NFL Picks Week 2: Early Odds to Exploit for Best Over/Under Score Bets
Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season was filled with surprises. The New York Jets got the win over the Buffalo Bills without Aaron Rodgers, the Cincinnati Bengals mustered a mere three points in a blowout loss, and the Los Angeles Rams outright embarrassed the Seattle Seahawks.
For bettors, the challenge is knowing when to dismiss Week 1 results and when to take them at face value.
The Bengals, for example, should be just fine. They didn't have quarterback Joe Burrow (calf) at all in the preseason, and they battled harsh elements against the Cleveland Browns. The Jets, on the other hand, have lost Aaron Rodgers for the season to a torn Achilles. They really could be in trouble.
Below, we'll sift through some of what we saw in Week 1 and examine our favorite over/under bets for Week 2 based on the early week lines.
Check the latest lines at DraftKings.
Bengals and Ravens Under 46.5 Points
1 of 3
The Bengals offense will rebound, eventually. However, it isn't likely to happen after only a week. Burrow missed the entire 2022 preseason too, and it took until Week 3 for the Cincinnati offense to really click.
With the rival Baltimore Ravens coming to town, the Bengals are likely to follow that trend this season. Baltimore has an aggressive defense that matches up well with Cincinnati—though losing safety Marcus Williams to a pectoral injury is problematic.
The Ravens offense is also undergoing some growing pains. Lamar Jackson is healthy, and new receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers had a Week 1 impact. However, Baltimore still only produced 25 points against the rebuilding Houston Texans in Week 1.
With top running back J.K. Dobbins out for the season with a torn Achilles, Baltimore isn't likely to put many points up at Paycor Stadium.
That's typically the case when these two teams meet. Neither of last year's Bengals-Ravens regular season matchups reached 46 points. Their playoff battle produced just 41 points.
Expect another defensive battle when these two AFC North foes clash for the first time in 2023.
Packers and Falcons over 41 Points
2 of 3
The Green Bay Packers offense looked tremendous during its 38-20 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. However, the outcome may have said more about the state of Chicago's defense than about Jordan Love and the Packers.
Don't count on Love tossing three touchdowns against a revamped Atlanta Falcons defense in Week 2.
That said, there's a lot of scoring potential in this game. While Atlanta did a great job of limiting the Carolina Panthers' passing attack in Week 1, it also struggled against the run. Carolina racked up 154 yards on the ground.
Green Bay should be able to lean on Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon and the ground game against Atlanta. Jones left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, but it doesn't appear to be serious.
"Matt LaFleur says they're still evaluating Aaron Jones' hamstring but that it was encouraging seeing him jogging off the field. Also mentioned how Packers had luxury of not having to use Jones after the injury," The Athletic's Matt Schneidman posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Falcons offense didn't look great in Week 1, but Atlanta has big-play threats like Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson. This is a low over/under total, and there are enough playmakers in this game to top it.
Titans and Chargers over 46 Points
3 of 3
The Los Angeles Chargers lost a 36-34 barnburner to the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. In the process, L.A. surrendered 536 yards of offense while racking up 433 yards of its own.
That performance shouldn't be viewed as a mirage. With Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler leading a Kellen Moore-coached offense, the Chargers are potent on that side of the ball.
A Chargers defense that ranked 28th against the run and 21st in points allowed last season still isn't great.
Los Angeles shouldn't have a true track meet against the Tennessee Titans, but the potential for a lot of scoring is there. The Titans can attack L.A. with star running back Derrick Henry. The Chargers, meanwhile, can exploit an underwhelming Tennessee secondary.
The Titans ranked dead-last in passing yards allowed last season and did surprisingly little to upgrade their defense in the offseason. New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr topped 300 passing yards against Tennessee in Week 1.
We might not see both teams reach 30 points as we did in the Chargers' Week 1 game, but this one should approach 50 total.
Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Draft Football")
.jpg?w=600 "Fans React to Simpson Pick 😱")
.jpg?w=600 "McVay's Reaction to Ty Simpson Pick 😅")