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Is this the year for the Buffalo Bills?
Buffalo holds the longest active playoff streak with seven consecutive appearances heading into the 2026 season. Josh Allen has remained in the top five of the AP NFL MVP voting in five of the last six seasons and won the award in 2024.
Yet the Bills have been tormented by heart-breaking losses along the way and have yet to reach the Super Bowl with Allen at quarterback. Will that change this year with first-year coach Joe Brady?
Week 1 offers one of those tests that should serve as a barometer. Including playoffs, Allen is 1-4 against the Houston Texans with a 55.4% completion percentage. Houston remains a valid AFC contender, too, and this is the kind of game that can set a tone for the regular season.
That's a go-to matchup in a Week 1 that includes a Super Bowl rematch between New England and Seattle on Wednesday and Myles Garrett's debut with the Rams against San Francisco on Thursday. A total of 10 new coaches will make their debut, too.
Each week, we will give our predictions. Last season, we were 180-104 (.634) in straight-up picks and 132-150 (.468) against the spread. Here are our straight-up picks for Week 1. (Odds according to FanDuel)
NFL picks, predictions for Week 1
- New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks (-3.5)
Wednesday, 8:20 p.m., NBC
It's a chance for Drake Maye to bounce back from a rough Super Bowl 60 performance against the Seahawks. Seattle was 6-2 ATS when favored by four points or less last season. The defending Super Bowl champion has won the last two NFL Kickoff games – but it will be a one-score game.
Pick: Seahawks 24, Patriots 20
- San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (-3.5)
Thursday, 8:10 p.m., Netflix
The 49ers and Rams open in Melbourne, Australia, in an early NFC West showdown. How much will Garrett be the X-factor for the Rams? Will Aaron Donald play? The 49ers and Rams split last year's meeting – and San Francisco is healthy on offense with Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle in the lineup. This will be a tight finish.
Pick: Rams 28, 49ers 26
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5)
Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox
It's a huge year for Joe Burrow – who is coming off another injury-shortened season – and Baker Mayfield – who is in the last year of his contract. The Bengals made significant upgrades on defense in the offseason. Does that show up here? Cincinnati is 3-7 in its last 10 home openers.
Pick: Bengals 30, Buccaneers 25
- New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions (-6.5)
Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox
The Saints are a trendy pick to win the NFC South. It's a tough out on the road, and the Lions were 1-3 ATS when favored between seven to 10 points last season. Second-year coach Kellen Moore will have a game plan that keeps it close in the first half, but the Lions will squeak out a late cover on a TD run by Jahmyr Gibbs – who averaged 6.3 yards per carry with 9 TDs at half last season.
Pick: Lions 31, Saints 21
- New York Jets at Tennessee Titans (-2.5)
Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
The Jets and Titans had three wins apiece last year – and this is a revenge game for Tennessee coach Robert Saleh, who was 20-36 with the Jets from 2021-24. Geno Smith averaged 16 interceptions over the last two seasons. Can he limit the turnovers for New York to pull out a small upset on the road?
Pick: Jets 21, Titans 17
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- Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) at Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
The Ravens open the Jesse Minter era with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry against the Colts, who will have Daniel Jones back at quarterback. The Colts are 6-1 all-time at home against the Ravens, which is an interesting trend knowing this is the first meeting between the teams since 2023.
Pick: Ravens 24, Colts 23
- Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox
It's a new look for the Falcons with coach Kevin Stefanski and the Steelers with Mike McCarthy, but the quarterback uncertainty is more prevalent for the Falcons. It's a rare home opener for the Steelers – where Aaron Rodgers was 6-3 with a 97.2 passer rating last season. Rodgers' farewell tour begins with a solid performance.
Pick: Steelers 26, Falcons 19
- Chicago Bears (-2.5) at Carolina Panthers
Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox
The Bears and Panthers were surprise playoff teams last season – and it's a battle of Heisman Trophy quarterbacks in Caleb Williams and Bryce Young. Chicago was 5-2 ATS as a favorite last season, and the Panthers were 6-2 ATS as a home underdog. If the Bears truly are a Super Bowl contender, then this is the kind of game where you take care of business.
Pick: Bears 28, Panthers 24
- Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars (-7.5)
Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
This number doesn't jump out that much. The Browns were 4-2 ATS last season as an underdog of more than seven points, with upset victories against Cincinnati and Green Bay. Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson will be the focus against a Jacksonville defense that ranked third in the NFL with a plus-13 turnover margin last season.
Pick: Jaguars 23, Browns 17
- Buffalo Bills (-1.5) at Houston Texans
Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
Houston was 4-4 S/U as an underdog in 2025 – and the addition of David Montgomery in the backfield helps C.J. Stroud. This could be at the buzzer. Will DJ Moore and Bradley Chubb – the Bills' new additions – step up here? This will be the best game of the early window, and Buffalo wins in walk-off fashion on a field goal by Tyler Bass.
Pick: Bills 23, Texans 20
MORE: Ranking the top 25 running backs in 2026
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- Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders (-3.5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m., Fox
Kirk Cousins – not Fernando Mendoza – will get the start for the Raiders, in a matchup that features first-year coaches Klint Kubiak and Jeff Hafley. Ashton Jeanty should have success against a Miami run defense that allowed 132.4 yards per game last season, but Malik Willis keeps this one close.
Pick: Raiders 20, Dolphins 19
- Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (-1.5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m., CBS
The Packers have lost four of the last five meetings in Minnesota, and Kyler Murray is making his debut as the Vikings' starting quarterback. Green Bay will not have Micah Parsons or Josh Jacobs either. It's Jordan Love's time to shine – and a late TD pass to Tucker Kraft is the difference.
Pick: Packers 29, Vikings 28
- Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles (-5.5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Washington won 24-17 at Philadelphia last season – and Jayden Daniels is on the spot for a bounce-back season in Year 3. The Eagles have a few new receiving options in Makai Lemon and Dontayvion Wicks around DeVonta Smith. How will Jalen Hurts click with the new supporting cast? Saquon Barkley averages 101.8 rushing yards per game on 5.5 yards per carry for his career against Washington.
Pick: Eagles 31, Commanders 23
- Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers (-10.5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m., Fox
The Cardinals are starting over with coach Mike LaFleur, and Arizona has uncertainty at the quarterback position. Justin Herbert will have success with new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel against an Arizona defense that ranked 29th in scoring defense last season. The Chargers were 1-1 ATS when favored by 10 points or more last season under Jim Harbaugh.
Pick: Chargers 27, Cardinals 18
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- Dallas Cowboys (-2.5) at New York Giants
Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC
The Cowboys have a new-look defense with new defensive coordinator Christian Parker and first-round pick Caleb Downs. The John Harbaugh era begins in New York. Dak Prescott is 14-3 S/U against the Giants – and Dallas has won nine of the last 10 meetings.
Pick: Cowboys 29, Giants 24
- Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5)
Monday, 8:15 p.m., ESPN
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is back from a torn ACL – and it's a tough matchup against Denver – which led the NFL with 68 sacks last season. The return of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and the addition of running back Kenneth Walker III should help – and Denver is 4-2 S/U against the Chiefs under Sean Payton. This is a tricky Monday Night Football pick.
Pick: Chiefs 26, Broncos 20
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