Week 2 of the NFL season might as well be a different season after the craziness of Week 1.
Onward and upward after a 3-4 week that led to -1.7 units. A lot of tight games to open the 2023-24 season have given me a lot to consider for this week’s best bets.
NFL odds are current as of Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 11 a.m. ET and courtesy of the sportsbooks listed.
Bears vs Buccaneers Best Bet
Buccaneers -3 (-110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Let’s keep it a buck: The Bears cannot block on either side of the football. Their offensive line had Justin Fields running for his life and keeping his eyes on his check down, and the defensive line gave Jordan Love enough time to take a nap on passing downs.
That gets you beat. Badly.
The Buccaneers went on the road and beat a bad defense while bending and not breaking on defense themselves. The run defense was stellar, holding the Vikings to 41 rushing yards on 17 attempts, including four stuffs and four tackles for losses.
There is no reason for Tampa Bay to make Fields’ day a nightmare by eliminating his rushing threat (and their three running backs’ threats) and forcing him to throw. Back the Bucs with your NFL bet of the day.
Seahawks vs Lions Best Bet
Lions -5.5 (-108)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Bad news for the Seahawks, as both offensive tackles left Week 1’s contest with injuries. It is realistic that Abraham Lucas and Charles Cross both miss Week 2.
The Lions are a nightmare to block when healthy, but now Aidan Hutchinson and John Cominsky could be given a chance to go against backups in their home opener.
Geno Smith is going to be under pressure in Week 2 unless the game plan is to find Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and DK Metcalf on shallow routes. The run game will also have to be successful early to keep the Lions from forcing the Seahawks to pass more than they prefer.
Rookie CB Devon Witherspoon has a chance to make his Seattle debut, and his arrival could not come soon enough.
Browns vs Steelers Best Bet
Browns -1.5 (-112)
BetRivers Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
BetRivers is the only sportsbook hanging (-1.5). The next best odds are at DraftKings, Caesars, and PointsBet at (-2).
The Steelers will at least be without WR Diontae Johnson (hamstring) and DE Cam Heyward (groin), and they could also miss TE Pat Freiermuth (chest) and RT Chukwuma Okorafor (concussion).
That’s four starters, not including limited reps for DT Larry Ogunjobi in Week 1.
Meanwhile, the Browns will be without RT Jack Conklin (ACL), and with S Juan Thornhill missing Week 1, it’s not a lopsided injury report.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett was in a bad spot against the 49ers defense, and after seeing what the Browns did against Bengals QB Joe Burrow, it doesn’t look good for a Pittsburgh team that does not want to go 0-2.
Since 1990, only 11.3% of teams to start 0-2 have made the postseason.
Raiders vs Bills Best Bet
Raiders +9 (-110)
Caesars Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
The Raiders’ pass-and-run defense played well against a team that they should have had success against. After seeing the Bills offense struggle with lapses and turnovers, it is within the realm of possibilities for Las Vegas to keep this game within a touchdown, let alone nine points.
If Vegas can hurry and pressure Josh Allen like they did Russell Wilson (16 pressures, 14 hurries, 2 sacks), then this game will come down to turnovers.
Jimmy Garoppolo is good enough to turn and hand the ball to Josh Jacobs and get Davante Adams the ball in the passing game. The former 49er had 26 catchable passes on 29 attempts. That’ll play in a tough spot on the road.
Jets vs Cowboys Best Bet
Under 42 Points (-110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
An odd game script leaves a few questions about how good the Cowboys’ offense is. They essentially had half a game off, and the weather in New Jersey was extremely damp.
A home game against the Jets’ staunch defense won’t give us a clear picture of the offense once again in Week 2.
Zach Wilson will be the starting QB for at least Week 2 with Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) out for the season, though it may not matter against the Cowboys’ front seven. The Jets’ offensive line is better than whatever the Giants claim they have, but that’s a low bar.
Whichever team commits the fewest turnovers should have the inside edge on a win and the chance to put up points.
