NFL Week 2 Odds and Predictions: Best Picks Against the Spread
Here’s a quick look at all Week 2 games with NFL odds, played Sunday unless noted.
Washington Commanders at Green Bay Packers, Thursday
Two NFC playoff teams from last season kickoff the week in Amazon Prime Video’s first TNF game of 2025, and it seems likely both will return to the postseason this winter. Maybe no team was more impressive Week 1 than Green Bay, which spanked visiting Detroit, 27-13, on Sunday in Micah Parsons’ Packers debut off the big trade from Dallas. He made a clear difference even with limited snaps and had a sack. The Commanders probably regress a little this year but had no trouble in their home opener Sunday, a 21-6 win over the Giants. Wideout Deebo Samuel had a TD in his Commanders debut off a trade from San Francisco.
Pick ATS: Green Bay (alt -3)
Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati took QB Joe Burrow at No. 1 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft and Jacksonville took Trevor Lawrence at No. 1 the next year. Those two faced off in the CFP national title game following the 2020 season with Burrow and LSU routing Lawernce and Clemson. Burrow has more than lived up to the NFL hype thus far, but Lawrence has moderately disappointed. Both these teams won Sunday. Cincinnati really struggled offensively in Cleveland in an escape, while Jacksonville dominated Carolina. Travis Hunter played mostly offence in his Jags’ debut but did see situational snaps at cornerback.
Pick ATS: Cincinnati (alt -3)
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys acquitted themselves well in the Kickoff Game on Thursday in Week 1 in Philadelphia in a 24-20 loss. The defence struggled early without the traded Micah Parsons but then settled in. Dallas might even have won if not for a few CeeDee Lamb drops late. Tailback and offseason addition Javonte Williams ran for two scores. Russell Wilson’s debut under centre for the Giants was a bust in 21-6 loss at Washington. It’s just a matter of time before rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart takes over, but coach Brian Daboll won’t make a change yet. Dallas swept last year and has won eight straight in the series.
Pick ATS: Dallas
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
Short week for Chicago after hosting Minnesota on Monday night. This will be a homecoming of sorts for first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson as he spent the previous three seasons as the coordinator of Detroit’s electric offence. The Lions lost both coordinators and a few key offensive linemen off last year’s 15-win team, and they looked bad in a 27-13 loss in Green Bay on Sunday. Detroit swept the 2024 season series vs. Chicago.
Pick ATS: Detroit
Los Angeles Rams at Tennessee Titans
It will be the home debut of Titans rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. In Sunday’s 20-12 loss in Denver, he was overwhelmed in completing just 12-for-28 for 112 yards and sacked six times, tied for the most in league history by a No. 1 overall QB making his first start. The Titans are really bland. The Rams beat visiting Houston, 14-9, on Sunday as Matthew Stafford became the 10th player in league history with 60,000 career passing yards. Stafford barely practiced all summer because of back troubles.
Pick ATS: Tennessee
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Miami has won four straight and eight of nine in the series. But no team looked worse than the Dolphins in Week 1, utterly dominated 33-8 at a mediocre Indianapolis team. Tua Tagovailoa looked lost in throwing for just 114 yards and two picks. Mike McDaniel is your new favourite as first NFL coach fired … but his teams usually play very well at home. The Patriots are well into their rebuild and lost 20-13 at home to Las Vegas on Sunday in Mike Vrabel’s New England head coaching debut.
Pick ATS: Miami
San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints
The Niners rallied for a 17-13 win in Seattle on Sunday but already very short-handed in pass-catchers due to injury and suspension and saw wideout Jauan Jennings and Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle go down with injuries. Good chance they each miss this one. How many times will the Saints even get to 20 points this season? Not many, most likely, with their QB situation. Spencer Rattler attempted 46 passes in Sunday’s 20-13 home loss to Arizona and managed 214 yards. First one to 10 might win here.
Pick ATS: New Orleans (alt +7)
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
Potential letdown spot for Buffalo off a truly incredible 41-40 comeback win over Baltimore on Sunday night. The Bills became the first team in NFL history to overcome a 15-point deficit in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter to win a season opener. Josh Allen … just wow. He’s now the favourite to repeat as MVP after four total touchdowns. The Bills are not even a .500 team without him. The Jets shockingly scored 32 points on Sunday in Justin Fields’ first start at QB for the team and still lost at home to Pittsburgh. The Bills swept the Jets in 2024.
Pick ATS: Jets (alt +7.5)
Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers
These clubs made a notable trade this offseason with Seattle sending Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh for a couple of picks. The deal was initiated by Metcalf’s request for a fresh start. He had four catches for 83 yards Sunday in the Steelers’ wild 34-32 win at the Jets. Aaron Rodgers looked age 31 and not 41, throwing for four scores in his team debut. Seattle blew a late 13-10 home lead Sunday and lost to San Francisco, 17-13, in QB Sam Darnold’s Seahawks debut. He was predictably average. Grab -2.5 before they are all gone.
Pick ATS: Pittsburgh
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
Current Browns starting QB Joe Flacco led Baltimore to a victory in Super Bowl XLVII when he was named the game’s MVP. Home opener for the Ravens off a stunning 41-40 loss in a Sunday night mega-showdown in Buffalo. The Ravens led by 15 with less than four minutes left. Both Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry had huge games, but Henry had a crucial late fumble, and he rarely fumbles. Cleveland outplayed visiting Cincinnati on Sunday but lost 17-16, in large part due to a missed PAT and short field goal. The clubs split last year, each winning at home.
Pick ATS: Cleveland
Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts
The Colts made the surprising choice to go with Daniel Jones over Anthony Richardson as the team’s starting quarterback, but that looks wise thus far. Indy scored on all seven drives Sunday in a pretty shocking 33-8 home win over Miami. Jones threw for a score and rushed for two. Denver was rather ragged at home but beat a bad Tennessee team, 20-12. QB Bo Nix, so good as a rookie, had three turnovers.
Pick ATS: Indianapolis (alt +3)
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals
Another matchup of quarterbacks previously chosen first overall in Carolina’s Bryce Young and Arizona’s Kyler Murray – two of the league’s shorter QBs. Home opener for the Cardinals, a team many think could surprise this season. They won Sunday in New Orleans but didn’t look that great doing it, 20-13. Murray played through an illness. Young looked he might salvage his career in the final six games of 2024 but he was back to lousy in Sunday’s 26-10 loss in Jacksonville with 135 yards and two picks.
Pick ATS: Arizona
Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs
I’m sure we see plenty of Taylor Swift from a suite to cheer on new fiancé Travis Kelce. His Chiefs were attempting the first Super Bowl threepeat in history in February in New Orleans but were dominated 40-22 by Philadelphia. Neither team looks quite as good on paper this year as it’s expensive to keep good clubs together. The Eagles looked solid offensively in their 24-20 Kickoff Game win over Dallas but not so much on defence. Didn’t help that Pro Bowl tackle Jalen Carter was kicked out before the first play from scrimmage for spitting on a Dallas player. Carter definitely is facing a massive fine but there’s no history of the league suspending guys for that. The Chiefs lost last Friday in Brazil, 27-21 to the Chargers. Already missing one top wideout in Rashee Rice to a six-game suspension, Kansas City lost another one in Xavier Worthy early in that game due to injury. He’s likely to miss at least this game.
Pick ATS: Philadelphia
Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings
Sunday night game. Helps a bit on a short week for Minnesota after visiting Chicago on Monday night. This will be the home debut, then, of QB JJ McCarthy assuming no injury vs. the Bears. Atlanta had every chance to win Sunday at home vs. Tampa Bay but fell, 23-20, when normally reliable kicker Younghoe Koo missed a 44-yard field goal near the end of regulation. Top Falcons wideout Drake London left with a shoulder injury and no word yet on his status this week, but it’s not thought to be overly serious.
Pick ATS: Minnesota
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans, Monday
First MNF game kicks at 7 ET. One of the top rookie performances of Week 1 as Bucs wideout Emeka Egbuka with two TD catches in a 23-20 win at Arizona. The first-rounder out of Ohio State became just the second player since the 1970 merger to record a game-winning touchdown reception with under a minute remaining in regulation or OT in his first career game. He’s getting a ton of run as Tampa Bay entered the year banged up at the position. Houston regressed massively on offence in 2024 and that unit didn’t look much better in Sunday’s 14-9 loss at the Rams. QB CJ Stroud was under siege behind a shaky offensive line.
Pick ATS: Houston
Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders, Monday
Second MNF game kicks at 10 ET. The Chargers are on almost a second bye as they played last Friday in Brazil and upset the Chiefs, 27-21, to snap a seven-game skid in the series. Justin Herbert threw for 318 yards and three scores. He has looked so much better since the arrival of Coach Jim Harbaugh ahead of last season. Las Vegas won the Raiders head coaching debut of Pete Carroll on Sunday, rallying for a 20-13 win at New England. Geno Smith passed for 362 yards and a TD in his Raiders debut. Star tight end Brock Bowers left with a knee injury he claims is nothing. The Chargers easily swept the Raiders in 2024.
Pick ATS: Las Vegas
