Two months ago, @thebull and I agreed to compete in a seaso-long NFL prediction contest. He upped the stakes by hosting a pick'em competition for the Scorum community on ESPN and is giving out hundreds of Scorum as prizes. 

The NFL is by far my favorite sport and something I follow very closely. Based on my personal opinion, I'd like to share all of my picks each week on the spreads of each game. Once betting is live on Scorum, I plan on placing bets on each of my picks. Keep in mind that these are opinions and not recommendations, meaning you should do your own research before listening to me. 

Week 1 of the NFL season is here. Without further ado, here are my picks for every game of the upcoming week. 

Thursday, September 6 

Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles are beaten up and the Falcons have more to prove. Although the Eagles are fresh off of a Super Bowl victory, they lost key talent including running back LeGarrette Blount, and star receiver Alshon Jeffrey won't play due to an injury. I like the Falcons to win the first game of the 2018 NFL season. 

Pick: Atlanta Falcons +3.5 

Sunday, September 9

Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens had an undefeated preseason and looked primed to make another run at the playoffs. The Bills are not a real contender in the AFC, but I believe they will hold the Ravens close in this game. Look for LeSean McCoy to have a solid game as the Bills lose by a field goal. 

Pick: Buffalo Bills +5.5


Cincinnati Bengals vs. Indianapolis Colts: In what should be a high scoring game, the Bengals and A.J. Green will try to keep up with Andrew Luck and company. I see a very close battle with Joe Mixon of Cincinnati being able to eat up a poor Colts defense. 

Pick: Cincinnati Bengals +3.5


Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns: I stated earlier this year that the Browns will not be the worst team in football in 2018. However, they have little chance against the Steelers even if running back Le'Veon Bell isn't with the team. I like Pittsburgh to win by 7, just covering the spread. 

Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5


Tennessee Titans vs. Miami Dolphins: This may be the least sexy of all games this week. I'm counting on Mariota to have his way in Miami. Although Miami does have a better group of receivers, I just don't see their defense being able to slow down opponents. We'll see after week 1, but for now, I'm betting on the Titans. 

Pick: Tennessee Titans -1.5 


San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings: The 49ers suffered a big blow to their chances by losing McKinnon to an injury. They now face one of the Super Bowl favorites in Minnesota in what should be a lopsided game. Vikings could win by two touchdowns. 

Pick: Minnesota Vikings -5.5 


Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots: This game is a beauty! Rising star Deshaun Watson will face off against Tom Brady in Foxboro with a healthy offense. While I don't believe the Texans will pull off the upset, I fully expect them to make the game interesting and to cover the 6.5 point spread. 

Pick: Houston Texans +6.5 


Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints: I doubted the Buccaneers in the preseason and they looked fantastic at times. Without quarterback Jameis Winston, the Saints can disrupt the Bucs offense, but Tampa's special teams and defensive units will keep them around. Saints will win, but I don't expect a blowout here. 

Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers +9.5 


Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Giants: I've gone back and forth on this game. The Jaguars are without their top wide receiver options, so although the Giants did not look capable on defense last season, that may not be a problem. The Jaguars will need young receivers Dede Westbrook and Kelan Cole to make a difference, while slowing down Odell Beckham Jr. Can they do it? Let's see. 

Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars -2.5 


Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers: This is one of the games I'm the most confident about. I like the Chiefs offensive unit which now includes Sammie Watkins and Tyreek Hill. The Chargers will be outmatched and will lose this game at home. There's only one real football team in LA, and its the Rams. 

Pick: Kansas City Chiefs +3.5


Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers: Too much firepower for the Panthers for the Cowboys to keep things close here. Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey and Devin Funchess make a mess out of the Cowboys defense and win by 10+ points. 

Pick: Carolina Panthers -2.5 


Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos: I honestly have no freaking idea in this game. The Seahawks have the better quarterback in Russell Wilson, and the Broncos have a lot of holes on both sides of the ball. 

Pick: Seattle Seahawks +2.5 


Washington Redskins vs. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals are one of the teams I expect to take a big fall this season. The Redskins have solid playmakers and an improving defense. I expect Alex Smith to fit in very well here and slowly pick apart the Cardinals defense which no longer has Tyrann Mathieu. 

Pick: Washington Redskins +.5


Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers: The Bears have improved tremendously. They are not on the Packers level, but I like Mitch Trubisky's odds of having a strong sophomore season, starting this Sunday. The Packers win the game, but it's closer than anyone is currently thinking. 

Pick: Chicago Bears +8.5 


New York Jets vs. Detroit Lions: My Detroit Lions get a Monday Night Football matchup against the lowly Jets. I fully expect them to score at will and dominate this game. However, they are the Lions, so anything can happen. 

Pick: Detroit Lions -6.5 


Los Angeles Rams vs. Oakland Raiders: No Mack, no chance. I think the Rams run all over the Raiders and win by 10+ points. 

Pick: Los Angeles Rams -2.5 

Those are my picks for this week. What do you think? Feel free to share yours below and I hope to beat you in @thebull's weekly pick'em contests. Good luck this week!