Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens
Whilst Baltimore had a decent 2022 Season, they’ll certainly be aiming for more than a loss in the Wildcard Round this time around. As for Houston, it’s been a couple of tough years for them, but they’ll be aiming for more this year if Rookie Quarterback C. J. Stroud can live up to his potential. In the end, I expect an easy win for The Ravens in this one. Baltimore are a strong team that will be looking to make a statement against a much weaker Houston side.
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears were the worst team in the NFL last season, so the only way is up for them! As for Green Bay, they underperformed last year, and their expectations have been lowered even further now that Jordan Love is their starting Quarterback. In the end, I’m actually going to go with The Bears to win on opening Week. I’m not particularly convinced by either team heading into this season so I’m simply going with The Bears over The Packers because I rate Justin Fields more than Jordan Love.
Las Vegas Raiders @ Denver Broncos
Both the Las Vegas Raiders and the Denver Broncos are looking to start their 2023 campaigns off with a win after disappointing 2022 Seasons. The Las Vegas Raiders will be aiming for at least a positive record come January, and they’ll hope that new QB Jimmy Garoppolo is able to fire them there. As for Denver, they were very disappointing last year, and this feels like a make-or-break year for both the organisation and Russell Wilson. In the end, I’m going with Denver to win this one. I think it’s going to be close and I can picture either team winning this game, but I’m going with The Broncos mainly because they’re at home.
Philadelphia Eagles @ New England Patriots
The New England Patriots just missed out on a spot in the Playoffs last year, and they really can’t afford for that to happen again come Week 18. As for Philadelphia, they were unfortunate to be on the losing side of Super Bowl 57 last year, but they’ll certainly fancy their chances of making it back to the biggest sporting game of the year at the first time of asking. In the end, I expect The Eagles to start their season with a victory. I think The New England Patriots have a solid to decent team, but they aren’t on the same level as Philadelphia. My mind may be changed though if The Pats are able to pick up a big win.
Miami Dolphins @ Los Angeles Chargers
Two teams aiming to be in the Playoffs come January meet in Week 1 as The Chargers welcome The Dolphins to SoFi Stadium. The LA Chargers bottled their Wildcard Playoff game in Jacksonville last season meaning they enter this season with a “chip on their shoulder”. As for Miami, they were unlucky to lose to the Buffalo Bills in the Wildcard Round last year, and they’ll be aiming to build on last year’s success in 2023. In the end, I’m going to pick LA to win this game. This is a really exciting matchup and is close to call, but I feel more confident in choosing The Chargers rather than The Dolphins.
Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks defied the odds in 2022 by making the Playoffs, and they’ll now be aiming to go even further in 2023. As for LA, they had the worst season in history for a defending Super Bowl Champion which tells you everything you need to know. In the end, Seattle should win this game and that’s why I’ve picked them to pick up the W. The Seahawks look like a decent team heading into the 2023 NFL Season whilst The Rams, do not!
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
The first Sunday Night Football of the season sees NFC East Rivals Dallas and New York collide at MetLife Stadium. The New York Giants stunned everyone last year as they went on to make it to the Divisional Round of the Playoffs. They’ll certainly be hoping for that again this year, but it’s not going to be easy. As for Dallas, they were good last year until they played The 49ers in the Divisional Round. They’ll be hoping for more this year. In the end, I think The Cowboys will win this game. I expect a lot out of Dallas this year, and that starts by beating a team that I don’t think is capable of reaching the heights they achieved in 2022.
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
Monday Night Football sees the New York Jets welcome The Buffalo Bills to MetLife Stadium for what should be a fascinating game. The New York Jets were good last year until they collapsed in the final 6 games, but expectations are high for them in 2023 now that star Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is at the helm. As for Buffalo, it was more Playoff heartbreak for them last season as they were thrashed at home by The Bengals in the Divisional Round. Buffalo have to do better this year you feel. In the end, I’m actually going to pick The Jets to start their season with a victory. This is a hell of a game and I think it will tell us a lot about these two teams’ chances of success this year. I’ve gone with New York simply because of Aaron Rodgers.
Comments