In turn, Sean McVay is able to rest his starters in advance of Wild Card Weekend. When this team is at full strength, I think it can be a problem for anybody — including the mighty Eagles. But I’d be surprised if this team doesn’t encounter its fair share of growing pains as it ushers in a new era of Saints football. But I wouldn’t count out a rested Saints team making a statement at home against a hated rival. Went back and forth on this game until ultimately siding with Atlanta. Back-to-back wins give the devoted NOLA fans something to celebrate — and rookie Tyler Shough a moment of respite in an otherwise-challenging rookie season.

• Although there is a strong possibility that Tampa may exceed my initial estimate at the start, my confidence in when the team will make a necessary adjustment will increase significantly once their skilled left tackle and reliable WR2 rejoin the lineup.
• Which explosive playmaker will decide the NFC title game?
• Are we about to witness the highest-scoring game in the history of the NFL playoffs?
• What are some other factors to consider such as the last game of a long MLB or NBA road trip or arriving in town late and playing an early game?

High point: Weeks 1-5.

Our analysts provide bold predictions for Championship Sunday. The defeat not only delivers a massive blow to San Francisco’s division title hopes — it extends the Niners’ head-to-head losing streak to five games. Even though the bottom falls out after Thanksgiving, I suspect many of those December games — like at Houston and against Atlanta — will end up being close. I think the Cardinals’ offense will be more consistent this season (so I was surprised when I ultimately had them losing five of their final seven games), just as they did last year. Tampa could certainly outperform my projection early on, but I’ll be more confident in the timing of the team’s eventual course correction once its talented left tackle and sure-handed WR2 return to the starting lineup.

NFL Playoff Odds: Using Odds to Predict the 2026-27 NFL Playoff Picture

The Eagles are going back to the playoffs — and perhaps all the way back to the Super Bowl. Adding Azeez Ojulari was a pretty nice move, and I like what this team did in the draft, continuing to stock great players. Could Jaxson Dart leap over Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to lead the Giants to the playoffs this year — proving both of us wrong here? At Commanders (at Cowboys), vs. Chiefs is a tough way to start things off. Still, there is a chance for this team to get hot under Schottenheimer, a former wunderkind who got plenty of seasoning before finally taking his first turn at a head-coaching gig.

High point: Weeks 4 and 5.

• In the end (Rodgers’ former squad stays on an early roll while taking some of the starch out of Pittsburgh’s own encouraging start), dropping the Steelers to 4-3.
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• The floor is pretty high for him, and I thus wouldn’t be surprised if he and his squad undercut my analysis here by making a run to the playoffs similar to what Bo Nix and the Broncos accomplished last year.
• It’ll be fun to see what the discussion is around these two teams — and this game, a few months from now.
• Is it possible for Christian McCaffrey to set a record in his debut game against his former team?

I like betting picks and analysis the Cowboys to be very good in divisional play, and I’d be higher on them if the Parsons saga hadn’t stained their preseason. In my scenario — the bad vibes spill over into a rough start that reaches its nadir in this loss to the Panthers, which drops the ‘Boys to 1-5. This stretch could make or break a return to the playoffs if things go a little better than either of us is forecasting during Brian Schottenheimer’s first season.

Toughest game to call: Week 11 vs. Packers.

What are some other factors to consider such as the last game of a long MLB or NBA road trip or arriving in town late and playing an early game? Finding a solid bet is very similar to developing a game plan for the individual sport – and this takes time. Our team scours through game, team, and player props to try and find opportunity and value. Betting on the NFL moneyline means picking which team will win a game outright.

In the end, Rodgers’ former squad stays on an early roll while taking some of the starch out of Pittsburgh’s own encouraging start, dropping the Steelers to 4-3. This road battle against Aaron Rodgers will be amazing — amazingly hyped up, that is. Plenty of eyes will be on the Lions following the offseason defections of key members of the coaching staff, and I have them responding well, racing out to a strong start … Williams threw for 3,500 yards and 20 touchdowns amid total chaos as a rookie in 2024. The NFC North faces the AFC North this season, and the Bears will take on the Ravens and Bengals in back-to-back road contests, which will be a nice test.

Which explosive playmaker will decide the NFC title game? The win pushes Seattle above .500 for the first and last time in 2025. But four road trips over the first six weeks and the Bucs’ high-octane offense combine to take their toll on Kyle Shanahan’s crew. A win at Tampa is certainly possible; San Francisco will be coming off a post-TNF mini-bye and hasn’t lost to the Bucs since 2018 (including a narrow victory on the road last year after the bye). But (honestly), hearing “JA-RED GOFF” chants after a Detroit win at SoFi is a totally plausible outcome.