The NFL season is finally here! Last week in my best bets article, I went 4-1. Which means if you took the parlay round-robin as I suggested, you made some nice cash! This will be a regular article every Tuesday, so set your calendars! The difference between this week and last is that the books have very few player prop lines. That’s okay! I’ve got plenty of experience tackling the spread, moneyline dogs, AND totals. Later this week I’ll have anytime touchdown bets, and of course player prop bets. Stay tuned! In the meantime, let’s take a look at the best NFL Week 2 bets that we’re going to cash on!
2026 NFL Week 2 Best Bets And A Parlay That Pays!
Carolina Panthers VS Atlanta Falcons Over 43.5 Points (-105)
The Panthers just allowed 59 points. Yes, it was to the Chicago Bears, and the Atlanta Falcons offense is not the Ben Johnson-driven Bears. However, the Falcons should be able to use some similar concepts to frustrate the Panthers just the same.
I imagine Bijan Robinson will have a big day. After 173 total yards against the Steelers (this has to be a prop we take when available!), I think he’ll have a big day against the Falcons too. The Panthers let the Bears run for a total of 291 rushing yards. 224 of that was to the running backs. The Panthers could clean up some of their woes, but it won’t happen overnight.
The Panthers offense also looked fairly confident. They put up 37 points themselves. Maybe that was because the Bears’ defense wasn’t very good. Or, perhaps a different game script where they aren’t forced to keep up will change it. However, I still feel good about this total. It’s a division rivalry, and I expect a score of 32-24.
Minnesota Vikings VS Chicago Bears Over 48.5 (-118)
Speaking of overs, the next pick on my NFL Week 2 best bets is the Vikings and Bears to hit the over. I already made my case a little bit above. However, let me reiterate. This Bears’ offense is really, really good. Ben Johnson is on a mission. Multiple times, he’s talked about scoring the most points in the league and breaking the scoring records.
He backed that up by scoring 59 points in Week 1. The Bears had a ton of penalties as well and felt they left more points on the field. That’s a determined team. The Vikings’ defense buckled down in Week 2 after allowing 19 points in the first half against the Packers. That included an 81-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Christian Watson. It won’t be as easy to put up 59 points for the Bears.
However, I think Ben Johnson will want more fireworks in their home opener at Soldier Field. On top of that, the Vikings are coming off scoring 39 points against the Packers with Carson Wentz as their quarterback. If they can force some turnovers and exploit Chicago’s defense the way Carolina did, this match is in for a lot of points. 48.5 just feels too low to me.
New York Jets (+4.5) VS Green Bay Packers (-120)
Speaking of the Packers, I’m sure they’re coming into this game against the Jets ticked off. Or are they entering it deflated? They’ve lost so many fourth-quarter leads in the last six games that it’s starting to become a pattern. The Packers let Carson Wentz throw for three touchdown passes against them. He finished 12/19 for 133 yards.
Meanwhile, Geno Smith and the Jets are coming off a 23-10 win over the Titans. I feel the Titans may be the worst team in this league. However, I still think the Jets played well. Geno went 19/25 for 215 yards, while Breece Hall ran the ball 22 times for 102 yards and a touchdown.
The Jets will try to control this game on the ground. They’ll run the ball early and often to wear the Packers’ defense down and keep the offense off the field. Do I think the Packers are a better team than the Jets? Yes. Do I think they’re better enough to be favored by 4.5 on the road? No. Therefore, I’m taking the Jets +4.5 as one of my top bets for NFL Week 2.
Cleveland Browns VS Tampa Bay Bucs (-8.5) (-112)
Sorry, Browns fans, but the Browns suck. Deshaun Watson is terrible. They didn’t score a touchdown until the Jags had already called it a day. It was 34-3 going into the fourth quarter. Watson’s stats may not have looked terrible: 16/22 for 205 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, but they were.
Now they’ll take on the Tampa Bay Bucs. The Bucs also struggled in their opening game on the road in Cincinnati. Baker didn’t throw any touchdowns, and they didn’t have any rusher with over 50 yards. Now, they take on the Browns in their home opener, and they’ve got to be pissed.
This line is discounted because the Bucs lost. However, I think this may be the last week for a while that the Browns aren’t double-digit dogs. Earlier I said the Titans were the worst team in football. I may have spoken too soon. Perhaps it’s the Browns. Either way, I expect the Bucs to have full control of this game and win by 14+ points. I’m all over Bucs -8.5 as part of my NFL Week 2 best bets.
Pittsburgh Steelers (+5.5) VS New England Patriots (-115)
Are we sure the Patriots are any good? Sure, they only lost by three points. Part of that may have been due to Drew Lock playing the majority of the game for the Seahawks. Either way, this offense did not look good. Rhamondre Stevenson only averaged 2.8 yards per carry. Drake Maye threw three interceptions and only 178 yards. The leading receiver was (checks notes) Mack Hollins with four catches for 51 yards.
The Steelers, on the other hand, had a very convincing win. Sort of. Yes, it was against Cooper Rush and the Falcons. However, the defense looked really good. T.J. Watt looked like a man possessed. This pick on my NFL Week 2 best bets line is more of a fade of the Patriots. Something looked wrong with that team. Whether it was a Super Bowl hangover, a natural regression, a tougher schedule, or Vrabel’s offseason distractions, something wasn’t right. Steelers are a live dog on a short road trip.
If you take these in a round robin and all of them hit, here are your payouts.
2 Pick Round Robin: $5×10 = $176.53 Payout
3 Pick Round Robin: $5×10 = $331.64 Payout
4 Pick Round Robin: $5×5 = $311.48 Payout
5 Pick Parlay: $10 = $234.01
Moneyline Dog Parlay (+656)
Speaking of parlays, I’m also putting a small wager on my two dogs to win outright. The Jets are +170 on the moneyline, while the Steelers are +180. Wrap these two up in a parlay, and it’ll pay you a nice +656. They both feel like live dogs despite being on the road. This is more of a fade of the teams they are playing.
