Every Sunday night, I reveal the early NFL bets I'd make before the following week. NFL lines tend move quickly, so it's important that you make your Week 2 NFL picks as quickly as possible.
Here are the NFL Week 2 predictions I made before recording the recap episode of "The Action Network Podcast" on Sunday night.
Last year, my early NFL hot reads went 21-15-2 (58%) against the spread; the previous year checked in at 23-9-1.
NFL Week 2 Predictions
Seahawks vs. Steelers Pick
What’s the big trend we saw in our first NFL Sunday of the season? Unders, which mean early season rust. I expect money to come in on a lot of unders for NFL Week 2, which will likely push down some totals.
The Seahawks defense looked quite nasty in their game divisional game against San Francisco, holding the 49ers to just 17 points. The pressure Seattle can generate will bother Aaron Rodgers, who you should not be fooled by. Rodgers had an average depth of target of just 4.4 and took four sacks against the Jets.
While the Steelers struggled to contain Justin Fields and the Jets, Pittsburgh should fare better against a much more predictable offense led by Klint Kubiak. The Seahawks' offensive line is one of the worst in the league and now have to face a great Steelers pass rush — Sam Darnold could be in trouble.
The Seahawks and Steelers have a heavy ground approach, which will help eat clock.
Mike Tomlin unders for the first seven games that open with a total between 41 and 49 are 58-24-1 (71%).
This is a spot where you should keep it simple with two top-six defenses and two subpar quarterbacks. This total will close in the 30s, so get on 41.5 while you can.
Pick: Under 41.5
Broncos vs Colts Pick
The Broncos left me a little confused — I'm not sure if I'm more impressed by their defense or worried about their offense.
The Titans achieved just seven first downs (against six sacks) against Denver on Sunday; they were for 2-for-12 on third downs and managed just 133 yards on the day. Nick Bonitto, in particular, wreaked havoc on the Titans.
Bo Nix, however, was inaccurate, indecisive and lacked confidence en route to a paltry 176 yards and 1:2 TD:INT ratio.
The Colts, meanwhile, laughed the Dolphins out of the building in a 33-8 blowout victory; Indianapolis racked up 418 total yards — but don't expect a repeat performance against Denver.
When Daniel Jones is playing at home, the under is 25-10-1 (71%, best of any starter).
I'd jump on under 43.5 as this number should continue to drop and every number between 40-44 is key.
Pick: Under 43.5
