Check out the betting insights for the Top 5 games of the week
Miami Dolphins (+525) @ Buffalo Bills (-850)
Watch the Dolphins-Bills line movement this week. This one could get nuts.
The Buffalo Bills have scored over 70 points in their first two games, including that epic win over Baltimore in Week 1.
The Miami Dolphins, on the other hand, were a mess in Week 1. There were signs of improvement in Week 2, including Tua and Tyreek getting on the same page for a 100+ yard receiving game by Hill. But the 13-point spread could climb higher. A short week, a long flight for the Fins, and the Bills look like they’re in playoff mode already.
On top of the on-field issues, like an 0-2 record, the sharps who watch everything during and after the games will notice Tagovailoa missed Hill on what would have been a game-changing play last weekend.
Dissension in the locker room, on top of all this? Yeah, 13 points is a lot, especially this early in the season where we don’t 100% know all the teams yet, but this game looks different.
Cincinnati Bengals (+139) @ Minnesota Vikings (-170)
A week ago, Vikings’ QB JJ McCarthy took over the 4th quarter during a Monday Night Football game. The Vikes were so back. Skol was ringing throughout the land.
This weekend, regression came so fast he might have gotten whiplash. McCarthy got sacked 6 times and threw 2 picks in their loss to Atlanta.
Looking ahead to the Bengals-Vikings odds this weekend, watch the injury report for Minnesota. It wasn’t all the 2nd-yr QB’s fault, as they lost some key parts of their O-line. If too many of them are out for the next game, Cincy’s Trey Hendrickson and his fellow D-men could make JJ’s day rough again.
Speaking of injuries, Cincinnati is seeing a heavy blow. Joe Burrow is out for 3 months at least.
His backup, Jake Browning, is ranked 3rd in the league among all backups. There may not be as big a drop-off as the headlines make you believe, especially with Chase, Higgins, and Brown all healthy. This backup “penalty” storyline could also play into the lines, so watch for movement. There could be value going with Cincy if Minnesota becomes favored by more than the current 3 points.
Indianapolis Colts (-185) @ Tennessee Titans (+150)
The biggest surprise in the league so far this NFL season? Gotta be the Colts, and especially QB Daniel Jones.
Jones has been excellent in both games, even hanging 316 yards on one of the league’s top defensive teams (Denver) last weekend. They’re a solid momentum play if you like betting on vibes and stellar QB play.
The Titans have purposely kept QB Cam Ward playing conservatively in his first two weeks, but the rook has looked steady. They could – might need to – unleash him in Week 3 for the Colts-Titans game. The “need to” is because the Colts’ O can put up points, averaging 31 ppg in this early part of the season.
If you think Week 3 is the week that Ward and the Titans’ O – including emerging WR Elic Ayomanor and RB Tony Pollard – come alive, then hit Tennessee to beat the home ‘dog spread of 3.5 points. Especially when you add in the 0-2 factor.
Only 6 teams that went 0-3 to start the season have ever made the NFL playoffs, and it’s only happened once since 2000. The Titans will be going all out to avoid another L.
Detroit Lions (+205) @ Baltimore Ravens (-265)
This is a potential Super Bowl preview.
And the Lions-Ravens odds are a little surprising for that reason. Lions -5.0? After a full-out 52-point assault on the Chicago Bears last weekend? Sure, the Ravens have scored 40+ in two straight, but they need to have some stops on D.
Live betting NFL fans at Lucky Rebel should bookmark this stat: For regular season games, the Lions are 16-0 if they’re leading at halftime. Dan Campbell doesn’t let his team coast.
In Baltimore, coasting is what caused the Ravens to lose a 15-point lead with less than 5 minutes to play in Week 1 against Buffalo. That could be a red flag for Ravens bettors, since Detroit has a loaded offense. Or it could have been a wake-up call so they don’t let things slip again.
Everyone talked about how the loss of OC Ben Johnson to the Bears would hurt Jared Goff and the team. After last weekend, and another full week of prep this week, it looks like they could be getting used to their new offensive coordinator in a hurry.
Jackson is a bit tough to read for big games. He’s 7-2 on MNF, but everyone knows his dismal playoff record.
Bet on the Ravens to cover if you like regular season Lamar. But this game has all the build-up and tension of postseason football…
Kansas City Chiefs (+205) @ New York Giants (-265)
At +6.0 for New York currently, are the Chiefs-Giants odds are giving a legacy boost to KC?
Mahomes is still going to Mahomes, as we saw last weekend again. He almost single-handedly took a crippled Chiefs offense past the Super Bowl champion Eagles.
But now, with the Chiefs at 0-2 and looking to desperately avoid the 0-3 hole that few teams ever emerge from to make the playoffs, he’s going to double down.
The Chiefs badly need help at RB and WR, and they’ll get some relief as Xavier Worthy returns. But he won’t be at 100%, and the Giants’ defense is better than they showed last week. A low O/U total might be on the horizon.
Meanwhile, the Giants are coming off an epic 40-37 L to the Dallas Cowboys last weekend. Can they recover from all the drama? Russell Wilson tossed for 450 yards in that game, so he’s clearly still got something left.
It’s not just Russ though. The team has to pull it together, discipline-wise. With 160 yards in penalties, they handed that game to Dallas. That’s partly a coaching issue.
We’re leaning towards a big game legend at QB and coaching superiority in Andy Reid to put the Chiefs in the win column for the first time this season. Whether they cover by a TD is another story. KC’s offering a solid +205 on the moneyline, and if you want to try and thread the needle, the Giants look decent enough to cover six points.