NFL Point Spreads Week 2 Predictions: Best Picks Against the Spread
It was an interesting first week of NFL action to be sure. One matchup clearly stands above the rest in Week 2. Here’s a quick look at all the Week 2 matchups with Sports Interaction NFL odds. Games Sunday unless noted.
NFL Week 2 Odds
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers, Thursday
It’s two former Heisman winners and No. 1 overall picks matching up at quarterback in Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston and Carolina’s Cam Newton. Neither looked very good in home losses Sunday, especially Winston with his three interceptions. The teams split last year, each winning at home. Winston didn’t play in the one in Charlotte.
Pick ATS: Carolina
San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals
San Francisco had lost 12 straight games in the Eastern Time Zone but stopped that streak with a 31-17 upset at Tampa Bay in Week 1. The Niners offence struggled, but the defence returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 166 yards and one touchdown in his first game in nearly a year, but running back Tevin Coleman suffered a potentially serious ankle injury. Top Bengals running back Joe Mixon left Sunday’s loss in Seattle with an ankle injury and was to have an MRI on Monday. Cincinnati already is without No. 1 WR AJ Green due to injury.
Pick ATS: Cincinnati
LA Chargers at Detroit Lions
The Lions tried their best to lose Sunday’s game in Arizona, blowing a 24-6 fourth-quarter lead and then having Matthew Stafford nearly throw a baffling interception very late in overtime. However, Detroit “escaped” with a 27-all tie in the desert. Without Pro Bowl running back Melvin Gordon (holding out), the Chargers were 30-24 overtime winners vs. the Colts. Austin Ekeler more than filled Gordon’s shoes with three touchdowns, including the winner with 5:01 left in overtime.
Pick ATS: Detroit
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Another rivalry game for Green Bay after upsetting the Bears in Chicago last Thursday, 10-3. A 2-0 division start would be huge. Minnesota dominated the Falcons in a 28-12 win Sunday. These teams also played Week 2 last year at Lambeau Field in one of the wildest games of the season. It ended in a 29-all tie. Minnesota’s (former) kicker missed two overtime field goals. It took a minor miracle for the Vikes to even force OT.
Pick ATS: Green Bay
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Indy was an overtime loser at the Chargers in the Colts’ first game that mattered since QB Andrew Luck retired. The Titans were underdogs in Cleveland but smashed the Browns 43-13 in one of Week 1’s biggest surprises. The Colts won in Nashville in Week 17 last year, 33-17, in a winner-take-all game for the final AFC Wild-Card spot. Luck threw for 285 yards and three scores. Luck, by the way, was 11-0 in his career against the Titans so they won’t miss him.
Pick ATS: Tennessee
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
New England looked like the Super Bowl favourite it is in Sunday night’s 33-3 win in Pittsburgh, and now Tom Brady gets to add superstar receiver Antonio Brown to the mix. Not fair! Miami looked like an AAF team and not an NFL club in a 59-10 home embarrassment to the Ravens. For whatever reason, Tom Brady has generally struggled in his career when playing on the road against the Dolphins. Last year, Miami pulled a 34-33 upset there – that would prove to be the team’s last win under former coach Adam Gase. Kenyan Drake scored on the game’s final snap on a miracle pass/lateral trick play.
Pick ATS: Miami
Buffalo Bills at NY Giants
Buffalo was down 16-0 late in the third quarter at the Jets in Week 1 but rallied for a 17-16 victory. Not often a team will win when turning it over four times and allowing two defensive scores as the Bills did. The Giants were 35-17 losers in Dallas and Big Blue fans already are calling for rookie QB Daniel Jones to replace Eli Manning. Not going to happen yet.
Pick ATS: New York
Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers
You rarely see the Steelers outclassed because it’s such a strong organization, but it was definitely the case Sunday night in a 33-3 wipeout at New England. Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell were clearly missed. Seattle rallied for a 21-20 home win over Cincinnati. The Seahawks, the top running team in the NFL last season, rushed for only 72 yards. Jadeveon Clowney had a sack in his Seattle debut.
Pick ATS: Pittsburgh
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins
Dallas had little trouble in a 35-17 win vs. the New York Giants. QB Dak Prescott is still waiting for his contract extension from owner Jerry Jones, and Prescott made a compelling case for one in throwing for 405 yards and four scores. Ezekiel Elliott, who missed training camp and the pre-season looking for his own new deal (which he got), had a TD on 13 carries. Washington was one of the biggest Week 1 underdogs yet led at Philadelphia 20-7 at halftime. Philly would win 32-27. Case Keenum played well in his Washington debut in throwing for 380 yards and three scores. These NFC East rivals split in 2018, each winning at home.
Pick ATS: Dallas
Arizona Cardinals at Baltimore Ravens
Two exciting young mobile quarterbacks and former Heisman winners face off in Arizona rookie Kyler Murray and Ravens second-year signal-caller Lamar Jackson. The former led the Cardinals back from a 24-6 fourth-quarter deficit Sunday in a 27-27 tie with Detroit. Jackson had the game of his NFL career in a 59-10 destruction of the Dolphins in throwing for 324 yards and five touchdowns. The points were a franchise record.
Pick ATS: Arizona
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans
Short week for Houston after a really tough challenge in New Orleans on Monday. The Texans were 2-0 against the Jags last year, holding them to a combined 10 points. Jacksonville was routed at home by Kansas City on Sunday and lost starting quarterback Nick Foles to a broken clavicle. Sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew takes over.
Point spread: Texans -9 (could change depending on Monday)
Pick ATS: Houston
Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders
It’s Kansas City’s last-ever trip to Oakland, and they have owned this series in recent years. They swept in 2018 but did have to work for it on the road. The Raiders are on short rest after hosting Denver on Monday. The Chiefs’ offence picked right up from where it left off last year in a 40-26 win in Jacksonville. Reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes threw for 378 yards and three scores, all to Sammy Watkins. However, Pro Bowl receiver Tyreek Hill was injured and will miss at least a couple of games.
Point spread: Chiefs -9 (could change depending on what happens to Oakland Monday)
Pick ATS: Oakland
Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos
Chicago’s Super Bowl hopes already could be in major trouble with a loss here to fall to 0-2 after its offence was completely inept in a 10-3 home loss to the Packers in Week 1. The Bears face their former defensive coordinator in Vic Fangio, now the Denver head coach. Huge advantage in rest here as Chicago played last Thursday while the Broncos were in Oakland on Monday night.
Point spread: Pick’em (could change depending on what happens Monday for Denver)
Pick ATS: Chicago
New Orleans Saints at LA Rams
This is one of the best games of the regular season and a rematch of last year’s NFC title affair. The Rams pulled the overtime upset in New Orleans only because the officials missed a late pass-interference call on the Rams. Had that been called, the Saints were all but assured of winning in regulation. New Orleans at a bit of a disadvantage here on short rest after hosting Houston on Monday. LA won in Carolina on Sunday.
Point spread: Rams -3 (could change depending on what happens with Saints Monday)
Pick ATS: Los Angeles
Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons
Sunday night game. Philadelphia rallied for a home victory vs. Washington on Sunday, while Atlanta was dominated in a loss at Minnesota. The Falcons should have beaten the Eagles in Philly the past two times they met, including the Divisional Round of the playoffs following the 2017 season. However, Philadelphia had a late-goal line stand in each to win a low-scoring affair.
Pick ATS: Philadelphia
Cleveland Browns at NY Jets, Monday
New Browns receiver Odell Beckham makes his hyped return to the New York City area. Of course, he started the first five years of his career with the New York Giants. Cleveland was a 21-17 home winner early last season vs. the Jets when Baker Mayfield was still a backup quarterback. Both these teams laid a giant egg in Week 1 with the Browns getting blasted at home by the Titans and the Jets blowing a 16-point third-quarter lead and losing to Buffalo.
Pick ATS: Cleveland