Are you looking to place your early wagers on the 2016 NFL odds? Go inside this write-up and read our early NFL betting outlook on the best 2016 NFL Week 2 picks against the spread.
Sure 2016 NFL Week 2 Winners Against the Spread
Indianapolis Colts at Denver (-5)
Week 2 NFL ATS Pick: Indianapolis (+5)
The signal-calling role in Denver is now down to Mark Sanchez and rookie Paxton Lynch, two QBs who I’d never trust on any game in the 2016 NFL lines. Sanchez, as your probably know from his recent time with Philadelphia, is as shaky as they come at QB. Lynch could be a franchise QB someday if he can clean up his act, but there’s a good reason as to why rookie QBs don’t have that high a ceiling in their first year in the Pros. Obviously, Denver’s defense will still be the real deal (and that will mask some of the costly weaknesses in Denver’s offense). But woe to you if you ignore the warning signs on Denver, especially against an Indy team that is 8-1 in the last 9 overall against the Broncos, including a 3-1 mark in the last four meetings in Denver. Oh, and did I mention that Andrew Luck, easily one of the best passers available in the league, is back from his season-ending injury in 2015? Well, there’s that too.
San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers (-11.5)
Week 2 NFL ATS Pick: Panthers (-11.5)
Admittedly, I don’t think the Panthers will be as ridiculously impressive as they were in 2015. Still, I strongly believe that they will play some really good football in 2016, thanks to the bevy of havoc-wrecking weapons they possess on both sides of the ball. San Fran, on the other hand, is in a rebuild mode, and from the current outlook of things, the Niners will need a couple more years to match up to their well-playing self under Jim Harbaugh. For this Week 2 clash, the odds should thus be in large favor of the Panthers. After all, Carolina is coming off a perfect win record at home (8-0 SU), along with a stellar mark against the spread (6-2 ATS), with the majority of the home victories being blowouts. With all that considered, I—like the Oddsmakers—expect Carolina to dominant all phases of this game with equal parts speed and power en route to a solid double-digit win.
Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans (PK)
Week 2 NFL ATS Pick: Chiefs (PK)
There is really no debate about Houston’s enterprising offseason that saw the addition of former Denver quarterback Brock Osweiler, along with a host of weapons to strengthen the team’s running and passing game. These additions, combined with the Texans’ defense that has been playing well over the recent seasons, will almost definitely make Houston a better team. That being said, the 2015 Chiefs were one of the most impressive and well-gelled units in the NFL, and things should equally be better for them after having a solid offseason. More notably, the Chiefs have owned the Texans recently, including the 7-point win at Houston in their 2015 season-opening encounter and the sterling 30-0 shutout at Houston in the 20116 AFC Wild Card playoffs. Not to mention, the Chiefs finished the 2015 regular-season campaign on a 10-game SU winning streak, including flawless marks of 5-0 SU and 5-0 ATS on the road. Based on such a strong historical precedence, plus the fact that KC established dependable rhythm on both sides of the ball last year, the Chiefs should be the easy online betting pick in this encounter.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals (-9)
Week 2 NFL ATS Pick: Buccaneers (+9)
Going by the way they have been playing over the past couple of seasons, the Cardinals are a team whose defense is predicated on defending the pass, something that has seen them fare rather well against pass-heavy teams like San Francisco, Baltimore and Cleveland over the past seasons. But when faced with teams that can strongly run and pass the ball, it becomes a different story. For example, in their past two games last year against teams with established running and passing games, the Cardinals we outshined—shamefully losing 36-6 at home in Week 17 against Russell Wilson and Seattle before suffering a 49-15 beatdown at the hands Cam Newton and Carolina in the NFC Championship game. Now, Tampa Bay’s quarterback Jameis Winston is not in the caliber of the above-mentioned QBs, but he did prove his potential to pass and run the ball well-enough. Added to the emergence of Doug Martin as a dependable star running back for Tampa Bay in 2015, I’d expect the Buccaneers to hang tough with the Cardinals, allowing them to cover the spread in this game.
