A new NFL season dawns Thursday with a game that will interest Green Bay Packers fans when the Philadelphia Eagles meet the Dallas Cowboys. The former is the team that eliminated the Packers from last year’s postseason en route to a Super Bowl title. The latter just traded the Packers a generational pass rusher.
ESPN Analytics revealed its Matchup Predictor numbers for the league’s 16 games on the Week 1 schedule, with the obvious question: Are the Packers or Lions favored in the Sunday afternoon tilt at Lambeau Field? And while we’re at it, what about the Monday Night Football clash between the other two NFC North foes, the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears?
Here’s what the site has to say:
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers, 3:25 p.m. CT Sunday, Sept. 7, CBS (stream with FUBO)
ESPN says the Lions have a 51.9% chance to beat the Packers on Sunday, while the Packers have a 47.7% shot (the remaining percentage accounts for a tie).
The gamut of predictions around the game includes plenty of picks favoring the Packers, though nearly everyone imagines a close game.
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears, 7:15 p.m. CT Monday, Sept. 8, ESPN, ABC (stream with FUBO)
ESPN gives the Bears a 52.5% chance to win the opener at Soldier Field, while the Vikings have a 47.1% chance.
Like the Packers-Lions game, you’ll find expectations for a close game across betting platforms.
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles, 7:20 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, NBC (stream with Peacock).
The season-opener isn’t as close a call in the eyes of the betting world. ESPN gives the Eagles a 66.4% chance to beat the Cowboys, and the Cowboys have a 33.3% chance.
Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Chargers, 7 p.m. CT Friday, YouTube (São Paulo, Brazil)
Want to take a trip back to São Paulo? The Packers and Eagles began the season there last year, and this time it’s a pair of AFC teams making the voyage for a Friday night test.
ESPN gives the Chiefs a 56.9% chance to beat the Chargers, with Los Angeles getting a 42.8% chance.
Here’s a rundown of the rest of the games Week 1
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: NFL Week 1 predictions: ESPN matchup predictor’s pick and win probabilities; are Packers favored to beat the Lions?
Reporting by JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
