Betting opportunities are abundant in week two of the 2023 NFL season. However, if you can only make three NFL bets this week, then let it be the ones we’re covering in this article. Keep in reading to get our favorite bets of week 2!
Over/Under 51 Points: Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars
This is a rematch of last year’s divisional-round playoff game that ended 27-21 in favor of the Chiefs. The best NFL betting sites have pegged the KC-Jacksonville over/under slightly above that prior game. Here’s the current betting line:
The Chiefs losing to the Lions on Thursday was one of opening week’s big surprises. It’s how they lost that shocked people. For once, Patrick Mahomes looked normal. The offense struggled to move the ball, but not necessarily because of Mahomes himself. No, the struggles were the pass-catchers on the Kansas City side who were dropping balls and creating little separation.
Tight end Travis Kelce, the Chiefs’ go-to target, was out with an injury. He’s making progress toward a return this Sunday, but nothing is official. Our gut says Kelce plays, and if he does, a return to normal for the Chiefs offense might be in the cards.
For Jacksonville, this is a measuring stick game. Most picked them to make the playoffs, but not many believe they’re actual title contenders. Playing the Chiefs tooth and nail — if not outright winning — changes that instantly. We fully expect head coach Doug Pederson, an offensive wizard, to bring out his best stuff in this one. All this makes an over very likely of hitting in our book.
Against The Spread: San Francisco Rams at Los Angeles Rams
We’ll be upfront and say the 49ers being seven-point favorites against a division rival in the Rams (on the road!) got us side-eyed. To us, these odds should be closer given the history between the two rivals.
We get it, San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan has owned Sean McVay. He’s 9-3 in the regular season, including eight straight wins. Both games last season were double-digit wins by San Francisco too. But in spite of that, we’re banking Los Angeles covers the spread.
Look, with a healthy Matt Stafford (he was not all of last year), the Rams are a team that’ll compete. They blew out a playoff team in the Seahawks by 17 points last week. Yes, the 49ers — Super Bowl contenders — are a step up in competition but Stafford has slayed them before, most famously in the NFC Championship game.
Plus, if there’s one weakness with San Francisco, it’s the secondary. They looked good in Week 1, but that was against a very mediocre Kenny Pickett of the Steelers. Stafford is going to push them way harder with his aggressive approach. All things considered, these two rivals will play each other close, which is favorable for a Rams cover.
Against The Spread: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
Here’s another divisional matchup to bet on. The oddsmakers believe the Miami-New England game will be close because the Dolphins are 2.5-point favorites. Here are the current lines:
The talk of Week 1 performances was Tua Tagovailoa. He shredded the Chargers to the tune of 466 yards and four touchdowns — without his leading tackle. For those who watched the game closely, these weren’t easy throws Tua was making either. For the first time since he was at Alabama, Tua showed a real ability to connect throws while on the run. That’s a dangerous ability given the speed this Miami offense has.
New England, though, won’t be as easy to gash. First of all, Bill Belichick almost always has a good defense and he’s very familiar with Tua’s game as they’ve faced off four times before (Miami has won each). But more than that, the Patriots' defense overperformed in Week 1 against the Eagles, an offense many believe is the league’s best. They allowed only 18 points defensively (Philly scored 25 but one was off a pick-six), held the Eagles to under 100 yards rushing, and forced numerous three-and-outs.
This betting line in this game is completely warranted because we expect it to go down to the wire. However, we’re favoring a Dolphins win ever slightly. Tua has had the Pats' number before, but that was then. This version of Tua is even more impressive. Take Miami to gut out a tough-nosed victory on the road.
How To Bet On NFL Week 2?
There are hundreds of Week 2 bets available. Hundreds when you factor in moneylines, spreads, over/unders, and props. If you want a complete list of NFL Week 2 bets, we’d hit one of the bookies featured below. These five sites you see are rated the highest on our newest sportsbook reviews, partially because of their NFL betting experiences.
Here’s the best part about betting NFL at these sites: your bets could be completely free. You see, there are numerous sportsbook bonuses available. These bonuses can pay anywhere from $500 to $2500 in free play — which effectively bankrolls your NFL betting. Our top free-play deals are listed below.
