Even though Week 1’s edition of Monday Night Football hasn’t kicked off, bettors must not let that matchup distract them from getting ahead on the Week 2 betting markets. Two Week 2 favorites, the Buccaneers and Lions, should see their advantages increase as the week moves on. Likewise, the total for the Dolphins and Ravens game should tick up as injury news comes out.
Sharp bettors bet early. Identifying games where future movement seems likely allows bettors to secure closing line value, or CLV, relative to the game’s final spread. Taking a team to cover a 2.5-point spread has a much better chance of hitting than taking that same team to cover even a 3.5-point spread. Bettors can find more value now than they’ll find right before kickoff by digging into the Week 2 NFL betting odds early.
NFL Week 2 Predictions & Betting Picks
Buccaneers to Win Battle of New Orleans … Again
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned an impressive win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Although Tom Brady and company only scored 19 points, two crucial third-down sacks by Micah Parsons held the Buccaneers to field-goal attempts after deep drives into Dallas territory. Tampa Bay totaled 347 yards of offense while holding Dallas to just 244.
Injuries plagued the Buccaneers on Sunday night, but Tampa Bay avoided the worst. Losing Chris Godwin won’t hurt much given their depth at receiver, and left tackle Donovan Smith might not even miss Week 2. And even if Smith misses time, the Saints’ unimpressive defensive front earned zero sacks and hit opposing quarterback Marcus Mariota just once. New Orleans also gave up 416 total yards, 201 of which came on the ground.
The Saints needed a fourth quarter comeback to beat the Atlanta Falcons. Taysom Hill scored their only first half points. The Saints would have entered this game as a much bigger underdog barring Atlanta’s choke job, so snag the Buccaneers early as field-goal favorites where available. The NFL betting odds will likely shift in Tampa Bay’s favor over time.
Buccaneers vs. Saints Week 2 NFL Prediction: Buccaneers -2.5 (-130) at FanDuel
Miami to Aerially Bombard Baltimore
Rookie head coach Mike McDaniel got off to a great start against Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. His Dolphins kept Belichick to just 7 points. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 270 yards as the ground game struggled. New wide receiver Tyreek Hill reeled in eight passes for 94 yards, while teammate Jaylen Waddle secured four for 69 yards and a touchdown.
The Ravens got off to a strong start against the Jets, but a few players suffered costly injuries. Cornerback Kyle Fuller tore his ACL, and tackle Ja’Wuan James tore his Achilles again. With cornerback Marcus Peters and tackle Ronnie Stanley still working back from injuries, Baltimore’s depth will be tested early yet again. The holes in the secondary allowed ex-Raven Joe Flacco to rack up 307 yards passing, although plenty of that production came in garbage time.
With Fuller out and Peters questionable at best, the Ravens secondary looks thin. That will hurt against a Dolphins passing attack featuring explosive wide receivers. And while Miami held New England to just 7 points, the Patriots turned the ball over in Dolphins territory twice. Look for this game’s total to tick up as news about Baltimore’s injury-plagued secondary trickles out.
Dolphins vs. Ravens Week 2 NFL Prediction: Over 43.5 (-110) at DraftKings
Detroit to Stand Strong Against Washington
Although the Lions didn’t win, several things went well for them in Week 1. Their pass rush generated a ton of pressure and accumulated five quarterback hits and one sack. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts often had to scramble to prevent the Lions from sacking him. Considering the Eagles entered the year with PFF’s top-ranked offensive line, Detroit should chalk Week 1 up as a moral victory.
Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz isn’t as versatile as Hurts, and he plays behind a worse offensive line. Wentz took one sack and was hit four times in his Week 1 matchup against the Jaguars. While he did throw for an impressive four touchdowns, he had to lead a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter for Washington to win. Barely beating the Jaguars on opening weekend isn’t a great look for any NFL team.
The Commanders still don’t have pass rusher Chase Young, and they lost rookie defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis for the year. Although Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen will both provide solid interior pressure, they no longer have as much depth to spell them. That means Washington’s defensive front may struggle against a rock-solid Detroit offensive line that entered the year ranked third by PFF. And while Jared Goff isn’t great, the Commanders just gave up 275 yards passing to Trevor Lawrence. The Lions have drawn a ton of action from bettors this season, and this spread should only widen as the week goes on. Some books already have Detroit favored by 2.5.
Commanders vs. Lions Week 2 NFL Prediction: Lions -1.5 (-110) at WynnBet
