The pros at FiveStarPick.com are beyond excited about this year’s NFL season.  For Thursday Night Football in the NFL we will be giving our members the against the spread winner of the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers.  Las Vegas sportsbooks list the Steelers as 6.5-point home favorites with a total of 35.

When we last watched the Steelers, they were coming from behind to beat Arizona at Super Bowl XLIII thanks to a last-minute touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes.   The pass should have been picked off, but luckily for Big Ben, it turned into his second Super Bowl ring in four seasons. As he enters his sixth season, Roethlisberger is healthy and looks to get number 3.

Pittsburgh (15-4 straight up, 11-8 against the spread) returns all of its starters with the exception of two guys on defense, linebacker Larry Foote and cornerback Bryant McFadden.  William Gay, a three-year veteran, will replace McFadden opposite Ike Taylor.   Lawrence Timmons, former FSU stand-out, is poised to take over the spot vacated by Foote.  Timmons, a No. 1 pick in 2007, was outstanding as the team’s nickel linebacker in ’08 with 65 tackles, five sacks, one interception and one forced fumble.  He missed Tuesday’s practice and is listed as “questionable” with an ankle injury.

Roethlisberger was outstanding in the playoffs, but not-so-impressive in the regular season with a 17/15 touchdown-interception ratio.  In addition, the Steeler  power running game was 23rd in the NFL in rushing offense. Willie Parker was often banged up and Rashard Mendenhall went on IR early in the season after Ray Lewis broke his collarbone on a crushing hit. 

Tennessee (13-4 SU, 12-5 ATS) went 13-3 in the 2008 regular season to garner homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. However, the Titans went “one and done” in the postseason, losing to Baltimore 13-10 when veteran tightend Alge Crumpler coughed up a fumble deep in the red zone late in the fourth quarter.

Jeff Fisher’s team won its first 10 games last year and the Titans went an incredible 9-1 against the spread during that span.  Kerry Collins took over at quarterback for Vince Young and rookie running back Chris Johnson rocked it with a huge break-out season.  Johnson rushed for 1,128 yards and nine touchdowns, while LenDale White’s hit it hard between the tackles. White rushed for 15 touchdowns in ’08 and hopes to be more productive this year after trimming down during the offseason.

The Titans lost WR Brandon Jones to free agency after he led the wideouts with 41 catches, but the WR corps still has Justin Gage, who played better down the stretch after shaking off early-season injuries. Tennessee added former Steeler Nate Washington and also drafted Kenny Britt from Rutgers in the first round. 

Tennessee’s defense will again be stout, but we can’t ignore the fact that Pro-Bowl DT Albert Haynesworth left for the Redskins during the offseason for the most lucrative D-line contract in NFL history.  Nevertheless, the defensive unit still has Pro-Bowlers like LB Keith Bulluck, CB Cortland Finnegan and safety Michael Griffin.

When these clubs met last year in Music City, the Titans captured a 31-14 victory as three-point home underdogs.

So who covers the spread tonight?  It’s very easy to find out.  Try FiveStarPick.com for a month ($99.99) and see if our talent for picking college and pro football winners exceeds your expectations.  We are the only sports handicapping service in the business who documents wins and losses and displays them on our homepage for all to witness.  It’s because we have nothing to hide…we just win games against the spread.  Join our family today and start your winning streak tonight.

Jimmy the Geek – FiveStarPick.com

It’s that time again…the NFL Football betting season officially begins Thursday, September 10th with the Steelers and Titans; The sportsbooks should start getting nervous.  The Thursday night matchup will be an exciting start to the 2009 NFL season.  Can the Steelers repeat as Super Bowl champs?  Will they cover the spread against Tennessee?  FiveStarPick.com has the answer.

With many teams acquiring new players, Week 1 will be exciting for NFL fans.  Atlanta will welcome Pro Bowl TE Tony Gonzalez as a new weapon for Rookie of the Year QB Matt Ryan.  Will Gonzalez elevate the Falcons offense to one of the NFL’s elite?  FiveStarPick.com will show you.  Jacksonville fans hope that WR Torry Holt will give their offense a spark after a very disappointing 2008 season. The post T.O. era begins in Dallas and it will be interesting to see how WR Roy Williams performs as the No. 1 wide out. The Bears fans are excited to see how newly acquired QB Jake Cutler will look when they open Week 1 of the NFL season at Green Bay.

Read below to see a few tidbits on Week 1 in the NFL.

Thursday September 10, 8:30 pm – Tennessee Titans @ Pittsburgh Steelers – The Titans and Steelers finished the 2008 season with the two best records in the AFC. Both teams get an early chance at victory in the first game of the season. The Titans and the Steelers finished top ten in all defensive categories, so look for this game to have a low score.

Sunday September 13, 1:00 pm – Miami Dolphins @ Atlanta Falcons – The Dolphins and the Falcons were both surprise breakout teams last year, the Dolphins finished 11-5 and won the AFC East division. The Falcons finished 11-5 and won an NFC wild card, however both teams lost in the first round of the playoffs as well. Look for both teams to pull every trick out of the hat to get the week one victory.

Sunday September 13, 1:00 pm – Denver Broncos @ Cincinnati Bengals – The Broncos and Bengals both had sub par years in 2008, and both are trying to turn things around against each other in week one. The Broncos fans hope new head coach Josh McDaniels can take the team back to the playoffs. Bengals fans hope the return of starting quarterback Carson Palmer can lead the Bengals back into the playoff hunt. Look for the Bengals to pull off a week one home victory.

Sunday September 13, 1:00 pm – Minnesota Vikings @ Cleveland Browns – The Vikings made it to the playoffs in 2008, mainly due to the spectacular play of star running back Adrian Peterson. The Vikings got huge production from Peterson last year averaging 4.8 yards a carry and totaling 1760 yards on the season. The Browns defense allowed 151.9 yards on the ground last season, the 4th worst in the NFL. Look for Adrian Peterson to get an early start in 2009 against the Cleveland Browns defense.

Sunday September 13, 1:00 pm – Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts – The Jaguars fell off the map last year posting a record of 5-11, their worst record in the last 5 years. The Colts made it to the playoffs with a wild card selection, coming up one game short of the Titans with a record of 12-4. The Colts want that top spot in the division back in 2009. Look for the Colts to take out last years frustration on the struggling Jaguars in week one of the 2009 NFL season.

Sunday September 13, 1:00 pm – Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints – The Lions lost all 16 games last year, and it looks like 17 in a row against the Saints in week one. The Saints finished last year out of the playoffs, but still earned one of the leagues top scoring offenses. This game should be a shoot out as neither can play any defense. Look for the Saints to keep on firing when the Lions run out of ammo in the second half.

Sunday September 13, 1:00 pm – Dallas Cowboys @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Both the Buccaneers and the Cowboys finished the 2008 season with a record of 9-7. However the Buccaneers hired a new head coach in Raheem Morris, and the Cowboys decided to keep their head coach Wade Phillips for another year. The Cowboys decision pays off early in week one. Watch out for Tony Romo to move the ball over the Tampa Bay Defense for an early NFC victory.

Sunday September 13, 1:00 pm – Philadelphia Eagles @ Carolina Panthers – Both the Eagles and the Panthers hosted high octane offenses last year and, the trend will likely continue at the start of the 2009 season. The Panthers have become a run first offense with big play ability out of their backfield. The Eagles have always relied on the pass, passing the ball for over 50 times in some games. This looks to be another NFC high scoring affair. Look for the Eagles to come in to Carolina with their minds set on an early upset for the Panthers.

Sunday September 13, 1:00 pm – Kansas City Chiefs @ Baltimore Ravens – Todd Haley will have a chance to show case his new offense in week one of the 2009 season. As both he and new quarterback Matt Cassel will have to bring their A game against the Ravens defense. The Ravens defense has been a staple example of what hard nose football is all about in the NFL. Look for a Kansas city Chiefs team to pull off an upset against an over confident Ravens team.

Sunday September 13, 1:00 pm – New York Jets @ Houston Texans – The Texans were another break out team in 2008 posting a record of 8-8 in one of the toughest divisions in all of football. The Jets took home an average record of 9-7 home at the end of the 2008 season, but look for that number to go down this year. The Jets have decided to start rookie first round draft pick Mark Sanchez and with rookie quarterbacks comes rookie mistakes. The Texans cruise by with a week one win.

Sunday September 13, 4:00 pm – New York Giants @ Washington Redskins – The New York Giants won the NFC East division again last year. The Redskins won the 13 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft and, selected Brian Orakpo. Orakpo along with new free agent acquisition Albert Haynesworth on the defensive line should cause problems for the rest of the NFC East. Look for the Redskins to win this first game at home with their defense.

Sunday September 13, 4:00 pm – San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals – The 49ers believe they can win the division this year, the only thing standing in their way are the NFC Conference champions of a year ago, the Arizona Cardinals. In week one the 49ers get their chance to prove they can win the division once again. The 49ers look hungry but, not hungry enough to stop the high powered offense of the Arizona Cardinals.

Sunday September 13, 4:00 pm – St. Louis Rams @ Seattle Sea Hawks – The Rams added a new head coach to the team but that might not be enough for success in the 2009 season. The Sea Hawks added pro bowl wide out T.J. Houshmandzadeh to the roster and he just might be that on especial piece to the puzzle the Sea Hawks needed to get back to the playoffs. This Seattle team should break out in 2009 as one of the better teams in the NFC.

Sunday September 13, 8:20 pm – Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers Preview – The Bears just might have pulled off the biggest trade in team history, if quarterback Jay Cutler can perform up to his capabilities. Both the Packers and the Bears come in to the 2009 season just a little bit better than last year. This game could be decided by an overtime coin flip that’s how evenly matched these two teams are this year.

Monday September 14, 7:00 pm – Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots – This game has been marked on the calender for weeks by both Bills and Patriots fans alike. Patriot fans are waiting for Tom Brady to surface again as the leagues best quarterback. While Bills fans are waiting to see Terrell Owens catch his first touchdown pass in a Buffalo jersey. All evidence indicates that this game should be the best game of the entire week one schedule. look for both teams to put up over 40 points each.

Monday September 14, 10:15 pm – San Diego Chargers @ Oakland Raiders – The Chargers get a shot at taking an early division lead in week one but, the Raiders have other ideas in mind. The Raiders hope last years first round pick Darren McFadden can come in and add run support to a team that lacked all offensive big play ability. The Chargers want L.T. to come back to his old form, scoring touchdowns on a regular bases. The Chargers pull off a late fourth quarter victory.

The preview above represents a small look into the analysis we put into a game prior to providing our members with our picks to cover the spread in the NFL.  So who covers the spread in NFL Week 1?  Step up your game, become a member of our family and find out.  With over 3000 active members, you owe it to yourself to find out why FiveStarPick.com is the most accurate sports handicapping service on the net.  Join today and finally start collecting from your sportsbook.

Jimmy the Geek – FiveStarPick.com