Unless you are a sports fan that lives under a rock you know that the NFL returns Thursday night as the Green Bay Packers host the New Orleans Saints (8:30 p.m. on NBC). Not only does Thursday mark the beginning of the 2011-12 season, but it brings back SB Nation New York's weekly predictions!
This season, I volunteered to put my solid (cough, cough) reputation on the line and pick five games that are guaranteed to lose you money. I'll be predicting the games of the local teams -- the New York Giants and New York Jets -- and then hand picking the last three.
So, without further delay here are your SB Nation New York Week 1 Picks...
Giants (-3) vs. Redskins: New York begins its season at Washington. The G-Men are trying to make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, while the Skins will try not to finish the season as the worst team in football. That will be hard to do with Rex Grossman as their starting quarterback. If there's one thing I've learned, unless a team has an outstanding defense, never pick them to win when they have Grossman behind center. Prediction: Giants, 24-10.
Jets (-4) vs. Cowboys: The NFL sure got this Week 1 schedule right. There's no better ego match up than New York's head coach Rex Ryan hosting Dallas. I am sure there will be a few dozen split-screens that will feature Ryan and Cowboy's owners Jerry Jones side-by-side, but that won't be the big story by the end of the night. Prediction: Cowboys, 30-28.
Packers (-4) vs. Saints: This is an outstanding contest to begin the season. Green Bay is the defending champs, while New Orleans is the pick of some experts to win the Super Bowl. In my opinion, this is a win-win for everybody. Prediction: Packers, 17-10.
Patriots (-7) at Dolphins: A Monday night showdown that showcases two AFC East rivals. Unfortunately for Miami fans, your team is no match for New England. Prediction: Patriots, 35-7.
Ravens (-3) vs. Steelers: It's shocking to me that Pittsburgh is not favored in this one. Prediction: Steelers, 21-20.
-- Check SB Nation's NFL Odds page for the lines on every NFL game