Week 2 NFL Picks: Vegas Odds, Spread Advice and Predictions

The New England Patriots lost in Week 1, but they can take care of business Sunday when they go on the road to take on the New Orleans Saints.

There was quite a bit of talk about the Patriots being good enough to go undefeated this year and earn another Super Bowl triumph. That result would have required Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England defense to have no bad games and to rise above the problems all teams face during the season.

The Patriots don't have to concern themselves with that sideshow. They just need to get back to playing winning football against an opponent that has been miserable on defense the past two years and one that got pushed around badly by the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1.

The Saints allowed Sam Bradford to look like Brady during the first Monday night game of the season. How will the real Brady do?

The New England quarterback does not have his best wideout because Julian Edelman is missing for the season, and he is still getting used to new wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Phillip Dorsett. However, Brady still has Chris Hogan and Rob Gronkowski, the best tight end in the business.

If Brady can up his play just a bit from his ordinary play against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Pats should score with regularity.

Can the New England defense start to play at a more respectable level? That unit allowed the Chiefs to score 42 points, and two of the touchdowns came on pass plays of 75 yards or more. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia can't let that happen again against Drew Brees.

Bill Feig/Associated Press

The longtime Saints quarterback was effusive in his praise of Brady.

"I don't know if there is a guy in this game who has been more disciplined, more mentally tough, and has just been so consistent," Brees said, per Brad Almquist of the Boston Globe. "I have got a ton of respect for him and his approach and his accomplishments."

While New Orleans head coach Sean Payton was upset about his team's performance last week, it doesn't appear he has as many options as Belichick when it comes to leading his team to a better effort.

The Patriots rarely lose two games in a row, and they should get back on track as a 6.5-point favorites, according to OddsShark.

Look for the Pats to win and cover the spread on the road against the Saints. 

Week 2 Point Spreads and Predictions 

Matchup, Point Spread, Over/Under, Prediction

Houston at Cincinnati (-6/38), Houston/Under

Philadelphia at Kansas City (KC -5.5/47.5), Kansas City/Over

New England at New Orleans (+6.5/53.5), New England/Over

Cleveland at Baltimore (-8/39), Cleveland*/Under

Buffalo at Carolina (-7/43), Carolina/Under

Arizona at Indianapolis (+7.5/44), Arizona/Over

Tennessee at Jacksonville (+2/44), Tennessee/Over

Minnesota at Pittsburgh (-5.5/45.5), Pittsburgh/Over

Chicago at Tampa Bay (-7/44), Chicago*/Under

Miami at Los Angeles Chargers (-4.5/45), Miami/Under

New York Jets at Oakland (-13.5/43.5), Oakland/Under

Washington at Los Angeles Rams (-3/46), Washington/Over

San Francisco at Seattle (-14/42), Seattle/Under

Dallas at Denver (+1.5/42), Dallas/Under

Green Bay at Atlanta (-3/53.5), Atlanta/Over

Detroit at New York Giants (-3/43), New York/Over

*-will cover the spread but fail to win

(Point spreads courtesy of OddsShark)

Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After sitting on the sidelines while 30 teams began their season in Week 1, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn't be more anxious to start their season.

They will get that opportunity Sunday against the Chicago Bears on their home field at Raymond James Stadium, something that was in doubt until the beginning of the week as a result of Hurricane Irma.

Quarterback Jameis Winston begins his third NFL season and much is expected from him. He has all the physical tools needed to become an elite quarterback and is one of the team's leaders. Now it's time for him to put all his talents together and guide the Bucs to the postseason.

One game against the Bears will not make that happen, but Winston can take a step in the right direction. 

Chicago had a chance to come away with an upset in the first week of the season with former Buc Mike Glennon at quarterback against the NFC champion Atlanta Falcons.

However, the Bears couldn't execute the winning touchdown when they had the ball at the Atlanta 5-yard line in the final seconds and dropped a 23-17 decision.

The Bucs have two big-play wide receivers in Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson.

Evans is tall, explosive and dominant at 6'5" and 231 pounds, and he is nearly impossible to stop when he can catch a key pass or two early in the game. Jackson is one of the fastest receivers in the league, and he wants to make an impression in his first game in a Tampa uniform.

The key for this game is Tampa Bay's emotional state. The Bucs will be desperate to make plays and show off their skills after seeing the start of their season delayed, and they may be too keyed up.

Despite the loss to the Falcons, Chicago played better than expected and should improve in Week 2. The Bears should not win the game, but they will cover the seven-point spread.

New York Jets at Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders have a chance to establish themselves as an elite team in 2017.

They laid the groundwork for such a development in 2016 with a 12-4 record, but an injury to quarterback Derek Carr in Week 16 kept them from winning the AFC West and going deep in the postseason.

Carr has returned to the lineup, and the Raiders have added a leader and a power running back in Marshawn Lynch. Beast Mode has the ability to convert short-yardage plays into first downs and touchdowns, and the toughness to do it on an every-game basis.

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

Wideout Amari Cooper has game-breaking ability on the outside, while Michael Crabtree can catch key passes when the game is on the line.

The Raiders were victorious on the road against a team that is expected to contend for its division title in the Tennessee Titans. Now they play at home against the New York Jets, a team that is expected to contend for the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft next spring.

The Jets are going with Josh McCown at quarterback, who is better suited to serve as a contending team's backup signal-caller than to run a first string.

McCown has a solid running back in Matt Forte, but the Jets don't have enough of an offense to threaten opponents in most games.

The Raiders are 13.5-point favorites to overwhelm the Jets in this game, and we don't see New York coming within two touchdowns.

While the Jets have some fine players on defense, including Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams, that unit will get worn down because the offense won't be able to possess the ball enough.

Carr will distribute the ball to his stars, and the raucous Oakland fans will go home thrilled with the results. The Raiders get the win and the cover.