NFL Week 2 ATS Picks

NFL Week 2 ATS Picks

Written by on September 11, 2017

Will Eli manning and the New York Giants be able to find the end zone in Week 2 after failing to do so in their regular season opener? Will the Indianapolis Colts look completely incompetent for the second straight week after chancing starting quarterbacks? Last but not least, can the revitalized Los Angeles rams put on a repeat performance from their Week 1 stunner of a victory? If you’ve got questions, then I’ve got answers in the form of my expert trio of NFL week 2 ATS picks. The NFL odds for Week 2 are out already. Be sure to take a look at them before placing any wagers.

NFL Week 2 ATS Picks

Detroit Lions (1-0) at New York Giants (0-1)

When: Monday, September 18, 2017 at 8:30 PM ET Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey TV: ESPN Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Week 2 Odds: NY Giants -5 / Total: OFF

Expert Analysis

Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford lived up to his billing as the highest paid signal-caller in the league by tossing four touchdown passes to lead the Lions to an impressive 35-23 home win over Arizona in Week 1 to cash in as 2.5-point home underdogs. More impressively however, is Detroit’s defense intercepting veteran Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer three times to help get the win. Eli Manning completed 29 of 38 passes for 220 yards, but didn’t throw a touchdown pass while throwing one pick in New York’s uneventful 19-3 loss against Dallas in their regular season opener on Sunday night. The G-Men were limited to a pitiful 35 rushing yards in the loss and only managed to put a third quarter field goal on the board in the resounding defeat.

How Are the Lions Looking Like for this Game?

Heading into this Week 2 matchup, Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions are the easy pick for me despite being on the road. Detroit is a robust 5-2 ATS in their last seven Monday night games while New York has compiled a winless 0-5 ATS mark in their last five Week 2 games. The road team in this series is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings, but it is New York’s lack of any rushing attack whatsoever that really makes me think the G-Men are going down at home. Back Stafford and the Lions to get it done against a New York team that is completely unbalanced on offense – for the second straight season apparently. NFL Week 2 Pick: Detroit +5

Arizona Cardinals (0-1) at Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

When: Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 1:00 PM ET Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana TV: FOX Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Odds: Indianapolis +7.5 / Total: 44.5

Expert Analysis

Arizona’s defense was almost non-existent as they allowed Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford to toss four TD passes while getting outscored 20-6 in the final quarter of their 35-23 road loss tot the Cardinals in Week 1. To make matters even worse is the fact that Arizona Pro Bowl running back David Johnson had to leave the game late in the third quarter with a wrist injury after getting limited to just 23 rushing yards on 11 carries, although he did add six receptions for 68 yards. Veteran signal-caller Carson Palmer was limited to just 27 of 48 passing for 269 yards and one touchdown, but cost his team with three costly interceptions, one of which was returned 82 yards for a touchdown by Lions cornerback Justin Bethel. The Indianapolis Colts never had a chance in their opener as quarterback Scott Tolzien looked completely incompetent in their stunning 46-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Tolzien completed a modest 9 of 18 passes for 128 yards, but tossed two costly pick-six interceptions that the Colts could not overcome before being benched in favor of the recently acquired Jacoby Brissett, who the team said will start in Week 2 against Arizona. Are the Colts a safe bet in NFL Week 2?

So, Is Arizona Looking Good Heading into Week 2?

Even after their Week 1 struggles, I like the Cardinals to bounce back nicely even if David Johnson isn’t at 100 percent and Indianapolis is going to start a clearly more competent Jacoby Brissett in this affair. The Cardinals are a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last 6 Week 2 games and a robust 13-3 ATS in their last 16 road games against a team with a losing home record. Conversely, the Colts are just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games in the month of September. Indianapolis made a really smart move to get Brissett from New England just before the start of the regular season, but the Colts are a team without much direction right now. Keep it simple and back the Cardinals to win and cover the spread with room to spare after falling apart in the second half of their opener against Detroit. NFL Week 2 Pick: Arizona -7.5

Washington Redskins (0-1) at L.A. Rams (1-0)

When: Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 4:25 PM ET Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California TV: FOX Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Week 2 Odds: L.A. Rams -2.5 / Total: 46

Expert Analysis

Washington played a solid game through three quarters in their opener against NFC East division rival Philadelphia but got shutout 11-0 in the fourth quarter en route to a convincing 30-17 loss while failing to cover the NFL betting line as a 1-point home underdog. The Rams stunned Indianapolis in their opener as second-year quarterback Jared Goff completed 21 of 29 passes for 306 yards and one touchdown and Los Angeles got two pick-six touchdowns in their stunning 46-9 win. Running backs Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown each added rushing touchdowns in the win while cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson and and Lamarcus Joyner returned interceptions for scores.

So Who Has the Upper Hand in this Matchup?

Despite how good they looked in their opener, I don’t see Los Angeles getting past a Washington team that will be a bit desperate after losing their opener and one that can generally score the ball pretty well. Washington has compiled a perfect 4-0 ATS mark in their last 4 games following an ATS loss, 5-1 ATS in their L/6 games against a team with a winning record and a robust 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games overall. The Rams are just 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 home games and 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games overall. Pure and simple desperation will be what drives the Redskins to the outright road win as 2.5-point underdogs! NFL Week 2 Pick: Washington +2.5