NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal Week 1 Picks with Cynthia Frelund
Sep 5, 2025
Cynthia Frelund, an NFL Network analytics expert, joins to share her data-driven insights for week 1 of the NFL season. They dive into matchups like the Vikings vs. Bears and Giants vs. Commanders, discussing team dynamics and player injuries that could impact predictions. Frelund emphasizes the importance of predictive modeling and reveals her picks, encouraging fans to consider various factors before betting. The conversation also touches on the unpredictability of early games and strategic insights for betting.
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Transcript
Episode notes
Dog Picks To Test Her Model
- Cynthia recounts making a playful 'dog's pick' by feeding snacks to pets to choose among her model's top eight teams.
- She uses that anecdote to illustrate her confidence in data-driven picks while keeping it light and relatable.
Week One Is A Different Animal
- Cynthia warns week-one games often behave differently than full-season expectations and favors cautious short-term thinking.
- She highlights that early-season line instability and roster changes make week one prone to upsets and model uncertainty.
Grab Points When Week One Is Noisy
- Take points in week one when unpredictability is high and the market may misprice divisional familiarity.
- Consider matchup-specific improvements rather than season-long model rankings when choosing spreads.