McNamara: Gridiron Guide for week 1
Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts watches from the sidelines during the NFL preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. (Sept. 2, 2010) Credit: Getty Images
BEST BET: COLTS
PANTHERS at GIANTS
Line: Giants by 6½ Over/Under: 41
TV-Radio: Ch. 5, WFAN (660), 1 p.m.
Revenge angle: The Giants face the team that humiliated them, 41-9, in their Giants Stadium finale. With all the injury problems, it's hard to be confident of a Big Blue blowout. Carolina is in transition with QB Matt Moore and six new defensive starters, but John Fox's teams usually are reliable covers getting a TD or more. Can Perry Fewell's retooled defense stop DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart? The pick: Panthers
RAVENS AT JETS
Line: Jets by 2½ Over/Under: 35½
TV-Radio: ESPN, ESPN (1050), 7 p.m.
Preseason chatter about winning it all creates bad karma, especially on an uncensored TV show. Jets fans, will that green Kool-Aid quench your 42-year thirst? Deep thought: Remember, "believe" has the word l-i-e in the middle. The Colts and Bengals rolled over to help the Jets make the playoffs, so what's with the delusions of grandeur? Baltimore finally has an offense, and its 'D' can match Gang Green hit for hit. The pick: Ravens
Marquee matchups
COWBOYS at REDSKINS
Line: Cowboys by 3½ Over/Under: 40½
TV-Radio: ESPN, WFAN (660), 8:20 p.m.
Surprising stat: Dallas covered nine of the last 12 at Washington. Mike Shanahan will lift the 'Skins, but perhaps without the help of unhappy Albert Haynesworth. If I signed a $100-million contract, I'm pretty sure I'd go along with the program. The pick: Cowboys
BENGALS at PATRIOTS
Line: Patriots by 4½ Over/Under: 44½
TV: Ch. 2, 1 p.m.
The Patriots aren't what they used to be, and losing DE Ty Warren and CB Leigh Bodden for the season really hurt. Besides throwing the ball, Team Belichick no longer excels, and defensively solid Cincy could grind it down. The pick: Bengals
PACKERS at EAGLES
Line: Packers by 3 Over/Under: 47½
TV: Ch. 5, 4:15 p.m.
Ceremonies honoring the 1960 NFL champion Eagles will only remind Philly's angry fans of the last 49 seasons. If Kevin Kolb struggles, they'll get nostalgic about Donovan McNabb. The Pack is a true contender, and the Iggles are rebuilding. The pick: Packers
Around the league
COLTS at TEXANS
Line: Colts by 21/2 O/U: 47, 1 p.m.
Indy is 15-1 straight up against Houston, which has replaced Arizona as the NFL’s version of Brazil (“the team of the future, and it always will be'”). The Texans’ secondary can't cover, which Peyton Manning might be aware of. The pick: Colts
FALCONS at STEELERS
Line: Falcons by 21/2 O/U: 38, 1 p.m.
Dan Rooney’s offer of a lifetime supply of monogrammed Terrible Towels couldn’t convince Roger Goodell to cut Ben Roethlisberger's six-game ban to three. The Steelers are stuck with inexperienced Dennis Dixon at QB. The pick: Falcons
DOLPHINS at BILLS
Line: Dolphins by 3 O/U: 381/2, 1 p.m.
Bob the Bills fan knows it doesn’t hurt as much if you expect the worst. His least favorite team, Miami, starts Buffalo on its way to missing the playoffs for the 11th straight year. The pick: Dolphins
RAIDERS at TITANS
Line: Titans by 6 1/2 O/U: 40 1/2, 1 p.m.
Al Davis built the winningest organization in pro sports and wrecked it. Here comes an eighth consecutive year of double-digit losses for the Silver and Black. The pick: Titans
49ERS at SEAHAWKS
Line: 49ers by 3 O/U: 37, 4:15 p.m. Pete Carroll loves a challenge, because he had better players at USC. Why Mike Singletary inspires love: Since he took over in October 2008, the 49ers have been the NFL’s best bet (16-7-1 ATS). The pick: 49ers
CARDINALS at RAMS
Line: Cardinals by 4 O/U: 39
Radio: WFAN (660), 4:15 p.m.
Sam Bradford faces a brutal rookie year with little talent around him. Arizona will regress without Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Karlos Dansby and Antrel Rolle, but not here. The pick: Cardinals
BRONCOS at JAGUARS
Line: Jaguars by 2 1/2 O/U: 39 1/2 1 p.m.
Florida cult figure Tim Tebow debuts for Denver, which might draw the ignored Jaguars’ season-high crowd. Maurice Jones-Drew and David Garrard raise false hopes in Jagville. The pick: Jaguars
LIONS at BEARS
Line: Bears by 6 1/2 O/U: 44, 1 p.m.
Mike Martz stars in “Vengeance Goes Deep.” The Bears’ pass-happy new offensive coordinator wants to punish one of his many former teams. Detroit was 0-8 ATS on the road last season. The pick: Bears
CHARGERS at CHIEFS
Line: Chargers by 4 1/2 O/U: 45
TV-Radio: ESPN, WFAN, 10:15 p.m.
As they say, “Arrowhead is a tough place to win,” which long-suffering Chiefs fans have known for years. San Diego has won three straight there. The pick: Chargers
BROWNS at BUCS
Line: Bucs by 3 O/U: 37, 1 p.m.
For a week, a bad team will feel good. Millions will change hands on this dud, so maybe the economy is better than advertised. Eric Mangini wins his fifth straight. The pick: Browns
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 15: LI's top basketball players On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay take a look top boys and girls basketball players on Long Island.
