NFL Picks Week 2: Updated Odds and Final-Score Predictions for Each Contest

Week 1 of the 2014 NFL season kicked off with some compelling contests that ended with rather unexpected results. Looking at the slate of the 15 remaining Week 2 games, we can expect more of the same due to some intriguing developing storylines.

The Miami Dolphins will battle the Buffalo Bills for the top spot in the AFC East, the Kansas City Chiefs face the daunting task of avoiding an 0-2 start to the season against the Denver Broncos, and the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans look to remain atop the AFC South with games against the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders, respectively.

Rest assured, those examples won't be the only highly contested matchups we see in Week 2.

Vegas oddsmakers have decided which teams should be favorites this week, and game lines have already begun to shift due to early betting. Will we see more underdogs prevail once again this week? It's time to speculate. Here's a look at the updated game odds for every remaining contest, followed by a final-score prediction for each.

Home	Odds	Away	Odds	Prediction
Minnesota Vikings	+3	New England Patriots	-3	NE, 27-23
Cleveland Browns	+7	New Orleans Saints	-7	NO, 37-16
Cincinnati Bengals	-5	Atlanta Falcons	+5	CIN, 31-24
Washington Redskins	-6	Jacksonville Jaguars	+6	WAS, 23-17
Carolina Panthers	-3	Detroit Lions	+3	DET, 24-20
Tennessee Titans	-3.5	Dallas Cowboys	+3.5	TEN, 28-21
Buffalo Bills	+1	Miami Dolphins	-1	MIA, 23-20
New York Giants	+3	Arizona Cardinals	-3	AZ, 30-24
San Diego Chargers	+6	Seattle Seahawks	-6	SEA, 27-17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	—	St. Louis Rams	—	TB, 23-7
Denver Broncos	-13	Kansas City Chiefs	+13	DEN, 34-20
Oakland Raiders	+3	Houston Texans	-3	HOU, 17-13
Green Bay Packers	-8	New York Jets	+8	GB, 37-20
San Francisco 49ers	-7	Chicago Bears	+7	SF, 23-13
Indianapolis Colts	-3	Philadelphia Eagles	+3	IND, 34-27

All game odds courtesy of Bovada, via OddsShark.com.

Prime-Time Predictions

San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears

LM Otero/Associated Press

In Week 1, turnovers propelled the 49ers past the Dallas Cowboys. Three different defensive players picked off Tony Romo, and Chris Culliver recovered a DeMarco Murray fumble. These turnovers, combined with a steady running game and efficient aerial attack, earned San Francisco a 28-17 victory.

Conversely, it was turnovers that doomed the Bears in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. Jay Cutler threw two interceptions, and Brandon Marshall lost one fumble during the team's 23-20 overtime loss.

Heading into this Week 2 clash, the 49ers have a plus-four turnover margin, while the Bears are negative-two. According to Zach Zaidman of the Chicago Bears Radio Network, Cutler hasn't exactly fared well against the 49ers defense in the past, either:

Making things worse for Chicago, its run defense continues to struggle. Last season, the Bears ranked dead last in the league against the run, and so far this year, it hasn't been much better. The Bills rushed for 193 yards and a score in Week 1, and the punishing duo of Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde—who combined for 116 yards in Week 1—can be expected to duplicate those numbers.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune summed it up perfectly:

When these teams take the field on Sunday night, it will be San Francisco's ball security on offense, its ability to create turnovers on defense and its sound running game that will prove to be the catalyst to a 2-0 record to start the season.

Prediction: 49ers 23, Bears 13

Indianapolis Colts vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

This may wind up being the most entertaining contest this week. On Monday, these two offensive juggernauts will face off in what should be an all-out aerial assault. Expect big points and big plays, as each team is capable of both producing and allowing huge chunks of yards at a time.

The Colts pretty much picked up right where they left off from 2013. Andrew Luck threw the ball way too often in an attempt to dig the team out of a 24-point hole against the Denver Broncos. While he almost achieved the feat, the lack of a running game in Indianapolis is certainly a concern.

Bleacher Report's Ian Kenyon weighed in:

Defensively, the Colts had plenty of trouble getting to Peyton Manning in Week 1. The team will need someone to step up in Robert Mathis' absence immediately, as failing to apply pressure on Nick Foles could result in a long day.

Speaking of Foles, he looked flustered in the pocket early in the team's Week 1 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Foles threw off balance on several occasions and didn't appear to have much of an internal clock. The Eagles lost guard Evan Mathis to an MCL sprain, and with an inexperienced Dennis Kelly in his place, a lackluster Colts pass rush could find some success.

Foles posted a career high against the Jaguars—albeit, not a good one, via ESPN Stats & Info:

Philadelphia's Achilles' heel will continue to be its secondary. Chad Henne connected with rookie wide receiver Allen Hurns for two touchdowns in the first quarter after he absolutely burned the coverage. While the defense played better in the second half, facing off against Luck, Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton is a much more challenging task.

This one certainly looks like a shootout in the making. The edge here goes to Indianapolis—a more experienced team playing on its home turf.

Prediction: Colts 34, Eagles 27