What’s up Broto Betters! Hope you all had a plentiful and positive Week 1. I was away at a wedding so I am sorry I was unable to churn out a weekly betting article, but I am excited to be back in action. Taking Week 1 off has its pros as well, as it gives us a chance to observe and prepare for the rest of the season. Let’s get after it!
Ravens -3.5 vs Dolphins (-105)
CBS Sports
At this point in the season, there is still a healthy mix of preseason projections, combined with their Week 1 performances, that will weigh into our selections. The Ravens took care of business against the Jets, and although the score was not as lopsided as expected (24-9) the Jets were never really in the game. The Dolphins also took care of business against an underwhelming Patriots team at home, but did not have a particularly bright standout performance.
Heading home to Baltimore, the Ravens will comfortably win over a Miami team who have some juice, but not enough to pull the upset. Side note: betting a 3.5 hook is always an added risk, so you may be more comfortable using the money line in a parlay elsewhere (-180).
Lions -1.5 vs Commanders (-110)
The Lions showed us last week that they are ready to pick up where they left off last season. Start competitive, give up a big lead, claw back and make it interesting has been the Lions formula against good teams since mid last season. The Eagles are a very good team, and although it was still an L for Detroit, their offensive showing was impressive. As this team continues to make strides to improve, I see more competitive games against high level teams, and less losses against bad teams. The Commanders barely survived an encounter with the Jaguars on Sunday at home, and are not a great team in any area. Heading over to Detroit, I think the Lions find the ‘W’ column early this season with a Week 2 victory at home. ML is -125 for those who prefer, this is the first time the Lions are favorites since 2020.
Seahawks +8.5 @ 49ers (-110)
As much as this pains me to say, the Seahawks impressed me on Monday. QB Geno Smith looks like he is ready to take over this offense in stride, and although this team won’t be a team making a deep playoff push, their showing against Denver revealed that they can win some competitive games. The 49ers on the other hand did the exact opposite. The weather in Chicago certainly played a big factor, but Trey Lance has yet to show that he is ready to take the reins in San Francisco and make a huge impact for a team with a lot of talent. Divisional matchups are always crazy, and 8.5 is way too many points. I’ll take Seattle +8.5 with comfort.
Vikings ML @ Eagles (+110)
Getty Images
Before we begin, I don’t want to hear about primetime Kirk Cousins. I get it, but that is not how we bet. The Vikings showed out against the reigning top NFC playoff seed and division rival Green Bay Packers, putting on a clinic on both sides of the ball en route to a 23-7 victory on Sunday. The Eagles on the other hand almost blew a 31-14 lead against the Lions, barely escaping with a 38-35 W. If these score lines tell me one thing it is that the Eagles are exploitable on defense, and the Vikings are an all-around sound team. Minnesota is only an underdog because they are on the road, so take the plus money and enjoy. The spread is +2 if you prefer.
Touchdown Scorers
Unfortunately, the books have been putting out scoring lines later to wait for injury reports and such, so I do not have them available at this time. Make sure to assess these when they come out before betting! You can always find me on Twitter @michaelschissel too if you want a second opinion on a bet. Here are some guys I like to find the end zone in Week 2:
Mike Evans (WR - TB)
Lamar Jackson (QB - BAL)
Kareem Hunt (RB - CLE)
Jamaal Williams (RB - DET)
Saquon Barkley (RB - NYG)
Cooper Kupp (WR - LAR)
Ja’Marr Chase (WR - CIN)
Davante Adams (WR - LV)
James Conner (RB - AZ)
Melvin Gordon III (RB - DEN)
Aaron Jones (RB - GB)
Derrick Henry (RB - TEN)
Justin Jefferson (WR - MIN)
Adam Thielen (WR - MIN)
Jalen Hurts (QB - PHI)
As always, throw a few of these together that you like, sprinkle a longshot with a bunch of them, add them to the ML’s of the teams you like to win, whatever you want! Get creative with it and have fun. Let’s make some money this week!
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Mike “Schiz” Schissel (@michaelschissel)