NFL.com’s Week 1 forecast picks all 16 opening games, with upset calls including San Francisco over the Rams in Australia and the Giants over Dallas on Sunday night.
The editors’ biggest rationales center on roster health, travel and matchup edges — from the 49ers’ earlier Melbourne arrival to Seattle’s defensive front, Houston’s pass rush and Cincinnati’s healthier core around Joe Burrow.
Several favorites still drew strong backing, including the Jaguars as 8.5-point hosts over Cleveland, the Chargers as 9.5-point favorites over Arizona and the Lions at home against New Orleans.
Other spotlight games include Buffalo-Houston as a near pick’em, Patriots-Seahawks as a Super Bowl rematch, and Broncos-Chiefs closing Week 1 with questions around Patrick Mahomes’ return from a 2025 knee injury.
The predictions, published with FanDuel lines locked at 1 p.m. ET on Sept. 9, frame Week 1 as a test of offseason changes, new coaches and early injury absences across the league.