NFL Analysis
9/12/24
10 min read
2024 NFL Week 2: Expert Picks, Predictions For Every Game
Week 1 was a wild week of NFL action with upsets galore.
Scoring was way down from what we were used to seeing, but that should pick up in Week 2 with several games approaching a point total of 50. Here is our preview for another fantastic slate of games:
>> READ MORE: Latest NFL Power Rankings
Week 2 Expert Picks, Predictions
Buffalo Bills (1-0) vs Miami Dolphins (1-0)
Spread: Dolphins -2
Total: 49
The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins have played in some incredible games during the last few years, and this is already an important matchup early in the season. Miami is a slight favorite at home, and it has had a ton of success in home September games under Mike McDaniel.
Meanwhile, Buffalo’s defense looked rough out of the gate, and it will be without Taron Johnson on Thursday. But it has been extremely successful against the Dolphins with Josh Allen, winning 11 of their last 12 games.
Expect this to be a fairly high-scoring contest, but given the state of Buffalo's secondary, take the Dolphins to get the early-season win.
Score Prediction: Dolphins 27, Bills 24
New York Giants (0-1) vs Washington Commanders (0-1)
Spread: Commanders -2.5
Total: 44
This NFC East matchup features arguably the worst offense in the league (Giants) against the worst defense (Commanders). Neither team should feel great about their Week 1 results, and this is suddenly a critical contest for both teams if they want to stay in the wild-card hunt.
The Washington Commanders are more dynamic on offense than the New York Giants and should put up enough points to win. However, you shouldn’t have a lot of confidence in either team entering Week 2.
Score Prediction: Commanders 24, Giants 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) vs. Detroit Lions (1-0)
Spread: Lions -7
Total: 51
A rematch of the 2023 Divisional Round, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions were highly impressive coming out of Week 1. No quarterback in the league looked better than Baker Mayfield, as he threw for four touchdowns in a dominant win against the Commanders.
However, the Lions can control the game at the line of scrimmage with their offensive line and create enough pressure to disrupt Mayfield. This should be one of the better matchups of the week, but look for the Lions to get it done at home.
Score Prediction: Lions 28, Buccaneers 24
San Francisco 49ers (1-0) vs. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
Spread: 49ers -6
Total: 45.5
Sam Darnold looked fantastic in Week 1, but that was against the Giants. The Minnesota Vikings' signal-caller will have a much tougher task in Week 2 against his former team. The San Francisco 49ers looked unstoppable on offense in Week 1 without Christian McCaffrey. It remains to be seen if he plays in Week 2, but it probably won’t matter.
The 49ers should roll here, as they are the NFL's most complete team. The only concern is the 49ers playing on the road on a short week, but expect them to take care of business early in this game.
Score Prediction: 49ers 28, Vikings 17
Cleveland Browns (0-1) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
Spread: Jaguars -3.5
Total: 41.5
Things couldn’t have gone worse for the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. Not only did Deshaun Watson struggle, but they also lost David Njoku to an ankle sprain for several weeks. Also, they had no semblance of a run game. However, they are still the best bet here in Week 2 with the Jacksonville Jaguars still in flux.
Jacksonville has now lost six of its last seven games dating back to the 2023 season, and it'll be without star CB Tyson Campbell for the next few weeks. Cleveland’s defense is still fantastic, and it should give Trevor Lawrence plenty of problems. Take the Browns to bounce back and get a road win in Week 2.
Score Prediction: Browns 23, Jaguars 20
Las Vegas Raiders (0-1) vs. Baltimore Ravens (0-1)
Spread: Ravens -9
Total: 41.5
The Las Vegas Raiders had a strong defensive performance in Week 1, but they got next to nothing from the offense in Week 1. That will be a major issue going forward, but the hope is that Gardner Minshew can settle down in the offense and create some plays like he did last season when he went into Baltimore and beat the Ravens early in the year.
Don’t expect the same result this time around. The Baltimore Ravens should look good after having 10 days to prepare for this contest. Of all the games this week, this is the one that has a chance to be a blowout if the Raiders can’t score early.
Score Prediction: Ravens 24, Raiders 16
New York Jets (0-1) vs. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
Spread: Jets -4.5
Total: 41.5
The New York Jets were embarrassed on Monday Night Football, but it was mostly their defense that underperformed. Don’t expect that to be the case this week against the young Tennessee Titans, who totaled just 244 yards on 61 plays in Week 1. The Titans had three turnovers, as Will Levis continues to be too reckless with the football.
Both offenses need a lot of work, which sets up a low-scoring game. Take the Jets. They have significantly more talent on that side of the ball and can lean on their defense to get the job done.
Score Prediction: Jets 23, Titans 13
Seattle Seahawks (1-0) vs. New England Patriots (1-0)
Spread: Seahawks -3
Total: 38
No result was more surprising in Week 1 than the New England Patriots upsetting the Bengals on the road. New England’s defense was fantastic, allowing just 10 points and creating several takeaways. The Patriots are at home this week, playing an early game (1:00 PM ET) against the Seattle Seahawks.
West Coast teams tend to struggle to play on the East Coast during the Sunday afternoon slate, but Seattle has a more talented team going into this contest. It wouldn’t be a shock if the Patriots keep this game close for three quarters, but look for the Seahawks to create some chunk plays through the air and emerge with a win.
Score Prediction: Seahawks 20, Patriots 13
New Orleans Saints (1-0) vs. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
Spread: Cowboys -6.5
Total: 45.5
The New Orleans Saints looked fantastic in Week 1, but that was at home against the Panthers. They will have a much tougher task in Week 2, facing the Dallas Cowboys, who have been a fantastic home team during the last few seasons.
They are 16-1 straight up at home in the last 17 regular-season games, with their last loss coming against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in Week 1 of 2022.
Both squads have good defenses, and this game will likely come down to turnovers, but Dallas has the better quarterback and roster. The Saints will try to lean on their rushing attack, including Taysom Hill, to control this game. But Dallas has too much talent on its defense and should be able to create a few big turnovers.
Score Prediction: Cowboys 24, Saints 20
Indianapolis Colts (0-1) vs. Green Bay Packers (0-1)
Spread: Colts -3.5
Total: 40.5
This might be the toughest game of the week to predict with Jordan Love (MCL) out and Malik Willis in the starting lineup for the Green Bay Packers. The good thing for the Packers is they have a few extra days to get Willis ready after playing on Friday night in Week 1.
However, expect a much more conservative game plan and more work for Josh Jacobs. The Indianapolis Colts will follow a similar game plan but with several deep shots down the field from Anthony Richardson. The Colts are favored, but we are taking the Packers to pull off the upset at home in Lambeau this week.
Score Prediction: Packers 23, Colts 20
Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) vs. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
Spread: Chargers -6.5
Total: 39
Things look pretty bleak for the Carolina Panthers right now, with Bryce Young struggling and Derrick Brown (meniscus) lost for the year. However, after an embarrassing loss, we should expect them to look better at home in Week 2.
The Los Angeles Chargers got an impressive Week 1 win against the Raiders, but their offense still needs work.
Don’t be surprised if this game is closer than anticipated, as it feels like a trap game. No one is picking or betting on the Panthers going into Week 2, and that’s a scary place to be. However, we are still taking the Chargers to win outright and improve to 2-0. They are just too talented and have the better coach/quarterback duo, and that matters a lot early in the season.
Score Prediction: Chargers 21, Panthers 17
Los Angeles Rams (0-1) vs. Arizona Cardinals (0-1)
Spread: Cardinals -1.5
Total: 49.5
It’s not hard to understand why the Arizona Cardinals are favored in this matchup after the Los Angeles Rams' injuries from Week 1. Puka Nacua was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, which means the Rams will rely on Cooper Kupp more than usual.
However, expect Sean McVay to utilize the run game more and attack Arizona’s defensive line. Kyler Murray and Arizona's offense will make this a competitive contest, but the Rams' veteran leadership will allow them to get this win.
Score Prediction: Rams 27, Cardinals 24
Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
Spread: Chiefs -6
Total: 48
This is easily the “Game of the Week,” with the Cincinnati Bengals needing a win to avoid dropping to 0-2. The Kansas City Chiefs are at home and will have 10 days rest, which is historically a great thing for Andy Reid.
With how well Kansas City’s defense played in Week 1 and the last few years, it’s hard to imagine the Bengals having much success on offense in Arrowhead.
Still, expect Zac Taylor and Joe Burrow to be much more aggressive, throwing the ball downfield. Look for Cincinnati to keep this game close but for the Chiefs to get the win and improve to 2-0.
Score Prediction: Chiefs 24, Bengals 20
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) vs. Denver Broncos (0-1)
Spread: Steelers -3
Total: 36.5
The Pittsburgh Steelers did not score a touchdown in Week 1, but they still got an eight-point win against the Falcons in Atlanta. Their defense is already in midseason form, and under Mike Tomlin, they have dominated rookie quarterbacks.
Being at home should help Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos some in Week 2, but it will be hard for them to generate any type of offense. Take the Steelers to win again this week, regardless of who is at quarterback.
Score Prediction: Steelers 23, Broncos 13
Chicago Bears (1-0) vs. Houston Texans (1-0)
Spread: Texans -6.5
Total: 45.5
Our Sunday Night Football matchup features two teams that garnered a lot of hype this offseason, and both squads sit at 1-0.
The Chicago Bears beat the Titans without scoring a touchdown, and Caleb Williams threw for just 93 yards. Chicago's offense totaled just 148 yards, which was the lowest in the NFL in Week 1 by a significant amount.
Meanwhile, the Houston Texans took care of business on the road and now come home for this primetime matchup. Chicago has an intriguing roster, but Houston is significantly more talented and better coached. The Texans should have no problem in this contest and expect C.J. Stroud to put on a show on the national stage.
Score Prediction: Texans 27, Bears 17
Atlanta Falcons (0-1) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Spread: Eagles -6.5
Total: 47
Arguably, the most concerning thing coming out of Week 1 was the play of Kirk Cousins against the Steelers. Cousins hardly moved in the pocket and did not step into many of his throws. The Atlanta Falcons used more pistol formations to minimize his lack of movement, and Pittsburgh took advantage.
The Philadelphia Eagles have the pass rushers to rattle Cousins again this week and the offense to put up a bunch of points. Don’t expect this game to be competitive, as the Falcons try to figure out how to best use Cousins in their offense.
Score Prediction: Eagles 28, Falcons 17
