The 2024 NFL schedule is packed with highly anticipated matchups, and Week 1 is no exception, featuring four games between last season's playoff teams. However, match size shouldn't be your primary consideration when selecting your NFL Survivor pool for Week 1. Most players making NFL Knockout Pool picks tend to lean towards the big Las Vegas favorites, so developing an NFL Survivor strategy that allows you to avoid big trap matches could put you in a favorable position while the majority of your opponents are eliminated early in the season.
The 49ers hold a four-point advantage over the Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 1, but the return of Aaron Rodgers could make this a statement game for the Jets after a disappointing 7-10 season in 2023. Before you lock in your Week 1 NFL Survivor picks, see which teams the in-form SportsLine Projection Model has all-in on.
The model has simulated every NFL game 10,000 times and has returned over $7,000 in profits on $100 players on top-tier NFL picks since inception. The model has an astounding 181-129 record on top-tier NFL picks dating back to the 2017 season and heading into Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. It has also gone 35-21 on top-tier NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022.
The model has ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch for straight-up NFL picks four of the last six years and beat over 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that time period, placing it pretty high on anyone who follows the model.
Now, the model has looked at the latest Week 1 NFL odds and locked in its predictions for the survival pool in Week 1. Find out who the model is backing this week exclusively at SportsLine.
NFL Week 1 Survivor Pool Predictions
The model is avoiding the Miami Dolphins for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, even though the Dolphins are favored to win the season over the Jaguars, who finished 11-6 and missed the playoffs at 9-8. Both teams started strong but then fizzled out late, with the Jaguars going 8-3 but losing five of six games to miss the playoffs, while the Dolphins were thrashed late in the season by the Ravens and Bills, which means they'll be visiting Arrowhead Stadium on a frigid night during the NFL Wild Card Weekend.
The Jaguars lost Calvin Ridley this offseason, but they believe they more than made up for it by signing Gabe Davis from Buffalo and drafting Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round. Thomas is a 6-foot-5 receiver out of Louisiana State who had 68 catches for 1,177 yards and an NCAA-leading 17 touchdowns in his final season in Baton Rouge. Trevor Lawrence threw for 319 yards and a touchdown against the Dolphins in 2021, and fellow 2021 quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Jaguars passing attack could pose problems for Miami's pass defense, which ranked 25th in passing touchdowns allowed in 2023. Find out which team to pick here.
How to choose the NFL Week 1 Survivor pool
Instead, the model is favoring the surprise home team to win in nearly 80% of simulations, and the time to pick this team is now: You can see this play exclusively at SportsLine.
Which surprise teams are you sure to bet on in the Week 1 Survivor pool? Visit SportsLine now to find out which teams will be victorious in Week 1. It's all powered by an advanced computer model that's consistently dominating the NFL and has made well over $7,000,000 in profits since its inception.
