2018 NFL Week 2 Against the Spread Picks

The first week of the 2018 regular season in the National Football League showed us a few things about the 32 teams — some of which we suspected but some of which surprised us. For example, when Dallas decided to cut Dez Bryant from their wide receiving corps and then replace him with the likes of Allen Hurns, they wouldn’t have anyone who could get open down the field or compete for possession passes, we thought their offense would suffer, and so it did, as they just put up eight points against Carolina and didn’t even cross midfield until the second half. We didn’t know that Sam Darnold would have one of the best starts for a rookie quarterback in NFL history, posting a 116.6 rating despite opening his career with a pick-six, leading the Jets to a 48-17 rout over Detroit on Monday Night Football. What can we expect this week? Take a look at our NFL Week 2 betting picks against the spread for three of the most favorable matchups on the week’s schedule. As always, home teams are in all caps.

2018 NFL Week 2 Against the Spread Picks

The Rams enter Week 2 as the best team in the NFL pic.twitter.com/VI6BIqiCos

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) September 12, 2018

Sunday, September 16, 1:00pm ET

WASHINGTON (-5) over Indianapolis (CBS)

The Indianapolis Colts head to the nation’s capital hoping to avoid a fifth straight 0-2 start to the regular season despite an impressive opener from quarterback Andrew Luck, who threw for 319 yards and a pair of scores (and a pick) in a 34-23 loss to Cincinnati. Jack Doyle and Ryan Grant did a solid job in the receiving game, combining for 15 catches, and tight end Eric Ebron was active with four catches as well. The running game needs some work, as Jordan Wilkins only picked up 40 yards on 14 attempts. The real issues for Indianapolis come on defense. Despite the fact that Kenny Moore II picked off Andy Dalton once, the Bengals were basically able to score at will — and Washington has a solid offense as well. Washington delivered an impressive win at Arizona in their opener, and the return of Adrian Peterson to the field may have been the most pleasant surprise, as he ran for 96 yards and a score and combined with Chris Thompson for 133 yards of receiving out of the backfield. Quarterback Alex Smith was at his best, throwing for 255 yards and a pair of scores. The defense was able to shut down Sam Bradford and David Johnson, as the Cardinals showed that a major rebuild may be in store for the Cardinals. If Washington brings the same offensive approach against the Colts, they should be able to put up big numbers too. NFL Week 2 Prediction: Washington 31, Indianapolis 16

Philadelphia (-3) over TAMPA BAY (FOX)

Yes, Tampa Bay went down to New Orleans and came away with a 48-40 win in the Crescent City, as Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 417 yards and four scores, two to DeSean Jackson, who entered the Wayback Machine to pick up 146 yards on catches, and one to Mike Evans, who had 147 receiving yards of his own. The Buccaneers’ defense showed some weakness down the stretch, as the Saints outscored them in the fourth quarter, 16-7, but the Buccaneers held on. I would not expect that the Eagles will be nearly as neglectful on defense as the Saints were. They held the high-powered Atlanta offense to just 12 points in the opener, which allowed them to get over an iffy performance from Nick Foles, who threw an interception and had just 117 passing yards. Tailback Jay Ajayi was the scoring leader with a pair of touchdowns. I expect the Eagles’ grinding approach to wear down Tampa Bay and bring Fitzpatrick back to earth. NFL Week 2 Prediction: Philadelphia 20, Tampa Bay 9

L.A. Chargers (-7.5) over BUFFALO (CBS)

The Los Angeles Chargers had a disappointing setback in their home opener against Kansas City, as Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and the rest of the Chiefs’ offense overwhelmed a stacked Charger defense. Philip Rivers threw for 424 yards and three scores (as well as an interception), with Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen combining for 210 yards of receiving and a score. Gordon also ran for 64 yards on 15 attempts. The Chargers need to do a better job on defense if they plan to contend in the AFC. They should draw some defensive confidence out of their next opponent, as the Bills only put up a field goal against Baltimore in their opener. Nathan Peterman went 3 for 12 with two interceptions, posting a quarterback rating of zero, and then Josh Allen came on but was only able to throw for 74 yards in relief. Marcus Murphy carried the ball six times for 31 yards, but the Bills’ offense was dreadful — and their defense permitted 47 points and 369 yards. NFL Week 2 Prediction: Los Angeles 34, Buffalo 13