A look at Week 2 of NFL action with gambling, betting advice, odds and spreads. The Chargers and Seahawks can bounce back in their respective home openers.
Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Chargers (-4)
The Chargers started the season on the wrong foot, losing 24-21 to Denver, but they made a game of it at the end despite having the ball for just 25:47. Meanwhile, the Dolphins make their 2017 debut after having their home opener postponed due to Hurricane Irma.
Miami will be trotting out Jay Cutler, who was coerced out of retirement after Ryan Tannehill went down with a knee injury. L.A. should be ready for a heavy dose of Jay Ajayi, which they can probably handle after surrendering a respectable 3.8 YPC to the Broncos last Monday. Once Joey Bosa and company force some third-and-longs, they’ll get after the immobile Cutler. They registered four sacks and eight QB hits in Denver last week.
Melvin Gordon should get a few more touches than he did last week, which will enable him to pile up yardage against a sorry Miami run-stopping unit (140.4 YPG allowed in 2016).
The pick: Chargers -4
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (-13.5)
It might seem crazy to give 13 points with a Seattle team that mustered just nine points in its Week 1 tilt, but this matchup has been laughably easy for the Seahawks of late. Seattle has won and covered in 11 of their last 12 meetings with the Niners and will have a raucous crowd behind them in their home opener.
San Francisco failed to record a sack in their own building against Cam Newton last week, so Russell Wilson should be able to relax and find his targets in the pocket on Sunday. He’ll also have Thomas Rawls in the backfield to rely on; he was out with a high-ankle sprain last week.
No matter how you slice it, the Niners have been a bad bet recently; they’re 3-6-1 ATS in their last 10 overall, and 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 on the road. Brian Hoyer doesn’t look like the solution one week into his tenure in San Fran, so lay the points with Seattle.
The pick: Seahawks -13.5
Detroit Lions at New York Giants (-3.5)
Matt Stafford and company roll into New York as underdogs on Monday looking to a reverse a 17-6 defeat to the Giants from last season.
Stafford was playing through an injured finger on his throwing hand that day but is fully healthy now, as evidenced by his leading yet another fourth-quarter comeback against the Cardinals last week. The Lions have a full complement of running backs (Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick) to fall back on this time as well as rookie wideout Kenny Golladay, who should give the Giants something to think about besides Golden Tate. New York’s pass defense was vulnerable outside Janoris Jenkins last year and looked shaky in Week 1 in a 19-3 loss to Dallas.
Odell Beckham Jr. is considered “day-to-day” as he nurses a high-ankle sprain, but the Giants need him in there even at less than 100 percent to keep the Lions honest. Otherwise they’ll have a shot at matching their NFL-best three INT performance against Arizona in Week 1.
The pick: Lions +3.5
Best of the rest (picks in bold)
Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5)
Arizona Cardinals (-7.5) at Indianapolis Colts
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-7.5)
Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs (-4.5)
Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7)
Tennessee Titans (-2.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars
Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers (-7.5)
New England Patriots (-6.5) at New Orleans Saints
New York Jets at Oakland Raiders (-14)
Dallas Cowboys (-2) at Denver Broncos
Washington Redskins at Los Angeles Rams (-2.5)
Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons (-2.5)
