NFL Regular Season Starts Sunday Plus Free NFL Picks
Sunday, September 11 will be a bittersweet day for Americans. Bitter, because it marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the day terrorists brought down the World Trade Center in New York City and various commercial airplanes, killing a total of 2,977 people, and sweet, because it marks the opening day of the 2011-12 NFL Regular season. Here, we preview the first and the last games on Sunday's schedule.
Steelers vs. Ravens On NFL Opening Sunday
There are 13 games to choose from, which for NFL betting fans is ample opportunity to win some money. The weekend kicks off with the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Baltimore Ravens, a game that will see the Ravens start as the -1 point spread favorites and the -125 moneyline favorites according to leading online sportsbook, Betonline.com.
Although both teams both teams finished last season on 12-4 in the AFC North division, the Steelers were 10-6-0 ATS compared to the Ravens' 8-7-1 ATS. Pittsburgh boasted one of the top defenses in the league last season (compared to the Ravens defense, which was rated 10th). As such, there is no reason why this season the Steelers won't be just as formidable this side of the ball.
The Ravens, meanwhile, have bolstered their offense with the likes of newly drafted WRs Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss, who are both expected to have bright futures with the team. It has to be mentioned that in the last three seasons, the Ravens chalked up a 1-2 record against the Steelers at home, so the pressure will certainly be on
Our free pick: Ravens 34-28
Cowboys vs. Jets of NFL Regular Season
The Dallas Cowboys ride up to the Big Apple to face the New York Jets on Sunday. NFL oddsmakers have the Jets as the -4.5 point betting favorites and -120 moneyline favorites to beat the visitors, no doubt because the Jets will have a home advantage, and head coach Rex Ryan is brimming with confidence the way only he can.He has virtually guaranteed a win over his brother and Cowboys' head coach Rob Ryan. That kind of blatant confidence should not be ignored or discounted. Of course, whether his brother buys it is another story. It won't be lost on NFL betting fans that the Cowboys seem to have a much better defense then they did last season.
That said, Dallas will have to go after New York on the ground if they hope to make any real headway. The reason is simple enough - the Jets boast one of the best secondaries in the NFL, with danger written all over it in big red letters. As such, don't be surprised to see the Jets limit the the Cowboys' ability to rack up the points on Sunday.
Our free pick: Jets 32-25
Schedule of NFL Regular Season Openers
Here are all the NFL games and odds scheduled for Sunday courtesy of BetOnline.com:
| NFL Games - Sunday, September 11, 2011 | |||||||
| Kick Off | Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total Points | |||
| 1:00 PM | Pittsburgh Steelers | +1 | +100 | +105 | O | 36 | -110 |
| Baltimore Ravens | -1 | -120 | -125 | U | 36 | -110 | |
| 1:00 PM | Detroit Lions | +1 | -105 | +100 | O | 41 | -110 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -1 | -115 | -120 | U | 41 | -110 | |
| 1:00 PM | Atlanta Falcons | -2½ | -110 | -145 | O | 40½ | -110 |
| Chicago Bears | +2½ | -110 | +125 | U | 40½ | -110 | |
| 1:00 PM | Buffalo Bills | +6 | -110 | +220 | O | 40 | -110 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -6 | -110 | -260 | U | 40 | -110 | |
| 1:00 PM | Indianapolis Colts | +9 | -120 | +345 | O | 43 | -110 |
| Houston Texans | -9 | +100 | -415 | U | 43 | -110 | |
| 1:00 PM | Philadelphia Eagles | -4 | -105 | -210 | O | 44 | -110 |
| St. Louis Rams | +4 | -115 | +180 | U | 44 | -110 | |
| 1:00 PM | Cincinnati Bengals | +6½ | -110 | +245 | O | 35½ | -110 |
| Cleveland Browns | -6½ | -110 | -290 | U | 35½ | -110 | |
| 1:00 PM | Tennessee Titans | +2 | -110 | +115 | O | 37 | -110 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | -2 | -110 | -135 | U | 37 | -110 | |
| 4:15 PM | New York Giants | -3 | -105 | -155 | O | 37½ | -110 |
| Washington Redskins | +3 | -115 | +135 | U | 37½ | -110 | |
| 4:15 PM | Carolina Panthers | +7 | -110 | +275 | O | 37 | -110 |
| Arizona Cardinals | -7 | -110 | -330 | U | 37 | -110 | |
| 4:15 PM | Seattle Seahawks | +5½ | -110 | +210 | O | 37½ | -110 |
| San Francisco 49ers | -5½ | -110 | -250 | U | 37½ | -110 | |
| 4:15 PM | Minnesota Vikings | +9 | -115 | +330 | O | 42 | -110 |
| San Diego Chargers | -9 | -105 | -400 | U | 42 | -110 | |
| 8:25 PM | Dallas Cowboys | +4½ | +100 | +210 | O | 40½ | -110 |
| New York Jets | -4½ | -120 | -250 | U | 40½ | -110 | |
