Week 2 NFL Picks: Which Games Should You Target in Week 2 of the Season?
NFL Week 1 was insane, and Week 2 can only be better! NFL handicapper Matt MacKay shares his favorite bets to place during Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season.
Matt MacKay - September 13, 2023, 12:35 PM EDT
7 minWeek 2 NFL Picks: Which Games Should You Target in Week 2 of the Season?
It was a brutal start to the 2023 NFL season for our four recommended NFL picks last week, as all four of them failed to cash. Week 1 can be an outlier for a lot of teams, though, especially with players who didn't compete in any preseason games. That said, we're due for a bounce-back week on the Week 2 slate. Let's first review the Week 1 picks and their outcomes before diving into the best bets to make during Week 2.
Pittsburgh's preseason hype train ran into the 49ers' defense, which extinguished all momentum, ruining Steelers +3.5 with a 30-7 rout at home. The Panthers looked plucky early on, but they couldn't cover the +3.5 either, scoring just one touchdown while surrendering three rushing touchdowns to fall 24-10 in Bryce Young's debut. Houston played hard against a stout Baltimore defense but had to settle for three field goals inside of 40 yards, which wasn't enough to cover the biggest spread of Week 1 at +10. Lastly, the Cardinals and Commanders game had the potential to cash over 38.5 multiple times, but four red zone field goals left us just shy at 36 total points.
NFL handicapper Matt MacKay is here with the latest odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to give us his favorite bet to place for each of these games in Week 2.
Week 2 NFL Picks
MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
We're getting another primetime matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles to kick off Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime in Week 2. Last season, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles pummeled the Vikings at home, where they'll play once again, securing an easy 24-7 win against Minnesota. The Vikings secondary gave up two touchdowns to Baker Mayfield at home, losing 20-17, so they are already in an urgent situation entering a hostile environment on the road. The Eagles still have arguably the best offensive line in the league, facing a Vikings pass defense that ranked 31st in 2022. There are some defensive backs that may be out in Philadelphia's secondary, but I don't see any realistic scenario where the Eagles don't cover as seven-point favorites ATS, especially since they are 9-2 ATS playing the Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field.
BALTIMORE RAVENS VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS
The Ravens face their first divisional opponent on the road in Week 2, where they've been great covering the spread against the Bengals. Baltimore is 4-1 ATS in its last five road games against Cincinnati while also winning five of their last six games played in September. The absence of J.K. Dobbins could be a reason why the Ravens are catching 3.5 points, making them underdogs, but their revamped offense could be in for massive production against a Bengals defense that gave up 206 rushing yards to Cleveland last week. Lamar Jackson's newest weapon, rookie wideout Zay Flowers, may wind up with his first career touchdown against a Bengals secondary that lost several key pieces from a year ago, so Ravens +3.5 is a multi-unit lock.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS VS. DETROIT LIONS
This should be a fun matchup between two teams with big expectations in 2023. Detroit met these standards by going into Arrowhead and beating Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs 21-20 during the first regular season game last Thursday, while the Seahawks were routed 30-13 at home by the Los Angeles Rams. Seattle is 5-0 head-to-head against Detroit in their last five games, which included a late-game meltdown by the Lions at home in 2022. This game is back at Ford Field, with a Seahawks team that just got embarrassed by a team many thought wouldn't be competitive in 2023. Detroit is every casual fan's favorite team right now, with even more hype after their Chiefs win, but I expect Pete Carroll and Geno Smith to execute a better game plan to steal this game on the road. Underdogs have won four of the Lions' last five games, so let's lock in the Seahawks to win outright as six-point underdogs on the road at a nice +200 odds.
NEW YORK GIANTS VS. ARIZONA CARDINALS
After a brutal 40-0 shutout at home in primetime against Dallas, the Giants head to the Desert to face a gritty Cardinals team that has zero expectations to perform well in 2023. Daniel Jones can't be any worse than he was last week, but his offensive line needs to perform better against a Cardinals defense that ranked 14th in run defense last season. The Giants are laying six points on the road, which is too much, especially since the Cardinals are 5-1 SU against the Giants in their last six matchups, including 5-1 ATS as well. The Cardinals already covered +7 on the road, so +6 at home against an underwhelming team like the Giants is free money.
NFL Week 2 Picks
- MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Eagles -7 (-110) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
- BALTIMORE RAVENS VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS: Ravens +3.5 (-115) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
- SEATTLE SEAHAWKS VS. DETROIT LIONS: Seahawks Moneyline (+200) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
- NEW YORK GIANTS VS. ARIZONA CARDINALS: Cardinals +6 (-115) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
NFL Odds
