NFL Week 1 Staff Picks: Manning poised to take round 2 with Colts

Each week during the NFL season the staff at theScore will put on their prognosticator hats and offer up selections against the spread on each of the week’s top games, highlighting several marquee matchups.

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Unanimous selections: Steelers -6.5, Bears -7, Chiefs -3.5, Patriots -4.5, 49ers -4.5

Marquee Matchups

New Orleans Saints (-3) at Atlanta Falcons

Chris Battaglia: Atlanta wants to put a disappointing 2013 season behind it and there’s no better way to do that than winning its season-opener as a home underdog. The Falcons bolstered their offensive line to improve their running game and provide more protection for Matt Ryan. The Saints are a very tough opponent to start the season against, but Atlanta should be able to contain them and keep the score within a field goal. Falcons +3

Gino Bottero: The notion that the Saints can’t play on the road is getting blown well out of proportion here. This game is going to be played in the cozy confines of the Georgia Dome, with added stress on the word dome. The Falcons figure to be better this season, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. New Orleans bolstered its secondary in the offseason for games just like this one. Saints -3

Caitlyn Holroyd: The Saints had the largest points per game differential between home and road games of any NFL team in 2013 (-16.3), posting a perfect 8-0 record at the Superdome compared with a 3-5 mark on the road. That should change this season with a favorable road schedule and the offseason additions of rookie receiver Brandin Cooks and veteran safety Jairus Byrd. The Saints have dominated the Falcons since Sean Payton and Drew Brees joined the team in 2006 (they've won 13 of 16 matchups) and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. Saints -3

San Francisco 49ers (-5.5) at Dallas Cowboys

Battaglia: Dallas enters the season with many of the same problems on defense that plagued the team last season, much to the delight of Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco offense. The Cowboys looked listless in preseason play, giving onlookers every reason to believe they are primed for a season-opening letdown at home. If the 49ers’ vaunted defense can find a way to overcome Dallas’ revamped offensive line and put pressure on Tony Romo this game could get lopsided quickly. 49ers -4.5

Bottero: For as bad as the Cowboy defense is, the 49ers have plenty of flaws on that side of the ball themselves - flaws which the likes of Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, and Dez Bryant will be happy to exploit. The difference is the 49ers still have guys like Patrick Willis and Justin Smith around, while the Cowboys have given defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli far less to work with. There will be plenty of points scored in this one, and while it may not be pretty, expect to see the 49ers come out on top by a healthy margin on the back of a consistently effective offensive showing. 49ers -4.5

Holroyd: Both teams have issues on the defensive side of the ball, but it's the Cowboys' faults that are far more glaring. Dallas finished 30th in total defense last season, and losing DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher in free agency did them no favors. They will also be without Orlando Scandrick for the start of the season while he serves a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. The 49ers should have no problem covering the 4.5-point spread. 49ers -4.5

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos (-7)

Battaglia: Peyton Manning opens the season with another matchup against his former team in what will likely be another signpost on the NFL’s changing-of-the-guard at quarterback. Andrew Luck has defied expectations in his first two seasons with the Colts and now has Hakeem Nicks as a receiving option, while 38-year-old Manning will be without the suspended Wes Welker. Indianapolis may not have a complete enough team to beat the Broncos in Denver, but Luck will ensure it’s a close game. Colts +7.5

Bottero: The Broncos really let the Colts off the hook with a poor performance in Indianapolis, so Peyton Manning and co. have surely been stewing over that one. Denver will field one of the most talented teams in football this season, and getting this game at home is a big deal. As for the backdoor cover potential, of the Colts' six losses last season (including playoffs), five came by double-digits - including all four road losses - with an average margin of 18.0 points in those games. Broncos -7.5

Holroyd: The Colts were one of two teams - the Cowboys being the other - to post a 0-4 record this preseason. In those four losses, Indianapolis was outscored 88-60, including 47-17 in the fourth quarter alone. They will be hungry for a win, but defeating the AFC champs in their own barn will be no easy task. Look for the Broncos to open their season with a win big at Mile High. Broncos -7.5

Wild card selections

Jacksonville Jaguars at Philadelphia Eagles (-11)

Battaglia: The hype surrounding Blake Bortles may turn out to be justified, but it glosses over the deficiencies present throughout much of Jacksonville’s lineup. Pitting this Jaguars defense against a high-tempo Philadelphia offense is a recipe for disaster, and all signs point to Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy posting big numbers. The Eagles ran 159 plays over their final two preseason games, and a pace like that will surely overwhelm an overmatched Jacksonville squad. Eagles -11

Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs (-3.5)

Bottero: Many forget that Arrowhead Field was CenturyLink before CenturyLink was CenturyLink… or something like that. The Chiefs enjoy the second-best home field advantage in football, and they’ll put it to great use in their opener. The Titans gave away the face of their franchise in the offseason, leaving the team with some big holes at the offensive skill positions. The bigger concern for the team will be how the offensive line holds up against the Chiefs’ fierce pass-rushing trio of Tamba Hali, Justin Houston, and Dontari Poe. Chiefs -3.5

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5)

Holroyd: This game could go either way, but given the Panthers' depleted receiving corps and Cam Newton's recent rib injury, the Buccaneers appear to have the edge here. Tampa Bay made significant upgrades in free agency and is expecting a bounce-back year under new head coach Lovie Smith. Look for them to squeeze out a win over the Panthers, who fall to 0-4 in season openers under Newton and Ron Rivera. Buccaneers -2.5

Lines courtesy Scoresandodds.com