NFL Betting: Week 2 Top Matchups
The first week of the 2021-22 NFL regular season was a wild ride as far as the NFL Week 1 odds went. Of the seven games we previewed before kickoff, six went to the underdogs. The only one that went to the favourite was covered by just a half-point. One of the most notable upsets of the week was the 38-3 dismantling of the Green Bay Packers at the hands of the New Orleans Saints. If there was any uncertainty in the Saints’ ability to win games without Drew Brees, Jameis Winston squashed it with five touchdowns.
Week 2 should be easier to predict, but as we’ve seen before, there are no guarantees in NFL betting. We’ll feature seven can’t-miss-games in Week 2 and include their NFL odds at press time.
Buffalo Bills (-3.5) @ Miami Dolphins
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Sunday, September 19, 1 PM ET
The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins will face off in an AFC East battle on Sunday. The Bills are expected to win the game despite losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 as 6.5-point favourites. QB Josh Allen outplayed Ben Roethlisberger, registering 270 total yards and one touchdown; everything was looking good for the Bills as they went into the second half with a 10-0 lead. However, Pittsburgh led a successful comeback that included a touchdown by their special teams unit. The loss has had no impact on the Bills’ Super Bowl odds, which are still available at +1200.
As for the Dolphins, they managed to eke out a 17-16 Week 1 victory against the New England Patriots. Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa threw for one touchdown and was intercepted once.
San Francisco 49ers (-3.0) @ Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Sunday, September 19, 1 PM ET
The 49ers and Eagles are both coming off of Week 1 victories. With the majority of the 49ers’ snaps going to Jimmy Garoppolo, San Fran came on strong in the first half of their matchup against the Detroit Lions. Going into the third, they were up 38-17. Detroit QB Jared Goff nearly mounted a successful comeback with 16 points scored in the fourth, but it was San Fran that secured the victory 41-33. Their next test comes against the Philadelphia Eagles, who looked like a completely different team from last season in their 32-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
New Orleans Saints (-3.5) at Carolina Panthers
Bank of America Stadium, North Carolina
Sunday, September 19, 1 PM ET
The Saints are coming off the upset of the week; Jameis Winston made his debut as the Saints’ new starting quarterback and he did not disappoint. Winston threw for five touchdowns, which were the most in the league for Week 1. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers failed to produce any touchdowns and was picked off twice. The Carolina Panthers will enter their Week 2 matchup against the Saints as the healthier team. They’re coming off a 19-14 victory over the New York Jets in a game that saw Sam Darnold throw a 57-yard pass to Robby Anderson for the first touchdown of the game.
Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals (-3.5)
State Farm Stadium, Glendale
Sunday, September 19, 1 PM ET
The Vikings and Cardinals will face off on Sunday in Arizona. The Cardinals are the clear favourites in this one, after dominating the Tennessee Titans 38-13 in Week 1. Kyler Murray has clearly taken great strides forward in his third season with the Cards. He threw for four touchdowns and ran in a fifth himself; DeAndre Hopkins caught two of those touchdowns. Minnesota did not fare so well in their Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Vikings came out slow and had to rally in the fourth to tie the Bengals 24-24 and force overtime. In extra time, Vikings RB Dalvin Cook fumbled the ball, which ultimately resulted in a game-winning drive for Cincinnati.
Tennessee Titans at Seattle Seahawks (–5.5)
Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
Sunday, September 19, 4:25 PM ET
After their Week 1 loss to the Cardinals, the Titans will hope for a better result against the Seattle Seahawks. QB Russell Wilson had an excellent first game against the Indianapolis Colts that saw him pass for four touchdowns, including a 69-yard pass to Tyler Lockett in the second quarter. Lockett had a good game, scoring two touchdowns on four receptions. The Titans’ offensive line will need to do a better job when it comes to protecting Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill lost 56 yards on six sacks. There’s also work to do on special teams, with Michael Badgley failing to convert an extra point and missing a field goal in the game.
Kansas City Chiefs (-3.5) at Baltimore Ravens
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Sunday, September 19, 8:20 PM ET
The Chiefs and Ravens will meet for a highly-anticipated matchup set for Week 2. The Super Bowl betting favourites took part in a repeat of the 2021 Divisional Playoffs in Week 1; they once against beat the Cleveland Browns by less than a touchdown. The Browns came out strong in the first half, leading 22-10 by the end of the second quarter, but Patrick Mahomes kicked into overdrive for the second half and threw for three touchdowns (one off a 75-yard pass). Special teams contributed with a field goal, leading to a tight 33-29 victory. Meanwhile, the Ravens will be looking to rebound after losing their Week 1 game against the Las Vegas Raiders in overtime on Monday Night Football.
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (-11.0)
Lambeau Field, Green Bay
Monday, September 20, 8:15 PM ET
Pressure is on for both the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers to secure a victory in Week 2 after starting the season with a loss. The Lions came close to rallying for a comeback win in their Week 1 matchup against the 49ers, outscoring them 16-3 in the fourth, but ultimately, they came up short. The Packers looked completely out of sorts in their debut game against the Saints, with their defense failing to stop much of anything, and Aaron Rodgers throwing for a mere 133 yards that included two interceptions. Rodgers will be on a mission to turn things around in front of the home crowd in Week 2.