NFL Week 2: NFC and mixed lines

It’s Week 2 of the NFL season, and we are starting to get a look at what each team in the league has to offer. While we are still waiting to see if Week 1 gave us an accurate picture of what to expect, we at least have some tape on each of the 32 teams to base our picks for this weekend off of.

Let’s look at the lines for each of the NFC and mixed matchups:

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins (-3)

Vegas is saying that these teams are even, and that seems fair after Week 1. The Redskins can’t play worse than they did against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Dak Prescott should improve off a decent first start. The difference could be Washington being at home in a game where both teams are extremely desperate to avoid an 0-2 hole.

San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers (-13.5)

Carolina is going to win this game, it’s only a question of the final score. That said, laying two touchdowns is a ton. The Panthers had the highest-scoring offense in football last year, and the 49ers are a terrible team, but this line would bother me as a bettor.

Tennessee Titans at Detroit Lions (-6)

Here’s what I was talking about earlier. Are the Lions a bad squad like most of us believed before the season, or is this a team that can consistently score 30+ points? Detroit should take care of Tennessee this weekend, if only because the Titans don’t have much of an offense. That said, a touchdown is a fair line.

New Orleans Saints at New York Giants (-5)

This is going to be an entertaining game, if nothing else. The Giants could score 45 points against the Saints, who have the most putrid defense in football. New Orleans is going to put some points up in its own right, but it never has the same explosiveness on the road.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals (-7)

Again, are the Buccaneers the team we saw hammer the Atlanta Falcons, or the losing group from last year? Tampa Bay certainly looked might impressive at home and could be a tough matchup for a Cardinals team without a complete secondary. Arizona should win, but this is a nice bet on the Buccaneers.

Atlanta Falcons at Oakland Raiders (-4.5)

This line has fallen two points since opening at 6.5, and the reasons are unclear. Oakland is at home and has the superior roster, making this the Bet of the Week. Look for the Raiders to torch Atlanta’s weak defense early and often in the home opener.

Seattle Seahawks (-7) at Los Angeles Rams

This line doubled from the opening bell and for good reason. Seattle is going to hammer Los Angeles if the first week is any indication of what these two teams are. However, the Rams do have a great defensive line and Seattle can’t block, but it still shouldn’t be enough to cover.

Green Bay Packers (-2.5) at Minnesota Vikings

The Packers are the better team, but how much does emotion factor into these contests? The Vikings will be playing their home opener in a new stadium, in primetime, with a terrific defense. This could be an upset in the making.

Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears (-3)

This is the ultimate stayaway. We simply don’t know who either of these teams are yet, especially with Carson Wentz looking so good against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday.