For betting NFL week 2 (and winning), NFLbets sincerely hopes you were paying attention to the results in the opening week games. Combining this information with solid tips and trends in the odds, NFLbets has a few good ideas on how you can wager successfully in week 2…
In week 2 of 2019, the Dolphins were 18-point underdogs against the New England Patriots in Miami. The following week, they were 22-point underdogs at the Dallas Cowboys. Miami couldn't cover either massive 'spread, losing 43-0 and 31-6, respectively.
Sunday, 18 Sep: Houston Texans vs Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High
Sunday, 18 Sep: Atlanta Falcons vs Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium
Sunday, 18 Sep: Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field
Sunday, 18 Sep: Cincinnati Bengals vs Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium
Sunday, 18 Sep: Carolina Panthers vs New York Giants at MetLife Stadium
Sunday, 18 Sep: Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium
Sunday, 18 Sep: Arizona Cardinals vs Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium
Sunday, 18 Sep: New England Patriots vs Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field
Sunday, 18 Sep: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome
Sunday, 18 Sep: New York Jets vs Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium
Sunday, 18 Sep: Miami Dolphins vs Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium
Sunday, 18 Sep: Indianapolis Colts vs Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field
Sunday, 18 Sep: Washington Football Team vs Detroit Lions at Ford Field
Monday, 19 Sep: Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium
Monday, 19 Sep: Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field
Opening week in the NFL may get all the hype among fans and bettors, but week 2 is when the proper betting can really begin. Thanks to the info dump that is week 1, NFL betting can be approached with well more confidence – though the biggest tip NFLbets can offer here is: Beware overconfidence caused by confirmation bias.
What games from week 1 should one consider most when considering week 2 games from a football-betting standpoint, then? NFLbets would suggest paying attention going forward to:
• close games, particularly those between two teams expected to be playoff contenders, i.e. just because a contender loses a close one in week 1, that’s no reason to overreact;
• winners of away games. Over 15 seasons between 2007 and ’21, home teams enjoyed a winning percentage of .563, slightly better than the expected .550. Teams that win as visitors in week 1 may turn out to be sleepers vis-à-vis a playoff run but will likely go into week 2 underrated at sportsbooks; and
• Both Thursday Night Football teams – as long as the coach is worth his salt. Since the mid-2000s, the Thursday night season-opening game pits two perceived Super Bowl contenders. Combined with a long week that is never as advantageous as between weeks 1 and 2, and you’ll want to keep an eye on both winner and loser of opening day.
A final word of caution. While betting NFL football is well easier in week 2 than in week 1, don’t go overboard with the relatively tiny amount of information you have at your disposal and you can enjoy profit on betting good and early in the new season!
Home teams don’t *always* win in week 2, but NFLbets can say that, until the playoffs, in no one week of NFL football do home teams win more often – at least in recent history. Between 2011 and ’20, home teams in week 2 went 103-57 SU, for an incredible winning percentage of .644, nearly 100 points better than expected. Visitors did better against the spread, but homers kept the advantage at 83-75-2 ATS over the 10-year span.
Why does this happen? Figure that in any given season with 32 teams, between 13 and 15 get their home opener in week 2 and 1-3 fortunate squads are scheduled for consecutive home games to start. Despite the gradually disappearing homefield advantage factor in the NFL, this plus persists to exist for reasons in week 2.
Teams based in the Pacific Time Zone at home are a solid bet in week 2. In the 15 seasons between 2007 and ’21, West Coast teams went for records of 16-11 and 14-12-ATS against non-West Coast teams in the second week.
The shocking disparity between results is yet one more reminder that yes, oddsmakers know more than you do. In week 2, favorites of 6½ points or more are 48-13 SU, but are just 28-32-1 ATS. This makes week 2 a great time to play one of NFLbets’ favorite bets, namely taking the big favorite on the money line (ML), while playing the underdog plus the points in the same game.
All things being equal, the best bet in NFL betting for week 2 is the home team in Sunday Night Football. Since 1990, homers are 20-12 SU and 19-13 ATS, for solid winning percentages of .625 and .594. This makes betting the home team against the spread even more intriguing, as the implied odds indicate that you should place this bet any time the odds are better than -146 – and any favorite on a point spread bet should be getting -130 at worst…
Everything you need to know about betting NFL games in week 2: NFLbets tells you how often home teams win, how often West Coast teams win, whether you should bet on a touchdown favorite and what the single best wager in NFL betting week 2 is – both on the money line (ML) and Against The Spread (ATS)…
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