Football

NFL Previews: Top Picks for NFL 2020 Week 1

Author: Priyanka Saxena on Oct 14,2020

The NFL 2020 is finally starting, although with a few stark differences from the previous years. The current global pandemic means no preseason warm-ups or friendlies. New players getting almost zero time to get settled. Moreover, with the reduction of the training camp time, the quality of play may get a little downtrodden at the start. Teams that have returning coaches, quarterbacks, and working stuff are likely to be at an advantage as compared to the teams who have new players and coaching staff as they haven’t had any time for acclimatization except for online meetings. And the stakes are uncertain for every team. One most browsed question on Google this year is; ‘With COVID -19 pressure, will the NFL get the entire season of games in without ?’

As we have seen so far this year, the NBA and the NHL are doing it in a bubble successfully. Although the NFL will only be held and is only possible in an open stadium, we can sure hope to witness the full season.

A quick recap on the names of the playing teams this season are mentioned below:

Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns. Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City Chief and Jacksonville Jaguars.

The games will probably kickstart in an empty arena with no audiences present as it has been the case with the other major leagues. The new stadiums opening this season in L.A. and Vegas will unfortunately see no visitors. The league is set to begin from the 11th of September, 2020, with the first match being held between Kansas City Chiefs vs Houston Texans.

The Sportsline’s advanced computer model covers all the NFL betting advice and predictions for us. This season, the computer has reportedly favored the Bears, and Panthers. The classic betting stakes are high on the aforementioned teams.

Meanwhile, Eagles running back Miles Sanders and defensive end Derek Barnett are out due to a severe hamstring injury. Boston Scott has to now shoulder the load at a running back until his teammates get better.

Tom Brady is transferred to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and people are enthusiastic to know whether the Patriots will be able to survive without Brady. There is going to be a different shade in the rivalry between Tom Brady and Drew Brees spanning over six different teams and four different decades. Tom Brady debuting with Tampa Bay Buccaneers is unbelievable and something we have never witnessed before.

Joe Burrow has emerged as the most talked-about rookie quarterback. The Bears have struggled offensively, yet managing to come 4th in the ranking in the previous season.

As compared to the end of 2019, Las Vegas is rumored to start with 7 new starters on the defensive side of the ball.

Cam Newton has been released after nine seasons by the Carolina Panthers and at the other end of the bargain is former Saints backup Teddy Bridgewater to run a super-effective offense.

George Floyd, a black American who was killed allegedly during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota had shaken the world to its core because the roots of racism still exist in contemporary America. On Sunday, Minnesota Vikings will respect George Floyd's family and furthermore will be perceived by a pre-game execution of an exceptionally renowned song of praise "Lift each voice and sing". Experts suggest that the Minnesota Vikings could win in week 1 because of Dom Capers Influence, home-field advantage, and healthy and fresh running backs.

The Jets are expecting Marcus Maye to show up big time after he received a setback in warmups.

The matchups for week 1 are given below: