Admin September 14, 2024
Cleveland Browns are a lock for NFL Week 2 | Lorenzo’s Locks
Lorenzo Reyes is back with his picks for NFL Week 2. After a wild round of games last weekend, find out who he thinks will win on Sunday.
Lorenzo’s Locks
Week 1 of the NFL season provided plenty of surprises and thrilling games. Ten of the 16 games were decided by one score and there were a few upsets: Pittsburgh earned an 18-10 win over home favorite Atlanta, New England won 16-10 on the road over favorite Cincinnati, and underdog Dallas dominated host Cleveland with a 33-17 win.
This week, there are more games that could go against what sportsbooks are predicting. Using NFL odds from BetMGM, here are four games that stand out as good picks against the spread on Sunday.
NFL Week 2 picks against the spread
All odds as of Thursday evening. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
Los Angeles Chargers (-6) vs. Carolina Panthers
Carolina looked like the worst team in the NFL in Week 1. Their 47-10 loss to the Saints on the road was the biggest margin of defeat in the league. They also lost their best player – defensive tackle Derrick Brown – for the season with a torn meniscus. The Chargers, by contrast, averaged 6.5 yards per carry on the ground against Las Vegas en route to a 22-10 win to kick off the Jim Harbaugh era in Los Angeles.
With the way the Chargers were running the ball in Week 1, they’ll be able to control the clock against Carolina, especially without Brown. Los Angeles is a touchdown better than Carolina at this point in the season. This line is too short.
Minnesota Vikings (+5.5) vs. San Francisco 49ers
Both teams are coming off convincing wins, especially San Francisco. A late touchdown brought the score closer as the 49ers shut down the Jets 32-19 on Monday Night Football despite missing star running back Christian McCaffrey. Minnesota handled business as well with a 28-6 win over New York. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was the worst quarterback in the league in Week 1 per Sports Information Solutions (SIS) data.
San Francisco is a much better team than New York but they’ve had trouble playing Minnesota on the road for a long time. Last year, Minnesota held the 49ers to 325 yards of offense – their second-lowest in a game with starters – on Monday Night Football and earned a 22-17 upset win.
Minnesota hasn’t lost to San Francisco at home in the regular season or playoffs since 1992. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan was one day away from his 13th birthday when that happened and his father, Mike, was the 49ers offensive coordinator. San Francisco may well break that streak with a win but there’s too much history to feel confident about this line.
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Los Angeles Rams (+1) at Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles kept up with NFC powerhouse Detroit in Week 1 despite losing wide receiver Puka Nacua to injury. The Rams ultimately lost 26-20 in overtime and are facing injuries to three starters on the offensive line in addition to Nacua’s injury. Arizona couldn’t hold on for a win after building a lead in Buffalo in Week 1 and lost 34-28.
It’s understandable that the Rams would be road underdogs given their injuries and how the defense looked on the final few drives in Week 1. But they still have quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and one of the best play-callers in the league in head coach Sean McVay.
Arizona gave up 352 total yards to Buffalo last week. This could end up in a shootout and the Rams’ core is worth backing this week.
Kansas City Chiefs (-6) vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Kansas City held on for a 27-20 win over Baltimore in the NFL season opener in Week 1. A near-touchdown for Baltimore was ruled out of bounds on the final play and gave the Chiefs a win in a rematch of last season’s AFC championship game. Cincinnati, meanwhile, lost to New England in a game marked by miscues, including a fumble in the red zone and a turnover on downs on the New England 35.
The Bengals had the third-fewest yards of any team in the league in Week 1. They’re now going on the road to face one of the best defenses in the league and will likely be without wide receiver Tee Higgins. Cincinnati is 2-5-1 against the spread in September since 2022. Those struggles could continue again on Sunday against a juggernaut Chiefs team that shows little signs of slowing down.