NFL Football Handicapping

NFL Picks Week 1 - Joe Squarelli

I'm Joe Squarelli. If you're looking for football winners you've come to the right place. I've got the numbers, the stats, and most important of all I've got my gut. Let's kick the season off right, starting with tonight's opening game in Steeltown.

Miami at Pittsburgh - (pick'em):
The Dolphins and Steelers get things started on Thursday night in a contest that became easier to pick thanks to Ben Roethlisberger's appendectomy. The Steelers' offense looked dead in the preseason without Roethlisberger, and Charlie Batch isn't the answer. Sure he was 2-0 in his starts last season, but that was against Green Bay and Cleveland. Miami ended last season with six straight wins and believe me, it was no fluke. With Daunte Culpepper leading the offense and Ronnie Brown getting the bulk of the carries, the Dolphins can beat the Steelers' D. Take Miami.

Cincinnati at Kansas City - (-2.5):
The Chiefs and Bengals clashed in Week 17 last season and Kansas City slammed Cincinnati 37-3. Because of that game, I'm going with the Bengals. Yes, you read that correctly. The reason is Carson Palmer. The questions surrounding Palmer's problematic knee were quickly answered when he tossed three touchdowns in the preseason. When the Chiefs beat up on the Bengals, Palmer was a non-factor because he was on the sidelines most of the game. Cincinnati had already clinched a playoff spot and most of their big guns on both sides of the ball were resting. They won't be resting this weekend so the Bengals will be the ones putting up big numbers. Take Cincinnati.

San Francisco at Arizona (-7.5):
What better way for the Cardinals to open their new stadium than with a big victory? The schedule-makers must have been thinking the same thing after pitting them against San Francisco. The Cardinals beat the 49ers twice last season and covered the spread both times. The 7.5-point spread this time around may seem large, but with Edgerrin James thrown into a mix that already included Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan