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NFL fans and analysts alike have long been prognosticating exactly how the 2025 season will play out. Now, Week 1 is here, and all interested parties are locking in their predictions for Week 1 of the campaign.
Making picks for any week of the NFL season is difficult, but it's especially tough to do so in Week 1. These teams have not yet played meaningful, regular-season action, so it remains to be seen how new acquisitions, coaching hires and more will acquit themselves in 2025.
But what does artificial intelligence (AI) anticipate will happen in the first week of the season? USA TODAY Sports decided to ask Microsoft Copilot for its perspective on the first 16 games of the NFL season.
The process of doing so was simple. USA TODAY Sports repeated the AI chatbot a simple prompt for each of the 16 Week 1 matchups. The basic form of the prompt was as follows.
- Can you predict the winner and the score of the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys NFL Week 1 game?
The appropriate matchups were swapped into the prompt as it was repeated to generate the AI chatbot's picks for each of the 16 games.
For the most part, Copilot had no issues interpreting the prompt. However, on occasion, it provided some outdated information, which isn't all too surprising, as some Large Language Models (LLMs) struggle to keep up with the latest sports news and updates. When that happened, Copilot was prompted to fix the errors and reassess the prompt.
Below is a summation of Copilot's picks for Week 1, along with a brief, human-crafted analysis of each of the chatbot's answers.
NFL Week 1 picks: AI predicts scores for every game
Philadelphia Eagles 30, Dallas Cowboys 17
AI's take: Copilot noted it expects the Eagles to "dominate, especially in the trenches and on the ground" in the NFL's Thursday night season opener. The chatbot noted new Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer is "unproven" and expressed concern Dak Prescott could be "rusty" as he returns from a hamstring injury that limited him to just eight games last year.
Our take: It's hard to argue much with Copilot's analysis. Perhaps it is undervaluing the departures of several veteran Eagles defensive starters like Milton Williams, Josh Sweat and CJ Gardner-Johnson, but after the Micah Parsons trade, it's fair to expect Philadelphia to score often against its divisional rival.
Kansas City Chiefs 27, Los Angeles Chargers 20
AI's take: Copilot is a fan of Patrick Mahomes, who it noted has thrown 21 touchdowns compared to two interceptions in seven career Week 1 starts. The chatbot also wrote Mahomes "tends to elevate whoever is on the field," implying it wasn't particularly worried about Rashee Rice's absence, and gave Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo the coaching edge over Jim Harbaugh and his staff.
Our take: Reid sports a 10-2 Week 1 record in his 12 seasons with the Chiefs, so it stands to reason Copilot would give him the edge in this matchup. The only important factor the chatbot missed was the injury to Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slater, which should further tip the scales in Kansas City's favor.
Atlanta Falcons 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21
AI's take: Copilot initially backed the Buccaneers while expressing uneasiness about trusting Michael Penix Jr. as he enters his first season as a full-time starter. However, after learning that Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin would not be playing in Week 1, the chatbot switched its pick to the Falcons. Why? Copilot believes Atlanta can "focus more coverage on Evans" with Godwin out while it expects the Falcons' pass rush to get more pressure on Baker Mayfield with Wirfs out of action.
Our take: Copilot might be slightly overreacting to those two injuries. It initially picked the Buccaneers to win 28-20 while saying Tampa Bay's "pressure and disguised coverages" could give Penix problems. But given the importance of Wirfs and Godwin to Tampa Bay's offense, this upset pick is hardly outlandish.
Cincinnati Bengals 28, Cleveland Browns 17
AI's take: This game is all about the "talent gap at quarterback," in Copilot's estimation. The chatbot praised Joe Burrow's "stellar" 2024 season while it was tentative about the immobile Joe Flacco playing "behind a shaky offensive line." Copilot also noted it wasn't worried about Cincinnati's slow starts in previous seasons as the team played its starters more frequently in the preseason to combat that possibility.
Our take: Copilot might not be overly worried about Cincinnati's slow start, but that may be enough to scare some bettors off the Bengals side in this contest. Still, it's hard to argue against the Bengals having an offensive advantage, especially with Burrow entering the 2025 NFL season at full strength.
Miami Dolphins 27, Indianapolis Colts 21
AI's take: Copilot likes the Dolphins because of their offensive skill position weapons, namely De'Von Achane, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. It's less confident in Miami's defense but believes the Daniel Jones-led Colts are "explosive enough to exploit" the Dolphins' defensive weaknesses.
Our take: This looks like a coin-flip game, so it makes sense Copilot wouldn't necessarily be overly confident in either team.
New England Patriots 23, Las Vegas Raiders 17
AI's take: Copilot appears to be a big Mike Vrabel fan. It believe the Patriots defense can "overachieve at home" while Vrabel's defensive background should help slow down a Raiders offense led by rookie running back Ashton Jeanty and veteran quarterback Geno Smith.
Our take: Vrabel has typically gotten the most out of his defenses across his NFL stops, so it makes sense for Copilot to predict a low-scoring game. It's positive opinion of Drake Maye, who it believes will "take a step forward after a solid rookie season," also aligns with predicting a Patriots win.
Arizona Cardinals 27, New Orleans Saints 16
AI's take: Copilot wants nothing to do with Saints starting Spencer Rattler, who it noted was 0-6 as a starter last season. The chatbot also likes the depth of the Cardinals along the defensive line with Josh Sweat, Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson and believes they will be able to pressure Rattler early and often.
Our take: The Saints have one of the most questionable quarterback rooms in the NFL, so they should be faded against any team that is at least average. Arizona fits the bill as an up-and-coming team and should have a good chance of spoiling Kellen Moore's coaching debut.
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, New York Jets 17
AI's take: Copilot expects Aaron Rodgers to be "motivated to perform well against the Jets" after his rocky departure from the team. The chatbot also noted the experience gap between coaches Mike Tomlin and Aaron Glenn as a reason to back Pittsburgh in this battle.
Our take: Copilot seems to like doing two things thus far: picking favorites and projecting winners to score 27 points. That said, the revenge narrative with Rodgers is real and the chatbot may be right not to trust Justin Fields against the Steelers' T.J. Watt-led defense.
Washington Commanders 27, New York Giants 20
AI's take: Copilot noted there could be "upset potential" here if the Giants can contain quarterback Jayden Daniels. That said, the chatbot said it was more likely the "rising star" would continue the momentum he built during his "historic" rookie season and lead Washington to a Week 1 win.
Our take: This score projection is closer than some of the others on Copilot's list, which may speak to how underrated the Giants' pass rush and defense may be entering the 2025 NFL season. Still, as long as Brian Daboll remains on the hot seat, we'll join the chatbot in fading New York.
Jacksonville Jaguars 27, Carolina Panthers 24
AI's take: Copilot expects the Jaguars vs. Panthers game to be a high-scoring one, as it pointed out the teams had "bottom-two defenses" in 2024. It seems more comfortable backing Trevor Lawrence and his stable of weapons instead of Bryce Young as he looks for a third-year breakout.
Our take: Will this actually be one of the highest-scoring games of the week? It could be, but the Jaguars are breaking in a new coach and offensive system while the Panthers added a lot of young talent to their defense during the offseason. That may make this coin-toss game a bit lower-scoring than Copilot is projecting.
Denver Broncos 27, Tennessee Titans 13
AI's take: Copilot doesn't want to back the Titans as rookie quarterback Cam Ward makes his NFL debut on the road against "one of the league’s toughest defenses." It also noted the altitude in Denver being a potential problem for the No. 1 overall pick in his debut.
Our take: The Broncos ranked No. 1 in the NFL in defensive EPA last season and added Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw and Jahdae Barron to the unit during the offseason. They should be well-equipped to beat a Titans team that finished with the NFL's worst record last season.
Seattle Seahawks 23, San Francisco 49ers 20
AI's take: Copilot called the Seahawks a "popular upset pick" thanks to their strong defense. It noted Seattle ranked fifth in EPA from Week 9 on last season and called the Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon-led secondary "elite." The chatbot also believes the departure of Deebo Samuel and the absence of Brandon Aiyuk will limit what the 49ers can do through the air in an already difficult matchup.
Our take: Should Copilot really be this confident backing Sam Darnold behind a shakier offensive line than the one he had in Minnesota? Maybe not, but fading the 49ers given their plethora of offensive injuries could pay off.
Detroit Lions 27, Green Bay Packers 23
AI's take: Copilot outlined a variety of reasons to back the Lions over the Packers. It called Jared Goff "more consistent" than Jordan Love and pointed out Dan Campbell has a 6-2 record against the Packers. The chatbot also noted Micah Parsons is dealing with a back injury and may not be able to make his Green Bay debut in Week 1.
Our take: Copilot's point about Goff's consistency will be tested as the quarterback navigates his first game since 2021 without Ben Johnson as his offensive coordinator. But with Love coming off a preseason finger injury, Detroit may hold the slight advantage in this contest.
Houston Texans 20, Los Angeles Rams 17
AI's take: Copilot wanted to take the upset in this matchup because of two key health issues with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (back) and left tackle Alaric Jackson (blood clots). The chatbot was particularly concerned about Stafford and feared he may struggle if Houston's "Top 5 defense" can consistently pressure him.
Our take: Copilot seemed more confident in the Texans' offensive line rebuild than some may have, but if Stafford is less than 100%, that will damage the Rams' chances of starting the 2025 NFL season with a win.
Baltimore Ravens 27, Buffalo Bills 24
AI's take: Copilot is excited to see the battle of Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, the two most recent NFL MVPs, but it is giving the Ravens a slight edge in this game. Why? The Ravens have a "deeper and more balanced roster" than the Bills, in the chatbot's estimation.
Our take: The Ravens averaged 223.5 rushing yards per game in two meetings with the Bills last season. They match up well with their fellow AFC contender, so they should have a chance to beat Buffalo, even on the road.
Minnesota Vikings 20, Chicago Bears 17
AI's take: Copilot is expecting "a close, low-scoring game where defense and field position play a major role" to kickstart ESPN's "Monday Night Football" package. It's expecting J.J. McCarthy and Caleb Williams to endure some growing pains, as the former makes his first career NFL start while the latter goes up against one of the NFL's most blitz-happy defenses.
Our take: Williams was actually just about as good against the blitz as he was when not blitzed last season, and his new offensive line could help him perform well enough to upset the Vikings here. But as Copilot's prediction indicates, this game should be close, and it could come down to the final possession.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Week 1 predictions by Microsoft Copilot AI for every game
Reporting by Jacob Camenker, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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