Week 1 is nearly in the books. The majority of the opening week in the NFL has unfolded and there's already been some fascinating storylines to digest, particularly from a betting perspective. The Cincinnati Bengals ruined a massive amount of Survivor pools after being upset at home by the New England Patriots, the Falcons also suffered a home loss to begin the year and the Chicago Bears rallied late to cover over the Tennessee Titans.
While we're still coming off the high of opening weekend in the NFL, Week 2 is fast approaching. Below, we will take our first look at the second week of the regular season and get our impression on the early lines to see if there is anything they can tell us about who the oddsmakers initially see coming out on top.
Week 2 early odds
(All lines via SportsLine consensus odds; all games on Sunday unless noted)
Game | Early line | Early total | Early moneyline |
---|---|---|---|
Dolphins -1.5 | 50.5 | Bills +104, Dolphins -124 | |
49ers -5.5 | 45.5 | 49ers -256, Vikings +209 | |
Jets -4 | 43.5 | Jets -211, Titans +174 | |
Cowboys -6.5 | 45.5 | Saints +242, Cowboys -300 | |
Jaguars -3 | 42.5 | Browns +137, Jaguars -163 | |
Chargers -5.5 | 39.5 | Chargers -240, Panthers +196 | |
Ravens -8.5 | 42.5 | Raiders +343, Ravens -442 | |
Seahawks at Patriots | Seahawks -3 | 39.5 | Seahawks -171, Patriots +144 |
Buccaneers at Lions | Lions -6.5 | 49 | Buccaneers +246, Lions -305 |
Giants at Commanders | Commanders -2.5 | 41.5 | Giants +123, Commanders -145 |
Colts -3.5 | 41.5 | Colts -168, Packers +141 | |
Rams -1.5 | 49.5 | Rams -130, Cardinals +110 | |
Bengals at Chiefs | Chiefs -5.5 | 47 | Bengals +206, Chiefs -253 |
Steelers -2.5 | 37.5 | Steelers -150, Broncos +126 | |
Bears at Texans | Texans -6.5 | 46 | Bears +233, Texans -288 |
Falcons at Eagles (Monday) | Eagles -6 | 48.5 | Falcons +223, Eagles -272 |
Notable movement, trends
Bills at Dolphins (Thursday)
This line opened at Dolphins -1 and has since moved to Dolphins -1.5. Both of these teams are coming off wins in Week 1, but neither was easy. Buffalo fended off the Cardinals in a shootout at Orchard Park, while the Dolphins rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit to beat the Jaguars on a last-second field goal. Last year, Buffalo swept the season series with its division rival, including a 21-14 win on the road in Week 18 that determined the AFC East crown. However, the Bills were 3-5 ATS on the road in 2023 and 3-3 ATS in divisional matchups. As for the Dolphins, they were 4-2 ATS against the AFC East and 6-3 ATS at home. Both of these teams played on Sunday, so there's no true rest advantage.
49ers at Vikings
It seems like Minnesota's showing against the Giants is instilling some confidence. The line for their Week 2 matchup against San Francisco opened at 49ers -7, but now sits at 49ers -5.5, crossing a couple of key numbers. The Vikings blew out the Giants in the opener and Sam Darnold looked sharp. Of course, the 49ers defense is a much taller task. Last season, the Vikings were one of the worst teams in the NFL to back at home as they were 2-6 ATS. On the flip side, the Niners were 6-3 ATS on the road in 2023. Naturally, this line is subject to change even more with whatever may happen in San Francisco's matchup with the Jets on Monday night.
Jets at Titans
There was some preseason optimism surrounding the Tennessee Titans after they revamped their roster and geared up for Will Levis to enter his first season as the full-time starter. However, Week 1 was a bit more sobering than followers may have hoped for as they blew a 17-3 halftime lead to the Bears. That has since helped move the line in this Week 2 matchup against New York to Jets -4 after it opened at Jets -3.5. All that said, Tennessee was a strong bet at Nissan Stadium in 2023, owning a 5-2-1 ATS record at home. As we noted above with San Francisco, this line is subject to change following the Jets game in Santa Clara on Monday.
Saints at Cowboys
The spread in this game has held at Cowboys -6.5 through the events of Week 1. Both clubs are coming off blowout wins as the Saints thrashed the Panthers 47-10, while the Cowboys took down Cleveland 33-17. Dallas has been strong at AT&T Stadium as the Cowboys were 6-3 ATS at home in 2023 with an average margin of victory of 17.3 points. New Orleans was in the bottom half of the league against the number on the road as it was 3-5-1 ATS away from the Superdome in 2023.
Browns at Jaguars
Faith in the Browns appears to be splintering. This game between Cleveland and Jacksonville initially opened as a pick'em. However, the Jaguars are now a 3-point favorite coming out of Week 1, despite blowing a double-digit lead to the Dolphins in Miami. Deshaun Watson continued to struggle for the Browns, throwing two interceptions and completing just 53% of his throws in the opener. Last season, the Browns were 2-6-1 ATS on the road. While that's an encouraging nugget for Jags bettors, Jacksonville will need to improve from its 3-5 ATS home record from 2023.
Chargers at Panthers
Los Angeles got its first win of the Jim Harbaugh era and now gets a chance to move to 2-0 when it travels to Bank of America Stadium to face the Panthers in Week 2. The Chargers were 4-point favorites at the open, but now sit at 5.5-point favorites. On top of their win over the Raiders to instill confidence in the public, the Chargers get a soft opponent in the Panthers, who continue to look like one of the worst teams in the NFL. Carolina was shelled by the Saints 47-10 in the opener. The Panthers were also the worst home team to back in the league in 2023 as they were 1-7-1 ATS. It wouldn't be too surprising to see this number continue to grow.
Raiders at Ravens
The line has held at Ravens -8.5 for this Week 2 matchup. Baltimore will have the rest advantage over the Raiders after playing in the season opener last Thursday, but that may not be as big of an advantage as you may think. When they had the advantage last season, the Ravens were just 2-2 ATS. As for the Raiders, they were 5-0 ATS when faced with a rest disadvantage in 2023.
Seahawks at Patriots
This line has crossed a key hurdle. After opening at Seahawks -2.5, Geno Smith and Co. are laying a full field goal with the line sitting at Seahawks -3. New England had arguably the upset of Week 1, beating the Bengals on the road after being massive two-score underdogs. Seattle came out of Week 1 victorious, but did have a number of mental mistakes in the win over Denver including giving up two safeties. Seattle was 5-3-1 ATS on the road in 2023.
Buccaneers at Lions
The Lions are now 6.5-point favorites over the Buccaneers after the line opened at Lions -6. Both teams came away with impressive wins in Week 1 and will try to carry that momentum into Week 2. Detroit was 6-3 ATS at home in 2023 and did cover on Sunday against Los Angeles to begin 2024. As for the Bucs, they were among the best bets when on the road in 2023, owning an 8-2 ATS record.
Giants at Commanders
The Commanders are a 2.5-point favorite as they head toward their home opener against the Giants. Both of these NFC East teams lost in Week 1, but New York's situation looks far more dire than the Commanders. The Giants offense under Daniel Jones looked lifeless in the 28-6 loss to Minnesota and Jones tossed two interceptions in the process. New York swept the season series a year ago, but are a tough team to back considering they'd be caching less than a field goal currently. The Giants were also 3-6 ATS on the road in 2023.
Colts at Packers
As you may expect considering the injury to Jordan Love, this game has seen a massive swing as it relates to the spread. Initially, Love's Packers opened as a 4-point favorite. Following his injury in the opener and uncertain to play going forward, the Colts are now sitting as a 3.5-point road favorite. Even in the loss to Houston, Indy flashed its potential, particularly with quarterback Anthony Richardson, who had two passing touchdowns and one rushing score. Expect further movement with this line once Green Bay's quarterback situation comes more into focus.
Rams at Cardinals
The Cardinals put together a strong effort in Week 1 despite coming out on the losing end in Buffalo. Arizona went toe-to-toe with Josh Allen and the Bills and Kyler Murray was solid. The only curious development was the lack of involvement from rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., who had just one catch for four yards. Nevertheless, they get to open up State Farm Stadium with an NFC West matchup against the Rams. Los Angeles was initially a 2.5-point favorite, but that has since moved to Rams -1.5. The Cardinals were 5-3 ATS at home in 2023, while the Rams were 6-3-1 ATS on the road.
Bengals at Chiefs
We have a doozy of a matchup in the afternoon window as the Bengals head into Arrowhead to face the Chiefs. While this has the ceiling of being an AFC Championship preview, the Bengals need to get back on track first. They were just upset by the Patriots after being the biggest favorites on the Week 1 slate. That has helped Kansas City move to being a 5.5-point favorite after opening as a 4-point favorite. The Chiefs will have the rest advantage in this matchup after playing on Thursday and Andy Reid's team was 3-0 ATS when they had more rest than their opponent in 2023. However, Cincinnati has fared well despite being faced with a rest disadvantage as it was 4-1 ATS in that spot a season ago.
Steelers at Broncos
Pittsburgh opened as a 3-point favorite over Denver, but that has since come down to 2.5. Given the play from both of these defenses in Week 1, it should come as no surprise that the total of this game is currently the lowest on the Week 2 slate at 37 after opening at 41.5. On the road, the Under hit in six of the Steelers' nine games in 2023.
Bears at Texans
Houston is now a 6.5-point favorite over the Bears after this spread opened at Texans -4. Both teams won in Week 1, but only the Bears covered. While the Texans impressed the entire league last season thanks to C.J. Stroud, they were just 5-5 ATS at home overall and 2-3 ATS as a home favorite.
Falcons at Eagles (Monday)
The alarm bells may be going off for Kirk Cousins and the Falcons offense after Atlanta fell at home to Pittsburgh. The Eagles are now up to being a 6-point favorite in this Week 2 matchup after opening at 3.5. Cousins threw two picks in the loss and and just 155 passing yards. Playing in a hostile environment like Philadelphia likely won't provide an opportunity for a bounce-back performance. It's also important to note Cousins' struggles playing on Mondays. In that spot, he's 3-10 straight-up.