NFL Week 2 Bet Now, Bet Later: Bolt to L.A. -2.5

Week 2 of the NFL season is one of my favorite slates to bet on due to the overreaction from opening results.

Favorites that flopped and underdogs that barked loud in Week 1 see their Week 2 odds impacted more than they should be, and that opens up windows to go against that knee jerk.

That means grabbing some softer lines the second they hit the board or waiting for wagers to pile on one side before buying back the adjustment. That’s what I do with this article every Sunday night as NFL spreads and totals open across the NFL betting industry.

Here are the NFL odds in Week 2 to bet right now and wagers to make later.

Week 2 bet now, bet later picks

• Chargers (-2.5) at Titans: Bet Now
• Bears (+2.5) at Buccaneers: Bet Later
• Chiefs at Jaguars (Over 50.5): Bet Now
• Dolphins at Patriots (Under 46): Bet Later

Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.

Los Angeles Chargers (-2.5) at Tennessee Titans: Bet Now

The Los Angeles Chargers played in one of the most exciting games of Week 1. While they did exactly what they’ve done time and time again (“Charging” away a late lead to fall 36-34 to Miami), this Kellen Moore offense sure ain’t Joe Lombardi’s lumbering playbook.

Los Angeles amassed 433 total yards (5.6 yards per play) and went 4-for-5 in the red zone. Unfortunately, the Bolts ran into one of the few teams that can actually go tit-for-tat with them. Week 2’s opponent, the Tennessee Titans, are not one of those teams.

The Titans were edged in a 16-15 snooze fest with New Orleans on Sunday. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill didn’t look sharp — shocker  — with three interceptions and Tennessee somehow went 0-fer in the red zone despite having Derrick Henry on its roster.

Tennessee is bringing a gherkin to a pickle fight while L.A. is packing a salty kosher dill the size of a baby’s leg. What’s more, this Titans' defense ranked dead last vs. the pass in 2022 and gave up 305 yards through the air to Derek Carr in Week 1.

Some places opened the Chargers as low as -2.5 on the road in Week 2 while others opened at a cheap field goal (-3 +105). Either way, I feel like this line will go to -3.5, and getting Los Angeles below the key number is a gift from the gambling gods.

Best odds to bet Chargers -2.5 right now

Chicago Bears (+2.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bet Later

Week 1 was not the start the Chicago Bears wanted after an offseason of hype.

Chicago got boat raced by the rival Packers at home, offering up majority ownership to new Green Bay QB Jordan Love. The offensive line couldn’t give Justin Fields breathing room and the defense must have missed the turnoff for Solider Field (Bears allowed 38 points on 329 yards).

Luckily, Chicago can get away from the scathing headlines served up by the Windy City media and venture into pirate waters in Week 2. Awaiting the Bears is a 1-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who sunk another NFC North team, Minnesota, in Week 1.

The Bucs were one of the stunners on Sunday, winning outright as 4-point road underdogs — a line that was +6 for most of the summer. Tampa Bay’s defense forced three takeaways and held its own in the red zone while the Baker Mayfield-led offense converted key downs late in the fourth quarter.

The look-ahead line for this matchup with the Bears is the same as the official Week 2 opener, with Chicago getting +2.5. The taste of the Bears' bad outing at home could be enough to sour the early money and this line could creep to a field goal.

If you don’t think the Windy City side is full of hot air, wait this one out and see if you can get the Bears +3 later in the week. There are already some field goal lines popping up Sunday night. Hell, maybe we get greedy and wait for a +3.5…

Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars (Over 50.5): Bet Now

Thursday’s season kickoff was a bad night for the Super Bowl odds favorites. The Kansas City Chiefs botched plenty of positive plays with drops and miscues — things you don’t normally see from the Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid & Co. enjoy a mini bye which gives them time to scrub the butter off their fingers and refocus this offense for a road trip to Jacksonville. Tight end Travis Kelce is still a question mark for K.C. but has extra time to rehab and get back on the field.

As for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the offense showed flashes of brilliance in an ugly win over Indianapolis, with QB Trevor Lawrence and new WR Calvin Ridley connecting and RB Travis Etienne Jr. emerging as a dynamic weapon.

Defensively, however, the Jags lagged. Jacksonville made rookie QB Anthony Richardson look like Cam Newton at times and this 31-21 final score was a lot closer than it seems, with Jacksonville pulling away in the final minutes.

This Over/Under opened at 50.5 and has started climbing, sitting as high as 51.5 points at some online markets. The look-ahead total in the summer was 52 points.

There's so much firepower on the field, so I’m grabbing the lowest number and going Over.

Best odds to bet Over 50.5 right now

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (Under 46): Bet Later

Sunday Night Football features the AFC East with the Miami Dolphins bringing their track team to Foxborough to battle Bill Belichick.

Miami was sensational on offense in Week 1, scoring 36 points against the Chargers on the fast track inside SoFi Stadium. The Fins even left points on the table after fumbling in the red zone on their opening drive and Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception in the end zone.

That offensive eruption has early action showing up on the Over for this primetime game with the New England Patriots. Books opened the total as low as 44.5 which has climbed to as high as 46.5 points at some sharper books Sunday night.

This may run even higher after the media gushes over Mike McDaniel’s offense the next few days, opening the door to come back on the Under with an inflated number. Yes, the Dolphins are legit but so is the New England defense.

The Patriots stuck the Eagles in mud for the most part Sunday, falling behind early due to turnovers but really flexing their defensive muscles in the final three frames of Week 1’s 25-20 loss.

Philadelphia was checked to just one offensive touchdown, was limited to 4.1 yards per play, and went 4-for-13 on third down — all areas in which Philly ranked Top 6 or better in last year. New England’s secondary did a great job shutting down the home run play and made Jalen Hurts look very pedestrian.

Belchick’s defense held Miami to outputs of 21 and 20 points in 2022 and slammed the door in the red zone on the Fins in those meetings. If the Miami-crazed market pushes this total past the key Over/Under mark of 47 points, look to buy back the Under later in the week.

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