Week 2 NFL Picks: Tips, Odds and Over/Under Predictions for Sunday

The NFL lines from oddsmakers are as exploitable as it gets right now. 

Look at Thursday Night Football between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals to start Week 2. Despite hosting at home and coming off a season-opening win, those Bengals were underdogs before routing their AFC North rivals—whose only claim to credibility entering the contest was recognizable names and a blowout over a miserable Buffalo team in Week 1. 

Those Bengals are a solid illustration of where oddsmakers stumble out of the gates each season, as they were also underdogs against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 despite Andrew Luck having not thrown a football for more than a year. 

There is the trick—finding where the lines are off based on droves of available information and gut feeling and striking early in the year to build bankroll. Week 2 has plenty of these chances left for those who look hard enough. 

Week 2 NFL Odds

Baltimore (-3) at Cincinnati | O/U 44

Carolina at Atlanta (-6) | O/U 44

Cleveland at New Orleans (-9.5) | O/U 50

Houston (-3) at Tennessee  | O/U 43

Indianapolis at Washington (-6) | O/U 46

Kansas City at Pittsburgh (-4.5) | O/U 53.5

L.A. Chargers (-8) at Buffalo | O/U 42.5

Miami at N.Y. Jets (-3) | O/U 43.5

Minnesota at Green Bay (-2.5)  | O/U n/a

Philadelphia (-3.5) at Tampa Bay | O/U 44

Arizona at L.A. Rams (-13) | O/U 47

Detroit at San Francisco (-6) | O/U 48.5

Oakland at Denver (-6.5) | O/U 46

New England (-1.5) at Jacksonville | O/U 45

N.Y. Giants at Dallas (-3) | O/U 42

Seattle at Chicago (-3.5) | O/U 43

Cleveland at New Orleans (-9.5)

While looking for exploitable lines is a necessity, there is no need to get cute. 

Cute is thinking a Cleveland Browns team that hasn't won a game in more than a year is going to go on the road and take down a Drew Brees-led New Orleans Saints team. 

Granted, Ryan Fitzpatrick just did this in Week 1 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a 48-40 win over the Saints via his 417 passing yards and four touchdowns. But that's a common opponent where the games are typically close mixed in with a little Week 1 silliness. Brees still threw for 439 yards and three touchdowns—the mistake was only rushing 13 times total. 

Expect the Saints to make plenty of adjustments and take care of business in this one, in large part because they're simply the better team. 

"It was the first game," Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said, according to Stats LLC (h/t ESPN.com). "Nothing is going to be perfect. We have to execute the game plan better. We've got to get back to basics and work on the fundamentals. We're looking forward to righting the ship."

It's true, and what Cleveland has is now on film after the Week 1 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The same theme runs here: those AFC North games are usually close because the two teams know each other so well, and to add to this, the Steelers are notoriously slow starters. 

On the road, Tyrod Taylor isn't going to outduel Brees. He only averaged 4.9 yards per completion on a 15-40 line in Week 1 and had to pull double duty by leading the team in rushing with eight carries for 77 yards and a score. 

Now that the Browns have put what they do on film, the Saints can adjust and make the run a priority, establishing a balance that will put them ahead while making a Taylor-led offense a one-dimensional look. 

Prediction: Saints 35, Browns 24

Indianapolis at Washington (-6) 

Another over-the-spread pick here comes courtesy of some timid Week 1 reactions. 

The Colts coughed up 24 second-half points to start the season with a 34-23 loss at home, so no, their outlook on the road against the Washington Redskins isn't great.

Andrew Luck was encouraging on a 39-of-53 line with two touchdowns and a pick, but it was the same old story elsewhere as the ground game averaged 3.4 yards per carry and the defense coughed up the big points when it mattered. 

Washington, on the other hand, went on the road and trounced the Arizona Cardinals 24-6. It was a statement game not because they beat up on a bad team, but because it was a display of sheer balance. 

Through the air, new quarterback Alex Smith took care of the football, firing two touchdowns with only nine incompletions. On the ground, Adrian Peterson rushed for 96 yards and a score while complementary back Chris Thompson rushed for 65 and caught six passes for 63 and a score.

A continually-improving defense (Daron Payne arrived via the first round) held former MVP candidate David Johnson to 37 rushing yards and silenced Sam Bradford. 

To make matters worse for Luck and the Colts, they will end up missing their best offensive lineman again: 

In other words, Luck will be on the road in his second game back against a strong pass rush while getting little from those around him. 

If the Colts can eventually get the entire line on the field and Luck keeps getting back to his usual self, there is room for a late-season push in an unpredictable AFC South here. But in Week 2, the Redskins are easily the better team and should come away with a win in comfortable fashion while riding a pace-controlling, balanced attack. 

Prediction: Redskins 28, Colts 20

L.A. Chargers (-8) at Buffalo

Harry How/Getty Images

Hey, it's those miserable Buffalo Bills. 

Buffalo went out and got whipped by the Ravens 47-3 to start the season, getting less than 75 yards passing from both Josh Allen and Nathan Peterman while the defense coughed up three passing scores to Joe Flacco and three rushing touchdowns. 

Completely out of options after one week and stuck in the league's most significant rebuild, the Bills will throw the No. 7 overall pick to the wolves: 

The sacrificial lamb won't have to deal with Joey Bosa, but he's still looking at a strong Melvin Ingram-led pass rush and a defense boasting first-round safety Derwin James, a guy with superstar potential written all over him. 

These Los Angeles Chargers weren't as bad in Week 1 as some might think, either. So go the perils of only looking at box scores: Philip Rivers' team lost 38-28 at home to the Kansas City Chiefs, but he threw for 424 yards and three touchdowns with at least two more outright touchdowns dropped by a struggling cast of receivers. 

While the Chargers have to travel quite the distance for this one, they won't have to deal with a Patrick Mahomes, and Rivers' supporting cast will hopefully have the Week 1

jitters out of the system. This is a Melvin Gordon-heavy game with Rivers doing what he wants while the Bills just hope to luck into their first touchdown of the season. 

Prediction: Chargers 35, Bills 10