On Thursday night, the 2014 NFL season will kick off with the Seattle Seahawks kick-starting their title defense against the Green Bay Packers at Seattle's CenturyLink Field.
Week 1 NFL picks and predictions, Packers vs. Seahawks: Experts taking Seattle to open with a win
The defending champions open up against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in a much-anticipated matchup.
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Green Bay has one of the most balanced attacks in the NFL, led by Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers missed seven games last season with a shoulder injury, but still threw for 2,536 yards and 17 touchdowns. The 2005 first-round pick also has help from second-year running back Eddie Lacy, who rushed for 1,178 yards and 11 scores in his rookie campaign. The Packers added Julius Peppers on defense, but lost B.J. Raji for the year during the preseason with a biceps injury.
SB Nation Picks
Seattle enters with the best defense in the game. Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas are the cornerstones on the unit, and Sherman led the league in interceptions with eight in 2013. Both were given extensions this offseason, with Thomas earning $40 million and Sherman pulling down $57.4 million. The leaders of the Legion of Boom are aided by pass-rushers Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, who combined for 16.5 sacks last season.
The Seahawks are favored by 5.5 points, according to Oddsshark, and most are siding with the champs. The Seahawks are nearly an unanimous pick among SB Nation's NFL experts, with six of the seven picking the Seahawks to win at home. Over at CBS Sports, all eight experts are rolling with Russell Wilson and company to win outright. However, only Ryan Wilson and Jamey Eisenberg are picking Seattle to cover the spread. ESPN's NFL experts followed along in picking Seattle. Eric Allen, Mike Golic, Merril Hoge, Ron Jaworski, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson and Mike Ditka all picked Seattle to open its Super Bowl defense with a victory.
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