NFL Week 2 Picks, Predictions, and Best Bets

This article is part of our NFL Picks series.

After a great Thursday Night Football finish, there are many more games to make your NFL Week 2 picks on.

The initial hype of Week 1 is still in the air, but we have all seen the teams play at least one game - giving the sense that there are some edges to be found in Week 2. For example, the Rams and Cardinals are expected to be successful teams in 2022, but struggled mightily in Week 1. Is there an edge to be had on these two lines for Week 2?

Meanwhile, it's interesting that the Packers and 49ers remain heavy favorites with little line movement despite coming off losses. The Broncos are in that same boat as well as they're tasked with covering a big number against a Texans team that might be pretty cagey after all. That's enough preamble, let's get into the Week 2 betting slate and our NFL picks.

NFL Week 2 Betting Picks For Each Game

Predictions for NFL Week 2 - Sides and Over Unders

Below, we take a look at NFL Week 2 odds and our predictions for each game.

Giants vs. Panthers

The Giants surprised many, and spoiled plenty of survivor entries, with their gutsy win in Tennessee in Week 1 while the Baker Mayfield era in Carolina got off to a rocky start with a loss at home to Cleveland. Saquon Barkley racked up nearly 200 yards of offense in the opener and that could be an issue for a Carolina team that gave up 217 rushing yards. Christian McCaffrey was held in check in the opener, as was DJ Moore, and both of them will need to get on track in order to give the Panthers a shot on the road. 

Spread Pick: Giants -1

Total Pick: Over 42.5

Colts vs. Jaguars

Indianapolis escaped Houston with a tie and now heads to Jacksonville, where it hasn't won since 2014. The Jaguars showed in Week 1 that they are still a ways away from being a competitive team but there is talent on this roster and competent coaching, at least we think. I think Indianapolis gets the win here outright and bucks one of the stranger ongoing trends in football, but it's hard to trust them with this many points on the road.

Spread Pick: Jaguars +4.5

Total Pick: Under 46.5

Ravens vs. Dolphins

Both of these teams benefitted from facing incompetent offenses en route to Week 1 victories. Baltimore lost in this matchup last season as 8.5-point road favorite on a Thursday night in Miami and while the Dolphins have seemingly improved since then, it's hard to say the same for the Ravens. The Ravens won't be able to get away with an invisible run game the way they did against the Jets, and Miami can exploit a banged-up Baltimore secondary that just lost Kyle Fuller for the season.

Spread Pick: Miami +4

Total Pick: Over 44.5

Saints vs. Buccaneers

It felt more like the Falcons lost Sunday's game than it did that the Saints won it, and the same can be said about the Cowboys-Bucs game to a certain extent. That said, the Buccaneers' defense looked dominant and should cause problems for Jameis Winston. Tampa Bay's offense needs time to jell after Brady's absence for a good chunk of the preseason, but it will get in gear sooner or later even without Chris Godwin. New Orleans has been a thorn in Brady's side since he got to Tampa, but the talent disparity should be enough to carry the Buccaneers to a win here and the spread is low enough to back the road favorite.

Spread Pick: Tampa Bay -3

Total Pick: Over 44.5

Steelers vs. Patriots

I do not understand this line. How can the Patriots be considered road favorites against almost anybody, let alone a Steelers team that just went into Cincinnati and beat the defending AFC Champs? Maybe this is a square pick, and maybe the T.J. Watt injury is going to give Mac Jones enough time to be effective against the Steelers' defense. But I just don't see how the Patriots go in and get the win, let alone the cover, in this spot. This is a very public play as 73% of the money bet on the spread at DraftKings Sportsbook has been on the Steelers as of Tuesday afternoon. 

Spread Pick: Pittsburgh -1

Total Pick: Under 43.0

Jets vs. Browns

The Browns and Jets gave us a good example of the Do's and Don'ts of game-planning when you have to start a backup quarterback. Cleveland leaned on the ground game with 39 rush attempts compared to 34 pass attempts and came away with a road win. The Jets asked present-day Joe Flacco to throw the football 59 times, and we know how that turned out. Five points is a lot to entrust to the Browns, but the Jets may just be that incompetent to make it work in favor of Cleveland.

Spread Pick: Cleveland -5.0

Total Pick: Over 42.5

Lions vs. Commanders

Both of these teams had encouraging Week 1 showings. Washington has to be pleased with how its passing game looked, especially the contributions from rookie first-rounder Jahan Dotson. However, there's a reason this line has swung to the Lions being favored. Detroit got off to a slow start against the Eagles but turned things on in the second half and ultimately got the backdoor cover. Detroit's offensive line should be able to mitigate Washington's pass rush and also open run lanes for D'Andre Swift. It'll be popular to side with the Lions this week, but I'll take the bait.

Spread Pick: Detroit -1.5

Total Pick: Under 48.5

Rams vs. Falcons

This line was Rams -13 over the summer but Los Angeles getting trounced on opening night has soured oddsmakers' confidence in the defending champs a bit. The Falcons, well they Falcon'd on Sunday and blew a double-digit lead against a division rival. It's hard to trust either side here but the spread is just high enough to where I'll hold my nose and take the Falcons. The Super Bowl hangover looks rough in Los Angeles.

Spread Pick: Atlanta +10.5

Total: Over 47.5

49ers vs. Seahawks

What do we do with this one? The Seahawks are flying high after winning outright as a touchdown underdog in an emotional season opener against Russell Wilson and the Broncos while the 49ers are licking their wounds after a concerning loss in Chicago. Almost 75 percent of the spread bets are coming in on the Seahawks as for Tuesday afternoon and it would not be surprising to see the line come down by a significant amount by kickoff. If it stays at 9.5, I'll have to side with the Seahawks. But at 8.5 or lower, I'll go San Francisco. Home game, short week for the opponent after a big win. 

Spread Pick: Seattle +9.5* subject to line movement

Total Pick: Over 43.5

Cardinals vs. Raiders

Neither team looked particularly good in Week 1 but at least the Raiders showed a pulse. This line was LV -2.5 before Week 1 unfolded and it has moved a full field goal towards the Raiders. The Cardinals appear to be on the verge of a collapse and the autumnal equinox hasn't even happened yet. I'll take the Raiders at home. 

Spread Pick: Las Vegas -5.5

Total Pick: Under 51.5

Broncos vs. Texans

Denver is on a short week and just took an embarrassing loss that raised some eyebrows about the new head coach, Nathaniel Hackett. Houston will be trendy after tying the Colts despite being a 7-point home underdog. In spite of Hackett's best efforts, I don't think the Broncos mess this one up. Lay the wood.

Spread Pick: Denver -9.5

Total Pick: Over 46.5

Bengals vs. Cowboys

Dallas is in shambles heading into this week and we may not see more line movement on a single game all year. Not only did the Cowboys' offense look lifeless for much of Sunday's loss to the Bucs, but it also lost Dak Prescott to injury late in the contest. As a result, things have swung from Dallas -1.5 going into the season to Bengals by a touchdown or more at most books. Cincinnati's Week 1 performance was concerning, especially along the offensive line, though it should be able to beat a Prescott-less Dallas team comfortably.

Spread Pick: Cincinnati -7.5

Total Pick: Over 43.5

Bears vs. Packers

I'm throwing last week's results out the window when it comes to these two teams. The line has barely shifted from opening despite the Packers getting trounced by the Vikings and the Bears winning outright as touchdown underdogs. Aaron Rodgers owns the Bears --he said so himself -- and that will continue to be the case Sunday.

Spread Pick: Green Bay -9.5

Total Pick: Over 42.5

Bills vs. Titans

This line has ballooned from -7.5 to -10 on the Bills after Week 1. It's not surprising; the Bills looked every bit the Super Bowl favorite while the Titans looked like a work in progress despite being the No.1 seed in the AFC last year. I expect the Bills to make another statement on National TV on Monday night and continue to put everyone on notice. 

Spread Pick: Bills -10

Total Pick: Under 49.5

Eagles vs. Vikings

This matchup looked somewhat interesting if you were looking ahead to the MNF schedule over the summer, and now it looks like one of the best games for the entirety of September. The new-look Eagles offense looks legit while Justin Jefferson looks like the best receiver in the league. There's still some variance between books on the spread as you can get the Eagles anywhere between -1.5 and -2.5. I think the Viking defense, especially the front seven, generates enough of a pass rush to get Jalen Hurts off his spot. And the Eagles won't have the same level of success running the ball that they did in Detroit. I like the road dogs here. 

Spread Pick: Vikings +2.5

Total Pick: Over 50.5

NFL Week 2 Best Bets

Here is a look at our favorite Week 2 betting picks in the NFL at the best NFL betting sites.

BetMGM Best Bets for NFL Week 2

BetMGM offers some of the best odds available for Week 2. If you do not have a BetMGM account yet, new players at BetMGM can use the BetMGM bonus code ROTOBONUS for a risk-free bet worth up to $1,000. Here are our best bets for Week 2 at BetMGM.

• Rams-Falcons OVER 46.5
• Steelers +1

Caesars Sportsbook Best Bets for NFL Week 2

Let's take a look at our favorite bets for Week 2 at Caesars Sportsbook. If you are not registered yet, use the Caesars Sportsbook promo code ROTOFULL for a first bet on Caesars.

• Chiefs-Chargers UNDER 54.5
• Dolphins +3.5

WynnBET Best Bets for NFL Week 2

While WynnBET may be a sportsbook that isn't as well-known, the NFL Week 2 odds are more than competitive and available for some of our best bets. If you do not have a WynnBET account, you can sign up with the WynnBET promo code XROTO for up to $100 in free bets.

• Buccaneers -3 (-105)
• Falcons +11 (-110)

DraftKings Best Bets for NFL Week 2

Let's take a look at NFL Week 2 best bets on DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Vikings +2.5
• Bengals-Cowboys OVER 42.5

FanDuel Best Bets for NFL Week 2

One of the most popular sportsbooks available is FanDuel Sportsbook. Let's take a look at our favorite betting picks with FanDuel odds.

• Broncos -9.5
• 49ers -9.5
• Lions -1.5

BetRivers Best Bets for NFL Week 2

BetRivers is one of the more underrated sportsbooks, and they are offering up to $500 in second-chance bets with the BetRivers bonus code. Bettors can use those for these picks on Week 2.

• Steelers +1.5
• Ravens-Dolphins OVER 44.5

PointsBet Best Bets for NFL Week 2

For bettors looking for unique way to wager, try the PointsBet promo code for our Week 2 NFL picks. You can try "PointsBetting" for Week 2 and maximize your return.

• Colts-Jaguars UNDER 47.0
• Dolphins moneyline (+160)

Look ahead at the NFL Week 3 odds as well, if you're interested in getting ahead of the line movement.