After opening-week carnage for NFL survivor pool players, here are tips for Week 2
A week ago, it seemed on paper like the 49ers would go into Chicago and roll over the Bears. Instead, the Bears won on a soggy Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field.
That was one of many upsets in the first week of the NFL season. Others included the Giants’ 21-20 victory over the Titans in Nashville, the Vikings blowout of the Packers, the Steelers topping the Bengals in Cincinnati after some weird kicking misadventures, and the Seahawks stunner over ultra-conservative Denver.
Oh, and the Colts and Texans tied.
With so many upsets, is it any wonder that Yahoo Sports reported 63.53% percent of survivor pool entrants already have been eliminated.
So ... what are the betting specialists saying about Week 2 of the NFL season? Here’s a look.
The Athletic’s Derek Tate likes the Bengals against the Cowboys, who are without Dak Prescott, and the Broncos to defeat the Texans. Here is an excerpt from his story: “(T)he Bengals did generate 432 total yards against a stingy Steelers defense on Sunday. Then take into consideration that the Bengals turned the ball over five times and saw (Ja’Marr) Chase nearly find the end zone on four different occasions before finally punching one in and this Bengals offense feels likely to clean it up after a disappointing performance.”
CBS Sports offered a suggestion of a team to avoid: the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay faces the Saints, an NFC South divisional foe.
Pro Football Network reporter BJ Ruddell likes the 49ers to get their first win Sunday against Seattle. This is part of what he wrote: “San Francisco is nothing close to a safe pick. Elijah Mitchell is hurt. George Kittle is hurt (for now). Trey Lance was sub-par in Chicago over the weekend (though, in fairness, the weather conditions were rough). The Niners’ offense is transitioning. We should expect growing pains along the way. However, Seattle’s situation is more precarious.”
The top two implied winning percentages in Week 2 from The Lines: The Rams, who faced the Falcons at home, at 82%, and the Packers, who welcome the Bears to Lambeau Field, at 81%.
