Ratings predictions: NFL Week 2, CFB Week 3, and more

Week 1 of the NFL season was a success in the ratings, with five of seven windows up from last year (a sixth pulled even). The league was helped by a made-for-TV line-up that included three of its top rivalries — Packers-Bears, Giants-Cowboys and Patriots-Steelers. This week’s schedule is not quite as strong, but still includes an NFC title game rematch and another Cowboys rivalry. Can the momentum keep up?

NFL: Mostly Saints-Rams (4:25p Sun FOX). Last year’s NFC Championship was one of the most controversial NFL games ever played, thanks to a missed pass-interference call that helped send the Rams to the Super Bowl. Yet the matchup itself was not particularly memorable (even though it went to OT), making one wonder just how much anticipation there is for Sunday’s rematch. In the same window last year, a Patriots-Jaguars AFC title game rematch had a middling 12.0. Prediction: 12.8.

NFL: Mostly Dallas-Washington (1p Sun FOX). The first half of Sunday’s FOX doubleheader is stacked with marquee matchups, including the Dallas-Washington and Vikings-Packers rivalries, a primetime-quality matchup between Seattle and Pittsburgh, and a matchup of young quarterbacks between Arizona’s Kyler Murray and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. Expect a big increase in ratings over last year’s 7.6 on CBS. Prediction: 9.3.

NFL: Eagles-Falcons (8:20p Sun NBC). If any window seems a lock to decline on Sunday, it is Sunday Night Football. The Falcons are not one of the NFL’s stronger draws, and last year’s Week 2 game pit the Cowboys against the Giants (11.7). If the game is as close as the oddsmakers expect (the Eagles are favored by 2.5), NBC could still come out with a decent number. Prediction: 10.5.

“Big Noon Saturday” has been a big boon for FOX through two games. Ratings soared 66 percent for Army-Michigan last week and 78 percent for FAU-Ohio State two weeks ago, with FOX winning the Noon ET timeslot both times. There will be no big increase this week — there was no comparable Noon game last year — but expect FOX to win the timeslot again. Prediction: 2.8.

The SEC on CBS opens its season with Alabama traveling to South Carolina for the first time since 2010. South Carolina’s 2010 upset of the then-#1 Tide is the only real hook for a matchup that looks like another mismatch (Alabama is favored by 25.5). If the Gamecocks can recover that nearly decade-old magic, expect a strong rating. Otherwise, look for the numbers to dip from last year’s 3.5 for LSU-Auburn. Prediction: 3.3.

NASCAR gets a rare Sunday night start this week for its playoff opener at Las Vegas. Going up against Sunday Night Football is slightly less onerous than facing the late afternoon NFL games, which could help the race eke out an increase over last year’s 1.3. Prediction: 1.4.

With the Mets are still just three games out of the final Wild Card spot, ESPN should score a decent number for their Sunday Night Baseball matchup against the NL-leading Dodgers. In the same window last year, Dodgers-Cardinals averaged a 0.7. Swapping the Cardinals for the Mets should increase that number by a couple of tenths. Prediction: 0.9.