The survivor prize pool is one of the most popular betting methods in the NFL, and countless games will begin with the return of football. Each team can use it at the beginning of the 2021 season, creating a long list of powerful options.
This is the ranking chosen by the top 10 survivors in Week 1.
1) San Francisco 49ers (Detroit Lions)
San Francisco is a legal contender for the Super Bowl, and Detroit may be the worst team in the NFC. In the past two seasons, the Lions have a 3-13 record at home. The last time Detroit won at home was five years ago.
2) Los Angeles Rams (vs. Chicago Bears)
The Rams beat the Bears in double digits in a back-to-back season, keeping Chicago’s total points at 17 points. With Matthew Stafford replacing Jared Goff, Los Angeles’ offense should be better. With Andy Dalton as the center, there may be only a few opportunities to fight the Bears.
3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Dallas Cowboys)
Pirate is favorite For some reason, in the schedule for week 1. The Cowboys are expected to not have their best offensive linebacker, and Dark Prescott has not started in the NFL for 11 months. Tampa Bay’s star-studded offense should play a role in Dallas’ poor defense.
4) Minnesota Vikings (Cincinnati Bengals)
The Bengals have had an excellent team for six years. Since suffering a devastating knee injury as a rookie, Joe Burrow may struggle in his first game. Minnesota’s defense will get better in 2021.
5) Baltimore Ravens (in the Las Vegas Raiders)
The Raiders have had a winning season in the past 19 years. Lamar Jackson’s record in the regular season is 30-7. Both trends should continue in 2021, starting with the Ravens’ victory in Las Vegas.
6) Green Bay Packers (New Orleans Saints)
The Saints’ chances of pulling an upset were a serious blow when the game was moved from New Orleans to Jacksonville. Green Bay has a better quarterback and catcher. The Packers are the only one who is not high on the list. The reason is that when they host the Lions next week, it’s best to save them as a survivor pick.
7) Seattle Seahawks (Indianapolis Colts)
With a career record of 98-45-1, Russell Wilson is usually a safe survivor choice. It is not clear whether Carson Wentz can recover from his terrible 2020 season. Colts All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson had a problem, and No. 1 receiver TY Hilton was out.
8) Kansas City Chiefs (against the Cleveland Browns)
Patrick Mahomes has a 26-4 record in the past 30 regular season games. As Mahomes missed the fourth quarter due to injury, the Chiefs defeated the Browns in the divisional playoffs. Kansas City is still at the AFC level, even though Cleveland is a contender and capable of winning at Arrowhead Stadium.
9) New England Patriots (against the Miami Dolphins)
The Patriots always performed well at home, even leading 5-3 without fans last year and during a down season. The New England team upgraded their defense, playmaker and quarterback during the offseason. Miami should also be a strong contender for the playoffs.
10) Tennessee Titans (against the Arizona Cardinals)
The Titans are just a better team after winning the AFC South Championship and adding Julio Jones to an already explosive offense. Whether Cliff Kingsbury can turn Kyler Murray and Arizona into an elite force remains to be seen.
Photo: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
