NFL Picks Week 2: Game-by-Game Advice for Current Vegas Spreads

Fifteen teams won, 15 teams lost and two teams tied after the NFL's opening week.

For the 15 losers, it's not all doom and gloom, as one loss isn't going to torpedo a season. However, some of those losing teams have to address a litany of serious issues immediately following brutal losses.

Other teams are in better shape but need to fix some flaws that could prevent them from making a leap forward.

And then there are the losers who played admirably and looked good in the opener but fell just short.

We'll take a look at a team in each group below, offering a pick and some analysis in advance of their Week 2 matchups. You can also find picks for each Week 2 contest. A note that all odds are via OddsShark and as of 7:45 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

NFL Week 2 Picks

Baltimore Ravens (even, 44 O/U) at Cincinnati Bengals: CIN 21, BAL 20

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (-5, 44 O/U): CAR 20, ATL 17

Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints (-8, 50 O/U): NO 30, CLE 20

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans (no line): HOU 23, TEN 10

Indianapolis Colts at Washington Redskins (-5.5, 46 O/U): WSH 27, IND 23

Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers (-5, 53 O/U): PIT 31, KC 24

Los Angeles Chargers (-7, 42.5 O/U) at Buffalo Bills: LAC 31, BUF 10

Miami Dolphins (-1.5) at New York Jets: NYJ 20, MIA 17

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (-1.5): GB 24, MIN 23

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: PHI 31, TB 13

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams (-10): LAR 34, ARI 14

Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers (-3): SF 27, DET 20

New England Patriots (-2, 45 O/U) at Jacksonville Jaguars: JAX 20, NE 17

Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos (-4.5): DEN 24, OAK 20

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-3, 42 O/U): NYG 24, DAL 14

Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears (-3, 43 O/U): CHI 27, SEA 17

Remain Calm: Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears

Yes, the Chicago Bears blew a 17-point lead against the Green Bay Packers en route to a 24-23 loss, but keep in mind that (a) this is a young team with a new head coach in one of the toughest matchups in the league and (b) Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a wizard.

The Bears showed plenty of promise Sunday. Notably, edge-rusher Khalil Mack looks like he's about to crush opposing offenses week after week following his unbelievable day (one sack, one interception return for a touchdown). Chicago has plenty of defensive talent besides Mack like cornerback Kyle Fuller and linebacker Roquan Smith.

The offense looks much improved from last year, and head coach Matt Nagy's creative play-calling helped the team get off to a quick start. In particular, the running backs look like they are going to be solid all year. Backup Tarik Cohen is utilized in a better fashion under Nagy, and starter Jordan Howard looks like he will be the focal point of the offense. Those two are complemented by a multifaceted passing attack led by quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and wideout Allen Robinson II.

The Seattle Seahawks roll into town after losing to the Denver Broncos 27-24 in Week 1, and it's clear that defense simply isn't the same without key members from the Super Bowl-winning team. Denver had no problems moving the ball on the ground or in the air, and neither should Chicago at home. The Bears will win and cover.

A Little Unsteady: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons' red-zone issues have been discussed ad nauseam after their poor performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 (see here for a good breakdown from Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus). That needs to be rectified, but at the very least, the team has wideout Julio Jones, who can almost win games on his own with monster performances. As long as he stays healthy, the Falcons will remain competitive into December.

The bigger problem than the red-zone inefficiency, however, may be the loss of starting safety Keanu Neal, who suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season.

Neal finished seventh among safeties in run defense in 2017, per Pro Football Focus, with a fourth-place ranking in defensive stops. He will be a huge loss against some tough running backs on the Falcons schedule, including the New Orleans Saints' Alvin Kamara (twice), the Arizona Cardinals' David Johnson (once) and the Carolina Panthers' Christian McCaffrey (twice).

McCaffrey is next in line, and look for him to have a big game against Atlanta as the team struggles with Neal out. The Panthers will cover and win outright as well.

Mash the Panic Button: Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers

The Detroit Lions opened their game with the New York Jets on Monday by getting a pick-six. They proceeded to get outscored 48-10 for the rest of the night.

Anything that could go wrong did for the Lions, and now the team may be without defensive end Ziggy Ansah and guard T.J. Lang, who each left the game with injuries.

Ansah is the team's best pass-rusher, and if he can't go against San Francisco, then a significant edge goes to the 49ers in this matchup. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo didn't fare well against a tough Minnesota Vikings defense on the road Sunday, but now he's home facing what looks to be a much weaker defense in Week 2.

He'll get a bonus if wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, who suffered a deep thigh bruise in the opener and missed most of the game, can give it a go.

Ultimately, the Lions look like their season is on the brink after just one game. Given how they performed against the Jets, it's hard to back them. Take the 49ers minus the three points.