Every Tuesday this NFL season, Newsweek sports betting writers Tyler Everett and Matt Modi will offer their early ATS bets on every game on the schedule.
There are once again 16 matchups in Week 2, and at least 60 minutes of film on each team for us to go by.
Modi took Week 1, going 7-6-3, while Everett went 6-7-3.
All odds via DraftKings; all kickoff times ET
Bills at Dolphins (-2) — Thursday, 8:20 p.m.
Everett: Dolphins -2
Miami fell behind early against Jacksonville in its season opener, but rallied for a three-point win thanks to another massive day from Tyreek Hill (7 catches, 130 yards, 1 TD). This game feels like a coin flip, but betting against Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins at home in September just isn’t a good idea.
Modi: Dolphins -2
Despite both teams being 1-0, neither had that impressive of a showing in their Week 1 victory. Both the Bills passing attack and defense look as though they need major work, so we’ll ride with the home favorite here.
Chargers (-6.5) at Panthers — Sunday, 1 p.m.
Everett: Chargers -6.5
One game into the season, it’s already hard to describe how bad the Panthers look. The Carolina defense just got embarrassed by a Saints offense with low expectations, while QB Bryce Young got off to a horrible start to Year 2. The Chargers should cruise, as the already-overmatched Panthers front seven is going to be even worse with DT Derrick Brown (knee) on the sidelines.
Modi: Panthers +6.5
Two teams with polar-opposite vibes as the Panthers got shellacked in Week 1, while the Chargers are riding high after winning their first game in the Harbaugh era. Week 1’s year after year are filled with aberrations, so we’ll bet on the Panthers coming out with more of an effort in Week 2, albeit without a ton of confidence.
Saints at Cowboys (-6.5) — Sunday, 1 p.m.
Everett: Cowboys -6.5
All the talk about the offseason contract disputes in Dallas already feel like a distant memory. After dominating Cleveland on the road in Week 1, the Cowboys should comfortably move to 2-0 at home against New Orleans.
Modi: Cowboys -6.5
The Cowboys defense had the Browns offense completely in shambles in Week 1, and it looks as though they can do the same thing to a Saints team that did the shellacking of the Panthers last week. The Saints went into the season with the worst OL in football, and the Cowboys are much more well-equipped than the Panthers to make them pay for that.
Raiders at Ravens (-9.5) — Sunday, 1 p.m.
Everett: Ravens -9.5
I got burned laying the points with the biggest favorite of Week 1 (Cincinnati -8.5 vs. New England). However, I like Baltimore to bounce back after a long layoff following its Week 1 loss in Kansas City. The Ravens should be able to stifle a Raiders offense that only managed 10 points and 14 first downs against the Chargers in Week 1.
Modi: Ravens -9.5
While it looks as though Lamar Jackson will not be able to survive the season if he is taking the types of hits that he took in Week 1 against the Chiefs, the Ravens should be able to take care of business against a bad Raiders team.
49ers (-6) at Vikings — Sunday, 1 p.m.
Everett: 49ers -6
The Vikings are a tantalizing home underdog getting almost a touchdown. That being said, you have to trust San Francisco after the Niners’ dominant Week 1 win over the Jets. Don’t expect the loaded 49ers to trip up at U.S. Bank Stadium twice in two seasons.
Modi: Vikings +6
It is easy to write off the Vikings’ impressive Week 1 victory as it was over the lowly Giants, but Sam Darnold looked good, and the 49ers are going to have to travel to Minnesota off of a short week after playing on Monday night. This one stays within a touchdown.
Colts (-3) at Packers — Sunday, 1 p.m.
Everett: Colts -3
With Malik Willis expected to start for Green Bay in place of Jordan Love on Sunday, the Packers are in trouble. As long as Indy’s Anthony Richardson can take care of the football, the Colts should be able to win and cover as road favorites at Lambeau.
Modi: Colts -3
Assuming that Malik Willis plays in this game, the Colts could win by 21-plus. Not only has Willis not shown the ability to be a functional NFL QB, but he also joined the Packers late in training camp.
Seahawks (-3.5) at Patriots — Sunday, 1 p.m.
Everett: Patriots +3.5
The absences of Matthew Judon and Christian Barmore weren’t nearly as problematic for New England as I anticipated. Thanks to second-year DE Keion White’s breakout, 2.5-sack day, the Pats pulled off the biggest upset of Week 1, knocking off Cincinnati as 8.5-point underdogs. The Patriots look like a team that, at minimum, is going to be in every game thanks to this defense.
Modi: Patriots +3.5
The Patriots spread is one of my favorite bets ATS on the entire week. The Seahawks offensive line looked like a mess for most of their Week 1 victory against the Broncos, but they are not lucky enough to be facing a rookie QB this week.
Buccaneers at Lions (-7) — Sunday, 1 p.m.
Everett: Buccaneers +7
The Lions look like the NFC contenders we thought they were, but right now, I like the Bucs getting seven points against just about anyone. At the risk of overreacting to Week 1, it doesn’t look like Baker Mayfield’s oustanding 2023 season was a fluke. The Tampa passing game should keep this one close — or at least close enough to cover — against the new-look Lions secondary.
Modi: Lions -7
The Commanders might have the worst defense in the NFL, so I am going to need another week of seeing Baker Mayfield perform at the same level he did last week before I am ready to believe that he is in line for another season as good as last year.
Giants at Commanders (-1.5) — Sunday, 1 p.m.
Everett: Giants +1.5
One of the biggest questions here is how much stock to put in the Giants’ recent performances against the Commanders. Under third-year head coach Brian Daboll, New York has three wins and a tie in four meetings with Washington. Backing Daniel Jones and the Giants offense on the road is a huge risk after its performance in Week 1. But the rules say I have to take one of these teams, so I’ll take the New York defense to carry the Giants to a minor road upset.
Modi: Commanders -1.5
These are two dreadful, dreadful teams, but we know Daniel Jones is horrible, while Jayden Daniels at least has some playmaking chops to him. Let’s ride with the Commanders.
Browns at Jaguars (-3) — Sunday, 1 p.m.
Everett: Jaguars -3
The Jags did everything right except finish the job in Week 1 against Miami. Plenty of teams endured awful quarterback performances last Sunday, but Deshaun Watson’s was in a class of its own given how much Cleveland is paying him. As long as Watson is under center, fading the Browns (particularly on the road against a tough opponent) is a no-brainer.
Modi: Browns +3
The Browns looked horrendous last week, but the Jaguars did not look so hot themselves, as QB Trevor Lawrence only passed for 162 yards. The Browns should be able to keep this one within a field goal.
Jets (-4) at Titans — Sunday, 1 p.m.
Everett: Jets -4
New York’s 2024 season opener in San Francisco did not go according to plan. The Jets should bounce back in Week 2, though. The Titans offense presents a great opportunity for Quinnen Williams and the New York front seven to get right.
Modi: Jets -4
The Jets have to play a road game after playing on Monday night, but Will Levis is due for three or four turnover-worthy plays per game, and the Jets defense should have a much better performance than we saw on Monday.
Rams at Cardinals (-1.5) — Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
Everett: Rams +1.5
The L.A. O-line is a concern due to mounting injuries, but the Rams otherwise looked impressive in their season-opening overtime loss at Detroit. Matthew Stafford will need better pass protection as the season goes along, but the Rams are nevertheless an enticing road dog against the porous Cardinals defense.
Modi: Cardinals -1.5
This feels like somewhat of a trap line by the books favoring the Cardinals here, so we’ll take this as one of our conspiracy bets of the week. The Rams come into this game with three injuries along their OL and will also be missing Puka Nacua, so the guess here is that their offense has some tough sledding in this one.
Bengals at Chiefs (-6) — Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
Everett: Chiefs -6
The reigning Super Bowl champs look like a nightmare matchup for any team right now, and Cincinnati was awful offensively against the Patriots. Even if Joe Burrow and the Bengals play much better this week, I like the Chiefs increasingly versatile offense to cover at home.
Modi: Bengals +6
The Bengals are notoriously slow starters, but hopefully one more week of practice with Ja’Marr Chase cleans things up on offense. The Bengals also seem to have the Chiefs’ number and play them tough, so this game should at least be a close one.
Steelers (-3) at Broncos — Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
Everett: Steelers -3
Bo Nix had a rough debut on the road in Seattle, and he has to face one of the best front sevens in the league this weekend at home. The Pittsburgh offense failed to get in the end zone in the Steelers’ Week 1 win over Atlanta, but T.J. Watt and the defense are good enough to carry this team against bad offenses like Denver’s.
Modi: Steelers -3
This is another play that is among my favorites for Week 2. The Broncos offense was pathetic in Week 1, and now it is facing a ferocious Steelers defense that made life miserable for Kirk Cousins last week.
Bears at Texans (-6.5) — Sunday, 8:20 p.m.
Everett: Texans -6.5
In a showcase game for the much-hyped Texans, expect a strong showing by C.J. Stroud and Co. after a difficult road win over Indianapolis in Week 1. The Bears fell behind early to Tennessee last weekend and needed two non-offensive touchdowns to win. Obviously, that’s not a reliable formula against most opponents, much less a likely playoff team like Houston.
Modi: Texans -6.5
The Bears won last week despite the fact that Caleb Williams threw for less than 90 yards. They also did not score a single offensive touchdown. They are one of the teams I wanted to fade the most heading into Week 2, so I’ll lay the points with the favorite.
Falcons at Eagles (-6.5) — Monday, 8:15 p.m.
Everett: Eagles -6.5
NY QB Aaron Rodgers‘ first game back from his torn Achilles was less than ideal, but Cousins’ return from the same injury was even worse for the Falcons. Cousins’ lack of mobility doomed Atlanta, which lost 18-10 at home in Week 1. A road trip to Philadelphia, which beat the Packers in Week 1 despite losing the turnover battle 3-to-1, is a recipe for disaster for the Falcons.
Modi: Eagles -6.5
Kirk Cousins looked rusty and like he did not trust his body in Week 1, and after dealing with a slippery field in Week 1, the guess here is the the Eagles’ pass rush shows up in Week 2.
Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator’s terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
