Bleacher Report Experts Pick Seahawks in 6-1 Week 1 Super Bowl LX Rematch

Q: With a major star sidelined for the NFL's Australian debut, could a surprising upset completely shatter the experts' Week 1 consensus?

Yes. The Rams-49ers game in Melbourne is the clearest spot where a surprise upset could blow up the experts’ broad Week 1 lean. Bleacher Report’s panel slightly favored the Rams, making Los Angeles part of the week’s stronger consensus cluster. But the supporting reporting adds real upset ingredients. Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald is out and will not travel, while San Francisco’s Nick Bosa and George Kittle are listed as probable. That matters in a matchup the panel already viewed as close enough for editor Wes O’Donnell to take the 49ers plus the points. The travel setup also gives the upset case more weight. NFL Network reported the 49ers arrived in Melbourne well ahead of kickoff, while Sean McVay said the Rams would use a late-arrival “drive-by” approach. In a normal domestic opener that might be manageable; for the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia, it creates extra uncertainty around recovery, routine, and game readiness. That is why the Australian debut is more fragile than the panel’s surface consensus suggests. Unlike stronger consensus picks such as Chicago over Carolina or the Chargers over Arizona, this one sits on a narrow margin and unusual circumstances. Outside analysts cited exactly those factors when backing San Francisco against the spread, and some even liked the 49ers outright. So if one result is most likely to shatter the panel’s Week 1 agreement, it is San Francisco beating Los Angeles in Australia.

3 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · Sep 9

Seattle drew 6 of 7 Bleacher Report picks to beat New England and cover -3.5 in Wednesday’s Super Bowl LX rematch, with Moe Moton the lone analyst backing the Patriots.
A 29-13 title-game win over New England still shapes the matchup, but dissent centered on Seattle’s offseason losses — including Kenneth Walker, Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant — and the Patriots’ additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs.
Chicago was the panel’s only unanimous Week 1 choice, sweeping all 7 votes at Carolina, while Houston, Washington, Las Vegas and the Chargers also won clear majority support.
The closest splits came in Rams-49ers in Australia at 4-3, Lions-Saints at 4-3 and Bengals-Buccaneers at 4-3, underscoring how uncertain several opening-week lines remain.