Full list of Week 1 straight-up picks with confidence levels

The NFL has returned! COVID-19 is going to impact the 2021 season, but the league returns on time with its annual Thursday kickoff game. The defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys in the first game of the newly expanded 18-week season.

Last year, we tried something new for our weekly Thursday straight-up picks. We offered basic straight-up winner picks, but with confidence levels — high, medium, low, and no. A game with three asterisks (***) after it indicate a game where I’m picking the betting underdog to get the win.

I landed with a pair of high confidence picks and three no confidence picks. The Lions are a dumpster fire and while Jared Goff might be a little underrated at times, this is going to be a rough year in the Motor City. On the other end of things, I have two outright upsets with the Raiders over the Ravens and Giants over the Broncos. Baltimore could easily roll the Raiders, but that first home game in the new stadium intrigues me and I’m not sure what to make of the Ravens at this point.

High confidence

Bucs beat Cowboys
49ers beat Lions

Medium confidence

Falcons beat Eagles
Chiefs beat Browns
Seahawks beat Colts
Packers beat Saints
Titans beat Cardinals
Bills beat Steelers
Vikings beat Bengals

Low confidence

Washington beat Chargers
Panthers beat Jets
Patriots beat Dolphins
Rams beat Bears

No confidence

Raiders beat Ravens***
Jaguars beat Texans
Giants beat Broncos***

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