Eagles vs. Lions: Some Week 1 NFL predictions from the local and national media

It’s finally here. Week 1 of the NFL season got underway on Thursday night with the Bills’ 31-10 win over the Rams and will continue on Sunday with a full slate of games — one that includes Eagles vs. Lions. The Birds will be as much as a 4.5-point favorite despite playing on the road in Detroit.

So, what do the experts, both locally and nationally, think of the Eagles’ chances at taking care of this year’s “Hard Knocks” subject? The overwhelming consensus is that Philly will come out on top, with 90% of the prognosticators listed below banking on the Birds.

So who is picking against them? And who thinks they’ll win but fail to cover the spread? Let’s take a look in the first edition of our weekly predictions roundup, starting right here at home.

» READ MORE: The Inquirer's 2022 Eagles season preview

When it comes to our in-house predictions for Week 1, there’s certainly plenty of optimism. But no one is as bullish on the Birds as Josh Tolentino, who sees a 31-point road victory for the Eagles. Here’s more:

But what do Jeff McLane and EJ Smith think? Check out our full predictions here.

» READ MORE: Our favorite player props for Eagles-Lions in Week 1

Here’s a look at what those around the country have to say about Sunday’s Eagles-Lions game...

· ESPN.com: Seven of their nine experts like the Birds to win, with Jeremy Fowler and Seth Wickersham being the two exceptions.

· NFL.com: Gregg Rosenthal has the Eagles winning (and covering) in a high-scoring affair.

· CBS Sports: All eight of their experts are picking Philly straight up. Not only that, they all believe the Birds will cover the spread.

· Yahoo! Sports: Frank Schwab is betting on a Lions cover but an Eagles win. But don’t worry, he expects big things from the Birds this year.

» READ MORE: Season-long Eagles props and odds

· Sports Illustrated: We likely won’t be able to use this for very long since there will be injuries and other league-altering moves in the coming weeks, but prior to the season Sports Illustrated picked every game on the NFL schedule. They’ve got Philly getting off to a good start.

· The Ringer: Former Eagles writer Sheil Kapadia is now making his picks against the spread for The Ringer, and he has the Birds winning and covering in Detroit.

· The Athletic: Eight of their 10 football writers polled are picking the Eagles over the Lions.

· USA TODAY: Six of their seven NFL experts are taking the Eagles in Week 1.

· Pro Football Talk: Mike Florio and Michael David Smith think the Eagles are going to win, but only one believes they’ll cover.

» READ MORE: Picking the Eagles in your survivor pool could be a trap

· The New York Times: David Hill believes the Lions will cover the spread, and notes some books have started lowering it as the majority of action rolls in on Detroit.

· Bleacher Report: Five of their seven football writers are picking the Eagles.

And last but not least, here’s a look at what those closest to the teams believe will unfold this weekend, starting with a trip to enemy territory...

· Detroit Free Press: There’s not a lot of optimism in the Motor City, as seven of their eight football experts are taking picking against the Lions and backing the Birds.

· NBC Sports Philadelphia: Here’s another one where we’re picking the first game from a full season prediction, but it works at least this once, as Reuben Frank has the Birds taking down the Lions on Sunday.

· NJ.com: Three of their four NFL writers think the Eagles will start the season 1-0.

· PhillyVoice: All seven of their writers are picking the Eagles over the Lions, but some have it closer than you might expect.

· Bleeding Green Nation: It’s another clean sweep over at BGN, with all six of their writers taking the Birds.

» READ MORE: Packers-Vikings matchup offers a profitable trend for bettors of the total