HH's Hump Day NFL Pick'em - Week 1

Welcome everyone to Season 3 of the Hump Day NFL Pick'em!

We are back with a vengeance this year and extremely happy to announce that we will continue to work with the good folks at NRG, who provided the excellent prizes last year and will continue to do so!

There are some major changes to discuss, however.  The new rules are below:

This is a weekly contest in which I will make ten game picks each Wednesday and invite you, the loyal Hogs Haven readers, to make your own picks in the comments section.

I will still make my picks each week based on the early lines set in Las Vegas, but instead of picking a winner for every game, I will choose ten games that I feel are the most significant.  The games chosen will always include the nationally televised games, the Redskins games (of course), and then whatever other games I find interesting.   This change is not purely due to my laziness, but laziness did play a large role.

I am not capping the amount of entrants this year, so everyone who comments with their picks after the post goes up (using the games I chose), and enters Rafflecopter will have a chance.  Two contestants will be chosen using Rafflecopter.  I will announce the two contestants on Thursday night at 7:30pm on our show "The District" found right here on Hogs Haven and streaming live on WBAD radio.

As I mentioned above, I will incorporate the spread as determined by Las Vegas the Tuesday before the games and you can earn 1 point for each correct choice. The contestant with the best score will be the winner.  Ties will be decided, as usual, by our lovely assistant, who will draw a name out of my favorite, dirty, Redskins hat.

The winner will be announced on the next week's Hump Day Pick'em and earn a fabulous prize, courtesy of NRG, that will then be mailed to them.  Each week the prize will change, and every week a prize will be given out.

Simple right?!?!

Here are my 10 picks for this week:

Pittsburgh Steelers (+7) at New England Patriots: The NFL opens the season on national television with a big time battle of old school rivals.  In a strange turn of events, league commissioner Roger Goodell won't be in attendance.  When asked by the media why, he stated it has nothing to do with the recent Deflategate dustup, but just that he has a "thing" elsewhere that night. Pick: Patriots (-7)

Green Bay Packers (-6.5) at Chicago Bears: In what has quickly become an awkward situation, Jordy Nelson interrupted several team meetings this week to question Aaron Rodgers about why he no longer follows him on Facebook. Pick: Packers (-6.5)

Kanasas City Chiefs (+1) at Houston Texans: If I could choose to be anyone else besides me right now, I'd choose to be JJ Watt.  Not because of the fame, fortune or women, but because of that sweet bed he has at work. Pick: Texans (-1)

Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) at Buffalo Bills: Just looking at this game from the surface, it looks like the Colts will easily beat the Tyrod Taylor-lead Bills.  But when you really dive in deep and analyze it, you see that that's still true. Pick: Colts (-2.5)

Miami Dolphins (-4) at Washington Redskins: It took a daunting three full seasons before we all got the Ryan Tannehill vs. Kirk Cousins matchup we'd been hoping for.  Pick: Redskins (+4)

Seattle Seahawks (-4) at St. Louis Rams: As you look at these two teams, you can't help but reflect back on the significance of the 2012 draft, and then cry a little, and then maybe watch some "Drunk History"  to get your mind off it.  Pick: Seahawks (-4)

Baltimore Ravens (+4.5) at Denver Broncos: At age 39, Peyton Manning is one of the few players remaining in the league that makes me feel like I could quit all this and still go chase my dream.  Except my couch looks really comfortable, so never mind. Pick: Broncos (-4.5)

New York Giants (+6) at Dallas Cowboys: We all know the Cowboys' annual late season implosion is coming, but when?  Who knows, but let's all just enjoy the ride. Pick: Cowboys (-6)

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) at Atlanta Falcons: In part one of the Monday night double header, Philly heads to Atlanta in what should be a high flying fun offensive matchup.  Pick: Eagles (-3)

Minnesota Vikings (-2.5) at San Francisco 49ers: In part two.....yeah, I'll just read about this one on Tuesday. Pick: 49ers (+2.5)

So there are my Week 1 picks. The winner this week will have this fabulous prize to look forward to, courtesy of NRG:

Two tickets to the Redskins - Eagles game at Fed Ex Field on October 4^th!!!!!

I will announce this week's two contestants, as chosen by Rafflecopter, on tomorrow night's episode of "The District", and the winner will be announced next Wednesday on the next Hump Day post.

Good luck!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway