Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season has come and gone, and what a wild week it turned out to be for bettors. We witnessed a ton of upsets, including a surprising tie between the Colts and the Texans. We also saw AFC favorites Buffalo and Kansas City ball out against the Rams and Cardinals, respectively, and watched in awe as a spirited Steelers squad picked apart the Bengals’ offense in Cincinnati. Then the Cowboys laid an egg Sunday night — thumbs down for Dallas QB Dak Prescott — and Russell Wilson and the Broncos got stood up by his old squad in Seattle. Got all that!? Good, now let’s move on to best NFL bets for Week 2!
Every week of the NFL season, we scour the sportsbooks to find our favorite bets. We research stats, analyze past and present betting trends, and weigh out potential variables for each game before turning it all into one succinct listing of nine or 10 best bets. Whether you prefer waging on the moneyline, making spread picks, betting over/unders, or playing props, we have you covered! Last week, we profited plenty. We hit both of our featured moneylines (Vikings, Chargers) and both of our over/unders (Patriots-Dolphins, Bills-Rams).
Let’s get to work and carry the momentum into Week 2. This slate may not prove as entertaining as opening weekend, but it still contains plenty of betting goodness. We’ll be looking to see where oddsmakers appear to be overreacting to Week 1 results and where they seem to be missing key takeaways or invaluable trends. Making money in sports betting is all about finding an angle or edge and capitalizing on it.
MORE: Full list of odds for NFL Week 2
So, let’s seize the day! Here’s a look at Sporting News’ best bets for Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season, including picks against the spread, moneyline bets, over/under wagers, and some player props.
JUMP TO: Spreads | Moneylines | Over/under | Player props
NFL Best Bets Week 2: Against the spread
All odds are courtesy of Sports Interaction.
Saints +3 vs. Buccaneers
Both these squads enjoyed ugly Week 1 wins, with the Saints barely besting the lowly Falcons 27-26 and the Bucs relying mostly on defense and Ryan Succop’s four field goals to down the hapless Cowboys 19-3. Tampa Bay looks better on paper, sure, but Brady and his boys hardly deserve to be three-point favorites in the Superdome.
Jameis Winston looks like he’s turned back the hands of time in New Orleans, and his supporting cast has clearly played a huge part in his resurgence. The veteran QB, who spent his first five professional years as a Buc, was slinging the ball all over the field in the ATL. Stud wideout Michael Thomas caught five passes for 57 yards and two TDs. New Saint Jarvis Landry exploded for seven grabs and 117 yards. Highly-touted New Orleans rookie Chris Olave added three receptions for 41 yards. RPO extraordinaire Taysom Hill and RBs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram each did their thing to keep the chains moving.
The Buccaneers looked okay offensively against the Cowboys — and it’s tough to gauge a team’s strengths and weaknesses coming off such an easy win — but the Saints looked like a better overall team from top to bottom in Week 1. They exhibited chemistry, cohesiveness, and clear communication. At times in Dallas, meanwhile, Tampa looked out of sync, out of rhythm, and downright out of gas. And it obviously didn’t help to once again lose stud wideout Chris Godwin (hamstring), who just recently returned to the field following post-surgery ACL/MCL rehab.
Let’s also not forget that Brady has experienced his fair share of struggle against New Orleans in the recent past. Since becoming a Buccaneer, he has lost each of his four regular-season games against the Saints — including a 9-0 shutout late last fall. New Orleans has picked off the GOAT eight times across those four meetings, and has since added elite safety Tyrann ‘Honey Badger’ Mathieu. This is our upset pick of the week — buy a half-point if you want the field-goal insurance, but New Orleans can and should win this one straight up.
NFL WEEK 2 PICKS: Against the spread | Moneyline Picks
Colts (-4) at Jaguars
Indianapolis sure seems like a squad that will be royally pissed off after a disappointing opening week. The Colts, who were -6.5 favorites and over -300 on the moneyline against the Texans, fought for a 20-20 tie in Houston after nearly losing the game altogether. They scored 17 straight points in the fourth quarter, and would have won if Rodrigo Blankenship didn’t doink a 42-yard field goal in overtime.
Don’t expect a similar letdown from Indy this weekend. While the Jaguars nearly pulled off an upset of their own in Week 1, they still made plenty of mistakes. The Colts feature a much more potent offense and a much more stingy defense than the Commanders.
In his Indy debut last week, Matt Ryan completed 32-of-50 passes for 352 yards, one TD, and one pick. Reigning rushing king Jonathan Taylor picked up where he left off, notching 161 yards on 31 carries. Top breakout receiver Michael Pittman Jr. hauled in nine catches for 121 yards and the game-tying TD.
Not only does Indianapolis have a superior roster top to bottom, it also has the plenty of motivation to wallop the Jags. Jacksonville managed just three wins in Lawrence’s 2021 rookie season, but the third one came in Week 18 against the Colts, ultimately preventing Indy from making the playoffs.
While the Jags have covered in four consecutive meetings between these organizations, they were just 2-5 ATS as a home underdog last season. With a full game with Matty Ice at the helm under their belts, expect the Colts to carry over some of their Week 1 late-game momentum into this divisional affair.
Dolphins (+3.5) at Ravens
This week features some massive spreads, and we were tempted to feature Tennessee +10 at Buffalo here before chickening out. The Dolphins getting over a field-goal cover in Baltimore gives us much more confidence.
The Dolphins looked like bona fide contenders in a commanding 20-7 Week 1 win over the Patriots, dominating on both sides of the ball. Tyreek Hill proved the worth of his $120 million contract early and often, hauling in eight catches for 94 yards, and fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle added four grabs for 69 yards and a score. Third-year QB Tua Tagovailoa limited his mistakes, as Miami finished the game with no turnovers (something that only happened four times last season).
But while everyone talked about new Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense all preseason, it was Miami’s defense that stole the show in the season opener. The ‘Phins D forced three turnovers, tallied two sacks, and held New England to under 200 yards passing and 80 yards rushing.
Miami will have a tougher test this weekend against 2018 MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, who come off a dominant 24-9 win over the Jets in the Meadowlands. L-Jax owned the Jets, throwing three TDs and needing just 17 yards with his legs.
The Ravens could very well win this game, but it should be much tighter than either of these teams’ season openers. Jackson has a tendency to turn the ball over in close games — his 3.8-percent turnover percentage ranked behind just Andy Dalton and Justin Fields for worst in the pros last season. Baltimore turned the ball over 26 times in 2021, and its defense recorded just 15 takeaways. While the Ravens’ 2022 season has started on a much better note, the Jets offense can barely hold a candle to Miami’s. Grab the +3.5 while you can.
Another Week 2 ATS pick we like: Panthers -1.5 (-115)
MORE NFL WEEK 2: Power Rankings
Best NFL moneyline bets Week 2
Steelers (+106) vs. Patriots
The Steelers proved their doubters wrong in Week 1, punching the AFC-champion Bengals in the face and taking a 23-20 overtime victory. Yes, they lost stud linebacker T.J. Watt to a torn pec, they still have plenty of fire on defense.
Second-year QB Mac Jones and the lackluster Patriots offense got stood up in Miami last weekend, and word has spread about Jones suffering from back spasms. New England couldn’t establish its ground game like it did so often last season, and offseason wideout addition Devante Parker did next-to-nothing all game.
What’s worse for Bill Belichick’s squad was what we saw on the defensive side of the ball. The Pats looked unfocused and outmatched all game, even surrendering a breakaway TD on a 4th-down slant route late in the first half.
With elite second-year Pittsburgh back Najee Harris (foot) appearing ready to suit up in Week 2, it seems far-fetched to imagine these Steelers losing to New England one week after what they did to Cincy. They sacked Joe Burrow seven times and recorded five turnovers, including four interceptions. Good luck to Mac and his back — New England looks like it’s on the wrong track.
Commanders (+110) at Lions
The Commanders looked pretty dang good in Carson Wentz’s Washington debut, beating the Jaguars 28-22 with the help of four Wentz touchdowns and over 300 passing yards. Now they get a Lions squad that just allowed Jalen Hurts and the Eagles to best them 38-35 on their home turf.
:Hard Knocks: was awesome, but entertaining TV doesn’t always translate to marked on-field improvement. Detroit still has issues with stopping strong offenses from mounting drives. The Lions allowed the Eagles to score 24 points in the second frame and trailed Philly by 17 at one point in the fourth quarter.
The Commanders boast a strong offense led by receivers Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and rookie Jahan Dotson. Those targets — combined with hybrid back Antonio Gibson and tight end Logan Thomas — will be too much for Detroit to slow down this weekend.
Panthers (+112) at Giants
Baker Mayfield almost led the Panthers past his former team last week, but the Browns got the last laugh in a close 26-24 win. Meanwhile, stud RB Saquon Barkley and the Giants stunned the Titans 21-20 in Memphis.
Carolina’s passing defense looked pretty strong against Cleveland, limiting Jacoby Brissett to under 150 yards and a TD. The backfield tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt went off, combining for 187 yards and a TD on the ground and 26 yards and a TD through the air.
Expect Carolina defensive coordinator Phil Snow to have a better plan of attack this week against Barkley. The Panthers should force turnover-prone Giants QB Daniel Jones to beat them, which will be harder with rookie receiver Wan’Dale Robinson nursing a knee injury. We also expect Panthers stud RB Christian McCaffrey to get the ball rolling against the Giants, who in Week 1 surrendered 80 ground yards to Derrick Henry and three catches for 62 yards and two scores to Dontrell Hilliard.
Picking three solid moneyline bets was admittedly difficult this week — the slate features a handful of lopsided contests — but the Panthers should be able to pull off the road upset here. The Giants managed just four wins in all of 2021, and they were 0-4 following a win.
Best NFL over/under bets Week 2
Chargers at Chiefs: OVER 54.5 (-117)
For a change, the best game of the week also happens to be the first game of the week. Fresh off a five-TD effort over the Cardinals, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will host a divisional tilt with 2020 Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert and the Chargers. L.A. beat the Raiders 24-19 in Week 1, fueled by three Herbert TD passes. This has the makings of a shootout, and we’re all over it (so to speak). Last season, the OVER went 12-8 in Chiefs games and 10-7 in Chargers games. Kansas City divisional games also hit the over four out of six times throughout 2021. Mahomes and Herbert serve as two of the more clutch QBs in the NFL, and they rise to the occasion in primetime affairs. In four night games last year, Herbert had an 11-3 TD/INT ratio. Mahomes had a 14-6 TD/INT ratio in evening contests. And check out their TD/INT numbers against AFC West teams: Mahomes 15-4, Herbert 16-4.
Someone has to lose this game, and we’re betting it will be the Chargers. Well, in the Bolts’ last three losses dating back to the end of the ’21 regular season, the average total score was 66.3 points. In the Chiefs’ last three wins, the average total score was 68.6 points. Smash the OVER with all your might.
Falcons at Rams: UNDER 47 (-110)
Everyone and their mother seems to be on the points in this game, with BetQL currently listing 100-percent of sharp money on the OVER. Well, good thing you came here today because the UNDER is a stone-cold lock!
Take advantage of BetQL’s 3-day free trial and see all of our best bets across all sports, including college football, NFL and MLB!
The Rams are coming off a disappointing season-opening loss to the AFC-favorite Bills. They were downright manhandled on both sides of the ball, and will be looking to reassert their pride against a Marucs Mariota-led Falcons squad. Yes, Atlanta put up an admirable effort against the Saints in opening week, losing just 27-26, but a season-opener at home against Jameis Winston is wildly different than a Week 2 tilt with the Super Bowl champions in Los Angeles.
The Rams know how to hold court — in home games last season, L.A. was 8-3. When the Rams were home favorites, the UNDER went 7-3. The reigning Super Bowl champions will score 30-something points this weekend, and the Falcons will be lucky to reach double-digits. Hell hath no fury like Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey pissed.
Best NFL player prop bets Week 2
Player props are from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Justin Herbert OVER 1.5 passing TDs (-225)
Who cares about the -225 juice here? Herbert tossed a total of six TDs against the Chiefs in two games last season, and he logged 16 TDs in six AFC West contests. He had three TD passes in the Chargers’ opening-week win over the Raiders, and Kansas City lost stud safety Tyrann Mathieu in the offseason. Easy money!
Patrick Mahomes passing yards OVER 301.5 (-115)
Just like Herbert, Mahomes rises to the challenge of divisional contests. The former MVP averaged 298 passing yards against AFC West foes, and a whopping 335 passing yards across Kansas City’s two tilts with the Chargers. He somewhat-effortlessly tallied 360 yards against the Cardinals in Phoenix over the weekend, and now he gets to play in front of the Arrowhead faithful for K.C.’s home-opener. If this is a shootout — like we already told you we expect it to be — Mahomes will be slinging early and often.
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