The Washington Redskins opening day roster will look much different from the one that finished the 2017 campaign. And it’s not because they overhauled the group, but because a number of players are returning to good health. The Skins placed 20 players on injured reserve last season and never could find a rhythm with such a fluid lineup. There is something to be said about consistency and the Skins are looking for it. Both teams will break in a new quarterback in Week 1 with Alex Smith taking over for Kirk Cousins and Sam Bradford getting the nod for the Arizona Cardinals after Carson Palmer retired.
Kickoff for this NFL regular season Week 1 game is set for Sunday, September 9, 2018, at 4:25 p.m. ET at University of Phoenix Stadium.
NFL Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Washington Redskins PK
Arizona Cardinals PK
Over/Under 44
Odds Analysis
There has been no change on the line for this game, meaning the oddsmakers nailed it or the betting public doesn’t care. The Cards are getting a majority of the action, likely for being the home team. The game is a toss-up with over 70 percent of the action on the under for a total that sits at 44.
Injury Report
Derrius Guice – The start of preseason was just a rollover from 2017 when the Skins lost their second-round pick to a season-ending knee injury. Guice was projected to be the starting back with hopes of improving a sluggish run game. Instead, the Skins signed Adrian Peterson to take his place. Just a few days after signing, AP romped for 56 yards on 11 carries, proving he still has it. And he’ll need it for an entire season with Byron Marshall headed to IR and Samaje Perine recovering from an ankle injury.
A.Q. Shipley – The Cards had to reconfigure their offensive line after Shipley went down with an ACL injury in camp. He earned the starting job prior to the 2016 season and was the only lineman to start every game in each of the last two campaigns. The Cards drafted Mason Cole in the third round to eventually take over the spot; the time came much sooner than anyone anticipated.
Player to Watch
Bradford is an efficient quarterback when healthy. The only problem is he’s rarely healthy. A pair of ACL injuries to the same knee cost him nearly two seasons and the after effects of the damage forced him to miss all but two games last season. The Cards invested the seventh-overall pick on Josh Rosen and the former UCLA star will be starting at some point.
Anything the Cards can get out of Bradford is icing on the cake, but they aren’t rolling over and waiting for Rosen to take the gig. Bradford showed signs that his creaky knees are stable for now. He played sparingly in the preseason but showed enough mobility to ease the minds of the coaching staff. Bradford completed 8 of 11 throws for 73 yards in four series. The Cards kept veteran Mike Glennon as the third QB so he could backup Rosen when Bradford goes down.
Matchup to Watch
Two of the best players at their position will go at it on Sunday when last year’s sack leader Chandler Jones will have to get past Trent Williams in order to add to his career total. Jones tallied 17 sacks last season and has reached double-figures in four of his six seasons, including each of the last three. Jones has 28 sacks in his two seasons with the Cards and 64 in his career.
New coach Steve Wilks was the Panthers defensive coordinator and he’s employing a new 4-3 scheme that Jones will need to get used to. The bottom line is that he’s the best edge rusher in the game. Williams is a Pro Bowl tackle and he’s returning from offseason knee surgery. “Anytime you have a Pro Bowler like Trent, it makes your team better all the way around,” Jay Gruden said.
Free ATS Pick
Getting a bunch of players back healthy this season should make the Redskins better, and many feel the addition of Smith is an upgrade over Cousins. That remains to be seen, but there’s no arguing the success Smith has had over his career, particularly during regular season games.
The Skins could be a sleeper in the NFC as long they remain relatively healthy. Their porous run defense was upgraded through the draft and if Peterson can be a force in the backfield, the Skins should be allright. They will have to slow down David Johnson, but I like the Skins to win this one on the road.
NFL Betting Odds: Redskins 31, Cardinals 26
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