NFL Week 1 Picks: Teams on Upset Alert This Week

Week 1 in the NFL is less than a week away and we’ve got you covered with two potential upsets in Week 1. Let's take a look at the NFL odds for this Sunday and shop for some value!

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans

Sunday, September 12, 2021 - 01:00 PM EDT at NRG Stadium

Trevor Lawrence hasn’t played a single snap in a regular-season NFL game but he’s already helped the Jaguars become three-point favorites.

Head coach Urban Meyer and Trevor Lawrence will help build the Jags into a contending team eventually but it’s not going to happen overnight.

On the other hand, the Texans have announced they’ll start Tyrod Taylor, who had literally beat out Justin Herbert last season for the Chargers job.

https://youtu.be/_BvLGDfTc_g

Last season, the Jags had literally one win with the Texans winning four games despite their organization splitting apart throughout the year.

There’s so much uncertainty when it comes to the Jaguars. They’re a young team that will likely need time to get accustomed to the league. Meyer was a fantastic coach in college but this is his first crack at a professional gig. It’s harder. Just ask all of the other college coaches that tried to make it professionally and failed.

Also, don’t forget that the Texans have defeated the Jaguars six straight times and basically have had the Jaguars number since coming into the league.

https://twitter.com/Jaguars/status/1433514869249150976?s=20

The Pick

Sure maybe the Texans aren’t as good as they were last year. They won’t have Deshaun Watson or J.J. Watt and that hurts but this team can finally put all the distractions to the side and let Tyrod Taylor go to work.

He’s deserving of this opportunity and will absolutely make the most of it so looks like Houston is the right NFL pick here.

NFL Pick: (visit our Sportsbook Review)

Without LB J.J. Watt #99 and, once franchise QB, Deshaun Watson #4, what will the Texans look like now? Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP

Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants

Sunday, September 12, 2021 - 04:25 PM EDT at MetLife Stadium

Explain to me what the Broncos have done to be favorites, on the road, in New York, traveling cross-country? Denver won all three preseason games and still made the wrong decision, giving Teddy Bridgewater the starting quarterback role over Drew Lock.

The Broncos' defense will be good and that’ll give Bridgewater a chance to win games for the Broncos. However, the Giants' defense will also be solid and will give Daniel Jones a chance to win games.

https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/1435013501139906569?s=20

On paper, the Giants clearly have the better offense. We have no idea how many snaps Saquon Barkley will play but any snaps will be a good sign. The Giants' offensive line could be a disaster but they’ve got the skilled players who can make plays despite all of the offensive line woes.

Last season, Daniel Jones showed off his feet a little and ran plenty. That run game adds so much to this offense and makes it harder to defend for any defense.

The Pick

The Broncos are still young on the offensive end with Jerry Jeudy and Cortland Sutton as their big wideouts for Bridgewater. They’ll be able to move the ball somewhat but at the end of the day, the Giants will be playing at home with their home crowd in the ears of the Broncos players all game.

Give me the Giants to pull off the minor upset, at home, as my NFL pick.

NFL Pick:

*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.