Monday Night NFL Picks: New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins Week 1 Odds and Predictions – ESPN Free NFL Picks 9/12

Week 1 Free NFL Picks: New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins Monday Night NFL Week 1 Vegas Odds, Free Picks, and Expert Predictions on ESPN 9/12/11: Two division rivals square off on Monday Night Football when the New England Patriots visit the Miami Dolphins. The teams were at the opposite end of the spectrum last season with the Patriots going 14-2 and the Dolphins struggling to a 7-9 record. Throw in a vicious 41-14 beating that New England put on the Dolphins in Miami, and it is easy to understand why Bill Belichick’s bunch is a seven-point favorite in the season opener for both teams.

Coming off an MVP season, New England quarterback Tom Brady once again has an arsenal of weapons at his disposal. From slot receiver Wes Welker and tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez to newly acquired deep threat Chad Johnson, Brady can torch opposing defenses in a variety of ways. The Dolphins secondary found that out first hand last season, and it could again Monday night.

While the Patriots are a well-oiled machine on offense, the Dolphins are a team in transition. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are out at running back, and rookie Daniel Thomas and Reggie Bush have been brought in. Behind an underrated offensive line, the Dolphins plan on using Thomas and Bush as their own version of thunder and lightning. However, it remains to be seen how quickly the two newcomers adjust to their new settings, and it is going to be trial by fire for Miami against the team that finished last season with the best record in the NFL.

The bigger question mark for the Dolphins is going to be the play of quarterback Chad Henne. Henne has been a rollercoaster under center, and the Miami front office tried throughout the offseason to acquire Kyle Orton to replace him. When trade talks dissolved, the team switched gears and backed Henne as their guy. He is going to have to limit the mistakes to give the Dolphins a chance against a more talented New England team. Throwing as many passes as possible to Brandon Marshall, who is as tough to guard as any receiver in the league.

Defensively, the Dolphins actually have a solid all-around unit. However, the defense wore down later in games last season as the offense struggled to stay on the field. The Patriots struggled to defend the pass at times, but offseason additions of Shaun Ellis and Albert Haynesworth to the defensive line should increase the pressure New England can put on opposing QBs. Not to mention that linebackers Brandon Spikes and Jerod Mayo are both athletic and capable of getting to the quarterback. More importantly, Henne has shown nothing up to this point to suggest that he can take advantage of a weaker secondary anyway.

If this game was played later in the year, the Dolphins may have a better chance to contend. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, they have to try to break in new set of running backs with an unproven quarterback against a New England team that should put plenty of points on the board. In the end, Brady simply has too many weapons to work with, even for a solid Miami defense. Meanwhile, Henne will likely be coaxed into a few crucial mistakes that turn an uphill battle into a lost cause.

Free NFL Football Picks and Predictions: New England Patriots -7

Stop by NSAwins.com daily throughout the NFL Football season for daily Free NFL Picks and Vegas NFL Lines plus daily updated Super Bowl 2012 Futures Odds.