NFL picks, predictions, odds for Week 2: What we learned opening week

After a wild NFL Week 1, it’s time to settle into the new football season as Week 2 is here. We start with an NFC banger on Thursday, with the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers squaring off. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into the ClutchPoints 2025 NFL Week 2 picks, predictions, and odds column.

What did we learn last week? That’s the question bettors have to ask themselves heading into Week 2.

Well, last week we learned a lot about which teams might be really bad, and which teams may be a little better than we think. The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins seem like they may fall in that first category, while the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns looked like the latter.

On the docket this weekend, we have that big-time Thursday matchup, a staggering nine early-window Sunday games, just three in the late window for some reason, a Sunday nighter, and a Monday night doubleheader.

We started off the season hot, picking winners. In Week 1, we went 11-5 straight up. Against the tough first-week spreads, we went 7-9 vs. the number, which keeps us in a solid season-long position heading into the Week 2 slate.

Previous weeks: Week 1

So, let’s get right into the NFL Week 2 picks, predictions, and odds.

Courtesy of DraftKings, here are the NFL odds.

Washington Commanders at Green Bay Packers (-3.5)

The Packers came through for us last week when we faded the public and took them to cover over their NFC North rival Lions. Now, they are favored once again against one of the best teams in the conference last season, and plenty of people are taking the points in what could be a close game.

That said, the Commanders didn’t do all that much to impress last week against the Giants, and they go to Wisconsin on a short week. Matt LaFleur's teams have also been excellent covering early in the season, so we’ll take the Packers to win with relative comfort.

Pick: Packers 24-17

UPDATE: Nailed the Thursday night game, straight up and against the spread, again! Now, on to the Sunday games to get above .500 and start making money!

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-12.5)

This is by far the biggest spread on the NFL Week 2 slate, as the Ravens looked like the best team in the league for 56 minutes on Sunday night in Buffalo. A ticked-off Ravens team playing one of the least talented teams seems like the recipe for a blowout.

However, the Browns played another AFC North rival, the Bengals, tough in Week 1, although that may be more about Joe Burrow and company. Still, Joe Flacco is a professional quarterback, and in a divisional game, this seems to scream backdoor cover.

Pick: Ravens 30-20

Los Angeles Rams (-5.5) at Tennessee Titans

This is another game with a presumably bad team coming off a pretty decent showing, as the Titans put up a solid fight against a Broncos team that most pundits are picking for big things this season.

Often, though, the more tape the league gets on a rookie quarterback, the tougher it is for him. So, while Cam Ward still has a bright future, it’s easy to see Week 2 being even tougher than Week 1, when his team still lost by eight.

Pick: Rams 20-10

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (-5.5)

The easy narrative here is that the Lions are in trouble this season after losing both coordinators and to the Packers in Week 1, which the Bears have that coordinator and look good at times Monday night with that old Detroit OC at the helm.

But while Ben Johnson surely wants revenge on his old team, how much faith do you have that Caleb Williams can execute that revenge? The Lions looked worse than they did in Week 1 against a possibly great team, and the Bears looked better vs. essentially a rookie QB. So, at home, the Lions should roll here.

Pick: Lions 28-16

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-5.5)

The Cowboys looked like they were one impact defensive player away from upsetting the Eagles on opening night (oops!). But now they face a Giants team that looked like they are still a QB and a coaching change away from even being average.

Dallas has its issues, but New York’s are far worse, so the Cowboys should roll here.

Pick: Cowboys 27-12

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets (-7)

Kudos to Justin Fields and the Jets for putting up 31 points against Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. Gang Green may be friskier than thought this season, and Fields may have finally found a system that works for his considerable talent.

All that said, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers aren’t Josh Allen and the Bills. Buffalo wins this one by more than a touchdown, but the Jets’ running game could frustrate the still-horrific Bills' run defense early in this game.

Pick: Bills 35-23

San Francisco 49ers (-3) at New Orleans Saints

It seems as though the 49ers are trending toward starting Mac Jones in this game, and that’s not great for anyone. With Brock Purdy likely out, George Kittle definitely out, and Brandon Aiyuk already out for the start of the season, it’s no surprise that the spread has dropped from -4.5 to -3.

So, while it might be tempting to take the Saints in this situation after they looked OK against the Cardinals in Week 1, here in the NFL Week 2 picks, predictions, and odds column, we’ll take the 49ers to get the win even without their stars.

Pick: 49ers 14-10

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins (-1.5)

Both these AFC East teams looked brutal in Week 1, with the Patriots losing to the Raiders at home and the Dolphins getting smoked by the Colts on the road. While neither instilled much confidence, the Patriots have a competent coach and promising young quarterback, who should be better in their NFL Week 2 outing.

On the Miami side, the whole thing is a tire fire, from the coach to the QB, to the star wide receiver pouting on the sidelines. Things seem like they could implode for the Dolphins at any minute, so we’ll take the points and the Pats pulling the upset straight up.

Pick: Patriots 16-10

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5)

The Jaguars looked slightly better than the Bengals in Week 1, beating up on the lowly Panthers while the Bengals struggled with the equally lowly Browns. So, which of these teams wins the Underwhelming Bowl?

Conventional wisdom says the Bengals are the better team, so they will come out on top here. And while that is generally true, this team has a bad defense and, for whatever reason, they always start slow. The public is all over the Bengals for this game, so we’ll do the zag and take the Jags to at least cover.

Pick: Bengals 24-23

Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)

The Steelers pulled out a win from the jaws of defeat on Sunday, and the Seahawks couldn’t manage much against the banged-up 49ers. In the Steel City on Sunday, though, we’ll take the home team. The Seattle offense hasn’t clicked yet and may not, while the Pittsburgh D will be the best overall unit on the field.

Pick: Steelers 16-10

Denver Broncos (-2.5) at Indianapolis Colts

Here we have a case of one team that looked way better than anticipated (Colts) in Week 1 against a team that was underwhelming, despite getting out against the Titans with a win. That makes the Colts getting points at home an enticing pick.

In the NFL Week 2 picks, predictions, and odds column, we’re not ready to throw out all our preseason assumptions after one week, though. Just seven days ago, we would have taken a touchdown spread here for the Broncos. Now, having to give just 2.5 makes this feel real good.

Pick: Broncos 24-20

Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals (-6.5)

Last week, we said we’re not ready to fully buy in on the Cardinal, but we’d take them to cover against the lowly Saints. Well, it’s one week in, and they couldn’t even do that. This week, they are again playing a horrible team, so we’ll cover our you-know-whats on Sunday and take the Cards to win, but again not cover.

Pick: Cardinals 21-17

Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs (-1.5)

Last time these two teams met, the Eagles put the beatdown on the Chiefs. Seven months later, the NFL Week 2 picks, predictions, and odds column is not sure what has really changed. This is still a bad matchup for the Chiefs, and the Eagles haven’t taken a significant step back, as long as their best defensive player doesn’t spit on Patrick Mahomes six seconds into this game.

Maybe this won’t be another Super Bowl-style massacre, but the Eagles should again come away victorious.

Pick: Eagles 28-23

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (-4.5)

The Falcons are going to Falcon, even with a fresh start this NFL season. The team snatched a defeat from the jaws of victory last weekend, and the kicker once again played a major role in that demise. For the Vikings, they get another shot to cut down an NFC opponent this week, but the Falcons are not the Bears.

J.J. McCarthy looked lost for three quarters last Monday, so the NFL Week 2 picks, predictions, and odds column doesn’t have a ton of faith in the youngster yet. Michael Penix Jr. looked better, so we’ll go with the (slightly) more experienced QB to at least cover and maybe even win outright on the road.

Pick: Falcons 28-27

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans (-2.5)

The Houston Texans couldn’t get things going on offense last week against the Rams, and there were few signs that they’ll fix that for the Buccaneers game. Baker Mayfield and company showed resilience in a comeback win, so even on the road, we like them to move to 2-0 against an overrated Texans team.

Pick: Buccaneers 27-24

Los Angeles Chargers (-3.5) at Las Vegas Raiders

Both these teams looked good last week and made their cases to be the first AFC West winners outside of Kansas City since 2015. While the Chargers and Raiders looked like playoff teams, only one featured an MVP-level performance from its QB.

Yes, we’ve seen flashes followed by disappointment from a Justin Herbert-led Chargers team before, but last week felt different, so the NFL Week 2 picks, predictions, and odds column will roll with the new-look Herbert and company.

Pick: Chargers 33-27

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