NFL Tips: Sunday Week 2 Predictions & Best Bets

Here you can find NFL tips for week 2’s Sunday slate along with predictions and best bets.

Week 2 Sunday Games Schedule

Early Slate – 6 PM Games

49ers @ Vikings – Sky Sports NFL

Raiders @ Ravens

Chargers @ Panthers

Saints @ Cowboys

Buccaneers @ Lions

Colts @ Packers

Jets @ Titans

Seahawks @ Patriots

Giants @ Commanders

Browns @ Jaguars

Late Slate – 9:05 & 9:25 PM Games

Bengals @ Chiefs – Sky Sports NFL

Rams @ Cardinals

Steelers @ Broncos

Sunday Night Football – 1.20 am Game

Bears @ Texans – Sky Sports Main Event

NFL Week 2 Tips Sunday

49ers @ Vikings

The San Francisco 49ers travel to Minnesota looking to build on their 5-1 ATS record in their last six road games. They’ll likely be without Christian McCaffrey, who missed last week’s game with an Achilles injury. Backup RB Jordan Mason stepped up, rushing for 147 yards and a TD in a 32-19 win over the Jets.

San Francisco QB Brock Purdy has been excellent against the blitz since taking over as the starter. His performance against the blitz promises to be a key factor in this one as the Vikings' defence under coordinator Brian Flores loves to bring pressure.

Minnesota, meanwhile, boasts a 7-0 home record against the 49ers, with their last loss coming in 1992. Coming off a 28-6 victory over the Giants, new QB Sam Darnold was efficient, completing 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards and two TDs. However, the Vikings’ offensive line struggled, allowing the highest pressure rate of any team in Week 1. Facing the 49ers' fierce defence, they’ll need to shore up protection to avoid disaster here.

San Francisco picked up where they left off last season after a Super Bowl appearance. They once again look like the team to beat in the NFC and they should be far too good for a Minnesota team which is likely to be among the lesser teams in the conference this season despite a spirit-raising opening week win against the lowly Giants.

49ers @ Vikings Prediction

49ers 34 Vikings 17

Tip: 49ers -5.5

Raiders @ Ravens

Two 0-1 teams will go head-to-head in this one as the Ravens welcome the Raiders to Baltimore this Sunday afternoon. The nature of their opening week losses were quite different, however.

The Ravens outgained the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in yards and first downs while also winning the time of possession battle. Despite all of that, they came up just short on the scoreboard after what looked like a late Isaiah Likely touchdown grab was called back after he was ruled out of bounds after a replay review. The Raiders hung tough with their division opponents, the Chargers, before falling away in the final quarter to lose 22-10 in Las Vegas.

This Ravens offence gained 452 yards in total in week 1 against the Chiefs. That put them #1 in the NFL, 35 yards more than the next best team. I’d expect more of the same this week against the Raiders as star TE Mark Andrews gets back to full health and RB Derrick Henry gets more comfortable in this offence. You put that up against a Raiders defence that struggled mightily against the Chargers running attack last week and we have a recipe for a big Ravens win.

If the Raiders are to be competitive in this one they need their defensive line stars to step up. Maxx Crosby has proven himself to be a superstar in this league and can make those game wrecking plays that tilt the game in the Raiders favour. Free agent signing Christian Wilkins is another star name on this Las Vegas D-Line who we can expect to have a big impact on this game.

Both players will be tasked with containing Lamar Jackson to the pocket, slowing down the run game and in turn disrupting this Ravens offence. I think that the Raiders can have success against Lamar Jackson dropbacks. However, if they struggle to contain this Ravens rushing attack then it will be a long day for them, especially when you add the Baltimore play action game on top of that.

There are a few other factors that point to the Ravens being too good for the Raiders this Sunday too. Baltimore will have extra rest or a ‘mini bye’ after playing in last Thursday’s Kickoff Game. The Raiders, on the other hand, are playing their second consecutive road game to start the season and have to make the long trip across the country to Baltimore.

Journeyman veteran QB Gardner Minshew doesn’t exactly inspire confidence – he had a QBR of 33.0 last week which ranked him 25 out of 32 qualifying QBs. Minshew isn’t exactly working with a star-studded cast on offence either. WR Davante Adams is undoubtedly one of the league’s best at his position but outside of that this offence is really lacking difference-makers. Expect the Ravens to key in on Adams and consequently keep this Raiders offence quiet.

Raiders @ Ravens Prediction

Raiders 10 Ravens 31

Tip: Ravens -8.5

Chargers @ Panthers

The Chargers head to Carolina fresh off an opening-week win against the Raiders. The Jim Harbaugh era has begun in earnest in Los Angeles and there is a new feeling of hope for this team which has been hard to come by in this franchise’s tortured history.

The Panthers on the other hand could not be any more dissimilar. They were embarrassed 47-10 against their Division Rivals the Saints in week 1 and serious questions are starting to be asked about whether 2023 #1 overall pick QB Bryce Young will ever develop into the superstar that they thought he would when they drafted him.

With those factors considered it may come as a surprise to many that the handicap for this game only sees the Chargers favoured by 4.5 points.

One cause for concern for the Chargers ahead of this game is the performance of star QB Justin Herbert in last week’s win. The talented signal caller registered a QBR of 35.6 last week, ranking him 23rd out of 32 qualifying QBs. While the Chargers dominated in the run game last weekend they can’t expect to do that every week so Herbert will need to step up to the plate if they are to have consistent success on offence. Luckily, he is facing a Panthers defence that made Derek Carr look like a hall of famer last Sunday so he has a great chance to turn things around here in Carolina.

Las Vegas’ defence showed they can be a much-improved unit compared to last year after holding the Raiders to just 10 points in week 1 while creating 3 turnovers.

I wouldn’t overcomplicate this one. The Chargers have the better quarterback, the better head coach, and the better defence. If you back the Panthers you’re hoping for a reaction to last week’s embarrassment and that the Chargers will be disadvantaged by their trip across the country. I’d much rather be on the Chargers here.

Chargers @ Panthers Prediction

Chargers 21 Panthers 14

Tip: Chargers -4.5

Saints @ Cowboys

Two 1-0 teams will battle it out in this one as the Cowboys host the Saints in Dallas. Both of these teams will come into this one high on confidence after blowout wins in week 1.

The Cowboys went into the opening week with a lot of question marks which saw them underdogs against Cleveland. They answered a lot of those questions with a 33-17 win which made a mockery of their underdog tag going into the game.

Dallas will now have home comforts in this one. They have had remarkable success at home in the past couple of seasons as they hold a 16-game regular-season winning streak in AT&T Stadium. Although, it is worth noting that the last time they played here they were blown out by the Packers 48-32 in the Wild Card Round of the Playoffs.

Going into the season this Dallas defence looked to be one of the best in the league owing to their talent. Pass rusher Micah Parsons headlines that defensive unit and he is coming off a game in which he created 11 pressures in week 1, good enough to tie for the league lead.

The Saints had plenty of success of their own in week 1 as they put up 47 points. That effort was led by Derek Carr who was the #1 ranked quarterback in QBR after last week’s performance against the Panthers. This will be a step up in class against the Cowboys defence but we can still expect the Saints to have some success on offence here with a balanced attack.

The Cowboys to win here but the Saints can keep it within the handicap.

Saints @ Cowboys Prediction

Saints 20 Cowboys 24

Tip: Saints +6.5

Buccaneers @ Lions

The Lions came into this season as one of the Super Bowl favourites but didn’t have it all their own way in week 1 against the LA Rams. They did eventually prevail however in overtime to get the team off to a winning start.

The Buccaneers are also 0-1 after a convincing 37-20 win against the Commanders last week. Baker Mayfield and this Bucs offence showed signs that they could exceed expectations this season on that side of the ball.

There is reason to believe that Mayfield and company can continue that success from week 1 against a Lions defence that struggled in the second half against a Puka Nacua-less Rams, surrendering a 17-3 3rd quarter lead. Tampa Bay will also have revenge in their mind after being knocked out of the playoffs last season by the Lions in the Divisional Round.

Detroit, on the other hand, will be banking on that history of success against Tampa Bay. Talented wide receiver Jameson Williams went off last week for 121 yards and a TD last week. He’s listed as questionable this week and if he is good to go then I’d expect another big day for him and this Lions passing attack against a weakened Bucs defence that will be without star DB Antoine Winfield Jr.

I’m expecting a high-scoring game with the Bucs unable to keep up with the Lions offensive firepower over four quarters.

Buccaneers @ Lions Prediction

Buccaneers 27 Lions 38

Tip: Lions -7.5

Colts @ Packers

The Colts and Packers both come into this game after opening week losses. Both teams will feel that they had their chances to win their opening games but in the end didn’t make the crucial plays down the stretch.

Green Bay, aside from the loss, were facing the real possibility of a lost season after star QB Jordan Love looked to have sustained a serious knee injury in the final drive against the Eagles. Thankfully, the injury isn’t as bad as first feared and Love hasn’t been ruled out of this game yet but is unlikely to play a part here.

Love’s absence will mean that Malik Willis steps into the role of Packers starting QB. Willis has had an underwhelming pro career so far since being drafted by the Titans in the 3rd round in 2022. The Liberty product has a career completion percentage of 52.2%, 0 TDs and 3 INTs in limited NFL action.

The Packers and Head Coach Matt LaFleur will be hoping that they can hide Willis’ deficiencies with the help of one of the most talented cast of receiving options in the league.

Colts starting QB Anthony Richardson showed his outrageous talents last week against the Texans with a 60-yard TD pass plus a rushing TD. He also displayed his rawness and potential limitations as a down-to-down passer as he could only manage 9 completions on 19 attempts.

Indianapolis should be able to put up too many points for a Malik Willis-led Packers team to keep up with.

Colts @ Packers Prediction

Colts 17 Packers 13

Tip: Colts -3.5

Jets @ Titans

The Jets take to the road again here after a loss to San Francisco in week 1 Monday Night Football. The Titans and Will Levis threw away a 17-point lead against the Bears to fall to 0-1 at this early point in the season.

There was a lot expected of this Jets team coming into the season and they struggled for large parts against the 49ers in their opening test. There were some positives to take from the game, however. Veteran QB Aaron Rodgers proved that he still has one of the best arms in the game. RB Breece Hall and WR Garrett Wilson flashed their talents which we can expect to see more of in this game against the Titans.

Will Levis made one of the worst decisions you’ll ever see on a football field when he flung the ball straight into the waiting arms of a Bears DB while falling to the ground. The Bears won the game on the subsequent pick six. Levis has a lot of talent but it’s decisions like that which make it hard to back a team with him at quarterback.

Jets to win here.

Jets @ Titans Prediction

Jets 24 Titans 17

Tip: Jets -3.5

Bengals @ Chiefs

At first this looks like a big handicap when you consider the nature of the rivalry between these teams in the respective Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow eras for each team. However, when you look closer there are a few factors that suggest that the number makes plenty of sense and that the Chiefs could in fact be the correct side here.

Cincinnati comes into this game after a shock 16-10 opening week loss to the New England Patriots. This Bengals team under Head Coach Zac Taylor have been notoriously slow starters and continued that trend again this season. Now they will have to step up to the level of the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs.

Other worries about the Bengals here include Joe Burrow’s wrist injury and a feeling among many that the franchise may be downplaying the severity of it. Ja’marr Chase was held relatively quiet with just 62 yards last week against the Pats after missing virtually all of the Bengals preseason work relating to his search for a new contract. Tee Higgins, the other top wideout for the Bengals, is doubtful for this one.

The Chiefs looked good on offence in week 1 against the Ravens but they had issues on defence. Kansas City gave up 452 yards to the Ravens, that was the most yards conceded by any team in week 1. That suggests that the Bengals can have success here against a Chiefs defence that looks to have taken a significant step back from the level they were at last year.

I think the Chiefs win this one but 6.5 points is too many so I’m taking the Bengals to cover the number.

Bengals @ Chiefs Prediction

Bengals 21 Chiefs 27

Tip: Bengals +6.5

*Prices are subject to fluctuation.

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