Week 2 of the NFL season arrives with half the league looking to get off their zero and half looking to continue their winning starts; the key for this week is trying to decipher what was real and what was a fluke; are the Bengals really bad?
Are the Saints as good as they looked in trouncing the Panthers? Will the Steelers defense continue to win them games and can Caleb Williams improve in his second start in the league? They're the main questions I have for the week and some I hope to be able to answer come Tuesday morning.
Best Spread
LA Rams +1 @ Arizona Cardinals
I must admit I'm not sure why this line is how it is. I think the Rams are a far better team than their divisional rivals and could have beaten the Detroit Lions on the road last week, falling in overtime to one of the highest-rated teams in the conference.
They have lost Puka Nakua for a few weeks, and I'm assuming that's why the Cardinals are favourites here, but that doesn't move the needle more than a point for me, and Cooper Kupp showed last week he's still one of the best in the league when healthy.
I would expect them to go run-heavy here with Kyren Williams and maybe some more Blake Corum, and they will find a way to get the offense moving with their other wide receivers.
For their part, the Cardinals played a very good half against the Bills before things fell apart. They will surely look to get rookie Marvin Harrison more involved after he finished with just one catch for four yards last week. However, Rams coach Sean McVay has the Cardinals' number, and I expect the road team to get the win here.
Best Total
Bengals @ Chiefs u48
With the offensive talent of both teams on display here, I can see why the number has been set so high, but the games between these two tend to be kept quite tight and cagey. The two most recent matches coming to 42 and 43-point totals, and with offenses starting sluggishly at the beginning of the year, I think that will be the case here as well.
Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anorumo seems to know how to play against Patrick Mahomes, and while there are no real stars on the Bengals' defense, they are a talented bunch of players. On the other side of the ball, the loss of Tee Higgins for another week will hurt their offense, which in turn should lower the scoring. Relying solely on Ja'Marr Chase isn't going to be enough to hang with the best team in the league.
I am expecting a 23-20, 23-17 kind of result in this one and under the high total.
Best TD Scorer
Derrick Henry – 87/100 (Ladbrokes)
Surely the banker of the weekend for anyone betting on NFL Week 2? Arguably the best pure rusher in the league, who scored the first TD of the year last weekend and this week gets to visit one of the worst overall defenses with his team looking to bounce back to 1-1. The Ravens should dominate this game, and King Henry should have a very comfortable evening.
James Conner – 1/1 (BetFred)
Another player looking to make it two scores in two weeks as they host the Rams. The Cardinals love James Conner, and he doesn't look to have any competition in the backfield. He will get loaded up with touches and commands most of the red zone work for them. They tend to keep using him even if they're trailing, so the game script shouldn't be an issue for him this week, even if I think his team will lose.
Juwan Johnson – 4/1 (PaddyPower)
I love a longer shot, and I love it when they're the big red zone targets, and the Saints have a few who fit that position nicely. They crushed the Panthers last weekend, with Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson both finding the endzone. I definitely don't expect a similar final score here, but Johnson has proved himself to be one of Derek Carr's favourite targets when they get close to scoring, so I'll happily take him at a good price to find the endzone again.
Colts defense – 17/2 (Betfair)
The final one from me in the touchdown market and it's a little unusual. This week, the Colts get to play against a Packers side led by Malik Willis, a quarterback who has been sacked on 17% of his drop-backs. That is a ridiculous amount (although one sack on one snap last week may skew it a little) – He's got a good offensive line and good talent for him.
Still, he's a poor decision-maker and tries to take off running too often, which can cause fumbles. The Colts have spent well on defence, so they should be able to get some pressure. It's a tough one to call but they're some tempting odds for them to take one back to the house.
Best Player Prop
Rachaad White o3.5 receptions – 5/6 (Skybet)
It's probably my favourite pick of the whole weekend and one that landed comfortably in a game they were in control of last weekend, where White caught all 6 of his targets.
In a game that they may well be trailing, the dump-off to the running back is a play that usually increases, and Baker Mayfield loves dropping it to his release valve to gain a few easy yards for himself on the stat sheet.
I think this could be 7 or 8 receptions for White, and over on his yardage line of 23.5 looks a solid bet as well. Maybe ladder that with 40/50 if you want to try and load up your betting accounts a little more.
