Yes it's that time of year again. I know there are a ton of football fans here. Let me start by saying I am undertaking an exciting adventure this week....
There are six U.S. states I haven't visited yet: Michigan, Connecticut, Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, and Louisiana. This week, I get to cross one of those states off my list: Louisiana. This is because I'm going to see the Vikings / Saints game live and in person!!!
On Wednesday, I fly from Burbank to New Orleans and will spend two nights in the lovely Queen and Crescent Hotel. Luckily, my hotel is relatively close to both the Garden District and the French Quarter. And it's only a 20 minute walk from the Superdome. I plan to spend as much money as I can reasonably afford in the Crescent City, as I know the local businesses could really use the cash.
On Thursday, I get to see my favorite team, the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, square off against the defending NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings. I just hope it's not as much of a nailbiter as it was last year, because I don't know if my heart can withstand such an event again.
In any case, here are my predictions for week one of the NFL regular season:
Minnesota 24, New Orleans 34
Cleveland 28, Tampa Bay 17
Miami 31, Buffalo 27
Cincinnati 14, New England 25
Indianapolis 31, Houston 34
Denver 32, Jacksonville 17
Atlanta 17, Pittsburgh 10
Oakland 21, Tennessee 17
Carolina 10, New York Giants 27
Detroit 28, Chicago 31
Arizona 10, Saint Louis 28
Green Bay 35, Philadelphia 21
San Francisco 27, Seattle 17
Dallas 13, Washington 24
Baltimore 17, New York Jets 14
San Diego 31, Kansas City 21
During the postseason last year, I was 10-1 with my choices, so hopefully Lady Luck will smile on me during the regular season as well. Week one is always the most difficult, but last year I was actually 11-5 to begin the season. What are your picks?