NFL Predictions for Week 2 – Expert Picks, Upsets, Predicted Scores & Betting Tips

Week 2 of the 2025-26 NFL season is underway and features another 13 games on Sunday with two more on Monday – it’s our first Monday Night Football doubleheader of the season. This week sees a number of divisional matchups, with the Bears at Lions being arguably the most intriguing of the bunch, as Ben Johnson prepares to take on his old team. However, the game of the week comes in the second block on Sunday, when the Chiefs host the Eagles in a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl.

I have broken down each of the 15 remaining games in NFL Week 2 and provided my predictions, along with my SBD formula’s score predictions, picks, and best bets. You will also find a brief summary of weather to consider and the impactful injuries you need to know below. I have kept the focus on straight up winners, or NFL moneyline picks, if you prefer, but there are a number of upsets being predicted between me and my formula.

For those interested/curious, my formula and I each went 9-5 last week. Let’s see if we can top that mark in Week 2!

Week 2 NFL Predictions

The table above details my predictions for NFL Week 2 as well as my score predicting formula’s predictions. Be sure to stop in at SBD’s NFL odds tool before placing any bets for Week 2. Getting the best odds available on each bet is crucial to long-term success betting on sports, and our odds pages do the line shopping for you!

I noted last week that my SBD formula doesn’t have a ton of data to go on for the first week of the season, since it’s data-focused approach is forced to rely on the previous season. It faces a similar issue in Week 2, as it now has one game it is grading all 32 teams on.

The problem with this is it puts too much weight on one performance, and as we have seen many times before, some teams come out of the gate slowly, while others show promise and just disappoint from there. As I said last week, this does not mean it will be inaccurate; it just means it doesn’t have the best read on each team yet.

The games my SBD formula and I disagree on are:

• Bears vs Lions
• Jaguars vs Bengals
• Browns vs Ravens
• Colts vs Broncos
• Chargers vs Raiders

As mentioned, my formula is stuck putting too much stock into the stats from one week. I believe the Lions were overwhelmed by a Packers defense that just did the same thing to the Commanders on Thursday night. I know Ben Johnson has had this game circled on his calendar since the schedule released in May, but I like the Lions to win in a close one.

I think the Jaguars just dominated one of the league’s worst teams in Week 1, and Cincinnati was pushed (probably should have lost) by a bit of an underrated Joe Flacco-led Browns team. I don’t thunk Jacksonville’s defense can hold up, and the Bengals will win in a shootout.

The Ravens just lost a heartbreaker to one of the league’s best teams. It was a game they were in firm control of until a bad turnover, though. I like Baltimore to bounce back in Week 2 and crush the spirit of the Browns.

The Broncos offense was bad in Week 1, but I think Bo Nix will settle in a little more in Week 2 against a Colts defense that I believe to be weaker up front than Tennessee. I also like their defense to slow down Jonathan Taylor and overwhelm Daniel Jones. I think the Broncos win by more than one score.

I think the Raiders beat an overhyped Patriots team in Week 1, while the Chargers are coming off a win over a well-prepared Andy Reid team. I like the Chargers to take care of business and continue in their pursuit of dethroning the Chiefs in the AFC West.

Of course, you can take any of the above and bet the spread too, or you can read Zach Reger’s Week 2 NFL picks against the spread.

NFL Week 2 Upset Picks

The best upset picks for Week 2 in the NFL are:

• Patriots over Dolphins (-2.5)
• Buccaneers over Texans (-2.5)

Not only was the Dolphins’ Week 1 performance very concerning, but they may also be dealing with some not-ideal weather in their Week 2 matchup with the Patriots, which I will get into more later.

I also like the Buccaneers to beat the Texans. I don’t trust Houston to protect CJ Stroud well enough to put more than a couple scores on the board. I think new Bucs OC Josh Grizzard will get more comfortable with experience calling plays, and Baker Mayfield’s chemistry with Emeka Egbuka will do the same.

There is one other underdog I think has a much better chance of pulling off an upset in Week 2 than the odds would suggest: the New York Jets. I’ll discuss this further when summarizing the injuries below.

My score predicting formula is picking a lot of upsets in Week 2:

• Bears over Lions
• Patriots over Dolphins
• Jaguars over Bengals
• Browns over Ravens
• Colts over Broncos
• Buccaneers over Texans
• Raiders over Chargers

That’s a predicted upset in seven of the 15 games remaining in Week 2. That’s a few too many for me, but we do agree on the Patriots and Buccaneers. I do like the Jaguars and Bears to keep their respective games close too.

NFL Week 2 Best Bets

In my opinion, the two best bets in Week 2 are the following: (1) the Broncos moneyline, (2) the Buccaneers moneyline, and (3) the Steelers moneyline.

As I said above, I believe the Broncos have the defensive line to slow Jonathan Taylor and force Daniel Jones to beat them with his arm. I don’t think he can beat Denver’s outstanding secondary, which is led by last year’s NFL DPOY, Patrick Surtain II.

I also feel Indianapolis’ defense holding Miami to eight points last week was more about the Dolphins than it was the Colts. Sean Payton will get Bo Nix settled and we’ll see a much better Broncos offense in Week 2 as well.

Matthew McEwan

Sports Betting Dime • September 13, 2025 at 1:21am

Pick

Odds

HomeTeam

Moneyline

NFL • Seattle Seahawks @ Pittsburgh Steelers

-155 on ESPN BET

SCHEDULED • 09/14/2025

See all 3 picks

Betslip #1757726462812-5a21-985

My third favorite bet for Week 2 is the Steelers to beat the Seahawks. We saw Sam Darnold, without Kevin O’Connell, overwhelmed by the 49ers defense last week, and I think he’ll be in over his head again against a Pittsburgh defense that has to be pissed off after giving up 32 points to the Jets last week. Justin Fields allowed the Jets to play a style of football that gave the Steelers trouble. Darnold cannot attack this defense in the same way, and will face pressure all afternoon in the pocket.

The team my formula is most confident will win their game is the Cardinals, predicting a 19-point margin of victory for Arizona over Carolina on Sunday. But if you’re considering the moneyline odds alongside margin of victory, its most valuable bet is either the Jaguars or Browns. It has the Jags winning by 16.1 points, which is pretty convincing, while it predicts the Browns will win by 2.3 points – though it’s not a big margin of victory, the moneyline odds you can get with Cleveland would offer a very big payout!

If you want to see NFL picks from other sources, we also have great NFL public betting data available for each game, allowing you to see which side the public is on for each bet type, within each game.

Weather Impact on Week 2 NFL Games

The only game with any weather concerns in Week 2 of the 2025-26 NFL season is the New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins. As of Saturday morning, there was a 36% chance of thunderstorms, which could delay the game at some point in the second half. It doesn’t currently sound like a lot of rain, but it’s hard to trust anything in Miami.

This is a game to monitor ahead of kickoff, as the weather can change in a matter of minutes. If there’s any notable amount of rain expected to fall, I would avoid betting the Dolphins, and likely take a good look at the Patriots on the moneyline. Tua Tagovailoa has not impressed me whatsoever when the weather is not ideal.

Week 2 Injury Report

I have pulled out all the notable players who are currently dealing with injuries, and summarized the effect their presence/absence would have on betting that specific game. All injury designations are as of Friday afternoon.

Bears at Lions

• Taylor Decker (LT, Lions): Questionable

The Lions offensive line was uncharacteristically bad in Week 1 – it was the first time I can remember seeing them badly lose the battle in the trenches over the last two seasons. Part of their struggles can certainly be attributed to four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow retiring this offseason. But the unit needs to get themselves sorted.

If they have to do that without Taylor Decker, their second-most reliable offensive lineman right now, in Week 2, the Lions offense might be in trouble against a Bears defense that was able to get after the QB in Week 1. If Decker doesn’t play, I’ll be considering the Bears to cover the spread, and will also take a look at Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery’s respective rushing props, as I think they might have a tough day if Manu Giovanni is forced into action at LT.

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Decker missed practice again on Friday, the third straight he missed, and it sounds like Detroit wants to take a cautious approach with their starting LT. It sounds like he might be on the wrong side of questionable.

• Grady Jarrett (DT, Bears): Questionable

Everything I said above about the Lions potentially struggling without Decker in the lineup could be counteracted by Grady Jarrett not playing for Chicago. Having to turn to Andrew Billings would be a big downgrade for Chicago, and make them a little softer up the middle. This wouldn’t be good against a Detroit team that I suspect is going to come in aggressively trying to run the football.

Thankfully for the Bears, Jarrett did return to practice Friday, and seems on the right side of questionable.

Patriots at Dolphins

• Christian Gonzalez (CB, Patriots): OUT

The Patriots played without Gonzalez in Week 1, and might be without him for a couple more weeks too. The former first-round pick has been ruled out for their Week 2 matchup, leaving Alex Austin, who gave up two receptions on the four plays he was targeted by the Raiders offense last week, in line for another start.

Austin will likely be covering one of Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle, which could be trouble if the Dolphins offense gets their act together.

• Darren Waller (TE, Dolphins): OUT

Waller did not play in Week 1 and his Dolphins debut will be pushed at least one more week. Not having played a game since 2023, it’s hard to know whether Waller will even be able to make an impact when he does return.

49ers at Saints

• Brock Purdy (QB, 49ers): OUT

With Purdy ruled out, Mac Jones will start at QB for the 49ers in Week 2. The last few times we have seen Jones in action, taking over for an injured Trevor Lawrence last year and his final year as the starter in New England, it wasn’t overly impressive.

However, you may remember many believed San Francisco was going to draft Mac Jones in the 2021 NFL Draft, but instead took Trey Lance. I agreed with the pick at the time because I didn’t feel Jones’ immobility would be a good fit for a Kyle Shanahan offense. I still feel that way today.

• George Kittle (TE, 49ers): OUT

Kittle has been placed on the short-term IR, meaning he will miss at least the next four weeks. This is a massive blow to a set of pass-catchers that was already feeling shorthanded without Brandon Aiyuk (and Deebo Samuel leaving in free agency). Again, the 49ers will likely have to lean heavily on Christian McCaffrey in Week 2.

• Trent Williams (LT, 49ers): Questionable

Williams was able to work off to the side with trainers during Friday’s practice, getting in a limited session, which is an upgrade from missing the previous two days. If Williams is forced to miss the game, Spencer Burford would likely start at LT for San Francisco, which would be a massive downgrade for an offense that’s already losing a lot of mobility at QB.

Without the injuries, I would have expected the 49ers to win this game by double-digits. But even with the injuries, I’m not sure Spencer Rattler will be able to take advantage.

Bills at Jets

• Ed Oliver (DL, Bills): OUT

This is a big loss for the Bills defense. Oliver was dominant in Week 1, making several big plays, including the forced fumble on Derrick Henry that shifted the game, in Week 1. After seeing the way Justin Fields and Breece Hall were able to run the ball against the Steelers last week, not to mention the yards Henry did rack up prior to the fumble, I have serious concerns about Buffalo’s defense in Week 2.

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I’d go as far as putting them on upset alert.

• Taron Johnson (CB, Bills): Questionable

Johnson logged limited practices Thursday and Friday, which is a good sign for his availability Sunday. Though the Jets aren’t likely to put the ball in the air a ton, Fields was quite effective when doing so last week. If Johnson was also to miss the game Sunday, I’d be looking to bet the over on the Jets’ team total.

Rams at Titans

• T’Vondre Sweat (NT, Titans): OUT

With Sweat out, Shy Tuttle is expected to get the start at nose tackle for the Titans, and it’s a big downgrade, as they lose about 62 pounds in the middle of their defense. I think this is a big boost for Kyren Williams’ rushing outlook.

Broncos at Colts

• Dre Greenlaw (ILB, Broncos): OUT

Greenlaw also missed Week 1 and the Broncos defense still looked very good. However, his run-stopping would have been very welcomed in Week 2 against Jonathan Taylor and a good Colts offensive line. Justin Strnad has filled in very well so far, and I suspect he will continue to perform well with a great Broncos defensive line in front of him.

• Charvarius Ward (CB, Colts): OUT

Ward was a big part of completely shutting down the Dolphins’ speedy receivers in Week 1, and has generally been viewed as one of the better corners in the NFL in two of the last three seasons. His absence will likely thrust Mekhi Blackmon into the starting lineup, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Sean Payton has Bo Nix target him a fair bit in the passing game.

Eagles at Chiefs

• Dallas Goedert (TE, Eagles): OUT

Goedert led the Eagles in targets and receptions in Week 1, serving as a bit of a safety blanket for Jalen Hurts. I’d expect Philadelphia to use a mix of Grant Calcaterra and Kylen Granson at TE against the Chiefs in Week 2.

If the Chiefs can slow down Saquon Barkley again, Hurts may not be as comfortable in the pocket without Goedert on the field. I’d expect to see some extra DeVonta Smith targets as a result.

• Xavier Worthy (WR, Chiefs): OUT

This has the potential to be pretty crippling for the Chiefs offense. With Worthy not playing Sunday, and Rashee Rice serving Game 2 of his six-game suspension, Patrick Mahomes will be left with Marquise Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton at wide receiver. Of course, he’ll also have Travis Kelce at tight end. But the speed and big-play potential they had in Worthy is not going to be replaced by any of those players.

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It seems Brashard Smith still has some work to do as a rookie before earning the trust of his coach, but he could see some extra snaps in passing downs. I think Philadelphia will key in on Kelce and Brown, leaving plenty of opportunity for Smith-Schuster. Whether Mahomes’ offensive line can hold up long enough is another story.

I don’t like the Chiefs’ chances in this one without Worthy.

Falcons at Vikings

• Christian Darrisaw (LT, Vikings): OUT

Darrisaw also missed Week 1 and his replacement, Justin Skule, had a tough night. Kevin O’Connell will have to ensure he provides Skule help if needed against Leonard Floyd and the Falcons pass-rush. The first half of Minnesota’s Week 1 matchup with the Bears showed the world how difficult offense can be when you can’t protect your quarterback.

• Andrew Van Ginkel (LB, Vikings): OUT

Thankfully, the Vikings have 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner taking Van Ginkel’s place in the lineup in Week 2, but Turner is not the same play-maker. He might be slightly better rushing the passer, but is a bit of a liability in coverage. Brian Flores will have to take advantage of his skillset and avoid asking him to drop into coverage too much.

• Jeff Okudah (CB, Vikings): OUT

Without Okudah as well, the Vikings are going to need to ramp up the pressure on Michael Penix Jr on Sunday night. Drake London could have a big night against the Vikings’ banged up secondary if Penix is given time to throw – not to mention, Harrison Smith is also questionable.

Who are the top picks for NFL Week 2?

The top picks for NFL Week 2 are the Steelers, Broncos, and Buccaneers on the moneyline.

What are the biggest upsets predicted for Week 2?

The biggest upset predicted with a lot of confidence in Week 2 is the Buccaneers over the Texans. I also believe the New York Jets have a really good chance to upset the Bills. My score predicting formula also has the Browns beating the Ravens, which would be a massive upset.

What are the latest NFL injury updates for Week 2?

The biggest injury update of Week 2 is Brock Purdy being ruled out, forcing Mac Jones under center for the 49ers matchup with the Saints. Ed Oliver has also been ruled out for the Bills, which will be a big blow to their defense. Xavier Worthy is also out for the Chiefs as they prepare to take on the Eagles.