Pick or Pass? Who to take in your survivor pool in Week 1
"Outwit, outplay, outlast."
The motto made popular by the hit television show "Survivor" can also be applied to your office betting pool that fires up this week.
Survivor pools have become one of the most popular forms of betting football in recent years, and with 14 games to pick from this weekend, there's plenty of contests to choose a winner from.
For those that aren't familiar with the format, a survivor pool involves each participant picking a team that they think will win straight-up that week. The same team cannot be chosen more than once, so one must be selective as they advance further with each week.
Here's a few clubs to keep an eye on this week when making your first selection:
Two teams to pick
Pittsburgh Steelers
Le'Veon Bell is back, Antonio Brown is planning his touchdown dances, and the Cleveland Browns are in a pile of trouble on Sunday. The Pittsburgh Steelers head to the home of their AFC North rival as 9.5-point favorites and should be everybody's No. 1 pick for their survivor pools this week. Brown has destroyed Cleveland throughout his career, registering a whopping 1,130 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 career games, and the Bro's revamped secondary will struggle to slow down the Steeler's attack.
Carolina Panthers
This isn't necessarily a pick for how strong the Carolina Panthers are, but more so for how bad the San Francisco 49ers project to be. Cam Newton is back at full strength to face last season's league-worst defense, and with former Stanford star Christian McCaffrey added to the backfield, look for the Panthers to run up the score at Levi's Stadium. It's not always wise to take a road team in a survivor pool, but when the opposition is the 49ers - or the Browns in Pittsburgh's case - we'll make an exception.
Team to avoid
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills will be a popular pick in survivor pools this week, as the hapless New York Jets are coming to Orchard Park to start the season. While the Jets are unquestionably bad, the Bills don't exactly inspire a lot of confidence with their roster this year either. Division rivalries can often lead to weird results, and with both offenses saddled with weak passing attacks, this one could be a close finish. Best to stay away in the opening week until we see if the Bills can move the ball with Jordan Matthews and Zay Jones as their top wideouts.