NFL 2021/22 Week 2 preview, best bets & top odds

The Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers clash in Week 2 of the 2021/22 NFL season after both teams scored upset victories in Week 1. Some 12 betting underdogs covered the spread last week to set a record for the most Week 1 outsiders to cover in the Super Bowl era. Will the dogs continue to bark in Week 2? Here’s a look at our NFL betting picks for Week 2.

Las Vegas Raiders (+5.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (-5.5)

Derek Carr leads the NFL in passing after his performance in Week 1, passing for 435 yards and two touchdowns in Las Vegas’s 33-27 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. The Raiders (1-0-0) will face a tough road test this Sunday in the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers (1-0-0) held Josh Allen to just 270 passing yards and one passing touchdown in a 23-16 come-from-behind win over the Buffalo Bills last Sunday.

The Steelers have the clear edge on defense in this matchup, but with the way Ben Roethlisberger looked last week, the Raiders may have the clear edge on offense. Las Vegas has covered the spread in seven of its last eight games against Pittsburgh including three outright upsets in its last four games against the Steelers. Look for the Raiders to at least keep it close to continue that trend of success this weekend.

Atlanta Falcons (+12.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-12.5)

The Falcons (0-1-0) got destroyed on both sides of the ball in a 32-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday. And the Eagles are projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season. Tampa Bay (1-0-0) meanwhile just barely escaped with a 31-29 win as a big favorite against the Dallas Cowboys.

When these two teams last met in January, the Buccaneers cruised to a 44-27 win over the Falcons. And while Tampa Bay kept all of its starters intact from last year’s Super Bowl-winning team, Atlanta has cut a lot of its talent and started a rebuild. Tampa Bay should be frustrated after last week’s slow start and have the perfect team to take their frustration out on this Sunday.

Detroit Lions (+11) at Green Bay Packers (-11)

Aaron Rodgers had an awful game in his season debut against the New Orleans Saints, completing only 15 of his 28 passes for 133 yards and throwing two interceptions. Green Bay’s defense gave up five passing touchdowns as the Packers got blown out 38-3.

There is no way that Green Bay (0-1-0) should be a double-digit favorite this week after that performance. Yes, the Packers are projected to be a Super Bowl favorite and the Lions (0-1-0) are projected to be a bottom-feeder this season. But this spread is acting as if the Packers are already in championship form. They aren’t. We’ll take the points on the Lions on Monday night.