The Backdoor Cover: Week 1 NFL Picks

Hey there, looks like it’s that time of year again. The time of year when we here at The Hazean help you out for all of your NFL picks against the spread.

Honestly, I couldn’t be happier to help you win money and have some fun watching the games you couldn’t care less about unless you were invested heavily in fantasy players. Let’s keep it positive and remember that with proper money management, you will win more than you lose. Don’t go all Floyd Mayweather on the first week of the season. Unless you are Floyd Mayweather and in that case, thanks for reading!

For those of you who are new to the Backdoor Cover, what I do is list games that I am taking this weekend with some type of rationale. A quick rundown of my betting style usually involves underdogs (preferably home) and teams I feel are undervalued by the general public.

If you have any questions, want to pass along teams you think will cover this week or just want to discuss why it’s a conspiracy that the show Happy Endings gets no credit despite being 10x the comedy that Modern Family is, feel free to send me a message on twitter.

NFL

COWBOYS +4 vs. New York Giants – Full disclosure, probably wouldn’t have an opinion on this one other than it’s the opening game of the season with no other games on. That being said, I’ll be on the Cowboys in this one. I’m fully invested in Dez Bryant this year and he should have a big game in this one. Just taking the points in what should be a close game with a rebuilt Cowboys defense.

TEXANS -12 vs. Miami – I know what you are doing; you are re-reading the second intro paragraph to see where I bet underdogs and undervalued teams. Exactly, the Texans do not fit into either category. This is my blowout of the week. I know it’s the cool thing to do to make fun of the Dolphins for being a train wreck already but there’s a reason it’s popular……..it’s completely true. Even Ben Tate gets in on the action this week as a popular Flex start.

RAMS +9 vs. Detroit – Finally, that extremely unpopular underdog playing against a popular big home team pick I was talking about. That’s more like it for me. Why I like the Rams to keep it close? A running game, an underrated defensive front and a new coach that gets the most out of his team. I’m willing to give them a new chance to start the year.

CARDINALS +2.5 vs. Seattle – Man has the Seahawks hype train woke up in the Pacific Ocean and walked over to Japan to start destroying skyscrapers the past few weeks. In fact, this line was originally the Cardinals favored before Fantasy sleeper Russell Wilson was named starting Seahawks QB. It’s very hard for me to pass on a 2.5 point underdog (it’s a magic number) at home to start the season.

BILLS +3 vs. New York Jets – It’s no secret the Jets have had a less than perfect offseason. However, it seems that they are still viewed as slightly better than the Buffalo Bills. I don’t share that same view. I look for the Bills defensive line to dominate this game. The fact that I’m getting points in this game is just gravy.

BUCCANEERS +3 vs. Carolina – This one is me just being unpopular. I’m hoping that being at home for a new coach is enough to keep Tampa Bay from being beaten too badly. New RB, new WR, hopefully new results this year. I am worried about their wet tissue defense but I’ll take the contrarian angle.

BRONCOS -1 vs. Pittsburgh – For those of you who follow me, you know I’m a Bronco fan. However, I don’t usually play on them. I think this sets up well for Denver this game. The narrative is that the Steelers want revenge and Peyton Manning hasn’t played well. Don’t buy it. The Steelers will be hard pressed to run the ball. I feel confident that Denver at least wins the ballgame.

CHIEFS +3 vs. Atlanta – Yet another head scratcher. The Falcons are a NFC championship contender and the Chiefs have been under the radar. Fact is with their running back duo and Dwayne Bowe they have the ability to control the time of possession, something that Michael Turner used to be able to handle. Take the home dog that is underrated.

Survival League Pick: Houston. See above.

Good luck!