2024 NFL Week 2 Picks
Welcome back to our 2024 NFL Week 2 Picks!
Note: All picks are based on the money line, not the spread.
Week 1 of any NFL season is always unpredictable, largely because there’s no recent tape or results to rely on. Many decisions are based on name recognition and preseason analysis—and Week 1 of the 2024 season was no exception.
Of the 16 games played in Week 1, home teams won 11 times, and favorites emerged victorious in 13 matchups, which wasn’t entirely unexpected.
As we move forward, we’ll be tracking our moneyline records across all game windows, evaluating picks for the favorites and underdogs, and comparing results when we choose the same or different teams.
Before we dive into our Week 2 predictions, let’s take a quick look back at our Week 1 results:
Justin:
Cumulative record: 8-8
Week 1 record: 8-8
TNF: 1-0
FNF: 1-0
Sunday: 6-6
SNF: 0-1
MNF: 0-1
Betting the Favorite: 7-2
Betting the Underdog: 1-5
Different Picks: 1-4
Jeff:
Cumulative record: 11-5
Week 1 record: 11-5
TNF: 1-0
FNF: 1-0
Sunday: 9-3
SNF: 0-1
MNF: 0-1
Betting the Favorite: 10-2
Betting the Underdog: 1-2
Different Picks: 4-1
Same Picks: 7-2
All lines supported by FanDuel
Thursday Night Football
Bills (1-0) @ Dolphins (1-0) (-2.5)
We’re a little late to the party on this one, but we did get our picks in! This game was as hard as they come due to a couple of factors: 1. Thursday Night Football means it’s a short week, and 2. It’s a divisional matchup. We both went in different directions on this one, producing our first different pick of the week.
Picks:
Justin: Dolphins
Jeff: Bills
Sunday
Raiders (0-1) @ Ravens (0-1) (-8.5)
One of the biggest spreads of the week, the Ravens are hosting the Raiders. The Ravens were as sloppy as they could be and were a toe away from forcing overtime against the defending champs. Meanwhile, the Raiders were obliterated on the ground by the Chargers and their new rushing attack. Both analysts are going with the home favorite to avenge their tight loss in Week 1 and build onto the win column.
Picks:
Justin: Ravens
Jeff: Ravens
Chargers (1-0) (-4.5) @ Panthers (0-1)
Speaking of the Chargers, their new coaching staff and the shocking health of J.K. Dobbins looked as good as it could’ve in Week 1. They handled their business pretty easily against their division foe, although their passing game left a lot to be desired. On the other side of this matchup are the lowly Panthers, who were absolutely shell-shocked in Week 1 against a division rival of their own. Both analysts are looking for the road favorite to leave Week 2 with a win.
Picks:
Justin: Chargers
Jeff: Chargers
Saints (1-0) @ Cowboys (1-0) (-6.5)
Both teams enter this one after handling their Week 1 opponents with little resistance, although their opponents weren’t very tough. The Cowboys are riding high after locking their two offensive stars up for the foreseeable future, and the Saints are rocking with their new offensive coordinator. It’ll be great to see both of these teams go up against stiffer competition.
Picks:
Justin: Cowboys
Jeff: Cowboys
Buccaneers (1-0) @ Lions (1-0) (-7.5)
One of the better matchups of the week, both the Lions and Buccaneers are riding high going into Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season. The Buccaneers handled business against an inferior opponent run by a rookie quarterback, while the Lions won an overtime gem against what is presumed to be an NFC contender. Both teams looked physical, focused, and ready to dominate. This should be a great heavyweight joust in the NFC.
Picks:
Justin: Lions
Jeff: Lions
Colts (0-1) (-3) @ Packers (0-1)
Going into the season, this matchup had the potential to be one of the best of the season. That is until Packers QB Jordan Love went down with an injury with 5 seconds left in his Week 1 game. The Packers’ defense left a lot to be desired, but their offense was humming, even on a terrible field. The Colts, on the other hand, showed us everything they might be this season. Anthony Richardson might be better than Lamar in terms of running the football, but his passing game looks to be in the bottom 10 of starting QBs. This would’ve been a fun game, but with Malik Willis starting, it might not be close.
Picks:
Justin: Colts
Jeff: Colts
Browns (0-1) @ Jaguars (0-1) (-3)
A matchup of two so-so teams in Week 2—both the Browns and Jaguars left a lot of meat on the bone in Week 1. Deshaun Watson is a shell of himself and is clearly holding his team back, while Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars had a chance to leave Week 1 with a win if not for a Travis Etienne fumble on the goal line that would’ve put them up 17 late in the third. Though it’s early, this is a pivotal game for both clubs to get back on track.
Picks:
Justin: Jaguars
Jeff: Browns
49ers (1-0) (-5.5) @ Vikings (1-0)
The 49ers and Vikings both enter their matchup on a high note after handling business in Week 1. The 49ers were as dominant as ever in Week 1 against the Jets even without their star Christian McCaffrey, and the Vikings looked great with Sam Darnold under center, albeit both of their opponents may not prove to be very good by season’s end. This one looks to be one of the better games on the slate.
Picks:
Justin: 49ers
Jeff: 49ers
Seahawks (1-0) (-3.5) @ Patriots (1-0)
Both of these clubs entered the 2024 NFL season with new head coaches for the first time in over a decade. No one knew what to expect in their new respective eras, but both proved to have made a good decision thus far as they each added to the win column. The Patriots are going for their second straight home underdog victory while the Seahawks are traveling cross-country.
Picks:
Justin: Seahawks
Jeff: Patriots
Jets (0-1) (-3.5) @ Titans (0-1)
What an opening game for each of these clubs. The Jets were as hyped as ever with the return of QB Aaron Rodgers under center after playing a mere 4 snaps in 2023, and the Titans were hoping their late-round QB, Will Levis, was their franchise QB. The Titans looked to be on their way to a win over the Bears, but Will Levis had a couple of costly turnovers, and the Bears' special teams refused to let Caleb Williams drag them down in his NFL debut. The Jets, on the other hand, looked unprepared and a bit cocky in Week 1. Both the Jets and Titans really want to right the ship this week, as teams that start 0-2 historically don’t finish very well.
Picks:
Justin: Jets
Jeff: Jets
Giants (0-1) @ Commanders (0-1) (-1.5)
What looks to be the worst game of Week 2, the Giants travel to the Commanders to face off against a division foe. Both clubs lost handedly and look to be two of the bottom feeders of the 2024 NFL season. The Giants got off to a rough start in their first post-Saquon Barkley era game, and QB Daniel Jones looks to have regressed (who knew that was possible). The Commanders have a new rookie QB under center, which allows a bit of leeway, but they looked lost in Week 1 against the Buccaneers.
Picks:
Justin: Giants
Jeff: Commanders
Rams (0-1) @ Cardinals (0-1) (-1.5)
A division matchup with both teams coming off a loss looks like fans might be in for a treat as they each try to earn their first victory of the 2024 NFL season. The Rams looked good on the road and took the Lions to overtime even without their WR2 Puka Nacua. The Cardinals were up big in their first game against the Bills and even looked like they might leave with a win, but Josh Allen took over, doing Josh Allen things. Even so, if not for a lack of time and vision, Kyler Murray could’ve found a wide-open Marvin Harrison Jr. for a late touchdown to help secure the win.
Picks:
Justin: Rams
Jeff: Rams
Steelers (1-0) (-2.5) @ Broncos (0-1)
Another so-so matchup, the Steelers are traveling to the Broncos for a Sunday afternoon game. The Steelers unexpectedly are running with QB Justin Fields as Russell Wilson recovers from a calf injury. They managed to win in Week 1 despite not scoring a single touchdown. Their defense, mostly TJ Watt, looked awesome. On the other side, the Broncos are coming off a poor performance in Week 1 with rookie QB Bo Nix under center. It was a weird game script as Sean Payton trusted Nix to throw the ball over 40 times, which usually doesn’t work out well for a young QB.
Picks:
Justin: Steelers
Jeff: Steelers
Bengals (0-1) @ Chiefs (1-0) (-5.5)
The Bengals were arguably the most disappointing team in Week 1. I know, I know, they were without Tee Higgins and Jamar Chase wasn’t 100%, but they were massive road favorites and laid a huge egg against a team no one thinks is good. The Chiefs, however, looked great. They were crisp, motivated, and their usual selves under Reid and Mahomes. Even so, they won by the skin of their teeth against a team that was as sloppy as they could be. This is projected to be a top game of the week as both teams have Super Bowl aspirations and could even be a playoff preview.
Picks:
Justin: Chiefs
Jeff: Chiefs
Sunday Night Football
Bears (1-0) @ Texans (1-0) (-6.5)
Caleb Williams didn’t live up to the hype in his NFL debut. He looked as bad as we’ve seen from a rookie QB in his first game and didn’t do anything to help his team win. But against all odds, the Bears’ special teams and defense refused to lose to Will Levis and prevailed. The Texans looked phenomenal and much like they did during the 2023 season. CJ Stroud has proven to be a top signal caller in the NFL, and the Texans are as deep as anyone. It’ll be great to see these two young teams and QBs under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football. Is Caleb Williams good enough to overcome some early WR injuries?
Picks:
Justin: Texans
Jeff: Texans
Monday Night Football
Falcons (0-1) @ Eagles (1-0) (-6.5)
Kirk Cousins produced an absolute clunker in his Falcons debut, failing to beat a team that didn’t score a single touchdown against him. The Falcons looked really bad, but it was Week 1, and they have a lot of playmakers to right the ship. The Eagles, however, looked awesome on offense, showcasing how good Saquon Barkley really is behind a competent offensive line. The defense looked shaky in Brazil against a top offense, but going against Kirk Cousins on Monday night for the third straight season in Week 2 should help alleviate some concerns.
Picks:
Justin: Eagles
Jeff: Eagles
