Week 2 is here, and we have a packed slate for today’s games followed by a Monday Night Football doubleheader. After an exciting Week 1 to kick off the season, Week 2 shouldn’t be any different.
PFN’s betting experts Chief Content Officer David Bearman, Director of Betting Brian Blewis, and Betting and Fantasy Analysts Kyle Soppe and Jason Katz give their NFL best bets for Week 2 of the 2023 season.
We’ll be updating this throughout Sunday morning as we submit more best bets.
Our Betting Lines page has the freshest lines and promos to get BANG for your buck. PFN’s FREE Parlay Calculator and Betting Odds Calculator are also available for your betting process! New to sports betting? Check out our guide on How to Bet on the NFL. Visit our Sports Betting Legal Tracker on how to bet legally in the U.S.
NFL Week 2 Best Bets
All odds are as of 9:00 AM EST and from DraftKings Sportsbook unless noted otherwise.Â
Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons Prediction
- Spread
Falcons -2.5 - Moneyline
Packers +114, Falcons -135 - Total
400 - Game Time
1:00 p.m. EST - Location
Mercedez-Benz Stadium - How To Watch
FOX, Fubo TV, NFL Sunday Ticket
Katz:Â This game is virtually a pick’em. Therefore, we can infer that the Falcons do not intend to call pass plays.
Last week, Desmond Ridder completed 15 of 18 passes for 115 yards. At the end of the first quarter, you, the learned reader, had more passing yards than Ridder.
With game script unlikely to get away from them, the Falcons will be able to continue not calling pass plays.
Best Bet: Desmond Ridder under 188.5 passing yards (-115 at BetMGM)
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Buffalo Bills Prediction
- Spread
Bills -8 - Moneyline
Raiders +285, Bills -360 - Total
47 - Game Time
1:00 p.m. EST - Location
Highmark Stadium - How To Watch
CBS, Fubo TV, Paramount Plus, NFL Sunday Ticket
Bearman:Â I am probably overreacting to Week 1’s poor and unacceptable Bills performance. But I also said in the preseason that I thought they were a tad overrated and missing something.
That something might just be Josh Allen’s ability to not make mistakes, or it could be another year without a solid running game. Taking QB scrambles out of the equation, the Bills only mustered 61 yards on the ground.
Granted, the Raiders’ defense is not the Jets, and I am not expecting Las Vegas to win this one. Still, 8.5 points is a lot of points to lay for a team coming off an awful Monday Night Football loss to a Jets team with a backup QB. It’s a good rebound spot for Buffalo for sure, but it’s also too many points when you factor in the fact that Allen has a league-high 46 turnovers since the beginning of the 2021 season.
The Raiders, meanwhile, played a solid game and got the road win at the division-rival Denver Broncos. Again, don’t expect them to force the Bills into 0-2, but I do see them keeping it close.
Best Bet: Raiders +8.5 (-110 at FanDuel)
Soppe: As we saw MNF wrap up last week, I expected this Bills/Raiders line to open up short. With Vegas coming off of a win in Denver and Buffalo losing a double-digit lead on national TV to Zach Wilson, I approached this game ready to load up on the Bills in a bounce-back spot.
MORE: NFL Survivor Picks Week 2
I was wrong. Apparently, no one is buying the Raiders. I’m not here to tell you that they are great — they aren’t. They have plenty of flaws, but keeping games close isn’t one of them, not with Jimmy Jawline under center.
Since 2019, Jimmy Garoppolo’s team is 32-15 when he throws at least 20 passes. That’s a good place to start, and even better is the fact that 10 of those 15 losses came by seven or fewer points.
The 49ers were bottom-10 in plays per game during Garoppolo’s final two seasons, and these Raiders looked similar last week (113 total plays). I like the Raiders to ride Josh Jacobs and melt time off the clock as best they can in this spot. If they cover, it’s not because they out-Buffalo’d Buffalo, it’s because they stayed on the field.
Best Bets: Raiders +9.5 (-110, FanDuel), Raiders +9.5 with under 46.5 points (+240, DraftKings)
Blewis:Â If a team needed a “get right” spot after Week 1, it’s the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen couldn’t have played any worse against the Jets last week, but that defense gave him a ton of trouble last season as well. Let’s not let one game forget that he is an elite quarterback.
In games in which they were at least an 8-point favorite last season, the Bills were 6-3 ATS. Take out the two games against the Jets, they went 6-1.
Allen usually feasts on bad teams and bad defenses, and although they nearly shut out the Broncos in the second half last week, this Bills offense will be a much more difficult challenge for the Raiders.
Best Bet: Bills -8 (-110 at Fanatics) earlier this week
Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Prediction
- Spread
Bengals -3 - Moneyline
Ravens +142, Bengals -170 - Total
46 - Game Time
1:00 p.m. EST - Location
Paycor Stadium - How To Watch
CBS, Fubo TV, Paramount Plus NFL Sunday Ticket
Blewis:Â Last week was a disaster performance for the Bengals. I picked the Browns (humble brag), but I expected it to be a much closer game.
This week, however, I’m expecting the Bengals to bounce back at home in much better weather conditions, especially against a Ravens team that suffered injuries to J.K. Dobbins, Ronnie Stanley, Tyler Linderbaum, and Marcus Williams. Those are four key contributors in addition to Marlon Humphrey, who won’t be suiting up today.
While the Bengals’ offense looked incredibly rusty, the Ravens’ offense looks to be going through some growing pains under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken as well, and this week, they will be facing a much tougher opponent than the Houston Texans.
Best Bet: Bengals -3 (-118 at FanDuel)
Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions Prediction
- Spread
Lions -4.5 - Moneyline
Seahawks +170, Lions -205 - Total
47.5 - Game Time
1:00 p.m. EST - Location
Ford Field - How To Watch
Fox, Fubo TV, NFL Sunday Ticket
Bearman: Even though they only scored 21 points against the Chiefs, the Lions are going to have one of the best offenses this season and have had 10 days to get ready for a Seattle defense that gave up 31 points to a depleted Rams offense.
I was higher than most on the Rams this year, taking over 6.5 wins, but no one thought they would go up and down the field and score 31 in Seattle. The Lions held the Chiefs to 20, but they were missing Travis Kelce. If Kadarius Toney knew how to catch, it could’ve been 30. This game should go over the 47 and end in the mid-50s.
Best Bet: Over 47.5 (-110)
Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Prediction
- Spread
Buccaneers -2.5 - Moneyline
Bears +120, Buccaneers -142 - Total
41 - Game Time
1:00 p.m. EST - Location
Raymond James Stadium - How To Watch
FOX, Fubo TV, NFL Sunday Ticket
Katz: If you’ve followed any of my work this past offseason, you know my feelings on Rachaad White. Suffice it to say, I am not a fan. But the Bears have a dismal run defense. They were completely gashed by Aaron Jones last week.
MORE: NFL News Tracker
The Bucs scored both of their touchdowns through the air last week. That’s not going to happen every week. If they get close to the goal line, for better or worse, White is going to be the guy. We’ve got pretty nice odds on him to score a touchdown this week.
Pick: Rachaad White anytime touchdown +155 (DraftKings)
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Prediction
- Spread
Chiefs -3.5 - Moneyline
Chiefs -180, Jaguars +150 - Total
51 - Game Time
1:00 p.m. EST - Location
EverBank Stadium - How To Watch
CBS, Fubo TV, Paramount Plus, NFL Sunday Ticket
Blewis: I got this line when it dropped to 2.5 earlier this week, which is when you want to back Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. In Mahomes’ career as their starting quarterback, the Chiefs are 19-6-1 ATS when the spread is three points or less, regardless of if they’re the favored or the underdog.
Now that Chris Jones and Travis Kelce are playing and the spread is up to 3.5, that stat doesn’t help you at all (sorry!), but I still would recommend playing the Chiefs here.
We all know that Andy Reid is at his best when he has extra time to prepare. While that didn’t prove to be the case last week, the Chiefs were missing Jones and Kelce, and their loss can almost be chalked up as a fluke thanks to Kadarius Toney.
If there was any weakness for this Jaguars team, it’s their defense. They allowed 21 points to an Indianapolis Colts team last week with an extremely raw Anthony Richardson under center and now will be going against Mahomes.
Best Bet: Chiefs -2.5 (-118 at DraftKings earlier this week)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams Prediction
- Spread
49ers -7.5 - Moneyline
49ers -325, Rams +260 - Total
45.5 - Game Time
4:05 p.m. EST - Location
SoFi Stadium - How To Watch
FOX, Fubo TV, NFL Sunday Ticket
Blewis:Â The San Francisco 49ers look like the best team in the NFL right now, and it starts on offense. Coming off his elbow injury, Brock Purdy didn’t skip a beat last week in their 30-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Although the Rams’ defense shut out the Seahawks in the second half last week, they were going against two backup offensive tackles. I’m not going to overreact to the performance by the Rams defense last week, as this was expected to be one of the worst units in the NFL despite having Aaron Donald.
I’m expecting another lights-out game from this 49ers offense.
Best Bet: 49ers over 26.5 points (-120 at FanDuel)
New York Giants vs. Arizona Cardinals Prediction
- Spread
Giants -4 - Moneyline
Giants -205, Cardinals +170 - Total
39.5 - Game Time
4:05 p.m. EST - Location
State Farm Stadium - How To Watch
Fox, Fubo TV, NFL Sunday Ticket
Bearman:Â It won’t get much worse than a 40-0 blowout loss in prime time at home. But as we all know, that counts only as one loss.
I thought the Giants overachieved last year and predicted a slight fallback this year, but they are better than what they showed on Sunday night.
In fact, people probably don’t even remember, but Daniel Jones and the Giants drove the ball right down the field after the opening coin toss and had a 3rd-and-2 at the Cowboys 8-yard line before a false start, a horrible snap over Jones’ head, and a blocked field goal for a touchdown changed the dynamic of the game.
I’m not saying they would have won, but it would not have been 40-0.
Anyhow, in come the Arizona Cardinals, who fought hard before losing to Washington last week, but still have arguably the worst roster in football. I’ve told people many times that my favorite thing to be in the NFL is Week 2 overreactions, and you have one here.
Best Bet: Giants -4 (-110 at DraftKings)
Soppe: Sometimes betting can be complicated, and other times, not so much. The Cardinals were more competitive last week than most assumed against the Commanders, while the Giants remained competitive with the Cowboys for less than 13 minutes in an island game. Buy the dip.
The Giants held the Cowboys to under five yards per play in their embarrassing season-opening loss, a rate that should carry over against the talent-void Cardinals. New York also has a dynamic running game, something Washington didn’t have last week (28 carries for 92 yards, with their longest effort being seven yards), something that should allow them to dictate tempo and play with a lead.
Nothing the Cardinals did last week changed my opinion of them as being the worst team in football (6.3 yards per completion is downright offensive). While I don’t think the Giants are a threat to win the NFC East, they aren’t nearly the dumpster fire that we saw last weekend.
Best Bet: Giants -4 (-110 at DraftKings)
Washington Commanders vs. Denver Broncos Prediction
- Spread
Broncos -3.5 - Moneyline
Commanders +150, Broncos -180 - Total
38.5 - Game Time
4:25 p.m. EST - Location
Empower Field at Mile High - How To Watch
CBS, Fubo TV, Paramount Plus, NFL Sunday Ticket
Katz:Â Last year, Russell Wilson looked cooked. This year, there was some hope that Sean Payton could revive him. After Week 1, it looks like Wilson is, in fact, cooked.
Wilson attempted a healthy 34 passes last week but only managed to amass 177 yards on 27 completions. That’s just 5.2 yards per attempt. Everything he threw was short.
Even with Jerry Jeudy back this week, I don’t anticipate Wilson suddenly pushing the ball downfield. Furthermore, a winnable matchup against the Commanders is not going to force Wilson into a negative game script.
Best Bet: Russell Wilson under 226.5 passing yards -115 (BetMGM)
Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots Prediction
- Spread
Dolphins -2.5 - Moneyline
Dolphins -142, Patriots +120 - Total
46.5 - Game Time
8:20 p.m. EST - Location
Gillette Stadium - How To Watch
NBC, Peacock
Bearman: The Chargers, who totally shut down the Dolphins and Tua in 2022, watched Miami put up 36 points and over 500 yards of offense. The high-flying offense moves to the northeast and is only laying 2 vs. the Patriots.
New England’s defense looked good in Week 1 bottling up Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, but they have yet to figure Tua out. The Dolphins are 4-0 vs. the Patriots with Tua at the helm, and I don’t see that changing. And now he has his most weapons and runs an offense on a mission.
Trips to Gillette haven’t been pretty, but neither is trying to stop this offense.
Best Bet: Dolphins -2 (-115 at FanDuel earlier this week)
Soppe: I wasn’t impressed with the Patriots last week. Yes, I understand that they kept things close with the reigning NFC champions, but it didn’t come in the most sustainable of ways.
In Week 1, New England didn’t have a player run for 30 yards or receive for 65. They had a single chunk play and asked their game-managing quarterback to throw the ball 54 times. They had not one but two stretches of 25-plus minutes in which they did not score a single point. What about that inspires confidence that they are better than we thought?
I will grant you that the Dolphins didn’t exactly put up a strong defensive showing in their Week 1 win, but I expect that Vic Fangio unit to improve with time.
I also expect them to improve when playing a team void of playmakers, a situation that is the case this week and wasn’t last.
Best Bet: Patriots team total under 22.5 (-108 at FanDuel)
Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Prediction
- Spread
Browns -2.5 - Moneyline
Browns -142, Steelers +120 - Total
38.5 - Game Time
8:15 p.m. EST - Location
Acrisure Stadium - How To Watch
ABC/ESPN+
Soppe: Any game evaluation has to start at the quarterback position in 2023, and in this game, we have a pair of quarterbacks capable of making big plays and big mistakes. Neither looked great in Week 1, but both are not shy to challenge down the field. Both have capable big-play receivers that encourage them to do so.
Both of these defenses were bottom-12 in opponent score rate last season, another factor that could lead to some big plays. Sure, the Browns’ defense looked good in poor weather conditions against a quarterback in Joe Burrow, who hadn’t played in a month. But I’m not yet sold on them as an elite unit. The Steelers, on the other hand, showed no signs of resistance against the 49ers (5.9 yards per play).
Six of the past seven meetings between these divisional rivals have seen at least 40 points scored, and I think we make it seven of eight on Monday night.
Best Bet: Over 39.5 points (-110, DraftKings)
Other NFL Week 2 Games and Betting Lines
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans Prediction
- Spread
Chargers -2.5 - Moneyline
Chargers -142, Titans +120 - Total
45.5 - Game Time
1:00 p.m. EST - Location
Nissan Stadium - How To Watch
CBS, Fubo TV, Paramount Plus NFL Sunday Ticket
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans Prediction
- Spread
Texans -1 - Moneyline
Colts -102, Texans -118 - Total
39.5 - Game Time
1:00 p.m. EST - Location
NRG Stadium - How To Watch
Fox, Fubo TV, NFL Sunday Ticket
New York Jets vs. Dallas Cowboys Prediction
- Spread
Cowboys -9 - Moneyline
Jets +330, Cowboys -425 - Total
38.5 - Game Time
4:25 p.m. EST - Location
AT&T Stadium - How To Watch
CBS, Fubo TV, Paramount Plus, NFL Sunday Ticket
New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers Prediction
- Spread
Saints -3 - Moneyline
Saints -155, Panthers +130 - Total
39.5 - Game Time
7:15 p.m. EST - Location
Bank of America Stadium - How To Watch
ESPN, ESPN2
