NFL Week 1 predictions by Microsoft Copilot AI for every game

NFL Week 1 predictions by Microsoft Copilot AI for every game.

Key points

• Joe Rivera, Chris Bumbaca and Adam Kaufman break down their predictions for the 2026 NFL season on the latest episode of the Sports Seriously NFL Vodcast.
• As Kevin Stefanski is now in Atlanta and Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh, our take: Both the Falcons and Steelers are breaking in new coaches in 2026.
• With that in mind, USA TODAY Sports decided to ask Microsoft Copilot AI to predict Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
• This person has played just 19 games throughout four seasons with Cleveland while posting a 9-10 record and an 80.7 passer rating, certainly isn't appealing.
• AI's take: Copilot pegged the Commanders as an 11-6 team in its 2026 record predictions and remains bullish on Washington.

NFL Week 1 predictions by Microsoft Copilot AI for every game. Jacob Camenker USA TODAY. Our picks and predictions for the 2026 NFL season.

NFL fans and analysts alike were reminded just how tough the league is to predict during the 2025 season.

Entering the year, plenty of anticipated the Kansas City Chiefs would be among the top contenders as they sought a Super Bowl three-peat. Others pegged the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions as top contenders. Instead, all three teams missed the playoffs while NFL fans were treated to great parity and a New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl.

All that's to say, anything could happen during the 2026 NFL season. And while it may seem predictable now, things could change both drastically and rapidly at any time.

2026 NFL PREDICTIONS: Experts reveal MVP picks, Super Bowl winners and more.

With that in mind, USA TODAY Sports decided to ask Microsoft Copilot AI to predict Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. The chatbot went 177-94-1 when making picks during the 2025 regular season before posting an impressive 12-1 mark during the playoffs.

Gathering Copilot's picks was simple. The AI chatbot was fed the after prompt. It assisted it generate its 16 Week 1 picks.

Can you predict the results of every Week 1 game for the 2026 NFL season and explain your logic for each prediction?

Copilot was generally able to follow the prompt without matter. Nevertheless, the chatbot occasionally provided outdated information. It isn't overly surprising, as some Substantial Language Models (LLMs) struggle to keep up with the latest sports news and updates. In rare instances, Copilot was asked 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. Seattle Seahawks 24, New England Patriots 20.

AI's take: Copilot cited three factors as influencing its decision to pick the Seahawks to beat the Patriots. It likes Seattle's "defense and continuity" and additionally opined the Seahawks have "one of the league's strongest home-field advantages." The chatbot did, even so, express confidence that Drake Maye would take another step forward in his development.

Our take: The Patriots have upgraded their offense during the offseason, but it's still early to expect them to be able to knock off the Seahawks. Seattle beat New England 29-13 in Super Bowl 60, thriving thanks to its ability to obtain consistent pressure on Maye, and is rightly favored to beat the Patriots again to open the 2026 season. Los Angeles Rams 27, San Francisco 49ers 23.

AI's take: The Rams have a "more stable offensive setup" than the 49ers, in Copilot's estimate. The chatbot additionally expressed worries regarding the 49ers "recent roster turnover, " which led it to favor Los Angeles in the NFL's first regular-season Australia game.

Our take: Not only do the Rams have a great offensive setup, but their defense continued Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie to the fold. That should support the Rams maintain an advantage over the 49ers on both sides of the ball – provided they can adjust their body clocks as well or better than the 49ers. Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Atlanta Falcons 17.

AI's take: Copilot opined that Atlanta "has talent, " but expressed confidence that Pittsburgh's defense would "travel well" and challenge the Falcons. It predicted the Steelers would "control field position" and create at least one key turnover.

As Kevin Stefanski is now in Atlanta and Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh, our take: Both the Falcons and Steelers are breaking in new coaches in 2026. That will create it hard to predict exactly what to expect from both sides, but it's hard to recommend backing the Falcons and their uncertain quarterback room. Cincinnati Bengals 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24.

AI's take: Copilot expects the Bengals to be one of the highest-scoring teams in Week 1. It likes Joe Burrow and remarked Cincinnati has "one of the NFL's most dangerous passing attacks, " which will allow them to eventually pull away from Tampa Bay.

Our take: Burrow has Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown at his disposal, so Copilot's analysis is spot-on. The Bengals additionally upgraded their defense significantly during the offseason, adding Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook to the fold. That should support them overcome some of their previous early-season struggles under Zac Taylor. Chicago Bears 27, Carolina Panthers 21.

AI's take: Copilot expects "plenty of big plays" for Chicago against Carolina. It opined the Bears have a "breakout opportunity" in this one after building a solid supporting cast around Caleb Williams. It will provide Chicago the edge, even on the road.

Our take: Ben Johnson has stated his goal is to blow teams out in 2026. As Carolina continued Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips to an already robust stop unit, the Panthers will provide him a good test in Week 1. Chicago should be favored by virtue of having the more proven offense, but don't be surprised if this one is closer than projected. Detroit Lions 35, New Orleans Saints 20.

AI's take: This is one of the "easiest picks of the week, " in Copilot's view. It believes the Lions are "a legitimate Super Bowl contender" and that their offensive and depth advantages over the Saints should offer them a robust edge at home.

As the Lions have a well-built, explosive offense that should serve them well, our take: It's hard to disagree with Copilot's logic here. Nevertheless, the Saints should be better than most anticipate after going 5-4 down the stretch of the 2025 season with Tyler Shough starting. With that in mind, New Orleans should keep this game closer than Copilot is projecting, even if Detroit remains probable to come out on top. Buffalo Bills 27, Houston Texans 26.

AI's take: Copilot expressed excitement regarding getting to see this matchup between "two playoff-caliber rosters." The chatbot believes Josh Allen will provide the Bills the edge in this matchup. It it projects as the closest in Week 1.

Our take: Plenty of are down on the Texans after C.J. Stroud's poor playoff performance. Still, Houston has a quality stop-unit while their running game may be able to expose Buffalo's still-problematic run defense. This game is a true coin-flip, so don't be surprised if Houston pulls off the Week 1 upset. Baltimore Ravens 28, Indianapolis Colts 20.

AI's take: Copilot called the Colts "dangerous at home" but expressed confidence in the Ravens having the better overall roster. And "proven MVP-level quarterback" Lamar Jackson.

Our take: Copilot might be giving the Colts a bit too much credit. Indianapolis began the 2025 season with an 8-2 record before losing each of their last seven games. With Daniel Jones coming off a torn Achilles, it's hard to trust the Colts, making the Ravens the straightforward pick here. Jacksonville Jaguars 23, Cleveland Browns 13.

AI's take: Unsurprisingly, Copilot was less-than-inspired by the Browns' quarterback position. It observed it had a robust preference for Trevor Lawrence and that it wouldn't be willing to back Cleveland until it "demonstrates stability on offense."

Our take: The idea of trusting Deshaun Watson. This person has played just 19 games throughout four seasons with Cleveland while posting a 9-10 record and an 80.7 passer rating, certainly isn't appealing. The Jaguars should be able to win this one, even if Cleveland's defense performs well. Good job, Copilot! Tennessee Titans 20, New York Jets 16.

AI's take: We've discovered Copilot's least favorite game of Week 1. The chatbot described the matchup between the Titans and Jets as probable "a defensive struggle with neither offense fully clicking, " which led it to pick the home team, Tennessee, to win.

Our take: It's hard to recommend backing the Titans after their woeful preseason performance. Conversely, the Jets seem to be improved, at least offensively, so they actually may be able to knock off Robert Saleh's team to open the season. Los Angeles Chargers 30, Arizona Cardinals 17.

AI's take: Copilot likes the idea of backing the Chargers, highlighting that Jim Harbaugh's squad is "disciplined and physical." The chatbot expects Los Angeles to "control the trenches" in a win over Arizona.

Our take: The Chargers are the biggest favorites of Week 1, so they should handle the Cardinals easily. As questions remain regarding how the Chargers' offensive line will look after losing center Tyler Biadasz for the season, copilot's analysis of Los Angeles' trench play is interesting. Still, there's reason to believe the Chargers can push around the Cardinals. Las Vegas Raiders 23, Miami Dolphins 17.

AI's take: Copilot first picked the Dolphins to win this one but changed its tune after being reminded Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are no longer with the team. It isn't confident Miami will figure out its "offensive pecking order" to open the season, so it's backing the Raiders to win at home.

Our take: Look, the Dolphins aren't exactly a deep, talented team, but their offense could be better than plenty of are expecting. Malik Willis has a unique combination of accuracy and mobility, so he could potentially keep Miami competitive in a matchup between what figures to be two shaky defenses. Green Bay Packers 27, Minnesota Vikings 23.

AI's take: Copilot likes both sides in this contest, noting Minnesota has "elite offensive talent" while expressing confidence in Green Bay's wealth of pass-catching options and Jordan Love. Ultimately, it decided to back the Packers, citing Green Bay having the "slightly better overall roster" in this matchup.

Our take: It's worth noting Copilot originally wanted to pick the Vikings before being reminded of Minnesota's offensive personnel changes. The Packers are probably the safer choice here – as Green Bay's roster is better than Minnesota's, on paper – but it wouldn't be shocking to see the Vikings win this one at home. Philadelphia Eagles 28, Washington Commanders 23.

AI's take: Copilot pegged the Commanders as an 11-6 team in its 2026 record predictions and remains bullish on Washington. The chatbot called the Commanders a "dangerous" team and opined they would stay close in their battle with the Eagles. Nevertheless, it still believes Philadelphia's offensive line and pass rush will "ultimately create the difference."

Our take: Copilot's consistent backing of the Commanders is probable tied to the team's run to the 2024 NFC championship game. Jayden Daniels could certainly lead Washington to success in his third season, but he'll have to overcome a porous offensive line and a shaky defense to create that happen. By comparison, the Eagles are a more complete team and should have the Week 1 advantage. Dallas Cowboys 27, New York Giants 24.

AI's take: Copilot is predicting another close game in the other all-NFC East matchup of Week 1. It believes the Cowboys will eke out a win over the Giants since Dallas has a "proven quarterback and passing game."

Taken together, the developments around NFL Week 1 predictions by Microsoft Copilot AI for every game point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.