NBA superstar Kevin Durant went through his Week 1 NFL picks while a guest on the Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams. When asked who he preferred in the matchup between Chicago and Tennessee, he said he liked the Caleb Williams and the Bears over the Titans. Then Adams asked if he had any other games jump out at him, and Durant let his fan bias show.
“Obviously, my Commanders are going down to Tampa Bay and getting a W. Just to let you know, I'm probably going to pick them every week.”
I got my Commanders and the Bears tomorrow. Who y’all got? @FDSportsbook
Adams responded, “Bucs are -3.5-point favorites. He [Jayden Daniels] gets the division winner out the gate, on the road. What do you thinks going to happen?”
Durant wasn't having any of it, “I think we win by a touchdown!”
Even more surprising, Durant said he believes Dak Prescott will win NFL MVP this year despite spending much of this interview badmouthing the Cowboys.
Forecasting Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels in their Week 1 matchups
Rookie quarterbacks who can hit the ground running are always good for business. C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans have been the talk of the offseason and are projected to be Super Bowl favorites by bettors and fans alike. So, a fast start by the Commanders and Bears would revitalize two huge fan bases.
By all early indications, both Williams and Daniels have had great preseason. Bears GM Ryan Poles shared his hopes for his rookie quarterback in an interview with Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
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“I want him to lean on the talent around him, and then when the time is right – and that's an instinctual thing, and I think that plays right into him – that's when you do the special [things],” Poles said. “Sometimes it's gonna get out of whack one way or the other, but always come back to that.”
It's not just Durant looking forward to the Commanders and their rookie quarterback. Daniels is receiving similar praise and consideration from his Commanders' coaching staff as Dan Quinn commented on his rookie quarterback's most underrated traits.
“I would say like, it's such an interesting dynamic, he's got this California cool underneath in terms of what he is, but man, like he is one hell of a competitor,” Quinn said. “I would say you don't feel that from seeing him, he's not aggressive or loud or say anything. But man, he absolutely wants to go for it. And absolutely, like Matt Ryan, had that approach where, you know, nice guy image, but he was a real competitor.”
The rookie duo begins their NFL careers on Sunday, September 8. The Bears host the Titans at 1:00 p.m. EST and the Commanders travel to face the Buccaneers at 4:25 p.m. EST.
