Best Bets: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets (Open Thread)

Are we ready to cheer for Aaron Rodgers?

I know, I know - exactly 0.0% of Bears fans are interested in actually cheering for their tormentor but here’s the thing about this season: the Packers gain if the Jets are bad. Compensation for the Rodgers trade is contingent upon the number of snaps that he takes this season. If Rodgers plays at least 65% of the snaps, the Jets send over their 2024 first rounder. If he plays fewer than 65%, they’ll owe their second rounder.

In a perfect world, Rodgers would play poorly or decide to take that trip to Mars or whatever early in the year and the Jets make a playoff run without him, sending a late second rounder. The more likely scenario is that Rodgers plays the requisite number of snaps and therefore sets up Bears fans to cheer for the New York Jets to make that first round pick as low in the round as possible.

The Jets have the makings of a good team. Interesting weapons for Rodgers to throw to including the reigning offensive rookie of the year in Garrett Wilson. The newly signed Dalvin Cook will tote the ball while Breece Hall works his way back into game condition after suffering an ACL tear last year. The Jets defense could be the real story in New Jersey this year, with one of the best defensive lines in football and sophomore sensation Sauce Gardner locking down top receivers on the outside.

They’ll host the Buffalo Bills. Yeah, those Bills, who were Super Bowl favorites last year before experiencing one of the most strange and emotionally draining seasons in recent memory. They renew their expectations for a title run yet again and have the benefit of continuity across the roster. There are no real question marks on this roster and Josh Allen returns as one of the favorites to win MVP.

It’s an incredible game to finish the first week of the NFL season and while it’s tough to know exactly how these teams will come out of the gates, I give the benefit of the doubt to the team with more continuity from the previous year. The line kindly gives us less than a FG so even a close 3-point game gives us the win. As for the over/under, I pick mostly unders early on as defenses are normally ahead of offenses early, I’m rolling with the ability of two superstar QBs to put up enough points to clear 45.5

Picks: Bills -2.5, Over 45.5

Check out our staff picks for this one below and let us know who you got in the comments.

Numbers courtesy of our partners at DraftKings Sportsbooks