2018 New England Patriots Season Opener Game Guide

FOXBOROUGH, MA — It was a tough offseason, but Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Rob Gronkowski, and the New England Patriots are back. The Patriots kick off Week 1 of the 2018 NFL regular season on Sunday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium against the Houston Texans.

Overall, the Patriots hold a 7-1 edge over the Texans in the regular season, including a 4-0 record at home, and are 2-0 against the Texans in the playoffs, with both games held at Gillette Stadium.

Here's what you need to know about Sunday's game:

Broadcast Information
TELEVISION: This week’s game will be broadcast by CBS and can be seen on WBZ-TV Channel 4. Jim Nantz will handle play-by-play duties with Tony Romo as the color analyst. Tracy Wolfson will work from the sidelines. The game will be produced by Jim Rikhoff and directed by Mike Arnold.

NATIONAL RADIO: This week’s game will be broadcast to a national audience on Sports USA. Larry Kahn and Doug Plank will call the game.

LOCAL RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who will provide color analysis. The games are produced by Marc Cappello.

Parking and Transportation

Parking lots at Gillette Stadium open at 9 a.m. Parking is $40 for cars and motorcycles and $150 for buses, RVs, and limos. The MBTA will be running trains from Boston and Providence.

Here are the full train schedules:

Boston Train

• South Station - 10:15 a.m.
• Back Bay - 10:20 a.m.
• Dedham Corp. - 10:35 a.m.
• Gillette Stadium - 11:20 a.m.

Providence Train

• TF Green Airport - 10 a.m.
• Providence Train - 10:30 a.m.
• South Attleboro - 10:40 a.m.
• Attleboro - 10:50 a.m.
• Mansfield - 11 a.m.
• Gillette Stadium - 11:35 a.m.

Both trains leave Gillette Stadium 30 minutes after the end of the game.

Arrive Early

With a capacity crowd expected, stadium officials encourage fans to allow themselves plenty of time when traveling near the stadium. Traffic restrictions will be in place on local roads before and after the game. Fans must use Interstate 95, Interstate 495, or Route 140 to access Route 1 and Gillette Stadium.

Clear Bag Policy and Prohibited Items

Only gallon sized clear freezer bags, clear bags measuring 12" x 12" x 6", women's wristlets or handheld wallets not to exceed 8" x 5" x 2" (approximately the size of a hand), and clear plastic bags carrying only purchases made at the stadium ProShop are allowed in Gillette Stadium.
Please note that bags larger than the permitted size, including purses, shoulder bags, diaper bags and backpacks, will not be allowed inside Gillette Stadium on event days. Further, bags exceeding the permitted size will not be held or stored by the venue and must be returned to a vehicle before entering the stadium. For more information, see the stadium's clear bag policy.
Prohibited items at Gillette Stadium include, but are not limited to: selfie sticks, GoPro cameras, camera bags, umbrellas, coolers, fanny packs, outside food and beverage, balloons or beach balls, noisemakers, signs larger than 11 x 17 and any other items deemed dangerous and/or inappropriate by stadium management. For more information on prohibited items, see the Gillette Stadium prohibited items policy.

Series History

The Patriots will face Houston for the fourth straight year in the regular season and for the third straight time at Gillette Stadium.

Last season, the Patriots conducted joint practices at the Texans’ training camp facility in West Virginia followed by a Week 2 preseason meeting in Houston. The Texans won that game 27-23. The Patriots hosted Houston in Week 3 of the regular season and beat Houston, 36-33, when QB Tom Brady completed
a 25-yard, toe-tapping touchdown pass to WR Brandin Cooks with 23 seconds to play to claim the win.

In 2016, the Patriots and Texans played twice with New England taking a 27-0 victory on Sept. 22 and then a 34-16 win in the Divisional Playoffs. Both of those games were played at Gillette Stadium.

Overall, the Patriots have met Houston 10 times and hold an 9-1 advantage since Houston entered the NFL in 2002, including 7-1 in the regular season and 2-0 in the postseason.

The Patriots are 6-0 overall against the Texans at home.

New England’s only loss against Houston was in the final game of the 2009 regular season when Houston defeated the Patriots 34-27. The Patriots had already clinched the division prior to that game and Tom Brady was relieved for portions of that game by then backup QB Brian Hoyer.

Before the Texans joined the league, the Patriots and the Houston Oilers were foes dating back to the days of the American Football League, playing twice a year from 1960-69 and 33 times overall before the Oilers moved to Tennessee following the 1996 season.

More tidbits

The defending AFC Champions have 32 wins on Kickoff Weekend, tied with the L.A. Chargers for fourth-most among current AFC teams. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady owns a 12-3 record on opening day and can tie Peyton Manning for the most opening-day wins by an NFL quarterback at 13 with a victory on Sunday.

The Betting Line

As of Friday night, here are the betting line from the major oddsmakers, via ESPN.com

• Westgate - New England by 6.5 points.
• Caesar's - New England by 6.5 points.
• William Hill - New England by 6.5 points.
• Wynn - New England by 6.5 points.
• CG Technology - New England by 6 points.
• Unibet - New England by 6.5 points.

Expert Picks

• CBS Sports: All eight experts picked New England.
• FiveThirtyEight: New England has an 86 percent chance of winning.
• ESPN: Nine of 10 experts picked New England .
• Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports: Houston over New England (against the spread).
• SB Nation: Five of seven writers picked New England.

Information from New England Patriots Media Relations was used in this story.

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images