NFL Odds Week 2: Early Locks and Best Bets on the Schedule
The opening week of the 2024 schedule was filled with exciting plays, thrilling finishes and a few surprises. There was plenty to digest, but it's already time for fans to look ahead to the upcoming schedule.
The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins are set to kick off Week 2 on Thursday night.
Fans looking to make a few wagers in Week 2 now have a full week of information with which to work. It's important not to overreact to the opening schedule, as Week 1 games are often fluky, mistake-filled affairs. We can, however, identify some favorable bets against the early odds.
Here's a look at a few of our favorite team plays for Week 2, based on factors like Week 1 performances, offseason roster changes, team health and individual matchups.
*Lines via DraftKings Sportsbook
Baltimore Ravens -9.5 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
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Yes, the Baltimore Ravens lost in heartbreaking fashion against the Kansas City Chiefs in last Thursday's opener. Yes, there were some concerning trends that Baltimore presented during the game, including poor offensive line play and Lamar Jackson's lack of contact avoidance.
However, the Ravens are likely to again be in the hunt for the AFC's No. 1 seed later this year. They have too much talent on both sides of the ball to consistently fall short against teams that don't feature Patrick Mahomes.
Week 2 should provide an opportunity for Baltimore to rebound in a big way. It'll be the Ravens' home opener, and they'll be hosting the Las Vegas Raiders.
Las Vegas flopped against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, failing to find an offensive rhythm and struggling to contain the run as the Chargers rushed for 176 yards as a team. Those are two massive problems against Baltimore's aggressive defense, Jackson and Derrick Henry.
The one concern for the Ravens in this matchup is their new-look offensive line. It had a lot of problems with Kansas City's defensive front and will next face Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins.
Still, it's worth jumping on this line before it gets any higher. It'll be a long trip and an early start for the Raiders, and Baltimore is by far the better team.
Indianapolis Colts -3.5 at Green Bay Packers
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Indianapolis Colts fans got the full Anthony Richardson experience on Sunday. The second-year quarterback flashed elite arm talent and running ability but also showed inconsistent accuracy and some questionable decision-making.
Ironically, that's exactly what Green Bay Packers fans saw from Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts when the Eagles and Packers faced off last Friday. Philadelphia went on to win by five.
Now, this game will be at Lambeau instead of in Brazil, but Richardson, Jonathan Taylor and the Colts offense can present some significant matchup problems for the Packers defense—a unit that surrendered 144 rushing yards and 410 total yards in its opener. The bigger problem for Green Bay is that it won't have Jordan Love to help the offense keep pace.
Love suffered a knee injury late in Friday's game, and it's expected to keep him out for the next few games.
"My understanding is Jordan Love has between a Grade 1 and Grade 2 MCL sprain, which means he'll miss a few weeks but not extended time," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport posted on X.
Indianapolis nearly kept pace with C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans in Week 1, and it should have a much easier time against presumed Packers starter Malik Willis.
Willis, who has a career 48.7 passer rating, was acquired just before the start of the season.
Washington Commanders -2.5 vs. New York Giants
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This did not go perfectly for the Washington Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels in Week 1. Daniels had some bright moments—he completed 17 of 24 pass attempts and rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns—but he couldn't do enough to offset a bad Commanders defense.
Washington was repeatedly gashed by Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' passing attack.
This week, though, Washington will host the New York Giants, who had one of the most underwhelming performances of Week 1. Quarterback Daniel Jones once again failed to throw a touchdown pass and tossed two interceptions, including a pick-six.
Jones will start again for the Giants in Week 2.
Washington's secondary is a liability that plenty of teams will exploit in 2024. With Jones under center, however, the Giants aren't poised to be one of those teams. The Minnesota Vikings offense deserves credit for forcing Jones into mistakes, but the quarterback's issues with accuracy, timing and rhythm fall on him.
New York's defense, meanwhile, did little to slow Sam Darnold and the Vikings, who racked up 312 yards and three touchdowns. Expect Daniels and the Commanders to do enough in Week 2, while New York again fails to keep up pressure offensively. Washington should win by at least a field goal here.
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