The Complete Bettor's Guide to NFL Week 2

The 2012 NFL regular season quickly moves into its second week with an NFC North showdown at Lambeau Field, with many sports bettors believing that Thursday night's host will bounce back after suffering a disappointing loss in its season opener.

Sports bettors will find that the Green Bay Packers are currently five-point home favorites against the Chicago Bears in the Week 2 NFL betting odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total has moved up two points from its opening number to settle in at 51. 

The Bears are one of a few revenge-minded teams around the league, considering they've lost four consecutive games in this rivalry, including a 21-14 setback in the 2011 NFC championship game.

Let's take a closer look at this game, and a few other situations that will serve as a guide when making your pro football picks this week.

Head Coach Betting Trend of the Week

You're going to have a hard time finding anyone willing to back the Cleveland Browns in this spot—even after the poor performance that the Cincinnati Bengals put together against the Baltimore Ravens.

Quarterback Brandon Weeden had one of the worst NFL debuts at the position in history, while running back Trent Richardson missed gaining valuable experience in the preseason due to an injury.

Pat Shurmur is definitely heading up a rebuilding process, but it's important to note that he compiled a perfect 3-0 against-the-spread record (ATS) against AFC North opponents on the road in his first year on the job.

Hold on tight, it figures to be a wild ride on Sunday.

Situational Betting Trend of the Week

The San Diego Chargers failed to impress in last week's 22-14 win over the Oakland Raiders as one-point road underdogs, but they have a great chance to make a statement to the rest of the league in their home opener.

Sports bettors will find that the Chargers have gone 19-3 ATS versus AFC South opponents, which includes covering 10 of their 11 opportunities at home.

The Tennessee Titans have definitely contributed to that dominating statistic, as they've gone 0-7 ATS in the last seven meetings in this series.

Back-to-Back Road Games for NFC East Teams

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins are the only two NFL teams that will play back-to-back road games to start the year, which could cause some problems for the second overall selection in the 2012 NFL draft.

Robert Griffin III led the Redskins to an impressive 40-32 victory over the New Orleans Saints as eight-point road underdogs last week, completing 19 of his 26 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns.

I'm definitely aware that the St. Louis Rams are not the Saints, but first-year head coach Jeff Fisher makes them a dangerous team due to the 8-3 ATS run he enjoyed during his time with the Tennessee Titans.

For the Cowboys, it will be interesting to see if they suffer a letdown after earning a 24-17 season-opening victory over the New York Giants.

I believe they will build off that performance and improve to 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings with the Seattle Seahawks.

New England Patriots Laying Double Digits

Double-digit NFL favorites went 2-0 ATS in the opening week, which will provide the betting public enough confidence to back the New England Patriots as 14-point home favorites against the Arizona Cardinals.

From a situational standpoint, the Cardinals have covered their last two opportunities as road underdogs of 10.5 to 14 points, while the Patriots are 3-4 ATS when laying a number in that range.

I suggest keeping a close eye on this result, as New England quarterback Tom Brady will land in this type of situational spot often in 2012.

Revenge-Minded Teams

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have spent the last couple years building their roster to beat the Green Bay Packers, which is one of the main reasons Thursday night's game is a must-watch event for football fans.

Quarterback Jay Cutler already fired a shot at the Packers secondary earlier in the week, as he's obviously thrilled to be reunited with wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

With a high amount of focus placed on the perimeter players in this matchup, I believe Bears running back Matt Forte is the key to the Bears snapping a four-game losing streak in this series.

Many believe it's impossible for the Packers to lose two consecutive home games—Cutler and company would love to make that happen. 

New York Jets

The Pittsburgh Steelers are another high-profile team that the betting public can't see starting the season 0-2, but they will face a highly-motivated opponent on Sunday.

Last week's results definitely ruined any value you'd receive on the visitor, as the New York Jets earned a 20-point home victory over the Buffalo Bills, while the Steel Curtain suffered a 31-19 setback on the road to the Denver Broncos.

The Jets are dangerous road underdogs, as they look to gain revenge from dropping a 24-19 decision in the 2011 AFC championship game in Pittsburgh.

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