Mark Craig's Week 1 NFL picks against the spread

The lock of the week is, there is no lock in Week 1 of a league that has 10 new head coaches and 32 teams that revealed nothing about themselves in the preseason.

September 9, 2022 at 10:00AM
Will Arizona’s Kyler Murray get the better of Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes in their Week 1 matchup? (Ron Schwane, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

So you want to make some money betting on the NFL, eh?

Good luck, bub.

Week 1 of the 2022 season presents to you 10 road favorites, five home favorites of fewer than four points, and no betting line bigger than seven.

In other words, the only lock we got is, there is no lock in Week 1 of a league that has 10 new head coaches and 32 teams that have mastered the ability to reveal absolutely squat about themselves in the preseason.

Here are Sunday's picks:

Missing Zimmer? Nope: Packers (-1 ½) at Vikings
Kirk Cousins won't be the only quarterback in this game who's happy to be rid of Mike Zimmer. Aaron Rodgers vs. the Vikings with Zimmer: 8-7-1. Aaron Rodgers vs. the Vikings without Zimmer: 9-3. Packers 31, Vikings 20

Your Week 1 upset: Chiefs (-6 ½) at Cardinals
Patrick Mahomes has never started 0-1. Until now. With no Arrowhead Stadium Week 1 craziness to deal with, Kyler Murray takes another step with a turnover-free victory in his first meeting with Mahomes. Cardinals 31, Chiefs 28

Mayfield's revenge: Browns (+1 ½) at Panthers
At least one of the quarterbacks the Browns are paying this season will win this game. Baker 1, Browns 0. Panthers by 7

Ugly one in Chicago: 49ers (-7) at Bears
It won't be pretty, but the early transition to Marshall, Minn., native Trey Lance won't be nearly as ugly as Game 1 of Chicago's non-competitive rebuild. 49ers by 3

Brady's 21st opener: Buccaneers (-2 ½) at Cowboys
Unless Gisele added an early Sunday night curfew to Tom's unretirement schedule, Old Man Brady should be able to slip away from the kiddos long enough to bump his career Week 1 record to 17-4. Buccaneers by 3

Saints (-5 ½) at Falcons: Saints by 6

Steelers (+6 ½) at Bengals: Bengals by 3

Eagles (-4) at Lions: Eagles by 6

Colts (-7) at Texans: Colts by 10

Patriots (+3 ½) at Dolphins: Patriots by 3

Ravens (-7) at Jets: Ravens by 10

Jaguars (+2 ½) at Commanders: Jaguars by 3

Giants (+5 ½) at Titans: Titans by 7

Raiders (+3) at Chargers: Chargers by 6

about the writer

about the writer

Mark Craig

Sports reporter

Mark Craig has covered the NFL nearly every year since Brett Favre was a rookie back in 1991. A sports writer since 1987, he is covering his 30th NFL season out of 37 years with the Canton (Ohio) Repository (1987-99) and the Star Tribune (1999-present).

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