Welcome to the 2025 edition of Staff Picks, where each week this season our writers will pick every NFL game against the spread.
Two-time defending champ Kevin Payne is back in search of a three-peat, with, as usual, fellow RotoWire writers Jeff Erickson and Nick Whalen and Yahoo Sports' Scott Pianowski. Joining the gang this year is RotoWire football writer Mario Puig.
Payne finished 138-131-3 last year in to capture his third title in the last four seasons. Since 2021, Payne has gone 554-511-22 on NFL picks.
Week 1 features four unanimous picks: Patriots -2.5, Falcons +2.5, Browns +5.5, Broncos -8. Seven teams garnered four votes, just missing unanimity.
Each of the writers picked a unique best bet, however.
Odds from BetMGM. Use the BetMGM Bonus Code for a risk-free bet up to $1,000.
| MATCHUP | ERICKSON | PIANOWSKI | WHALEN | PAYNE | PUIG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys +8.5 at Eagles | Eagles | Cowboys | Eagles | Cowboys | Cowboys |
| Chiefs -3 vs. Chargers at Sao Paulo | Chiefs | Chargers | Chiefs | Chargers | Chargers |
| Raiders +2.5 at Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots |
| Steelers -3 at Jets | Jets | Steelers | Steelers | Steelers | Steelers |
| Buccaneers -2.5 at Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons |
| Dolphins +1 at Colts | Colts | Colts | Dolphins | Dolphins | Colts |
| Cardinals -6.5 at Saints | Saints | Saints | Cardinals | Saints | Saints |
| Giants +6 at Commanders | Giants | Giants | Giants | Commanders | Giants |
| Panthers +3.5 at Jaguars | Jaguars | Panthers | Jaguars | Jaguars | Jaguars |
| Bengals -5.5 at Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns |
| Titans +8 at Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos |
| 49ers -2.5 at Seahawks | Seahawks | Seahawks | 49ers |
Welcome to the 2025 edition of Staff Picks, where each week this season our writers will pick every NFL game against the spread.
Two-time defending champ Kevin Payne is back in search of a three-peat, with, as usual, fellow RotoWire writers Jeff Erickson and Nick Whalen and Yahoo Sports' Scott Pianowski. Joining the gang this year is RotoWire football writer Mario Puig.
Payne finished 138-131-3 last year in to capture his third title in the last four seasons. Since 2021, Payne has gone 554-511-22 on NFL picks.
Week 1 features four unanimous picks: Patriots -2.5, Falcons +2.5, Browns +5.5, Broncos -8. Seven teams garnered four votes, just missing unanimity.
Each of the writers picked a unique best bet, however.
Odds from BetMGM. Use the BetMGM Bonus Code for a risk-free bet up to $1,000.
| MATCHUP | ERICKSON | PIANOWSKI | WHALEN | PAYNE | PUIG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys +8.5 at Eagles | Eagles | Cowboys | Eagles | Cowboys | Cowboys |
| Chiefs -3 vs. Chargers at Sao Paulo | Chiefs | Chargers | Chiefs | Chargers | Chargers |
| Raiders +2.5 at Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots |
| Steelers -3 at Jets | Jets | Steelers | Steelers | Steelers | Steelers |
| Buccaneers -2.5 at Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons |
| Dolphins +1 at Colts | Colts | Colts | Dolphins | Dolphins | Colts |
| Cardinals -6.5 at Saints | Saints | Saints | Cardinals | Saints | Saints |
| Giants +6 at Commanders | Giants | Giants | Giants | Commanders | Giants |
| Panthers +3.5 at Jaguars | Jaguars | Panthers | Jaguars | Jaguars | Jaguars |
| Bengals -5.5 at Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns |
| Titans +8 at Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos |
| 49ers -2.5 at Seahawks | Seahawks | Seahawks | 49ers | 49ers | Seahawks |
| Lions +2.5 at Packers | Lions | Lions | Lions | Packers | Lions |
| Texans +3 at Rams | Rams | Texans | Rams | Texans | Texans |
| Ravens -1.5 at Bills | Ravens | Ravens | Bills | Ravens | Ravens |
| Vikings -1.5 at Bears | Bears | Vikings | Vikings | Vikings | Vikings |
| Best Bet | Eagles | Patriots | Jaguars | Texans | Colts |
| 2024 Best Bet Record | 6-11 | 7-10 | 4-12-1 | 10-6-1 | 6-11 |
| 2024 Unanimous Pick Record | 5-9 | ||||
| 2024 Majority Pick Record | 124-129-3 | ||||
| 2024 Record | 131-138-3 | 121-148-3 | 127-142-3 | 138-131-3 | N/A |
| 2023 Record | 133-131-8 | 125-139-8 | 129-135-8 | 140-124-8 | N/A |
| 2022 Record | 127-136-8 | 149-114-8 | 124-139-8 | 131-132-8 | N/A |
| 2021 Record | 129-140-3 | 134-135-3 | N/A | 145-124-3 | N/A |
| 2020 Record | 121-127-8 | 128-120-8 | N/A | 115-133-8 | N/A |
| 2019 Record | 126-124-6 | 140-110-6 | N/A | 127-123-6 | N/A |
| 2018 Record | 125-122-9 | 134-113-9 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017 Record | 117-125-14 | 128-114-14 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2016 Record | 140-111-5 | 130-121-5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2015 Record | 134-114-8 | 120-128-8 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2014 Record | 123-128-5 | 140-111-5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2013 Record | 132-114-10 | 118-128-10 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2012 Record | 110-140-6 | 125-125-6 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2011 Record | 121-128-7 | 134-115-7 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2010 Record | 129-122-5 | 134-117-5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2009 Record | 123-130-3 | 132-121-3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2008 Record | 132-114-10 | 128-118-10 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2007 Record | 127-120 | 118-129 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2006 Record | 118-129 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2005 Record | 121-126 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2004 Record | 124-124 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2003 Record | 121-126 | 118-129 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2002 Record | 113-136 | 123-126 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2001 Record | 124-113 | 117-120 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2000 Record | 123-117 | 134-106 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| WRITER | COMMENT |
|---|---|
| Erickson | I'm going to go narrative street with the best bet. I think that this Dallas defense will be awful without Micah Parsons, as the pass rush he generated covered up so many of the ills in the Dallas secondary. Overall, I like a lot of home dogs, and I really like the unders in Falcons-Bucs, Niners-Seahawks and Jets-Steelers. |
| Pianowski | I am drinking all the Mike Vrabel Kool-Aid. |
| Whalen | Look, I'm starting to feel queasy as I type this, but the Jags are at home against what should again be a very poor defense in Carolina. This is less of an endorsement of Jacksonville and more of a fade of the Panthers and Bryce Young on the road. |
| Payne | Always to tough to call Week 1. The Rams are the Alabama of the NFL; overrated based on past results. |
| Puig | The Colts have their various issues, but the Dolphins pretty much only have issues. At least Indianapolis can hand it to Jonathan Taylor over and over against what should be a weak Miami run defense. Then again, this is my first time making spread picks and this very well could be an unintentional list of picks not to make. Second best bet: Browns. The Bengals should win, but their OL has some questions to answer at guard and their defense might not be able to stop anyone, let alone a Browns offense that might be vaguely composed under Joe Flacco's direction. |
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The players:
• Jeff Erickson: RotoWire Senior Editor, 2001, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2016 Staff Picks champ. Writes the Weekly Rankings. Roots for the Bengals.
• Scott Pianowski: Fantasy expert for Yahoo! Sports, and also contributes to RotoWire. 2009, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2022 Staff Picks champ. Roots for the Patriots.
• Nick Whalen: RotoWire Senior Media Analyst. Writes Beating the Book. Roots for the Jaguars.
• Kevin Payne: RotoWire Staff Writer, 2021 and 2023 Staff Picks champ. Roots for the Bills.
• Mario Puig: RotoWire Senior Football Writer. Writes the WR vs. CB Matchup Report. Roots for the Packers.
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