NFL Week 2 Best Bets | Odds, Picks & Predictions

NFL Week 2 features some excellent matchups, highlighted by a Super Bowl rematch and a key NFC battle on Thursday night. Washington heads to Green Bay as 3.5-point underdogs in Thursday Night Football's Week 2 opener but there is no question that the marquee game of the week is the Super Bowl LIX rematch in Kansas City between the Eagles and Chiefs. Philadelphia enters as a slight 1-point road favorite, making the Chiefs a rare home underdog.

The Ravens are a 12-point favorite over the Browns, the week's largest NFL pointspread. San Francisco is laying points at New Orleans even though they are dealing with a number of injuries, including to quarterback Brock Purdy. The Bills are laying points to the Jets in a key AFC East game, while Week 2 concludes with two Monday Night Football games, as the Buccaneers visit Houston, followed by the Chargers traveling to Las Vegas. Let’s take a look at some of the information and stats as we consider NFL Week 2 best bets.

NFL Week 2 Preview

NFL Week 2 kicks off with a high-stakes NFC showdown as the Washington Commanders visit the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Both teams enter 1–0, each posting a convincing win to open the season. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels leads Washington, while Green Bay leans on Jordan Love and a revitalized defense anchored by Micah Parsons. The game will air on Amazon Prime Video as part of Thursday Night Football, offering fans a prime-time NFC preview that could foreshadow a future playoff rematch.

Sunday delivers a jam-packed card filled with compelling games. The marquee matchup features a Super Bowl LIX rematch—the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs in what promises to be an exciting contest. Another spotlight game sees the Dallas Cowboys hosting the New York Giants. The Giants are sticking with Russell Wilson at quarterback despite offensive struggles in Week 1. Meanwhile in Baltimore, the Ravens look to rebound from a dramatic one-point loss, opening as heavy favorites against the Cleveland Browns, who themselves dropped a close opener.

Week 2 wraps up on Monday with a pair of primetime matchups. At 7 p.m. ET, the Houston Texans host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on ABC/ESPN. Then at 10 p.m. ET, fans can tune in as the Las Vegas Raiders take on the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC West showdown, highlighted by the coaching rivalry between Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh.

NFL Week 2 Predictions

As I said last week, when it comes to NFL best bets each week you should know that I go against the grain with almost all of my picks. If the public does well, and they did in Week 1, we know that I will struggle. If the public loses, then my NFL predictions should do well. Let’s look at Week 2 NFL Predictions.

New England Patriots +1 at Miami Dolphins – The Dolphins looked really bad last week and the clock may be ticking on head coach Mike McDaniel. The public still likes Miami, so I’ll take New England.
Seattle Seahawks +3 at Pittsburgh Steelers – The public is in love with Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. It was not as great as it seemed last week for Rodgers, so we’ll see how he does this week against a better defense. I’ll take the points with Seattle.
Chicago Bears +6 at Detroit Lions – The public believes the Lions will bounce back but I am not so sure, plus this is a big game for former Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson who is now Chicago’s head coach. I’ll take the Bears.
Carolina Panthers +6.5 at Arizona Cardinals – The public doesn’t want anything to do with the Panthers, so that means Carolina has value. I’ll take the points.

NFL Week 2 Betting Tips

When handicapping NFL Week 2, there are a few specific trends and historical angles to keep in mind:

Overreaction Week: Week 2 is often referred to as “Overreaction Week” in betting circles. Teams that look dominant in Week 1 tend to get overvalued by oddsmakers and the public, while teams that struggled are often undervalued. Since 2005, teams that lost in Week 1 and are underdogs in Week 2 have covered about 56% of the time.
Close Week 1 Losses: Teams that lost by 3 points or fewer in their opener have historically been strong ATS bets the following week, covering over 58% of the time. Oddsmakers and the public sometimes treat them like “losers,” but the data shows they’re often competitive again.

NFL Week 2 Stats

Totals Movement Matters: Week 2 totals often tighten. Since 2015, games where the total drops by at least 1.5 points from open to close have gone 62% to the under.
Prime-Time Unders: The “under in prime time” angle still applies. From 2018–2023, Thursday, Sunday, and Monday night games in Week 2 have gone under 61% of the time.
Double-Digit Loss Bounce-Back: Any team that lost by 10+ points in Week 1 becomes an automatic consideration based on the historical 61% ATS success rate. That would make the Dolphins, Giants, Panthers and Lions the teams to take this week.