NFL Week 2 Best Bets and Predictions:
Let’s look at our NFL Week 2 best bets:
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Los Angeles Chargers (-5.5; 39) at Carolina Panthers
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
Last week could not have gone any worse for Dave Canales, who is making his debut as Carolina head coach. The Panthers allowed the Saints to score on their first nine drives, totaling 47 points. Bryce Young still has a long way to go, only going 13-for-30 for 161 yards with two interceptions and a QBR of 12.3, plus he was sacked four times. On defense, Pro Bowl DT Derrick Brown is now out for the season with a knee injury. The Panthers’ situation cannot get any worse through Week 1, but it is just Week 1.
Jim Harbaugh won in his debut as Chargers head coach with a 22-10 victory over the Raiders, but the game was closer than the final score indicated. The Raiders went -3 in turnovers, and Antonio Pierce cost his team any chance at victory when he punted on 4th-and-1 at the Chargers 43 with just seven minutes left to play. Nevertheless, the Chargers looked relatively pedestrian on offense until the 61-yard run by J.K. Dobbins on the final drive that sealed the game.
This is a “hold your nose” and anything else you can hold onto play. Courtesy of Evan Abrams (@EvanAbrams on X) of The Action Network, over the last 20 years, teams that lose by 35 or more and underdogs of 4 or more the following week are 50-18-2 ATS. The betting public could drive this back to 6, where I grabbed it, but these are the spots you have to be willing to back in Week 2 against the market overreactions.
NFL Week 2 Best Bet: Carolina Panthers +5.5
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3; 41.5)
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
Speaking of another team that looked dreadful in Week 1, it’s the Cleveland Browns. Despite holding Dallas to just 265 yards and 4.4 ypp, Cleveland lost 33-17 largely due to the Browns turning the ball over three times in their own territory and giving up a cheap nine points.
Deshaun Watson was bad (24-for-45, 169 yards, TD, 2 INT, 13.5 QBR and sacked six times). However, he does get a better matchup this week in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars ran man coverage 73% of the time against Miami last week under new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. Jacksonville’s already poor secondary lost its best corner Tyson Campbell to a hamstring injury this week. The Jaguars were one of only two teams to allow over 300 passing yards in Week 1 and that was to Tua Tagovailoa, and we saw how poorly he played on Thursday Night Football even before leaving with a concussion.
Road teams in Week 2 off a double digit loss in Week 1 are 38-23-1 ATS since 2005.
NFL Week 2 Best Bet: Cleveland Browns +3
New York Jets (-3.5; 41) at Tennessee Titans
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
Although they were in the role of the underdog, the Jets were one of the Week 1 disappointments. They couldn’t run the ball. They couldn’t stop the run. They couldn’t sustain drives. They allowed Brock Purdy to be very comfortable in the pocket. In all, it was a total failure for the Jets in Week 1.
Now they stay on the road on a short week against a Tennessee team that is smarting from a 24-17 loss at Chicago where the Titans defense dominated the game holding the Bears to 148 total yards on a paltry 2.8 ypp and zero offensive touchdowns.
The Jets offensive line has three new veteran additions, but it is still going to take time to gel and this week will be a tough task against one of the league’s best defensive tackles in Jeffery Simmons.
Tennessee’s offense is still a major work in progress with Will Levis at quarterback but the running game behind a rebuilt offensive line showed promise ripping off 5.4 ypc.
Perhaps the Jets were a bit overhyped coming into the season with a healthy Aaron Rodgers returning. They should improve as the season goes along and be in the mix for the AFC East, but this is a difficult spot on a short week were the defense was on the field for almost 39 minutes.
Over the last 10 years, teams off a Monday Night road game that have a second straight road game are just 12-21 SU and 13-20 ATS.
There are still +4s in the market on Tennessee.
NFL Week 2 Best Bet: Tennessee Titans +3.5
TEASER OF THE WEEK
Denver Broncos +8.5/ Houston Texans -0.5
TOTAL OF THE WEEK
49ers/Vikings OVER 46
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