The Atlanta Falcons may have surprised with their ineptitude during the NFL's 2018 season opener on Thursday night, but expectations are still through the roof when it comes to the NFC this year, and it doesn't matter which division you're talking about.

Sunday's showdown between the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers is just one example.

On one side, we've got a defending NFC North champion in the Vikings that is coming off a 13-3 year and a trip to the NFC title game and yet still has the bar set even higher. That's what happens when you give out a fully guaranteed $84-million contract to the consensus top free agent on the market in quarterback Kirk Cousins. Anything less than a return to the NFC Championship Game for the Vikings would be a disappointment. It's good, then, that they still boast one of the NFL's fiercest defenses, which will have a chance to establish its territory early on Sunday. Now it's all about execution and living up to the hype.

On the other side, we've got a curious contender in the Niners -- but a contender in many fans' eyes nonetheless. There's reason to be skeptical of San Fran taking an instant leap in Year Two of the Kyle Shanahan era, if only because the NFC West is so unpredictable and also features the incomparably hyped Los Angeles Rams. But there's also an argument to be made that the 49ers would be a good wild card bet if they were in the AFC. Jimmy Garoppolo will get his first chance to be the full-time QB, and even without free-agent pickup and ex-Viking Jerick McKinnon, who's out for the season due to injury, Garoppolo's poise alone should make the Niners a potential weekly spoiler.

Here's how to catch this week's Week 1 battle between the 49ers and Vikings:

How to watch, stream

  • Kickoff: Sunday, Sept. 9, 1 p.m. ET
  • TV: FOX (Check local listings)
  • Streaming: fuboTV (Try for free)

Who will win?

Sorry, Jimmy. The 49ers may very well take a step forward in 2018, and who's to say the improved San Francisco defense can't rattle Cousins a little bit? Pete Prisco, in fact, thinks this showdown will be a one-score game. But no one's willing to bet too heavily against the Vikings just yet, especially with the team opening at home. All eight of our CBS NFL experts like Minnesota to take this season-opening battle in the stocked NFC.

You can catch all of CBS's expert NFL picks right here.

So who should you back in Week 1 of the NFL season? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams are winning more than 50 percent of simulations, all from the model that has outperformed 98 percent of experts tracked by NFLPickWatch.com the past two seasons.