AFC Week 1 Predictions

Top Three AFC Matchups – Week 1

The 2010 NFL season kicks off this Thursday night when Minnesota travels to New Orleans to play the Saints in a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship game. Week 1 in the AFC gets underway on Sunday, Sept. 12 with a full slate of games and concludes with two more on Monday night. While every team in the conference is in action the weekend, there are a couple of matchups that are a bit more intriguing than the rest.

Here is a look at my top three matchups in the AFC for Week 1 on the NFL regular season.

Sunday Sept. 12         1:00 p.m. (ET)

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Indianapolis Colts (-2 ½) @ Houston Texans ‘Over/Under’ 47

Most people agree that the road to the AFC South division title still goes through Indianapolis. The Colts have won 10 or more games each season for most of the past decade and 2010 should be no different. Houston turned in its first winning season last year (9-7), but failed to make the playoffs. One of the main obstacles for the Texans to take the next step has been their inability to beat Indianapolis.

In the last 10 games these two have played against one another the Colts have won nine straight up. The Texans have covered the spread in sixth of those games, showing their ability to keep the games close, however they just cannot seem to avoid making the mistakes that eventually cost them the outright win.

This time around should be no different as the Colts are basically the same team that reeled off 14 straight wins in 2009. Houston QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson will do what they can to keep things close, but in the end it will be another tough defeat for the Texans.

Sunday Sept. 12         1:00 p.m. (ET)

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Cincinnati Bengals @ New England Patriots (-4 ½)                               ‘Over/Under’ 45

Both of these teams finished the 2009 season with 10-6 records and won their respective division. The primary difference is that Cincinnati looks back at this with a sense of accomplishment, while New England is disappointed with its performance.

This game should provide a good measuring stick to see if the Bengals can once again compete for the division title or are they just a one-hit wonder. On the other side of the coin it is time to find out if the Patriots are still one of the top teams in the AFC or will the downward spiral continue.

Cincinnati has all the tools on offense to score points with the addition of first round pick TE Jermaine Gresham and veteran WR Terrell Owens to an already solid receiving corps. QB Tom Brady has WR Wes Welker back which is vital to their success on offense. This game should easily go ‘over’ the total with the Patriots coming out on top.

Monday Sept. 13         7:00 p.m. (ET)

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Baltimore Ravens @ New York Jets (-2 ½)                              ‘Over/Under’ 36

In the first game of a Monday Night double-header, two of top teams in the AFC will be looking to draw first blood in what could very well be a preview of the conference championship game.

Baltimore’s first team offense led by QB Joe Flacco appeared to be in midseason form throughout the preseason and the Ravens defense is once again a formidable force. New York’s first team offense led by second year QB Mark Sanchez was anything but impressive in preseason action and the Jets defense did not have their No.1 player,CB Derrell Revis on the field. Revis will be in the starting lineup for this game, but the question mark for the offense still remains.

In what will be a put up or shut up game for New York, its defense should be able to contain the Ravens, but its offense will come up woefully short against Ray Lewis and Co. The edge goes toward Baltimore in this one.