Sept. 8th - Oakland @ New England

Before I get to the game, I feel the need to review a few caveats that I live by when it comes to making the picks.

For starters, I am not sanctioned by the NFL, which means I need not be impartial. In other words, I will pick the Eagles straight up and against the spread every week regardless of opponent. Conversely, I will never, EVER pick Dallas. Ever. Under no circumstances. It's a formula that has worked for me in the past. Just trust me.

Speaking of trusting me, the picks are intended for entertainment purposes only. If you choose to use this information as a basis to feed your gambling habit, don't come crying to me when you lose. I may be an "Expert," but I'm not perfect.

Finally, I don't employ gimmicks like some of the writers at other publications do. Some of these dopes pick a "Lock of the Week," or an "Upset Special." Personally, I think all of my picks are locks (or else I wouldn't pick them). And some weeks, there may be an upset I like, while others there may not. I'm not going to pick an upset just to satisfy a weekly quota.

All that said, the 2005-06 season is less than 48 hours from commencement, kicking off with...

The Match-up: Oakland (+7.5) @ New England
The Skinny: The NFL's newest tradition is having the defending Super Bowl champions open at home on the Thursday of opening weekend. And so it's the Patriots (again) hosting the rebuilt offense of the Oakland Raiders. Oakland's biggest moves in the off-season were on the offensive side of the ball, trading for enigmatic WR Randy Moss and signing RB Lamont Jordan as a free agent. Their defense, however, is still suspect. New England will attempt to carry on minus offensive coordinator Charlie Weis (now the head coach at Notre Dame) and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel (manning the sidelines in Cleveland). They also lost LB Tedy Bruschi, who suffered a stroke and will not play this year. Not to go all Stephen A. Smith on you, but they still have Tom Brady, and quite frankly...ah, let's not go there. The key to this game will be the ability of the Patriots defense to neutralize Oakland's big play ability. Bill Belichick is one of the best game-plan coaches in the NFL, and he has had success in shutting down high-scoring offenses (i.e., the Indianapolis Colts). Corey Dillon will run for about 120 yards and 2 TD's and the Patriots will open their title defense with a win over the Raiders.
Straight Up: New England
Against the Spread: New England