This NFL Team Is A LOCK To Win Week 1
The first week of the 2024 NFL Regular Season is finally here! With 16 games on the schedule, there is a lot of action to look forward to! The week starts with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens on NFL Thursday Opening Night. Then, Aaron Rodgers’ exciting return from injury in a battle at San Francisco will wrap up the first slate of games.
With half of the league starting 1-0, which team is an absolute lock to win? While there are many intriguing options, the ultimate choice to bet on this week is the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the New England Patriots. Here is why you should lock in Joe Burrow and the Bengals as victorious in the first game of the season.
New England Patriots (+9) at Cincinnati Bengals - 1 p.m. | CBS
Most analysts would scratch their heads on why this would be a lock. Sure, this is a Super Bowl-caliber team battling a four-win squad, but it’s more to it than that. Joe Burrow is coming off a season-ending injury, and Cincinnati has struggled during Week 1 in recent years. This is the ultimate trap game for the Bengals.
Fortunately for Cincinnati, the Patriots have a lot of work to do before becoming a playoff team. While this game could be sloppy for both squads, the Bengals will be determined to start strong, especially a week before a tough battle against Kansas City.
Patriots Could Struggle In Mayo’s Debut
New England could be the next “Texans” — a team that exceeds expectations and makes the postseason— but it is important to note that those Texans lost 25-9 in their first game to the AFC North champions Baltimore Ravens.
In his coaching debut, Jerod Mayo's defense will be able to keep New England in this game, which is why this game is expected to be low-scoring. But what might cost them is on the offensive side of the ball.
New England will start veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who appeared in three games last season in relief for starter Sam Howell in Washington. While starting the veteran quarterback is the best option for the Patriots, especially for rookie quarterback Drake Maye's development, the 31-year-old Brissett will likely have his struggles in a brand new and unexperienced offense. This will allow Cincinnati's secondary to create turnovers and hold off for the win.
Score Prediction: Bengals 23, Patriots 20
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