2024 NFL Week 2 Predictions: Best Picks Against the Spread
That’s one of many intriguing matchups around the league. Here’s a look at all Week 2 games with NFL odds and played Sunday unless noted.
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins, Thursday
Buffalo was 2-0 vs. Miami last year, which proved to be the tiebreaker for the AFC East title, and has won nine of the past 10 in the series. Josh Allen has thrown at least two touchdown passes in 13 straight games vs. Miami, an NFL record for multiple TD passes against one opponent. Allen did injure his non-throwing hand in Sunday’s comeback win over Arizona but already has been cleared. Miami wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and top pass-rusher Bradley Chubb missed the Week 1 comeback win over Jacksonville and can’t be activated off the PUP list until Week 5.
Pick ATS: Miami
New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys
The Saints looked utterly terrific in Week 1 in trashing Carolina 47-10, but we have to consider the opponent. QB Derek Carr looked very comfortable under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in completing 19 of 23 for 200 yards and three scores. Dallas signed QB Dak Prescott to the largest deal in NFL history by average annual value ahead of the Week 1 game in Cleveland and then routed the Browns 33-17. The Cowboys were actually fairly quiet offensively, but the defence forced two turnovers and Dallas also had a 60-yard punt return TD.
Pick ATS: Dallas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions
Rematch of last season’s Divisional Round game in Detroit won by the Lions 31-23. Both teams also won at home in Week 1 this year with the Bucs easily rolling the Commanders 37-20 behind four TD passes from Baker Mayfield, who clearly has found a home in Tampa. Future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans had his 21st career game with multiple TD catches, tied with Antonio Gates for the eight-most in NFL history. Detroit blew a big early lead against the Rams but won in overtime and is now 13-5 since the start of last regular season, tied for the best mark in the NFL.
Pick ATS: Detroit
Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers
Green Bay had maybe the worst Week 1 of any possible Super Bowl contender as the Packers lost 34-29 in Brazil and lost star quarterback Jordan Love for 3-6 weeks to an MCL sprain. That’s actually good news as it first look as if Love tore his ACL. The Packers acquired Malik Willis from Tennessee late last month and he will start. Willis was 1-2 in three career starts with the Titans and proved very turnover-prone. The Colts were 29-27 home losers to Houston, but QB Anthony Richardson looked very good in his return after being limited to only four games last year as a rookie due to injury. No. 2 Colts receiver Josh Downs was out against the Texans and is questionable.
Pick ATS: Indianapolis (alternate line of -3)
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans
I’m frankly not sure how the Titans lost 24-17 in Chicago on Sunday considering Tennessee didn’t allow an offensive touchdown and only 148 total yards. However, the Titans had three turnovers and allowed a special teams and defensive score to the Bears. Will Levis threw a pick-six with 7:35 to go for the winning Chicago points. The Jets got Aaron Rodgers back on Monday night in San Francisco but offensively still struggled with only 266 total yards in a 32-19 loss. Rodgers had won 10 straight MNF games but looked a bit rusty in his first game action since December 2022.
Pick ATS: Tennessee
San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota’s starting quarterback this year is journeyman Sam Darnold … who was San Francisco’s backup in 2023. Darnold played one of his better games as a pro on Sunday in a 28-6 win at the Giants, completing 19 of 24 for 208 yards and two scores. It was Minnesota’s largest margin of victory in an opener since 2014. The Niners surprisingly scratched star running back and 2023 Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey shortly before Monday’s home game vs. the Jets with a calf injury but the Niners rolled anyways 32-19 behind 147 yards rushing and a TD from No. 2 tailback Jordan Mason.
Pick ATS: Minnesota
Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots
New England was the biggest upset winner of Week 1 as the Patriots were +8 in Cincinnati and knocked off the Bengals 16-10. Jerod Mayo became the first Patriots rookie head coach to win in his NFL debut since Dick MacPherson in 1991 and the first to win his NFL head coaching debut as at least a seven-point dog Jason Garrett in 2010. Seattle rallied for a home win over Denver as Geno Sith threw for two scores and rushed for a career-high 34-yard TD. At age 33, Smith became the oldest NFL player this century with at least a 30-yard TD scamper.
Pick ATS: New England
New York Giants at Washington Commanders
An early favourite for NFL’s worst team is the Giants after getting smacked 28-6 in their home opener by Minnesota. Quarterback Daniel Jones was horrific just like he was much of last year as Jones had no TDs and two picks in the loss. Since the start of last season, Jones has thrown more TD passes to the other team (three) than he has to his own team (two). Coach Brian Daboll says Jones remains his starter, but it likely won’t be for much longer if that continues. Commanders rookie No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels became the second QB in league history to have at least 100 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and two rushing TDs in his first career start, but Washington’s defence didn’t show up in a blowout loss in Tampa. New York was 2-0 vs. Washington last year.
Pick ATS: Washington
Los Angeles Chargers at Carolina Panthers
Carolina is right there in the running as the worst team with the Giants. The Panthers won just two games last year when then-rookie No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young struggled mightily. Nothing much changed Sunday under a new coaching staff as the Panthers were embarrassed 47-10 in New Orleans. The Cats are now averaging 12.9 points in Young’s 17 career starts, the fewest team average among any active quarterback’s first 17 career starts. The Jim Harbaugh era started successful with the Chargers as they beat the visiting Raiders 22-10 on Sunday. Harbaugh wants to run the ball, and the Bolts had 176 yards on the ground, their most since Week 1 of 2023.
Pick ATS: Carolina (alternate line of +7)
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars
It’s now official that Cleveland has a Deshaun Watson problem with his mammoth contract at quarterback as Watson and that entire Browns offence was inept in Sunday’s 33-17 home loss to Dallas. Waston still has yet to threw for 300 yards with the Browns in 13 career games and was 0-for-10 passing on throws of at least 15 air yards Sunday. Jacksonville had a 14-0 second-quarter lead i.5n Miami but couldn’t hand on in a 20-17 loss. The Jags were scoreless and totaled just 105 yards in the second half. Top cornerback Tyson Campbell was injured and will miss time.
Pick ATS: Cleveland
Las Vegas Raiders at Baltimore Ravens
The Raiders have some interesting pieces offensively, but they don’t have their long-term quarterback. Journeyman Gardner Minshew won the starting job in camp, but the Silver & Black totaled just 296 yards in Sunday’s 22-10 loss at the Chargers. Minshew had two turnovers. The Ravens lost in the Thursday night Kickoff Game in Kansas City, 27-20. It appeared Lamar Jackson hit tight end Isaiah Likely in the back of the end zone on the final play of regulation to make it 27-26 and the Ravens would have tried for two and the win. However, Lively’s TD was correctly overruled on replay. Only three teams have won a Super Bowl after starting 0-2.
Pick ATS: Las Vegas (alternate line of +10)
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
The Rams lost 26-20 in Detroit in overtime on Sunday night in Week 1 and saw both QB Matthew Stafford and WR Puka Nacua get hurt. Stafford played through his knee injury but Nacua, who had one of the great seasons for a rookie wideout ever in 2023, wasn’t able to finish the game and has landed on IR. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray will look to improve upon is 1-8 career record vs. the Rams. Murray nearly led an Arizona upset in Buffalo on Sunday, but the Bills held on in a shootout. Marvin Harrison Jr. the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, was totally quiet with one catch for four yards.
Pick ATS: Arizona
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos
It’s a potentially huge individual payback game for Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson after the potential future Hall of Famer was embarrassingly benched at the end of last season by the Broncos and then released in the offseason. Wilson had won the Steelers starting job in training camp over Justin Fields, but then Wilson missed the Week 1 win in Atlanta with a calf injury. Wilson reportedly will start this week if healthy. It’s the home debut of Denver rookie first-round QB Bo Nix, who had a rather tough NFL debut in a 26-20 loss in Seattle on Sunday as Nix threw for only 138 yards with two picks. He did rush for a score.
Pick ATS: Pittsburgh (alternate line of -2.5)
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs
Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow is a rare quarterback who has had a fair amount of success against Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes in the NFL. When the teams met late last regular season in Kansas City, Burrow already had been lost for the year injured, and the Chiefs won 25-17 behind six Harrison Butker field goals. The Bengals were stunned in Week 1 at home by New England with Burrow doing very little. No. 2 Cincy wideout Tee Higgins was out with a hamstring injury. Starting Chiefs WR Marquise Brown didn’t play in the Thursday night Kickoff Game in Week 1, but the Chiefs beat the Ravens 27-20 regardless. Brown might make his KC debut in this one. Including playoffs, Kansas City has won seven straight.
Pick ATS: Cincinnati
Chicago Bears at Houston Texans
Sunday night game and our first look at Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft and 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year favourite, facing off against Texans QB CJ Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft and the 2023 OROY winner. I believe those two will meet in a Super Bowl before the end of the decade. Williams got a rude welcome to the NFL on Sunday in throwing for just 93 yards, but the Chicago defense and special teams led a 24-17 comeback win over Tennessee. Houston won a shootout at Indianapolis as Stefon Diggs caught two TD passes in his Texans debut.
Pick ATS: Houston
Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles, Monday
While Philadelphia still showed some of the issues that led to the Eagles imploding late last season, they did win their opener 34-29 over a good Green Bay team in Brazil last Friday. Jalen Hurts had three turnovers, but new Philly running back Saquon Barkley rushed for three scores, tying Terrell Owens for the most TDs in a debut in Eagles history. QB Kirk Cousins’ Falcons debut was largely a flop Sunday in an 18-10 home loss to Pittsburgh as Cousins threw for only 155 yards and two picks. What did the Falcons coaches expect when they didn’t allow him to take a snap in the preseason?
Pick ATS: Philadelphia
