The Eagles travel to Cleveland to do battle with the Browns and rookie QB Brandon Weeden. Matty Ice leads the Falcons into Arrowhead Stadium to strap it on with an injury-riddled Chiefs team. We pair these games in a 2 team parlay and include it in our NFL picks portfolio.
Week 1 of
the NFL football season is like throwing dice: one never really knows what to
expect but the mistake many novices make is putting too much stock in what they
saw in preseason or how the team fared last season. While both records and performances need to
be considered, you must balance that analysis with what took place in the
offseason between retirements, free agency movement, the draft, and a carousel
of coaching changes that can often alter the complexion and fortunes of a team
rather dramatically. In the early going
we often find ourselves betting for or against a team based on perception as
opposed to reality. That's why we must
use some self-restraint and evaluate teams based on their performance this year
and not predicated on mental snapshots of last season.
So, I've
officially issued my disclaimer and will attempt to come up with a two team
parlay that can grab us the cash and put us in the black from jump street. Here are a pair of games that may be able to
do just that.
Eagles vs. Browns
Laying the
lumber on the road may not always be the key to success but even the heavy
chalk eaters get it right at times. Such
is the case with the Philadelphia Eagles traveling to Cleveland to take on one
of the sorriest franchises in the NFL today. The Browns will cast their fortunes with a rookie quarterback
"protected" by a porous offensive line coupled with a talented but
injured rookie running back in Trent Richardson.
There is a
learning curve in the NFL, and it gets much steeper when you are running for
your life, which is exactly what Brown's QB Brandon Weeden will be doing
against a fierce Eagles pass rush. Philly is the bully in the playground: they beat up the weak kids pretty
good but not so much against the tough kids. Last season, they blasted the woeful Rams, 31-13, on opening day and
subsequently throttled the cellar dwelling Dolphins, then punctuated their
season with a resounding, 34-10, trouncing of the hapless Redskins. What do those teams have in common? They're all lousy and so are the Browns. This year the Eagles start with a healthy
Michael Vick who desperately wants to atone for a disappointing 2011
campaign. We say they start out with
a big bang over a perpetually rebuilding franchise.
Pick: Eagles - 9 is the first leg of the parlay.
Falcons vs. Chiefs
We know a
few things about the Atlanta Falcons, namely, that they have a quarterback in Matt Ryan who may be a tad
overrated, but a duo of receivers who are among the best in the
league in Roddy White and a rising superstar in Julio Jones. Look for them to exploit a Chiefs defense that is
without Brandon Flowers (injury) and the pass rushing menace that is Tamba Hali
(suspension). Starting safety Kendrick
Lewis and inside linebacker Derrick Johnson will most likely be sidelined as
well. Needless to say, the Falcons will
score points on a depleted KC defense.
However, the
Chiefs have some weapons of their own and are finally healthy enough to show
them off. Jamaal Charles is one of the
most explosive running backs in the league and will be complemented by the
bruising power back that is Peyton Hillis. Quarterback Matt Cassel is healthy as well and has a more than capable
tandem of receivers in Dwayne Bowe and Jonathan Baldwin. In other words, the Chiefs will be scoring
plenty of points as well against an Atlanta defense that was in the bottom half
of points allowed last season. The total
has spiked in this one, but we will lay a lousy number and go Over 43 because
this game will be played in the fifties.
The
Parlay: Philadelphia -9 and Over 43 in the Atlanta/KC
game.