We had strong results across the board with our Week 1 picks, turning in three winning records against the spread, hitting a +225 anytime touchdown scorer, and staying alive in survivor by picking the Jaguars instead of the Chargers.
Sunday offers a compelling lineup of games, highlighted by an NFC North clash between the Bears and Vikings and two AFC meetings involving teams with Super Bowl aspirations.
Let's get to our picks against the spread, props, and survivor selection for Week 2.
👉 Check out all of the Week 2 lines available on theScore Bet here
Jump to: Game picks | Early slate | Late slate | Player props | TD scorers | Survivor selections
Our trio of betting writers - Eric Patterson, Brenden Deeg, and Dane Belbeck - will make picks against the spread for Sunday's slate and Monday Night Football all season.
Eric Patterson breaks down his favorite picks against the spread, adding his own analysis and insights. He'll also identify player props and touchdown scorers to target, plus a survivor selection to help you win your pool.
🏈 Bet: Jets (+3.5)
This version of the Packers is overrated. Their defense isn't scary without Micah Parsons, and their offensive line is one of the league's worst. Last week against the Vikings, Green Bay showed no ability to run the ball and gave up 29 straight points in an ugly loss.
And I'm not letting the Jets' 13-point victory over Tennessee cloud my judgment, either. The Titans are bad, and Geno Smith and Co. handled them with ease. Notably, New York's offensive line allowed just one pressure on Smith, keeping his pocket extremely clean all game. If Smith gets ample time to throw against the Packers, the Jets could win. 👉 Add the Jets to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
🏈 Bet: Eagles (-7)
As mentioned, the Titans aren't good and now face one of the NFL's best defenses. Tennessee's offensive line will have no answer for Philly's pass rush, which will be the difference in this game. Cam Ward, who struggled in the first start of his sophomore season, will likely be put in a blender by Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Philly's offense looked out of sorts at times against the Commanders in Week 1, but Washington's defense deserves credit. Additionally, the Eagles won't need to score 30 points to cover the spread in this contest because the Titans might not even score double digits. 👉 Add the Eagles to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
🏈 Bet: Buccaneers (-8)
The Buccaneers easily could've won on the road in Cincinnati last week had it not been for four fumbles lost - three of those by Baker Mayfield. Despite repeatedly being asked to stop Joe Burrow on short fields, Tampa Bay's defense played well and allowed only two touchdowns.
Sunday's contest is the ultimate revenge spot for Mayfield, whom the Browns drafted first overall in 2018, then traded away before moving on to Deshaun Watson. Mayfield seems like the vengeful type, and Cleveland looks ripe for the picking after an embarrassing 34-10 loss to the Jaguars. 👉 Add the Bucs to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
🏈 Bet: Bears (-4.5)
The Bears are the talk of the NFL after hanging 59 points on the Panthers in Week 1. Now they're 4.5-point favorites at home against the Vikings, who have a much better defense than Carolina.
However, Bears head coach Ben Johnson has found ways to succeed against Brian Flores' defenses in Minnesota in the past. During his time calling plays for the Lions, Johnson went 4-0 against the Vikings before splitting the season series last year after joining Chicago. Flores is known for his incredibly high blitz rate, but Johnson has proven to have the answers.
Caleb Williams has taken another step forward and become one of the league's elite scramblers. The Bears will be prepared for whatever Flores throws at them, and I'm not sure Carson Wentz can keep up. 👉 Add the Bears to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
🏈 Bet: Commanders (+4)
The Commanders' pass rush looked much better than last season, and their offense moved the ball in the second half against a stout Eagles defense. Although Jayden Daniels needed a few series to look comfortable under center, the third-year quarterback turned in a respectable performance in his first full game since dislocating his elbow last season.
Meanwhile, the Giants dominated the Cowboys under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football, holding Dallas to only two second-half possessions by gashing them on the ground and killing the clock. Despite all the offseason hype surrounding the Cowboys' defense, the unit had no answer for the Jaxson Dart-led offense.
Dallas may beat Washington, but the Commanders should be able to score on a porous defense and keep things close. Plus, taking points in a divisional game is never a bad idea. 👉 Add the Commanders to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
🏈 Bet: Cardinals (+4)
The Seahawks are the much better team, which goes without saying. However, Drew Lock is under center for Seattle in Sam Darnold's absence, and I can't lay points with a backup quarterback on the road against a divisional opponent.
The Cardinals ruined a lot of people's survivor pools by beating the Chargers as 8-point underdogs. They have weapons on offense, Jacoby Brissett is a serviceable starter, and their defense is much healthier than it was last season. It seems as though Arizona may have been extremely underrated before the campaign started, and I still don't think the market has caught up. 👉 Add the Cardinals to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
🏈 Bet: Over 24.5 rushing yards
The Panthers blitzed Williams 12 times in Week 1 and had a 28.2% pressure rate, according to Pro Football Reference. Williams responded by scrambling eight times, including two designed runs, and amassed 65 yards on the ground. Now the star quarterback faces the Vikings, who blitzed Jordan Love 33 times in Week 1 and generated a 47.8% pressure rate.
While Williams will have no choice but to take off and run when the pocket breaks down, he's become quite good at scrambling. He's surpassed this total in three of his four career games against the Vikings and should do it again Sunday. 👉 Add Williams' rushing total to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
🏈 Bet: Over 5.5 receptions
Cooper Rush will be back under center for the Falcons, meaning Bijan Robinson will have another busy day as a pass-catcher. Robinson had a 52.63% target share last week against the Steelers, according to SumerSports, catching eight passes for 90 yards. With Rush's limitations as a thrower, dumping it off to Robinson seems to be his go-to option. 👉 Add Robinson's reception total to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
🏈 Bet: Over 4.5 receptions
Parker Washington led the Jaguars in target share in Week 1 with 28.57%, running 40% of his routes out of the slot. However, he ran only 18 routes in Jacksonville's blowout win, so his five-catch, 83-yard outing could've been much bigger. Playing out of the slot will be key against the Broncos, as Denver will be unlikely to shadow Washington with Pat Surtain II. Washington should easily clear this number if he continues to dominate target share and runs 50% more routes. 👉 Add Washington's reception total to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
🙌 Bet: Anytime TD (-145)
Omarion Hampton is the clear goal-line back for the Chargers, who should bounce back against the Raiders in Week 2. Hampton has scored in six of his 10 career regular-season games, and he should get plenty of red-zone opportunities Sunday, with Los Angeles' implied point total hovering around 26. Justin Herbert isn't a threat to steal carries around the goal line like Josh Allen or Jalen Hurts, meaning any time the Chargers are inside the 5-yard line, it's Hampton's number that's getting called. 👉 Add Hampton to score a TD to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
🙌 Bet: To score 2+ TDs (+200)
The Saints got torched by Jahmyr Gibbs on the ground last week, and now they have to stop Derrick Henry and the prolific Ravens offense. Henry ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the opener against the Colts, and Indy's defense is much better than the Saints'. Baltimore's receiver room is also banged up, which will put more of the offensive load on Henry's shoulders. 👉 Add Henry to score 2+ TDs to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
🙌 Bet: Anytime TD (+500)
I'll keep leaning into the Mayfield revenge game and bet he punches one in against his former team. Mayfield isn't necessarily a running quarterback, but he's definitely not afraid to pick up yards with his legs. He rushed five times last week for 30 yards and a touchdown, and he could've scored twice if he hadn't fumbled near the Bengals' goal line. Mayfield's only other start against the Browns was in Week 1 of the 2022 season when he was with the Panthers. Though he lost that game, he scored a rushing touchdown. 👉 Add Mayfield to score a TD to your betslip on theScore Bet here.
Buccaneers
We dodged a bullet by avoiding the Chargers last week and instead chose the Jaguars, who handled the Browns with ease. We're going to pick on Cleveland again by selecting the Bucs to win their home opener. The case for Tampa covering the spread was laid out above.
The other survivor option is the 49ers, who are 13-point favorites over the Dolphins at home. San Francisco should win, but the only cause for concern is the team's trip back from Australia. The Niners spent a week on the other side of the planet and could still be jet-lagged, and we'll have other opportunities to use them in the season.
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