Cowboys at Buccaneers

The Cowboys had an incredible offense last season when Dak Prescott was healthy. It was arguably the best offense in the league. With Dak back, Dallas should be able to return to form on that side of the ball. They will be able to move the ball well, even against a high-end Buccaneers defense. Dallas has a horrible defense, however, and the Buccaneers have one of the league’s best offenses. The Cowboys won’t be able to account for all of Tampa Bay’s weapons, so expect the reigning champs to win in a high-scoring game.

Expert Prediction: Buccaneers 38, Cowboys 27

Analytics-Based Prediction: Buccaneers 35, Cowboys 28

Seahawks at Colts

The Colts had a great defense last year, but they lost a ton of pieces. They won’t be the elite unit that they were a season ago. The Seahawks have a great offense with Russell Wilson, a top-notch receiving core, and a solid ground game led by Chris Carson. They’ll put up a lot of points on this weakened Colts defense. On the other side of the ball, Carson Wentz should be healthy, but he wasn’t very good last year. The Colts will likely attempt to dominate on the ground and rely on the play action to move the ball down the field. The Seahawks don’t have a very good defense, so Indianapolis will be able to put up some points. It probably won’t be enough to keep up with Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, however.

Expert Prediction: Seahawks 28, Colts 24

Analytics-Based Prediction: Seahawks 27, Colts 21

Jaguars at Texans

The Texans are likely going to be the worst team in the NFL this year. They were atrocious last season, and that was with Deshaun Watson on the field. Now that Tyrod Taylor is going to be the starter, Houston isn’t in remotely good shape. The Jaguars are going to be far from a good team as well. Trevor Lawrence is a rookie and the team as a whole lacks talent. The offense should be decent with D.J. Chark, Laviska Shenault, Marvin Jones, and James Robinson, but the Jaguars will still lose most of their games. Nonetheless, they are significantly better than the Texans, so expect Jacksonville to come away with a win.

Expert Prediction: Jaguars 31, Texans 20

Analytics-Based Prediction: Jaguars 24, Texans 17

Eagles at Falcons

The Eagles don’t seem to be sold on Jalen Hurts as the starter, but they look pretty good in other areas. DeVonta Smith has looked great in the preseason and Philadelphia has a good group of running backs. They also have a tight end duo of Dallas Goedert and Zach Ertz. If Jalen Hurts plays as well as he did last year, this could be a very good offense anchored by the ground game. The Falcons lost Julio Jones, so their offense will take a step back, but they still have Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts. With Matt Ryan at quarterback, this offense should be able to move the ball well. Expect a close shootout, but ultimately, the Eagles seem to be a more well-rounded team.

Expert Prediction: Eagles 35, Falcons 34

Analytics-Based Prediction: Falcons 41, Eagles 32

Chargers at Washington

The Chargers look like they’re in the position to take a step up after last year. Austin Ekeler and Keenan Allen are both healthy and Justin Herbert seems primed to take a second-year jump like most quarterbacks his age. The Chargers have a solid defense as well, and when you add in the fact that they have a new coaching staff, things are looking good in L.A. Washington should also be improved this year. They still have a great defense and improved at quarterback, though Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t necessarily a franchise QB. With Terry McLaurin, Antonio Gibson, Logan Thomas, and Curtis Samuel, this should be a good offense. This one will be very close, so the edge goes to the home team.

Expert Prediction: Washington 28, Chargers 27

Analytics-Based Prediction: Chargers 30, Washington 28

Steelers at Bills

The Steelers lost a ton of pieces along the offensive line this offseason, so they will have no protection for Big Ben and it’ll be hard for them to run the ball despite the addition of Najee Harris. The defense will still be good, however, as they didn’t lose much on that side of the ball. The Bills, on the other hand, didn’t get much worse this offseason and will once again be one of the best teams in the AFC. Buffalo will struggle to move the ball at times against the Steelers defense, but Josh Allen is so good that they’ll be able to score anyway. On the other side of the ball, the Steelers will struggle due to their offensive line. Because of that, expect the Bills to win this one.

Expert Prediction: Bills 27, Steelers 17

Analytics-Based Prediction: Bills 32, Steelers 25

49ers at Lions

The 49ers will be much better this year after being devastated by injuries last season. They’ll be able to move the ball with ease on offense with George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Raheem Mostert, and Trey Sermon. San Francisco still has a great defense and will be able to keep Jared Goff and the weaponless Lions at bay. The 49ers will probably get off to a big lead and proceed to run out the clock by running the ball. Expect this one to be a blowout.

Expert Prediction: 49ers 35, Lions 10

Analytics-Based Prediction: 49ers 38, Lions 3

Vikings at Bengals

The Vikings look like they will be a real threat on offense this year with an elite running game led by Dalvin Cook along with a great receiving core headlined by Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. Jefferson will likely take a step forward this year, making the offense even better than it was a year ago. The Bengals will also be improved with Joe Burrow coming back, Tee Higgins likely to take a step forward, and the addition of Ja’Marr Chase. Cincinnati has a horrible offensive line, however, so they will struggle at times on offense. Joe Burrow will also probably take some time to knock off the rust after his injury and Ja’Marr Chase has looked like he will struggle to start the year because he hasn’t played in so long. Because of these factors, the Vikings have an edge.

Expert Prediction: Vikings 30, Bengals 24

Analytics-Based Prediction: Bengals 33, Vikings 23

Jets at Panthers

The Jets improved slightly this offseason, but they are still likely to be a pretty bad team this year. Zach Wilson is a rookie and will struggle given the lack of help around him. He simply isn’t in a great situation. The Panthers also saw a change at quarterback with Sam Darnold coming in. The fresh start might be great for Darnold, and the Panthers have a ton of weapons on offense. Christian McCaffrey is coming back and the Panthers have many great receivers in D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, and Terrace Marshall Jr. At the end of the day, the Panthers have too many weapons on offense for the Jets to keep up.

Expert Prediction: Panthers 37, Jets 21

Analytics-Based Prediction: Panthers 44, Jets 28

Cardinals at Titans

This game will be a massive shootout. The Titans are going to have one of the league’s best offenses with Derrick Henry, Julio Jones, and A.J. Brown along with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback. Their defense isn’t very good, though. The Cardinals will also have a great offense led by Kyler Murray. Don’t forget how good Murray was before his injury last year. Arizona has a ton of weapons in DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, etc. This will be a close game, but the Titans will be able to control the clock with Derrick Henry and are at home, so they have a slight edge.

Expert Prediction: Titans 34, Cardinals 32

Analytics-Based Prediction: Cardinals 35, Titans 34

Browns at Chiefs

The Chiefs look like they’ll be as good as they’ve ever been this year. They massively improved the offensive line, and while they lost a few weapons, they still have a great receiving core. The defense looks like it will be solid once again, so the Chiefs are one of the top two teams in the NFL coming into the year. The Browns should be better this year with Odell Beckham Jr. coming back and the addition of Jadeveon Clowney. Cleveland should once again eb a playoff caliber team, but they are nothing compared to the Chiefs. Kansas City beat them last year even with Patrick Mahomes missing a large portion of the game, so expect the Chiefs to win.

Expert Prediction: Chiefs 31, Browns 27

Analytics-Based Prediction: Chiefs 34, Browns 28

Dolphins at Patriots

The Patriots massively improved in the offseason. They brought in many weapons including Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor, and Kendrick Bourne. Obviously, those aren’t elite players, but they’re much better than what New England had last year. On defense, the Patriots brought in Matthew Judon and Kyle Van Noy. They’re also getting Dont’a Hightower back after he opted out due to Covid. In addition, Mac Jones is the new quarterback. Jones looked great in the preseason and is in a great system to succeed. The Dolphins were good last year, so this will be a close game, but ultimately, the Patriots are at home and significantly better than they were a year ago, so they have an edge.

Expert Prediction: Patriots 28, Dolphins 25

Analytics-Based Prediction: Patriots 24, Dolphins 21

Broncos at Giants

The Broncos and the Giants are both going to be mediocre this year. Denver has a lot on offense with Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, Melvin Gordon, and Javonte Williams, but they have a bad quarterback situation. Teddy Bridgewater is mediocre at best and won’t make this team better than average. The Giants had a bad offense last year, but they added Kenny Golladay and now have Saqon back from injury. Unfortunately, Saquon doesn’t look 100%. New York has a solid defense as well. Overall, this will be a close game, but the Giants are at home, so they have a small advantage.

Expert Prediction: Giants 24, Broncos 21

Analytics-Based Prediction: Giants 29, Broncos 24

Packers at Saints

The Packers seem primed to be a Super Bowl contender once again now that Aaron Rodgers is back. Not much changed for the Packers over the offseason. The Saints, on the other hand, look like they’re in for a rough season. With Drew Brees retired and Michael Thomas hurt, the Saints are going to be relying almost exclusively on Alvin Kamara. Kamara is good, but this offense is going to be so predictable that it’ll be hard for them to move the ball. Overall, the Packers look good and the Saints won’t be a contender this year, so expect Green Bay to come away with the win.

Expert Prediction: Packers 30, Saints 17

Analytics-Based Prediction: Packers 33, Saints 20

Bears at Rams

The Rams look like a Super Bowl contender now that they’ve added Matthew Stafford. Los Angeles has an elite defense and a high-end offense with Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. The loss of Cam Akers hurts, but the Rams should be able to make due without him. The Bears are going to be good once Justin Fields is in, but for now Andy Dalton is the starter, so they don’t look great. Dalton against a top-end defense is a recipe for disaster, so the Rams should win this one with ease.

Expert Prediction: Rams 27, Bears 10

Analytics-Based Prediction: Rams 27, Bears 18

Ravens at Raiders

The Ravens look like they’ll be better on offense with the additions of Sammy Watkins and Rashod Bateman, but they lost some pieces like Matthew Judon on defense. The Raiders look like they’ll be a mediocre team once against with Derek Carr at quarterback and a lack of weapons outside of Darren Waller. The Ravens defense can shut them down pretty easily. They’ll have a hard time stopping the run, especially now that Baltimore is more of a threat to pass the ball, so the Ravens will score a lot. Expect the Ravens to win this game handily.

Expert Prediction: Ravens 34, Raiders 21

Analytics-Based Prediction: Ravens 28, Raiders 21