By Nick Veronica

Welcome to Year Five of NFL picks. A brief review:

2010: 108-132-5 (11-6 best bets). These picks were originally designed to be compared against the Buffalo News’ staff selections, but picking against the spread, I learned, is much harder than it looks. This record would have been last place.

2011: 118-119-2 (no best bets). This would’ve been third among TBN pickers. I was tied in second heading into Week 17. Just missed a winning record.

2012: 115-115-9 (11-4-1 best bets). Would’ve been fourth among TBN. I seem to have missed a best bet one week. Oh well. Inching closer to that winning record…

2013: 105-127-8 (9-8 best bets). This was the fewest wins yet, though it wouldn’t have been last among TBN.

Overall total: 446-493-25. Gee Nick, don’t you have a 50 percent of getting them right? Hey, nobody asked you.

Last season’s results:

Sullivan 121-110-9 (9-7-1)
Graham 116-115-9 (6-9-2)
Northrop 114-117-9 (4-13)
Skurski 110-121-9 (9-6-2)
Gaughan 109-122-9 (6-9-2)
IAGS 105-127-8 (9-8)
DiCesare 96-135-9 (7-10)

(Note: not all years had the same number of games picked due to varying number of mid-week games, which aren’t included in picks. The game lines come from Thursday’s paper each week.)

Without further adieu, here are some Week One picks that are bound to be wrong:

Buffalo +6.5 at Chicago — Bears

New Orleans -3 at Atlanta — Saints

Minnesota +4 at St. Louis — Vikings

Cleveland +6.5 at Pittsburgh — Steelers

Jacksonville +10 at Philadelphia — Eagles

Oakland +5 at Jets — Jets

Cincinnati +2 at Baltimore — Bengals

Washington +2.5 at Houston — Washington

Tennessee +4 at Kansas City — Chiefs*

New England -4.5 at Miami — Patriots

Carolina +1.5 at Tampa Bay — Panthers

San Francisco -5 at Dallas — Cowboys

Indianapolis +7.5 at Denver — Broncos

Giants +5.5 at Detroit — Lions

San Diego +3 at Arizona — Chargers