Week 2 NFL Picks: Predictions on Vegas' Midweek Betting Odds and Lines

Don't bask in the glow of a winning Week 1.

If you were lucky enough to start the season on a winning note, the best thing to do is to absolutely forget about the results and move on to handicapping Week 2.

No daydreaming about what a magical season this could be or what you are going to do with the money. 

The same holds true after a losing week. If you have been playing on a preset amount because you carefully calculated how much you could afford to wager each week, then the last thing you have to worry about is the amount you lost in a given week.

It's all about establishing a pattern so you are in a position to select more winners. 

The second week of the season often presents opportunities. While the oddsmakers know more about the 32 NFL teams this week than they did prior to Week 1, they still don't have a complete picture, and there will be opportunities.

In this piece, we offer selections on each game as well as three that we feel quite strongly about. All point spreads are courtesy of Odds Shark.

Game	Line	Over/Under	Prediction
Denver at Kansas City	KC -3	42	Kansas City; Under
New England at Buffalo	Even	45	Buffalo; Over
Houston at Carolina	Car. -3	40.5	Carolina; Under
Arizona at Chicago	Even	45	Arizona; Over
San Diego at Cincinnati	Cin. -3	45.5	SD; Over
Tennessee at Cleveland	Even	41.5	Tennessee; Under
Detroit at Minnesota	Minn. -2.5	43	Minnesota; Under
Tampa Bay at New Orleans	NO -11	47	New Orleans; Over
Atlanta at New York Giants	NYG -1	51	New York Giants; Over
San Francisco at Pittsburgh	Pitt. -5.5	45	Pittsburgh; Over
St. Louis at Washington	St. L -3.5	41	St. Louis; Under
Miami at Jacksonville	Mia. -7	41.5	Miami; Under
Baltimore at Oakland	No line	No line	Baltimore
Dallas at Philadelphia	Phil. -5.5	55	Philadelphia; Under
Seattle at Green Bay	GB -4	48.5	Green Bay; Over
New York Jets at Indianapolis	Ind. -7.5	47	Indianapolis; Over

Swallowing hard and taking the Bills

It's a difficult proposition to handicap a game and come to the conclusion that it's time to bet against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Even when a majority of the indicators point to the opposition, it's awfully tough to pull the trigger against the Patriots.

But because it's the second week of the season and the Bills have a powerful defense, a mobile quarterback who avoided major mistakes in Week 1 and the team will be playing in front of a raucous crowd for a pumped-up head coach, we are going to go with the Buffalo Bills.

If this were November or December, this route would not be taken. The Patriots are a veteran team who prepare equally and well for every game. The Bills are coming off a winning season in 2014, and they upset an Indianapolis Colts team last week that many believe will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Not only did the Bills win the game, they were far more physical than the Indianapolis Colts. Rex Ryan will be able to get his team to build on that momentum and play perhaps a better game against New England.

It looks like the Bills will have a great September, peak in early October and then face issues. Tyrod Taylor (14-of-19 for 195 yards, 1 touchdown and no interceptions) played magnificently in the opener, but he has not figured out the NFL. He will face many difficulties along the way.

"

Aaron: When it’s New England it’s personal http://t.co/g9oHxSmrAQ

— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrownBills) September 15, 2015"

Brady is not a machine. He may have thrown four TD passes in the opener against the Steelers, but the Bills pass rush will have him on the run here.

The Bills will take charge and beat their chief tormentors.

That may not be the case when the Bills travel to Foxborough in late November, but it's all things go in Buffalo right now.

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Cincinnati bullies get punched in the mouth

The Bengals were as impressive as any team in the first week of the season as they rolled to a 33-0 third-quarter lead on the road against the Oakland Raiders and emerged with a 33-13 victory.

A 20-point road win in the NFL is nothing to roll your eyes at, even if it is against the Raiders. Actually, Oakland didn't show it in Week 1, but it may be one of the most improved teams in the league by the end of the season.

But the Bengals showed a bit of a bully's personality, as they pushed around a team that just wasn't ready to play its best game. There's a lot of preening going on in Cincinnati, as if this was a team that has been dominant for years.

The Bengals are anything but. They may have been fairly consistent in recent regular seasons, but head coach Marvin Lewis and quarterback Andy Dalton have a laughable record in clutch games and the postseason. These Bengals are paper tigers.

"

Philip Rivers throws for 404 yards in 33-28 comeback win over Lions. It's Rivers' 7th career game w/ 400+ Pass yds. pic.twitter.com/ZHbl8CiSOT

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 13, 2015"

The Chargers may be just the opposite. They stumbled at the start of their Week 1 game against the Detroit Lions, falling behind by a 21-3 margin. But instead of crumpling to the canvas, Philip Rivers and head coach Mike McCoy hit back in an overpowering fashion. They put 33 straight points on the board and picked up a 33-28 victory.

The Chargers are a feisty team that looks like it will fight for 60 minutes each week. That's why we like them on the road getting three points from an overrated opponent.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Eagles not about to stay grounded versus Cowboys

Chip Kelly's offense did not get off to a rousing start Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons. Instead of hitting the ground running with new quarterback Sam Bradford and running back DeMarco Murray, the hustling Falcons defense and Philly's own penalties frustrated the Eagles for 30 minutes.

Bradford appeared to discover the answer after halftime, but the 20-3 deficit was too much to overcome. The Eagles dropped a 26-24 decision when Cody Parkey's late-fourth-quarter 44-yard field-goal attempt was wide right.

"

The one area of sloppiness that vexed Chip Kelly the most on Monday? Penalties. Chip's feelings, one day later: http://t.co/L48SLRSapl

— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) September 16, 2015"

Don't expect another slow start as the Eagles return home against the Dallas Cowboys. Bradford had been out of action for nearly two calendar years, and there was quite a bit of rust to his game. He shook most of that rust off by the time the game was over.

Then there's Murray. He was a shocking disappointment against the Falcons—nine yards on eight carries—but he may have been looking ahead to this game against his former employers. Murray led the league in rushing last year, but the Cowboys had to choose between him and wideout Dez Bryant, and they did not choose Murray.

There has been no war of words, but there's little doubt that the decision had to hurt Murray, and he can play the no-respect card—at least in his own head.

The Cowboys were lucky to win their opener against the Giants, and if it hadn't been for the clock mismanagement of Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin, they would be 0-1. Tony Romo won't have Bryant in this game and for many thereafter because of a broken bone in his foot.

Look for a maximum and winning effort from the Eagles while the Cowboys get used to life without Bryant, their best playmaker.