NFL Week 2 Betting Guide

To commence the second week of the season, the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles clashed for a slow-burning matchup on Thursday Night Football.

Fortunately for the over bettors on TNF, the scoring picked up in the second half, providing touchdowns of 60-plus yards from each side and a win for the Eagles. However, those with "Vikings +6.5" tickets were privy to a back-door cover thanks to a 4Q score from T.J. Hockenson.

At that, my blood is pumping and I am ready for another beautiful Sunday on the gridiron.

NFL Week 1 offered a tumultuous slate. Most notably, Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon on his first series with the New York Jets, incidentally stretching Gang Green's Super Bowl LVIII odds at FanDuel Sportsbook from +1800 to +6500 -- where they currently sit.

Underdogs went 7-8 straight-up in Week 1. In terms of total points, under bettors had a field day at 12-3-1. Can we expect more of the same in Week 2?

In the second showing, I am already hyped to see how the Detroit Lions will look at home against the Seattle Seahawks. From there, I'm intrigued by a matchup in Western New York between the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders. For the afternoon bid, I will be locked on the Jets at the Dallas Cowboys.

With a rare Monday-night doubleheader this week, that leaves 13 games in action on September 17th. Let's dive into this Sunday's main NFL slate with an emphasis on scoping out the most valuable of the traditional betting markets.

All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

NFL Betting Picks (9/17/23)

Remaining Week 2 Games

Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions

• Time: 1 p.m. EST
• TV: FOX
• Spread: DET -4.5
• Moneyline: SEA +184/DET -220
• Total: 47.5

Detroit started their season with a win for the first year since 2017. After weathering a testy road environment against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 7, the Lions will enter Week 2 at home on 10 days rest. Now as the favorite, can Detroit run through the Seahawks? Against K.C., the Lions touted the rock 34 times for 118 yards.

Seattle was speared at home by the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, surrendering 344 passing yards in the 30-13 loss. Equally disheartening, the Seahawks managed to hold possession of the football for only 37.1% of play. They'll certainly need to improve on that figure if they hope to stand a formidable chance in Motor City.

The Lions and Seahawks met as recently as 2022. In that Week 4 clash, Seattle won a shootout at home, 48-45 with quarterbacks Geno Smith and Jared Goff combining for 698 yards through the air. The fourth quarter, alone, produced 32 total points.

Best Bet: Lions -4.5

Teetering between the Lions against the spread (ATS) and a play on the over here, but I like Detroit laying less than a touchdown at home. The spread in this contest was 5.5 on Monday, but the number has fallen a point as the weekend approaches.

Naturally, that makes covering slightly easier for the Lions. I trust their lineup in the trenches more than Seattle's right now, giving me confidence with a gritty Detroit side.

According to numberFire, the Lions are projected to win by a score of 26.91-21.83 (-5.08) this Sunday. With the spread as it currently is, that result falls within safe grounds. I like Detroit Rock City coming home with all the momentum they have built to this point.

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

• Time: 1 p.m. EST
• TV: FOX
• Spread: HOU -1.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: IND +108/HOU -126
• Total: 39.5

A divisional tilt, the Indianapolis Colts will visit the Houston Texans for their first of two annual meetings. Both franchises have experienced a changing of the guards recently. Shane Steichen took over as head coach in Indy, and for Houston, former star linebacker DeMeco Ryans is now at the helm. With the odds fairly narrow in this one, who gets the edge?

The Texans and Colts are still looking for their first wins, yet, Indy was much closer to victory in Week 1 when they pushed the Jacksonville Jaguars to the brink. In that contest, rookie signal-caller Anthony Richardson played with poise behind a NFL debut rating of 79.0.

Naturally, Richardson will not be the only rookie quarterback in this contest. Selected just two spots in front of him in the 2023 NFL Draft, C.J. Stroud is also looking to etch out a space in the NFL. Stroud had a fogettable debut against the Baltimore Ravens last week, passing for 242 yards behind a 63.6% completion clip, but no touchdowns. Still, with these two young guns from the same draft class and in the same division, their careers will be forever linked.

There has been interesting movement in this game since the odds opened. On Monday, the Colts were favored by a point (-126 ML price), but the number has since jumped sides. Houston now shows as the favorite. Transparently, that may have amplified the value in this contest.

Best Bet: Colts ML (-106)

There are times when it is wisest to let the numbers make the decisions, and genuinely, this feels like one of those moments in the AFC South. With the underdog odds on Indy, I believe they still stand a chance to win this game outright. When comparing the Colts (-5.4) and Texans (-5.6) on ESPN's 2023 NFL Football Power Index, Indianapolis is one spot ahead.

On numberFire's power rankings, the Colts' nERD score of -4.07 is two places above the Texans at -6.89. I would say the rookie quarterbacks cancel each other out in this game, but Richardson clearly appeared more confident on the field and had a superior supporting cast on offense.

Stroud is also now officially questionable to play due to a shoulder injury, which shifted this line from +108 to -106 on Friday. In their second divisional tilt in as many weeks, I like Indy for the upset in Houston on Sunday.

Las Vegas Raiders at Buffalo Bills

• Time: 1 p.m. EST
• TV: CBS
• Spread: BUF -8.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: LV +310/BUF -390
• Total: 47 (-105/-115)

In Week 1, the Raiders and Bills were on opposite sides of different upsets. Notably, Buffalo -- who entered as slight favorites -- lost to the Jets despite Rodgers going down almost immediately. Of course, Josh Allen's four turnovers on Monday Night Football left Buffalo behind the eight-ball all evening. Pro Football Focus gave the quarterback a deserving grade of 49.6. Now returning to Orchard Park for their home opener, the Bills await a Raider team coming from clear across the country.

Las Vegas was also in a divisional clash last week. Facing the Denver Broncos, the Raiders went into Mile High and defeated their rivals from Colorado for the seventh consecutive time despite showing as underdogs upwards of a field goal. Jimmy Garoppolo debuted in Silver & Black by tossing two touchdowns to fellow newcomer Jakobi Meyers, but the signal-caller also produced a costly interception in the end zone.

For Buffalo's silver lining from the opener against New York, the Bills will return home completely healthy (something the Jets would love to be able to say). For Raider Nation, their top target through one game is doubtful; Meyers suffered a concussion on Vegas' final offensive drive of Week 1. Additionally, starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor is questionable with an ankle issue.

Best Bet: Under 47 (-115)

I can completely respect that offensive All-Pros like Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs and Stefon Diggs will be featured in this contest, but both units seemed to still be working through different kinks.

Because of Garoppolo's offseason foot surgery, his time with the current Raiders' group is still limited. Regardless of talent, I'm not sure we can expect an explosion of points from Vegas in Buffalo; they managed just 17 last week in Denver.

For the Bills, they looked as discombobulated as any offense did last Sunday. Even if Buffalo rights the ship and Allen plays a cleaner game, the combined total is tall at 47 points here. When looking at the league average total of 44.13 in Week 2, we see that the Bills and Raiders are garnering more respect than most sides. That respect is warranted, but still easing into the season, I am on the under for Raiders-Bills.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, the majority of public support for both the number of bets and total handle is on under 47 in this contest.

New York Jets at Dallas Cowboys

• Time: 4:25 p.m. EST
• TV: CBS
• Spread: DAL -9.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: NYJ +320/DAL -405
• Total: 38.5 (-105/-115)

When looking at this looming matchup between the Jets and Cowboys, I think everyone is wondering these two things: Is Dallas really that dominant, and is Gang Green's season actually over before Week 2? Oddly enough, the Cowboys have the rare opportunity to shutout a team from New York for the second consecutive week.

With no time to wallow, the Jets are headed to "Jerry World" on short rest after edging out Buffalo last Monday. All fan speculation aside, New York's offense will go foward with Zach Wilson. Filling in for Rodgers, Wilson seemed lost initially but settled in against the Bills by throwing for 154 yards and a score. Still, is he ready for a defense in Dallas that forced three turnovers (including a pick-six) last week?

For the Cowboys, Dak Prescott really did not do much in Week 1. They won 40-0, so not a ton was required on his part, but Prescott accumulated only 143 passing yards. All Dallas scores last week came from either the ground game, defense, or special teams. It's worth mentioning tailback Tony Pollard ran for two touchdowns in his first game without former running mate Ezekiel Elliott.

Best Bet: Under 38.5 (-115)

I noted that unders cashed in 75% of the contests last week; this is something I will not ignore. As a rule of thumb, defense typically starts the season a step ahead of the offense. Well, considering the littany of defensive studs in this game, I think that trend continues here.

Prior to Rodgers' Achilles injury, FanDuel Sportsbook had the look-ahead total for Jets-Cowboys at 45 points. As of Friday afternoon, that figured has plummeted all the way down to 38.5. When I remember that defensive stars like Sauce Gardner, Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Quincy and Quinnen Williams, Stephon Gilmore, D.J. Sneed, Leighton Vander Esch and C.J. Mosely are in this game, taking the under seems simple.

Between the Boys and Gang Green this year, opponents have produced just three scoring drives of any kind. As it is now, I can see Dallas emerging victorious somewhere in the neighborhood of 24-3. Given that both of these offenses looked a little clunky last week, I am confident in the under here.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.