First, the results of last week’s predictions:
— LLWS, U.S. and World Championship (8/30). Predictions: 2.3 and 2.6; final ratings: 2.3 and 2.8.
— PGA FedEx Cup, final round of The Barclays (8/30). Prediction: 2.6; final rating: 2.3.
— College football, Wisconsin-Alabama. Prediction: 4.5; final rating: 4.3.
— College football, Texas-Notre Dame. Prediction: 2.3; final rating: 2.4.
— College football, Ohio State-Virginia Tech. Prediction: 4.6; final rating: 6.0.
— NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Darlington. Prediction: 4.2; final rating: 3.7.
— Ratings not immediately available for Louisvllle/Auburn, Texas A&M/Arizona State, PGA Deutsche Bank Championship or U.S. Open round of 16.
This week's predictions:
NFL regular season, Giants-Cowboys (8:30 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC). Sunday Night Football returns with one of the NFL’s most reliable ratings draws, the Giants-Cowboys rivalry. The last time the teams opened the SNF schedule – 2013 – the game drew a 15.0 rating. Look for this year’s matchup to put up similar numbers, easily topping last year’s comparable Colts/Broncos game (13.9). Prediction: 14.8.
NFL regular season, Ravens-Broncos or other action (4:25 p.m. Sunday, CBS). No longer having to accommodate the U.S. Open, CBS airs the Week 1 NFL doubleheader for the first time in many years this Sunday. Look for the late window, highlighted by Ravens-Broncos, to drop from last year’s 15.7 for 49ers-Cowboys on FOX. Prediction: 14.9.
College football, Oregon-Michigan State (8 p.m. Saturday, ABC). Both Oregon and Michigan State have been college football powers in recent years, and their top ten battle should give ABC’s Saturday Night Football a big rating this week. There was no comparable game last year, when the network had NASCAR commitments. Prediction: 4.8.
U.S. Open women’s final, Roberta Vinci-Flavia Pennetta (3 p.m. Saturday, ESPN). The women’s version of last year’s Marin Cilic-Kei Nishikori men’s final figures to pull in low numbers Saturday afternoon. Friday morning, nobody would have predicted Vinci-Pennetta over the much more likely Serena Williams-Simona Halep match. After two upsets, one of which the most surprising in recent memory, ESPN has a match without much buzz. Prediction: 1.3.
U.S. Open men’s final, Novak Djokovic-Roger Federer (4 p.m. Sunday, ESPN). If ESPN is to have any consolation for the loss of Serena Williams, it can be found in Sunday’s star-studded men’s final. The Federer-Djokovic rivalry may not quite have the panache of Federer-Rafael Nadal, but it should be more than enough to top last year’s 1.6 for Cilic-Nishikori. Prediction: 2.3.
NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Richmond (7:30 p.m. Saturday, NBCSN). After a modest increase for Darlington on NBC, NASCAR returns to cable with action from Richmond on NBCSN. So far this season, all 13 Sprint Cup races have had declines in ratings. This week should be no exception; last year’s race had a 3.0 on ABC. Prediction: 2.5.
Paulsen is the founder of Sports Media Watch and a contributor for Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @Paulsen_SMW.