Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season is in the books with riveting action across the league. In this space, we enjoyed a productive week, even with ugly results in standalone prime time action. Simply put, a 3-2 mark each week would be deeply satisfying, so there is no room for complaint. With Week 2 on the horizon and a doubleheader on Monday evening to close the weekend, there is plenty to discuss, and as always, we’ll take a brief look back before we look forward to the slate.
- Week 1: 3-2
- 2022 Season: 3-2
Come get these winners.
Detroit Lions (-1) over Washington Commanders
This one is pretty simple out of the gate. I have the Lions and Commanders rated as essentially even, with a slight lean to Detroit. The Lions are at home and laying only one point after a Week 1 loss and a Washington win. Go Lions.
Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins UNDER 22.5 points in the first half
I was perilously close to giving out the Ravens here, in part because I trust Baltimore’s defense in this spot. Instead, we pivot to an old favorite in the first half Under, and these two teams combined for nine points in the first three quarters of a 2021 matchup. We can’t expect that level of Under erotica this time around, but Baltimore likes to grind clock with the run game, and that should also help us to get home in this spot.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5) over New Orleans Saints
It is completely against the grain for me to lay a road favorite like this. It’s not what I do, and I get that. I also think this line stinks to high heaven. The combination of Tampa Bay’s historical struggles against New Orleans and the Bucs uninspiring offensive effort in Week 1 is dragging this line down to a spot where it shouldn’t be. Lay the small number and remember that Sean Payton isn’t walking through that door.
New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers UNDER 40.5 points
Yes, the Steelers won in Cincinnati last week, and we had them. Pittsburgh also needed a lot of help from its defense and an overtime period to get to 23 points. The Steelers generated 4.4 yards per play and 4.9 yards per pass against the Bengals, and Pittsburgh was at least frisky defensively. The absence of TJ Watt isn’t great for us here, but New England’s offense isn’t exactly inspiring. This is a grind-it-out, hideous game and we’ll root for field goals.
Arizona Cardinals (+5.5) over Las Vegas Raiders
This could be a “last stand” situation for the Cardinals, and Arizona had zero defensive resistance last week. Still, this feels like at least a mild overreaction in the number, and the backdoor should be open for Kyler Murray and company if we need it. Or, well, this week could signal that Arizona is totally cooked. We’ll see.