prediction Against the Spread: New Orleans Vs Green Bay

This couldn't be a bigger game for the season opener of the NFL: Green Bay is still smoldering from their big Super Bowl victory and New Orleans looks to be a perhaps more daunting offensive team after a successful draft.

New Offensive Skill Players
Green Bay
Green Bay added Randall Cobb (2nd round draft pick), a speed guy out of the University of Kentucky, at wide receiver...he will also return kickoffs. Graham Harrell is now the Packers third string quarterback: he was schooled at Texas Tech. Alex Green is a quick running back from Oregon that the Pack drafted this year: he played his collegiate football at Hawaii....he will also return kicks for the Pack. Shaky Smith is new to Green Bay: he's a wide receiver from the University of Utah who will also do special teams work as a kick returner. Brandon Saine is a big running back out of Ohio State: it's always nice to get a guy from THE Ohio State University... he has been placed in the depth chart at running back. He might be useful to replace Korey Hall who is now with the Saints.

New Orleans
The Saints have a veteran bunch of skill players: they, however, added Korey Hall who came over as a free agent. Hall is a big fullback who who put in four years in Green Bay's very dynamic offense. Olin Kreutz, offensive lineman, was signed by New Orleans after being released by the Bears after 13 years of service: he is the guy who handles the ball every snap. He's a center. Rookie first round draft pick Mark Ingram, a running back, who played at Alabama should add the missing dimension that New Orleans lost last year as their running game was slowed by injuries. He is maybe the missing link that brings New Orleans back to the Super Bowl. Joique Bell from Wayne State University is also a new addition to the Saints at running back. The Saints remain a mostly veteran offensive team.

The Prediction
Green Bay will be at home in the NFL 2011 season opener hoisting the championship banner to the crowd's boisterous screaming. It will be electric in Lambeau Field on Thursday night. Green Bay is favored by 5 and I guess that's a fair number even against the great offense New Orleans presents. New Orleans will still be blending Mark Ingram into their offense so I think it will be a passing-dominated Saints offense the Packers will face.

New Orleans will be daunted by the Packers who have speed, still, at wide receiver and have picked up Randall Cobb (wide receiver) who flashed his speed in preseason and proved himself worthy of his second round selection in the 2011 draft. Look for a big punt return by the Green Bay rookie.

Pick Green Bay to win (straight up)...I pick Green Bay (-5) to beat the point spread, over 46.5

Resources:
Cooper's Pick