We took a beating in Week 1. A lot of the teams that we saw coming out and taking up right where they left off in 2020 (Buffalo and Tennessee, for example) laid a couple of eggs. Dallas’ offense was better than we thought (although they still lost, because their defense still struggles to get stops other than turnovers). Teddy Bridgewater looks a lot better in Denver than he looked in Carolina. So we’re looking to Week 2 to turn things around in our sports betting fortunes.
Let’s take a look at some of your must-bet matchups after seeing the opening NFL lines.
NFL News: Must-Bet Games in Week 2
Dallas Cowboys (+3) at L.A. Chargers (O/U 52)
If anyone was worried about Dak Prescott’s shoulder coming out of the preseason, he answered those questions against Tampa Bay, throwing the ball 58 times in a game that clearly was going to go to the team that had the ball last. Tampa Bay was the best team in the league last year against the run, so offensive coordinator Kellen Moore looked ready to lean on the passing game. The Chargers took a similar approach, as Justin Herbert threw the ball 47 times in the opener against Washington, which the Chargers won on the road by four.
The two teams combined on ten trips into the red zone (six for the Chargers, four for the Cowboys) but only mustered three touchdowns once they were there (two for the Chargers, one for the Cowboys). It will be interesting to see if the Cowboys can muster more of a pass rush against Herbert than they could against Brady. Without a solid pass rush, the Dallas secondary will get sliced and diced again. Yes, Dallas grabbed four turnovers last week, but one pick clanked off a receiver’s hands and the other was on a Hail Mary. Take the over.
New England Patriots (-3.5) at N.Y. Jets (47.5)
The Patriots lost at home by one point to Miami in their opener, but if Damien Harris had not fumbled in the red zone, the Pats looked headed to a comeback win. For the game, the Patriots put up better numbers. They went 11 of 16 on third down, while the Dolphins went just 4 of 11. The Pats got into the red zone four times, but they only got one touchdown and two field goals, along with that fumble. Miami went into the red zone just twice but got touchdowns both times. The problem with those statistics, of course, is that they have no influence on the final score.
Next up is a visit to Gotham to face the Jets. Zach Wilson had decent numbers in his professional debut but held onto the ball too long, taking six sacks against Carolina. Remember that the Panthers only posted 29 sacks for the whole season in 2020. Bill Belichick has posted a 9-1 straight up record against rookie quarterbacks in those last ten situations and is 21-7 in that situation since 2000. Pats to win and cover.
Buffalo Bills (-3.5) at Miami Dolphins (47.5)
The Bills went in as a touchdown favorite but lost thanks to a blocked put that turned into a Steelers touchdown. There were also some dropped passes at the wrong time on third down. They also had an interception and two turnovers on downs. The Bills’ defense kept Pittsburgh on their side of the field for the whole first half, but Buffalo’s offense just couldn’t get out of its own way.
Miami struggled on third down against the Patriots. The Bills will come in ready to work out some frustrations, and they walloped the Dolphins in their first meeting in 2020. This line is a bit low because of the Week 1 outcomes — and you can take advantage. Bills to win and cover.
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