Week 2 NFL Picks: Predicting Top Bets Against the Spread

The luster of the NFL’s opening weekend is starting to fade, and with it gamblers are left counting their stacks or checking their bank accounts.

Whether you are in the former or latter group, it’s time to get back on the horse and start preparing for Week 2, as there are a number of great games to bet on in the coming days.

Let’s take a look at the latest lines for all the contests and highlight a few games you won’t want to miss wagering on.

Washington Redskins (+7) over GREEN BAY PACKERS

It was absolutely painful to watch Robert Griffin III shake off the rust against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, but by the end of the game it seemed that the star quarterback was back to his old self.

While his mobility may be a tad limited, he’s once again throwing pinpoint accurate passes and leading late comebacks, even though Monday’s came up a tad short.

Considering the success Colin Kaepernick had against the Packers’ pitiful secondary and weak pass rush (27-of-39 passing for 412 yards and three touchdowns, with seven rushes for 22 yards), it’s not a stretch to say RGIII will have similar success against this team on Sunday.

Due to the signal-caller’s ability to extend plays and make throws from outside the pocket, the ‘Skins are going to be able to keep their offense on the field and flat-out exhaust the opposing defenders.

Seven points is simply too many to spot a prolific passing offense with an accurate, fairly mobile quarterback under center. Take this game at that number and watch as Washington outright beats Green Bay or pushes at the very worst.

 

BUFFALO BILLS (+3) over Carolina Panthers

The Bills are a home underdog that has a great shot at not only covering, but also outright winning on Sunday.

Taking the points is obvious, especially after watching Buffalo cover this number at home against a far superior opponent in the New England Patriots in Week 1. The Panthers aren’t anywhere near as skilled as the Pats and will be hard-pressed to find success for the second week in the row.

The Seattle Seahawks laid down a guideline to beat Carolina, using a mobile signal-caller to escape pressure, make plays and keep the defense on the field, while using a ferocious defense to bottle up the running game and limit Cam Newton’s effectiveness on the other side of the ball.

Buffalo employs a solid core of defenders that are more than capable of shutting down the Panthers backfield and keeping Newton out of the end zone. It also features EJ Manuel, fresh off a solid showing in his debut, ready to continue his development.

As long as Manuel avoids making too many mistakes and turning the ball over, he should be able to do enough to pick up a win in Week 2.

New York Jets (+13) over NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Here’s another underdog AFC East team you shouldn’t be afraid to take the points with.

Gang Green is fresh off a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that almost everyone thought wasn’t going to happen—and almost didn’t without the help of stupid penalties.

However, the Jets are now 1-0 and ready to take on the Pats in a Thursday Night Football showdown. Although it’s a stretch to say that they will have a shot at winning at Gillette Stadium, they could easily cover this massive spread.

New England is decimated by injury and will be without Week 1 hero Shane Vereen and may not have Danny Amendola or Zach Sudfeld on the field.

That banged up squad is still plenty capable of beating anyone with Tom Brady under center, but there’s no chance that they can lay a shellacking on New York with so many key pieces missing.

This spread is crazy, so dodge the chalk, scoop the points and get paid.