Who has the 2012 campaign momentum? "This whole race is going to be turned upside down come Thursday morning," Christie said.
McCain -- who has debated both Obama and Romney -- also predicted Romney will fare well this week. He said the debate will likely have more viewers than any other presidential showdown in history and argued that both candidates will "do excellent in their own way."
"I think you could argue that Mitt has had a lot more recent experience, obviously," McCain said on CNN's "State of the Union."
McCain: Debate will go down in history
As the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, McCain battled Romney during the GOP primaries, then competed against Obama during the general election debates. While he foresees a record audience Wednesday night, McCain doesn't anticipate any major "breakthrough" moments from the debates, saying those have become far and few between in the last couple of decades.
"I can't remember the last time there was one of these comments that grabbed everybody's attention because, frankly, the candidates are too well prepared. They're well-scripted," the longtime senator said.
Political experts agree much is at stake in the first debate. Obama leads most national polls and has a significant advantage in polls in several key battleground states where the race is expected to be decided.
A number of political analysts have said that Romney's best chance of getting some momentum for his campaign will come in the debates, which stretch over most of October and leave two weeks of campaigning before Election Day.
The first debate will set the stage for the final weeks of the race, said Republican strategist and CNN contributor Alex Castellanos.
"This is their first chance -- our first chance to see the two gladiators in the arena alone, so how they -- who is the Alpha dog in this debate? That's what we want to see. Because if you can't beat the other guy, how can you lead the country?" Castellanos said on "State of the Union."
Furthermore, Castellanos said Romney will face pressure to show a likability factor on the debate stage but said his best bet is to "show us what he would do as president the next four years," something Castellanos argues Obama has yet to clarify.
"Romney, his canvas has a little bit of blank space there. He could do that," he said. "But clearly, this debate is one of those rare political events where both candidates are the underdogs."
Castellanos: Romney rallies are a waste of time
Meanwhile, on the expectations front, both campaigns continued Sunday to set the bar low, a game the teams have been playing for well over a week.
Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, for example described Obama as a "very gifted speaker."
"The man's been on the national stage for many years, he's an experienced debater, he's done these kinds of debates before," Ryan said in an interview that aired Sunday on Fox News. "This is Mitt's first time on this kind of a stage."
Meanwhile, Obama's team points to the more than 20 debates in which Romney took part during the Republican presidential primary this cycle.
"He's prepared more than any candidate I think maybe in history, certainly in recent memory," Obama political adviser David Plouffe said Sunday on ABC's "This Week," adding he believes Romney will "probably have a good night on Wednesday night."
As for the vice presidential debate, scheduled for October 11, Ryan on Sunday built up his competitor. While Vice President Joe Biden has made several notable gaffes as vice president, Ryan said his opponent was "disciplined" and will leave that trait off the debate stage when they face off in Danville, Kentucky.
"Joe is very good on the attack. Joe is very good at trying to confuse the issues so that the person leaves the debate confused about who stands for what," Ryan said. "My job is to make sure that they're not confused about what we stand for and what they stand for."
Ryan notes campaign 'missteps,' claims media bias
Obama heads to Nevada on Sunday, where he'll hold a rally before digging in for a few days of preparation ahead of Wednesday's debate in Denver. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, who's playing the role of Romney in the president's debate practice, will join Obama this week in Nevada.
Meanwhile, the Romney campaign told CNN that Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, who's playing the role of Obama in Romney's debate preparations, will travel with the former Massachusetts governor on Monday to Colorado. Romney will hold a rally in Colorado that night before final debate preparations.
A CNN/ORC International poll just after the Democratic National Convention earlier this month asked likely voters which candidate is more likely to win the debates. The poll results give Obama a 25-point (59%-34%) advantage over Romney.
Romney debate challenge: High stakes, lowered expectations
President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in the Oval Office on Friday, September 28. 
Republican U.S. presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks during a rally at Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Pennsylvania on Friday. 
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney talks to journalists aboard his campaign plane about his phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, September 28, with 39 days to go before the election. 
Cadets listen to Romney speak at a campaign rally Friday at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania. 
Romney addresses Friday's rally at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College. 
Vice President Joe Biden hugs U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, as he arrives for a campaign event Friday in Boca Raton, Florida. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is at right. 
Romney speaks at a Veterans for Romney campaign event in Springfield, Virginia, on Thursday, September 27. 
Supporters of President Barack Obama cheer at a campaign rally Thursday, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 
Veterans at the American Legion Post 176 pray before Romney speaks Thursday in Springfield. 
People listen to Obama speak at the Farm Bureau Live arena in Virginia Beach on Thursday. 
Obama delivers remarks Thursday in Virginia Beach. 
Supporters cheer as Romney speaks at SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio, on Wednesday, September 26. 
Romney speaks during a roundtable discussion on manufacturing at American Spring Wire in Bedford Heights, Ohio, on Wednesday. 
Supporters wait to see Obama on Wednesday at Toledo Express Airport in Bowling Green, Ohio. Air For One aborted an initial landing attempt in Ohio due to weather conditions. 
Obama addresses supporters at Bowling Green State University on Wednesday. 
Romney delivers remarks during a campaign rally Wednesday at Westerville South High School in Westerville, Ohio. 
Former President Bill Clinton introduces Obama during the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York on Tuesday, September 25. 
Supporters cheer during a Republican campaign rally Tuesday with Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, at Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio. 
Ryan speaks Tuesday in Vandalia as Sen. Rand Paul, from left, Sen. Rob Portman and Romney listen. 
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush hugs a waitress as they wait for Ryan's arrival during a campaign stop at a restaurant in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood on Saturday, September 22. 
Supporters cheer as they listen to Romney speak during a Juntos Con Romney Rally at the Darwin Fuchs Pavilion on Wednesday, September 19, in Miami. 
Romney shakes hands with supporters during the Juntos Con Romney Rally in Miami on Wednesday. 
Obama and David Letterman speak during a break in the taping of the "Late Show with David Letterman" on Tuesday, September 18, at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York. 
A crew member opens the door to Air Force One after the jet arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on Tuesday. 
From left to right: Romney, his wife Ann, and son Tagg watch one of Tagg's sons play soccer in Belmont, Massachusetts, on Saturday, September 15. 
Ryan arrives onstage to address the Family Research Council Action Values Voter Summit on Friday, September 14. 
Supporters wait for Romney to speak at a campaign rally at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, on Friday, September 14. 
Obama arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Thursday, September 13. Obama returned to Washington after a two-day campaign trip with events in Nevada and Colorado. 
Supporters cheer as Romney speaks at a campaign rally in Fairfax, Virginia, on Thursday. 
An Obama supporter attends a rally in Las Vegas on Wednesday, September 12. Obama focused on economic policies during his two days of campaigning in Nevada and Colorado. 
Former President Bill Clinton speaks in support of Obama during a campaign stop in Miami on Tuesday, September 11. 
Obama is lifted up by Scott Van Duzer, owner of Big Apple Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant, during a visit to the restaurant in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Sunday, September 9. Obama was on a two-day bus tour across the state. 
President Obama greets supporters during a campaign stop at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. 
Mitt Romney walks through the garage area during a rain delay before the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 8, in Richmond, Virginia. 
Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, waves to the crowd before speaking at a rally in Leesburg, Virginia, on Friday, September 7. 
Supporters try to stay dry in between rain showers while waiting for President Obama to speak at the University of Iowa on Friday. It was Obama's first day of campaigning after accepting the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. 
A girl listens to President Obama speak at the University of Iowa on Friday. 
Vice President Joe Biden, first lady Michelle Obama, President Obama and Biden's wife, Jill, wave after Friday's campaign event at the University of Iowa. 
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