NFL Week 2 Betting Advice: Spreads to Bet, Avoid

Every week billions of dollars are wagered on the NFL. The most popular type of bet is the spread. Each week there are a few games with an appealing spread and others with an ugly spread. To help bettors figure out which spreads they should bet on and which to avoid, two of our NFL writers, Mike Fanelli and Dale Money, give their take on every spread for each of this weekend’s games.

To recap, last week, Mike finished with a 9-6 record while Dale also finished 9-6. For the year, Mike is 9-6 while Dale is also 9-6. Let’s take a look at their picks for Week 2.

Spreads are provided by Jazz Sportsbook. Please bet responsibly.

Be sure to check out our NFL betting advice article each week.

The Team to Bet

Mike: Arizona Cardinals -3.5

Last week, the Cardinals made the Tennessee Titans look like a junior varsity high school team. Not only did they win 38-13, but the Cardinals also dominated in all three phases of the game. The Titans had no answers for Kyler Murray, who scored five total touchdowns. He threw a pair of touchdowns to both DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk while also rushing for one. While the Minnesota Vikings don’t have a poor defense like the Titans, they will be without multiple critical players this week. Starting linebacker Anthony Barr will miss the game with a knee injury. Also, defensive end Everson Griffen suffered a concussion on Thursday and will be inactive against the Cardinals.

On the other side of the field, the Vikings suffered an upset defeat at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals. Not only did the Vikings give up 149 rushing yards, but they also allowed Joe Burrow to throw for 261 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Furthermore, the Vikings gave up three sacks last week against a poor Cincinnati front seven. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw will miss his second straight game recovering from offseason core muscle surgery. Meanwhile, the Cardinals had six sacks last week against a solid Tennessee offensive line. Leading the way was Chandler Jones. He had three sacks in the first quarter and finished the game with five. The Vikings won’t get blown out like the Titans last week; however, the Cardinals will cover the spread.

Dale: Buffalo Bills -3.5

Week 1 saw the Buffalo Bills come out strong, putting themselves 10-0 up on the Pittsburgh Steelers; however, their offense failed to capitalize on that lead after halftime. What ultimately decided the match was the blocked punt recovery for a touchdown. Along with one touchdown pass, Josh Allen accumulated 270 yards through the air. In comparison to that feat of 189 yards and a touchdown provided by Ben Roethlisberger, Allen’s stats aren’t bad. After narrowly escaping with a 17-16 victory over New England Patriots, the Miami Dolphins are looking to build on their 1-0 start to the season.

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Last season, the Bills won both games against the Dolphins. The Bills eked out a win in their first meeting by a final score of 31-28. In the second game, however, the Dolphins couldn’t manage to keep their heads above water, losing 56-26. Tua Tagovailoa threw for over 300 yards, although he was intercepted three times during that game. Having just managed to beat a rookie quarterback in Mac Jones, who was playing his first NFL game, the Dolphins now face a seasoned pro in Allen. Consider that in six career games against the Dolphins, Allen has thrown 17 touchdowns to just four interceptions, with his only loss coming in his first encounter.

The Team to Avoid

Mike: Cleveland Browns -13

Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me twice; shame on me. Bettors shouldn’t let the Houston Texans fool them again this week. After pulling off the upset win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, the Texans are almost two touchdown underdogs against the Browns. While the Texans won’t pull off the upset again this week, it is unlikely that they get blown out by two touchdowns or more. Historically, teams who are 12 or more point underdogs tend to cover the spread. The Texans won’t roll over and quit this season, and definitely not this week. While it isn’t a typical revenge game for Tyrod Taylor, he will face the quarterback who replaced him in 2018.

After the Kansas City Chiefs pulled off the come from behind victory in Week 1, the Browns will be extra focused this week against the Texans in their home opener. However, the Browns won’t blow the Texans out of the water. Last week, the Texans held the Jaguars to only 5.8 yards per play and forced three turnovers. Furthermore, they had an over 10-minute advantage in time of possession. Cleveland will be without Odell Beckham Jr. again this week as he recovers from a torn ACL, limiting their big-play upside ability. The Browns will win this game and by more than a touchdown. However, the Texans will be competitive throughout the game and cover the spread.

Dale: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -13

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers favored by -9 over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, this was considered a pretty winnable game for the reigning Super Bowl champions. However, it would take Tom Brady and more of his late-game magic in the final seconds for the Buccaneers to escape with the victory. In the second quarter, with the Atlanta Falcons trailing the Philadelphia Eagles 7-6, it seemed that they were in good shape. However, the game would steadily slip away from them. After failing to score for the rest of the game, the Falcons lost 32-6.

In the two games between Brady and Matt Ryan last year, the teams were evenly matched. Furthermore, in those two games, Ryan didn’t throw a single interception. Brady will get his points tomorrow against a weak Atlanta secondary. It will be up to Ryan to try and match the firepower. Despite the loss of Julio Jones, Ryan still has Calvin Ridley at wide receiver. Ryan also has the newly drafted tight end, Kyle Pitts, at his disposal. Over the last six meetings against the Buccaneers, the Falcons have averaged 28.7 points. It makes sense to take the Falcons and the points in this matchup.

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