NFL Picks 2017: 5 Best Bets Against The Spread For Week 2

When taking a look at the Week 2 Las Vegas betting odds, a few teams seem to be overvalued following Week 1 wins. Five 1-0 teams are favored by more than five points Sunday, and four undefeated teams are laying at least a touchdown against a winless team.

There’s no such thing as a “sure thing” when it comes to gambling, but here are the five best bets against the spread for Week 2 of the 2017 NFL season:

Cleveland Browns (+8)

The Baltimore Ravens aren’t going to have the same kind of success against the Browns that they had in their 20-0 Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. With an offense that isn’t anything special, Baltimore won’t have an easy time beating Cleveland by more than a score.

DeShone Kizer looked good by completing 20 of 30 passes for 222 yards in his regular-season debut, and he won’t turn the ball over five times like Andy Dalton did in the opener. The rookie quarterback might not put up big numbers against what could be one of the league’s best defenses, but Cleveland's defense should keep them close. Joe Flacco threw for just 121 yards against Cincinnati, posting a passer rating of less than 85.0 for a fourth straight game. He’ll be without the now-injured Danny Woodhead, going up against a defense that held the Pittsburgh Steelers to just 21 points. After controlling their Week 1 game with the rushing attack, the Ravens will face the team that limited Le’Veon Bell to 32 yards on 10 attempts.

Baltimore will probably win a low-scoring game at home, and either team might be lucky to score more than 20 points.

Tennessee Titans (-2.5)

The Titans are facing another team that shouldn’t look nearly as good as they did in Week 1. The Jacksonville Jaguars took advantage of the Houston Texans’ bad offensive line and a quarterback that probably shouldn’t have been starting in the first place. They won’t be able to do either of those when they host Tennessee.

Tennessee has a high ceiling for the 2017 season, and one loss to the defending AFC West champions doesn’t change that. They’ve still got one of the NFL’s best offensive lines and a top-10 quarterback, giving them a major edge over the Jaguars. If Blake Bortles is asked to do anything Sunday, Jacksonville could be in trouble. He completed 11 of 21 for just 125 yards in Week 1, numbers that won’t be good enough to beat the best team in the AFC South.

The Jaguars sacked Tom Savage and Deshaun Watson a combined 10 times last week. Mariota was taken down just once in Tennessee's loss to the Raiders, and the Titans should come out on top if that remains the same in Jacksonville.

Minnesota Vikings (+5.5)

Sam Bradford isn’t going to look like an MVP candidate like he did in Week 1. That doesn’t mean he can’t put up good numbers and help the Vikings pull off an upset on the road against the Steelers.

Minnesota’s offense should be improved this season with a completely revamped offensive line that was almost assured to be better than last year’s unit. Running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Stefon Diggs give Bradford two legitimate weapons that can make game-changing plays. The Vikings still have a top-five defense, which will make it difficult for the Steelers to move the ball against them the way they are accustomed to doing.

Sunday’s game might come down to the battle between Minnesota’s defensive front and Pittsburgh’s offensive line. Don't expect Ben Roethlisberger to have all day to throw like he did in the season opener.

Seattle Seahawks (-14)

Betting on a two-touchdown favorite usually isn’t very smart, and there are only a few exceptions when it might be considered a good idea—Sunday’s game is one of those exceptions. The Seahawks own the San Francisco 49ers, especially in Seattle, and their Week 2 contest shouldn’t be any different.

Just about everything about these two teams suggests that Seattle will absolutely dominate San Francisco. The Seahawks are 18-7-2 against the spread in their last 27 home games as a double-digit favorite and 9-0 against the spread in their last nine home games against the 49ers, per OddsShark. Seattle has beaten San Francisco seven straight times, and four of their last five regular-season wins over the 49ers at CenturyLink Field have come by at least 16 points. Why is that going to change when the Seahawks have a significant advantage at just about every position?

Seattle’s offensive line will be a problem against better competition, but Russell Wilson will make due against the worst team in the NFC West, one that is coming off a 20-point loss at home.

Dallas Cowboys (-2.5)

Maybe the Cowboys aren’t 8.5 points better than the Denver Broncos on a neutral field, which the betting line indicates. Dallas still has a good chance to win in Denver by at least a field goal.

A strong case can be made that the Cowboys are the NFL’s best team behind the Patriots. After leading the NFC with 13 wins a year ago, Dallas was dominant in Week 1 against the Giants, a legitimate playoff contender. The offensive line hasn’t done anything to no longer be recognized as the best unit in football, and it looks like Ezekiel Elliott will be able to play for at least the immediate future. Most quarterbacks face a ton of pressure when they visit Denver, but Dak Prescott might not be in that position Sunday. He's the NFL’s most underrated passer, and he’ll have success if he’s given time in the pocket.

Trevor Siemian is solid when he isn’t asked to do too much. More than usual will be asked of him Sunday.

Season Record: 1-3-1