The lines are from oddsshark.com and home teams are in CAPS.
CLEVELAND -6 over Cincinnati
I know that we can’t read too much into Thursday night games, but after watching the Browns easily beat the Bengals, what does that say about the Chargers, who barely beat Cincy, and the Ravens, who crushed Cleveland?
GREEN BAY -6 over Detroit
The Packers have had their division rival’s number for years, but the games have been close. The thing is, Aaron Rodgers looks fired up and the Packers offence could be great this season. The Lions coughed up one last week and may not have the horses to run in this one.
New York Giants +5.5 over CHICAGO
Jason Garrett sure did work his “magic†on Monday night, calling an offence that somehow had superstar RB Saquon Barkley in with negative rushing yards at the half. That should change this week, even with a tough matchup and make it worth taking the points.
TENNESSEE -9 over Jacksonville
The Jags showed a lot of promise in their opener, which was quite unexpected. We should see them come back to earth here against a team that should’ve won their opener by a lot more than it did.
DALLAS -4.5 over Atlanta
This one should be an absolute shootout. The Cowboys lost key linebacker Leighton Vander Esch while the Falcons secondary is shaping up to be one of the league’s worst.
San Francisco -7 over NEW YORK JETS
The Jets didn’t show much against the Bills last week and it will be just as tough in this one, even with the Niners suffering a few injuries. Look for San Fran to expose the Jets defence.
L.A. Rams -1 over PHILADELPHIA
The Eagles blew it against Washington last week and have an even tougher challenge this week. With a banged-up offensive line, it will be tough for the Eagles to contain Aaron Donald.
Carolina +9 over TAMPA BAY
This number seems inflated for the Bucs despite the Week 1 loss. We’d back Tom and Co. to win straight up, but without Chris Godwin and the offence looking like it needs time to mesh, the line seems a bit too high.
PITTSBURGH -7.5 over Denver
Both teams are on a short week, but the Steelers certainly have the better deal in that department. Pittsburgh also looked far more impressive in Week 1 while things could’ve been a lot worse for Denver if the Titans hadn’t missed so many kicks.
INDIANAPOLIS -3 over Minnesota
Two teams that can’t really afford to go down 0-2. The Vikings rebuilt defence was sliced and diced while the Colts were probably looking past the Jags in Week 1. If we’re picking which team is more likely to bounce back, our bet is on Indy.
Buffalo -5.5 over MIAMI
The Pats exposed the Dolphins with a strong running game in Week 1 and that’s exactly what the Bills do best. It will be interesting to see if the limited attendance gives the host a boost.
ARIZONA -7 over Washington
The Football Team’s front line is going to cause some problems, but the Cards did a good job against a better defence last week and should be able to put up a ton of points here.
Kansas City -8.5 over L.A. CHARGERS
The Chiefs looked great in their opener and will have had plenty of time to prepare for this rivalry matchup. There wasn’t much to be impressed with from the Chargers’ side in the opener and this could be gearing up to be a rough season for coach Anthony Lynn.
Baltimore -7 over HOUSTON
While you can argue the Texans will be more rested for this one, don’t forget the Ravens pulled their starters during their blowout win. The Ravens offence looks set to be a powerhouse once again while we’re not sure if the Texans can keep up.
SEATTLE -4 over New England
The Patriots rolled out a new offence for Cam Newton’s debut, but will have a tougher time moving the ball against a hard-hitting defence like Seattle’s.
LAS VEGAS +5.5 over New Orleans
Even if Michael Thomas does play through his high ankle sprain, he won’t be as effective. While the Saints are smart and talented enough to adapt either way, this is the Raiders’ first game in Vegas and should at least provide a challenge.
Last week: 10-4-2
This season: 10-4-2