Week 2 NFL Spreads

Week 2 of the NFL kicks off tonight after a wild week 1 as the Minnesota Vikings visit the Philadelphia Eagles. You can see the latest lines and information about movement of the spreads for week 2 here.

Week 1 is often a revelation, as off-season and pre-season hype meets reality. This year was no different, as preseason “powerhouses” like the Pittsburgh Steelers were humiliated at home 30-7 by the San Francisco 49ers, and playoff teams like the New York Giants realized the reality of 2023 was much different than their charmed 2022 season. And then you have the New York Jets, who lost Aaron Rodgers 4 plays into the season and then managed to come back and beat the Buffalo Bills.

But this is the NFL, and things can change dramatically from week to week, so week 1 losers like the Steelers and Giants can look very different in week 2. This is pro football, and there’s nothing like an ass-kicking to focus the mind of NFL players. So keep that in mind as you evaluate these games.

Here are some matchups to look forward to this week:

Las Vegas Raiders +8.5 at Buffalo Bills

What’s up with Josh Allen? He’s always been a reckless player, and now his style of play seems to be blowing up in his face more often. He runs like a maniac, tempting fate when it comes to injury. But the real problem involves his interceptions. He threw three of them last week against the Jets, letting them get back into a game they had no business winning. He’s back home this week but the Bills are laying 8.5 points against a Raiders team that didn’t look to bad last week. Allen has to play better for the Bills to cover here.

Jets +9.5 at the Dallas Cowboys

This game features two of the best defenses in the NFL, but the similarities end there. With Rodgers out for the season, the Jets are forced (for now) to start Zach Wilson. Most of what they planned to do on offense this season now has to be thrown out. Expect the Jets to rely on their formidable running game led by Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook and hope they can keep the game close. The Cowboys have a fierce pass rush, so running against this defense always makes sense, but here the Jets have no choice.

Miami Dolphins -3 at New England Patriots

We knew the Dolphins offense could be good, but they looked unstoppable last week against the San Diego Chargers. Tyreek Hill had over 200 receiving yards while Tua Tagovailoa passed for over 400 yards. The question now is whether they can come close to that performance on the road against the Patriots. The Pats have a real defense, and they probably won’t let Tua sit in the pocket with little interior pressure.

Chicago Bears +2.5 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There were plenty of beatdowns in week 1, but did any team have a worse week than the Chicago Bears? Bears fans were convinced they could finally turn the table on the Green Bay Packers after the departure of Rodgers, but then the Bears get stomped by Jordan Love and the Packers at home in week 1. Meanwhile, Justin Fields had a tough game as he continued to struggle in the pocket. Fields can still beat you with his legs and can throw accurately downfield, but the Bears aren’t going anywhere if he doesn’t improve dramatically in the pocket. Meanwhile, videos were circulating all week showing how Chase Claypool was dogging it on play after play. The Bears GM should be fired for giving up a high 2nd rounder for Claypool.

Cleveland Browns -2.5 at the Steelers

The sharps jumped on the Browns last week and were rewarded when the Browns destroyed Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 24-3. The Browns added a ton of talent on defense during the offseason, and we saw how Jim Schwartz plans to use his new toys this season. Meanwhile, the Steelers were being hyped up for playing well in the preseason, but then got exposed by the 49ers. Everyone was getting excited by Kenny Pickett, but he’s done very little in this league. And we saw last week that he will struggle against a good defense. This game started with the Steelers being favored, but everyone is jumping on the Browns now. It’s hard to see how Pickett has success against Myles Garrett and that Browns pass rush. But Mike Tomlin knows how to win at home, especially on Monday night and against the Browns. Given how week 2 tends to flip the script, there are plenty of intangible factors to go with the Steelers as a home dog. But if they can’t run the ball, then Pickett will be in trouble.