The NFC is overflowing with potential playoff favorites as the 2018 NFL season gets underway, but that doesn't mean there isn't a little ambiguity within the conference as opening day draws near.

Case in point: The Arizona Cardinals and Washington Redskins.

The two teams will meet to kick off their season Sunday, and they're probably more similar than you'd think.

Each side's fan base has modest expectations at the most important position in the sport -- quarterback. Arizona has Sam Bradford, whose health has been the biggest impediment to some otherwise promising seasons. Washington has Alex Smith, who has defined the "game manager" role as a guy with lots of consistency but little bravado. Each side also has some aging weapons at those QBs' disposal -- Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona and Adrian Peterson, an ex-Cardinal, in Washington. And then there's the defense, a potential strength for both teams. Side by side, all parts considered, the Cards and 'Skins aren't so different as they seek identity and look to emerge from the shadows as spoilers or wild cards.

On Sunday, they meet.

Here's how to tune in for Week 1's showdown:

How to watch, stream

  • Kickoff: Sunday, Sept. 9, 4:25 p.m. ET
  • TV: FOX (Check local listings)
  • Streaming: fuboTV (Try for free)

Who will win?

Arizona had the slightly better 2017 campaign at 8-8, and even with questions about Bradford's durability, there's a general consensus among the eight CBS NFL experts polled on this week's opening games. Six of them like the Cards -- Bradford, Fitzgerald and David Johnson among them -- to pull out a Week 1 victory over Washington.

Pete Prisco agrees:

This is a long trip to open the season for Alex Smith in his debut with the Redskins. The Cardinals have more talent than most think, and Sam Bradford is accurate when he's on the field and healthy, and that shows here. The Cardinals take it.

You can catch all of the CBS NFL expert picks for Week 1 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.