Best Week 2 Nfl Bets
Welcome to 2019 Eliminator Challenge. The rules are simple: Just pick a winner each week, and don't use the same team twice. If you win all 17 weeks (or outlast your group members), you win. You can find all the rules here.
This article will look at the top Eliminator options each week, using betting lines, ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI), trends, future schedules and anything else that will help determine the best picks. (For more on how FPI is calculated, click here and here.)
In Week 1, the chalk mostly held, as the four highest-selected teams all earned wins in Week 1, and over 81% of Eliminator entrants advanced. The biggest upset was the Tennessee Titans upsetting the Cleveland Browns, knocking out 5.7% of the field. It's a big change from last season, when the only double-digit favorite, the New Orleans Saints, lost outright at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This week is simple. The New England Patriots are the biggest favorites we have seen in the NFL in over a decade. You can take them as your free square, move on to next week, and likely be safe. You could also save them for later -- remember, they will face the Miami Dolphins again later this season, and a Week 6 home matchup against the New York Giants is very appealing, too. Or you can take the Baltimore Ravens at home against the Arizona Cardinals, who were the worst team in the NFL last year and don't appear to be much better this year.
- Our experts use multiple algorithms to establish the Best NFL bet of the week for you to win your NFL bet. We stand by this NFL sports betting method. The algorithm takes into account many parameters, including the history of each NFL team, the weather, injuries, referees, starting players, coaches - all of this in order to find out the likely.
- Dec 24, 2020 This is not the week the Steelers want to face one of the best defenses in the NFL. Pick: Colts -1.5, Hines over 21.5 receiving yards, Pascal over 3.5 receptions Chicago Bears (-7.5, 47) at.
Top Picks
The first week of the 2020 NFL season was filled with plenty of upsets when it comes to betting but that’s the beauty of sports: a comeback is always in the cards. While it is always hard to bet with confidence so early during the NFL season, there are certain places where you can feel good about placing your money. Week 2 in the NFL began with a fun game on Thursday night between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. There is still a full slate of games on Sunday and Monday. It is time to take a look.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Arizona Cardinals
According to FPI, the Ravens have the same chance to win as the Patriots, except they will likely be selected by about half as many people as the Patriots will be. This line may be inflated a little based on just how bad the Dolphins were last week, but FPI views the Cardinals as the second-worst team in the NFL, so the level of competition doesn't increase a lot.
Caesars line: Ravens -13.5
FPI favorite: Ravens (86%)
Eliminator Challenge: 17% selected
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
So much for not taking road teams early in the season. After last week's 59-10 loss, the Dolphins look like they will be in this column all year as a team to fade. FPI ranks the Dolphins as over five points worse than any other team. This betting line is already historic, with the Patriots installed as 19-point favorites early in the week. Teams favored by at least 17 points are 24-1 in their past 25 games, though the last time it happened, the Minnesota Vikings were stunned by the Buffalo Bills last season. The last 35 teams favored by as many as 19 points got the win. The Patriots will be the biggest weekly favorites three more times this season, including in Week 6 at home against the Giants, so there will be other times to use them when they are a less popular pick. But it's hard to go wrong taking them here.
Caesars line: Patriots -19
FPI favorite: Patriots (86%)
Eliminator Challenge: 35% selected
Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
There isn't a great reason to go past the Ravens or Patriots, but if you want to get cute, going against a rookie sixth-round pick making his first career start on the road is a good place to start. While Gardner Minshew was actually very solid last week, the Texans should be able to adjust with a week to review tape. The Jaguars scored a total of 10 points in two meetings against Houston last year, with the Texans winning both games by double-digits. And on paper, there aren't many great weeks to take the Texans. There isn't a single week this season where the Texans are listed as one of the two biggest favorites. But while this would be a great week to burn the Texans strategically, fading the Ravens and Patriots seems like fancy-play syndrome.
Caesars line: Texans -8.5
FPI favorite: Texans (74%)
Eliminator Challenge: 4% selected
I was so close to taking down a huge NFL parlay last week. Had the Cleveland Browns shown up at all, we’d have gone 4/4 in our NFL parlay picks, and anyone who latched on would have been a huge winner.
That NFL parlay would have paid out $1,668.61 on a tiny $100 bet, and included clutch wins by the Bears and Packers, as well as Arizona beating the spread.
My hope is that you did your own parlay bet and just left Cleveland off of it.
There’s always the chance to turn things around, and if you don’t like my parlay picks for NFL week 2, consider attacking them individually, or shortening/altering the suggested parlay.
With that, here are some NFL bets I love for week two.
Let’s start with this Cowboys game. They play host against the Falcons, and both teams are pretty desperate after 0-1 starts.
Dallas does tend to play better at home and against inferior opponents. Both statements are true when talking of Atlanta and this matchup, but I don’t think we can trust either defense right now.
The Cowboys weren’t even looking that well last week when the Rams did as they pleased in a 20-17 win. Now they’re down star linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
Cowboys lose TE Blake Jarwin and LB Leighton Vander Esch to major injuries in loss to Rams:https://t.co/UPUJBKWwhG
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 14, 2020
Dallas is going to win this week, but with no defense in this game (and a lot of offense on both sides), I think fireworks are much more reliable than trying to pick a winner.
Take a closer look at this game in my week two Falcons vs. Cowboys betting preview.
Panthers vs. Buccaneers Over 47.5 (-110)
The Cowboys game has a pretty appropriately set game total, so I agree there is some mild risk in targeting the Over there.
In this spot, it’s the reverse, as the top NFL betting sites aren’t really pricing this game as a shootout to the same degree.
I still see one coming, as the Buccaneers couldn’t stop the Saints last week, and both of these defenses allowed 34 points in week one defeats.
Tom Brady is going to be more dialed in after a disappointing debut with his new team, and neither side has the ability to completely play shutdown defense.
With both teams desperate after 0-1 starts, we can safely bank on a bit of a shootout here.
Minnesota is being disrespected after a bad week one loss at home to the Packers. In all fairness, Green Bay was on point in that win, and the Vikings did show up offensively in the second half.
It’s true the Vikings are young on defense, and that should be a bit of a problem for them initially in 2020. However, they’re in must-win territory, and their front line will be facing a rookie running back.
Jonathan Taylor is being hyped up in daily fantasy football circles – and rightfully so – but Minnesota’s run defense wasn’t the problem last week.
I suspect Philip Rivers and take advantage of this matchup, but I don’t imagine he’ll play mistake-free football. Ultimately, the Vikings are still the better team, and this +135 makes them one of the best week two NFL upset picks to chase.
Nfl Week 2 Best Bets Against The Spread
Lions (+6.5) -115
Lastly, we have the Lions. If you think this is another reach in the name of the Browns, just drop it from your parlay card and finish your wager how you see fit.
I love Detroit to beat the spread here, though. The Lions have been really disappointing for basically their entire existence, but one thing they are is competitive.
Yes, they cough up leads and lose in heart-breaking fashion, but it’s precisely their tendency to do this that makes them such a fun bet against the spread this week.
Detroit also flat out plays the Packers as well as anyone. Looking back at last year, the Lions lost both meetings against Green Bay despite leading those games for the entirety of regulation.
The Lions have Adrian Peterson to smash up against a porous run defense, and Matthew Stafford can do enough through the air to keep this close if it gets into a shootout.
Best Week 2 Nfl Bets Straight Up
I do think Green Bay wins at home, but the Lions seem to always play them close. This 6.5-point spread is just too thick to shy away from.
Top Week 2 NFL Parlay Bet
- Falcons vs. Cowboys Over 52.5
- Panthers vs. Buccaneers Over 47.5
- Vikings to Win
- Lions ATS
This four-bet parlay risks $100 to win $1,468.11 over at Bovada. I love all four of these plays, so piling them together makes a lot of sense when you consider the upside.
If you’re down with just a couple of them, you can make a smaller NFL parlay for week two, or just target them as individual wagers.
Best Week 2 Nfl Bets Against
If you want a little more advice as to how to bet on the NFL this week, just check out our betting previews right here in our NFL picks section.
Best Week 2 Nfl Prop Bets
With that, I wish you luck this week, and hopefully, these parlay picks for NFL week 2, 2020 serve you well.