NFL Week 2 Betting Lines: Eagles and Texans Among Best Bets
The best part about a chaotic Week 1 in the NFL is that we get to do it all over again the next week! The Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers each pulled a surprise upset on the road to open their season, with teams such as the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys reminding everyone that they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. In Week 2, we have six more intra-division affairs and plenty of other exciting matchups. Below, we dive into a few looks we like at first glance for the upcoming schedule.
Each week this season, we will be taking an early look at betting lines, offering a few leans for the community to consider tailing before odds move!
NFL Week 2 Betting Lines
- Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles -7.5, O/U 48.5
- Los Angeles Chargers at Tennessee Titans +3.5, O/U 45.5
- Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals -3.5, O/U 46.5
- Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions -5.5, O/U 49
- Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons -1, O/U 40.5
- Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars +2.5, O/U 51
- Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans -1, O/U 40
- Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3, O/U 41.5
- Las Vegas Raiders vs. Buffalo Bills -9.5, O/U 48
- San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams +8, O/U 44
- New York Giants vs. Arizona Cardinals +4.5, O/U 38.5
- Washington Commanders vs. Denver Broncos -3.5, O/U 39
- New York Jets vs. Dallas Cowboys -3.5, O/U 45.5
- Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots +2, O/U 47.5
- New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers +3, O/U 41
- Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers +1.5, O/U 40
NFL Week 1 lines last updated 2:05 PM ET Monday, September 11th.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles (-7.5)
Admittedly, it is not ideal to bet on a team to cover more than a touchdown on a short week. However, 12 of last week’s 19 Thursday games had a final margin of victory of eight points or more. In Week 1, the Minnesota Vikings lost at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that has a below league average quarterback and is extremely weak at the line of scrimmage. The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best, if not the best offensive line in the NFL and are extremely talented on the defensive side of the ball. Philadelphia should be able to win this game comfortably.
Baltimore Ravens (+3.5) vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Lamar Jackson did not play particularly well in his return to the football field in Week 1, completing only 17-of-22 pass attempts for 169 passing yards. Nevertheless, the Baltimore Ravens still made quick work of the Houston Texans, winning 25-9 in front of their home fans. The Cincinnati Bengals looked abysmal in their opening week affair against an improved Cleveland Browns defense. Joe Burrow had only 82 passing yards, and the Bengals predictably struggled to get anything going on the ground. The Bengals lost both of last year’s starting safeties in free agency and are much weaker overall than the market is currently implying. In an intra-division affair, Baltimore should have little trouble keeping this contest competitive. Do not be surprised if this line moves in favor of the Ravens before we get to kickoff.
Washington Commanders vs. Denver Broncos, Under 39
The Sean Payton era has arrived, but it is abundantly clear that the Russell Wilson era is still going to get in the way in Denver. In Week 1, Wilson had only 177 passing yards and led his offense to a meager 16 points against an underwhelming Las Vegas Raiders defense. The Washington Commanders’ offense similarly struggled against an Arizona Cardinals defense that is completely devoid of talent. Both Washington and Denver have an abundance of talent on the defensive side of the ball, which figures to make this contest extremely low-scoring.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans (-1)
The Houston Texans failed to get in the end zone in their season opener, but it was evident that this roster is in far better shape in 2023 than it was in 2022. C.J. Stroud took five sacks, but he committed zero turnovers and managed to make enough plays to have his team within a single point of the Ravens – a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations – into the third quarter. The Indianapolis Colts lost by only 10 points, but scored seven of those points on a fluke touchdown in which everyone except for DeForest Buckner thought a play had been blown dead. Anthony Richardson led the Colts in rushing, and by a wide margin. Expecting an unpolished rookie quarterback with minimal offensive support to win on the road in Week 2 is a tall task. Stroud and company are in a much better position to earn a victory in this matchup.
Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Under 40
Following their opening week victory, the Cleveland Browns learned that their All-Pro right tackle Jack Conklin will miss the remainder of the regular season with a torn ACL and torn MCL. In his place, rookie Dawand Jones will earn his first career NFL start. He will be tasked with slowing down TJ Watt, who wreaked havoc on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 – totaling three sacks, five quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. Jones has slow foot speed, which makes the extremely athletic Watt a very difficult matchup for him. Factor in Cleveland’s improved defense and both team’s offensive struggles in the season opener – we could have a very low-scoring Monday Night Football game to conclude Week 2.