Week 2 NFL Picks: Latest Betting Odds, Vegas Spreads and Projections

The NFL's opening week offered bettors plenty of lessons, saving the most important for last.

It was a simple one, too—never trust the Los Angeles Rams.

In all seriousness, though, the Rams gave the globe a harsh reminder of what a minefield the betting landscape can look like, entering as the favorite and taking a 28-0 loss to the supposedly rebuilding San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.

Those who took a big loss there or elsewhere shouldn't fret, though, not with plenty of early Week 2 lines to exploit. Las Vegas has some interesting thoughts for those with a keen eye.

NFL Week 2 Odds

Matchup	Spread	Predicted Winner
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo (TNF)	BUF -2.5	NYJ 20-17
New Orleans at N.Y. Giants	NYG -4	NO 30-28
Kansas City at Houston	HOU -1.5	KC 24-20
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh	PIT -3.5	CIN 24-17
Dallas at Washington	WAS -3.5	WAS 17-10
Miami at New England	NE -5	NE 28-20
Tennessee at Detroit	DET -5.5	DET 33-23
Baltimore at Cleveland	BAL -3.5	BAL 23-10
San Francisco at Carolina	CAR -13.5	CAR 28-10
Tampa Bay at Arizona	ARI -7.5	ARI 24-23
Seattle at L.A. Rams	SEA -3.5	SEA 17-10
Indianapolis at Denver	DEN -4	DEN 28-24
Jacksonville at San Diego	SD -2.5	JAC 27-21
Atlanta at Oakland	OAK -6.5	OAK 28-27
Green Bay at Minnesota	GB -2.5	GB 24-13
Philadelphia at Chicago (MNF)	CHI -1.5	CHI 24-20

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Top Early Odds to Bet

Seattle (-3.5) at L.A. Rams

Those Rams won't burn bettors twice in a row. 

An encounter with the Seattle Seahawks perhaps seemed like upset material before the season. After all, the Rams took the divisional foe to overtime and then lost by six later in the year last season.

Not this year. The Rams got 130 passing yards and two interceptions from starting quarterback Case Keenum and all of 47 yards on a 2.8 per-carry average from Todd Gurley to start the season.

CBS Sports' Will Brinson explained the whole night well:

The Seahawks will feast against this team, even if Russell Wilson and his crew struggled to a 12-10 victory against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1.

Wilson didn't impress, but Christine Michael rushed for 66 yards in limited opportunities and Doug Baldwin grabbed nine catches for 92 yards and a score.

Even Wilson with a sprained ankle—according to head coach Pete Carroll, through Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times—won't have many problems in Week 2. The team around him is too talented to falter against one deeper in a rebuild than anyone could have predicted.

Prediction: Seahawks 17-10

Jacksonville at San Diego (-2.5)

The San Diego Chargers get the nod here from Las Vegas thanks to playing at home. 

Home, where the team apparently wanted to leave. The Chargers, a team that coughed up a huge advantage to take a 33-27 overtime loss last week to the Kansas City Chiefs.

As if the choke job wasn't bad enough, San Diego coughed up a pair of passing and rushing touchdowns to an offense without Jamaal Charles in the backfield. The team also lost star wide receiver Keenan Allen to an injury for the rest of the year, per Ricky Henne of the team's official website.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't win last week either, but so it goes when welcoming Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to town. It was a 27-23 affair, with Rodgers accounting for three total touchdowns.

If San Diego couldn't stop Kansas City from gaining 363 passing yards and two scores while three targets went for 63 yards or more, the trio of Allen Hurns, Allen Robinson and Julius Thomas should have a big day with Blake Bortles slinging the rock. Keep in mind a defense capable of upholding its end of the bargain against an offense such as the Packers.

With San Diego deflated and Jacksonville once again thinking the AFC South isn't out of reach, look for the road team to come out better and cruise.

Prediction: Jaguars 27-21

Green Bay (-2.5) at Minnesota

Those Packers won't struggle as much this week. 

Again, looking at the schedule a few weeks ago might have suggested otherwise, as the Packers had a hard time against the Minnesota Vikings last year, taking only the first of two encounters.

But that was when the Vikings had Teddy Bridgewater under center and the Packers were without top wideout Jordy Nelson.

How the times have changed.

Minnesota went out and got a win in Week 1 regardless, though it's hard to talk about. Shaun Hill started under center and threw for 236 yards while Adrian Peterson rushed for 31 yards on a 1.6 per-carry average.

Not exactly the best performance and not against the best team, and head coach Mike Zimmer won't even say who gets the start under center against Green Bay, according to ESPN.com's Ben Goessling:

It doesn't matter, as neither Hill or Sam Bradford will be able to keep pace. Rodgers wants to run a fast offense and get out to an early lead. When that happens, either quarterback will make mistakes trying to compensate, especially if the Packers defense can keep Peterson in check.

Peterson never rushed for more than 67 yards in a contest against Green Bay last year for this very reason. The Packers will start hot and never look back as a team without a starting quarterback does its best to keep up.

Prediction: Packers 24-13

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of Tuesday. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.