NFL Preseason Week 2 Odds and Picks

The first week of the preseason ended up being pretty rough for me when it comes to NFL betting. Baltimore and New Orleans both won their games by less than a field goal, failing to cover the NFL betting odds in the process, while Denver lost outright to Arizona after taking a double-digit lead into halftime. I went a little too heavy on the chalk and was burned for it considering its preseason, and I have shifted fire to adjust for that factor in Week 2.

NFL Preseason Week 2 Betting Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook

Cincinnati Bengals +6.5
Atlanta Falcons -6.5
Total 38.5

Although the Atlanta Falcons beat the Miami Dolphins 19-3 last week, they should not be this much of a favorite by the football betting odds against the Cincinnati Bengals. Atlanta had just 13 first downs and 248 total yards of offense and greatly benefited from four Miami turnovers. Additionally, the Falcons had a defensive touchdown and a special teams touchdown in the final three minutes that made the game look like much more of a blowout than it really was if you watched the whole endeavor.

Desmond Ridder is expected to see plenty of action after not taking a snap for Atlanta last week, but the third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft was not great in four starts last season. The Falcons have some exciting players at the skill positions in Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, but the QB position is a big question mark, so they shouldn’t be laying almost a touchdown in this game.

Cincinnati is not expected to have Joe Burrow available under center after he hurt his calf a few weeks ago. However, the Bengals have an experienced veteran in Trevor Siemian and a QB with a chip on his shoulder in Jake Browning.

Pick: Cincinnati +6.5

Kansas City Chiefs -7.5
Arizona Cardinals +7.5
Total 40.5

The defending Super Bowl champions are favored to win the Super Bowl once more by the football futures odds, but the Kansas City Chiefs shouldn’t be favored by this much in the preseason when they are on the road. Patrick Mahomes is unlikely to play too much considering his importance to the team’s success when the games matter, but long-time backup Blaine Gabbert should provide a steady hand. Shane Buechele has something to prove as well too, and that will give the offense more pop than it should have at this point.

However, Arizona will show more than Kansas City as the Cardinals prepare to venture forward without Kyler Murray for the foreseeable future. Colt McCoy has a bevy of NFL experience under his belt, and David Blough might be the most talented fourth-string quarterback in the league. That should allow the Cardinals to stay within seven points at home.

Pick: Arizona +7.5

New Orleans Saints -3.5
Los Angeles Chargers +3.5
Total 37.5

I don’t believe that New Orleans is good enough to be more than a field goal favorite on the road in the preseason. The oddsmakers are overvaluing the Saints off their win against Kansas City, and they are getting a lot of credit because of their quarterback situation. Derek Carr played significant snaps in his first game with the Saints, while Jameis Winston and Jake Haener also saw quite a bit of action in mop up duty. As exciting as Haener can be under center, he is still just a rookie, and the Chargers proved they had a pretty solid ground game in their season opener.

Justin Herbert will see at least some action while Easton Stick and Max Duggan also take snaps for the Chargers. Herbert is more talented than any quarterback that the Saints have on the roster, while Stick and Duggan are solid in their own right. The other thing to keep in mind is the Chargers’ talent edge at the skill positions where they have real depth at receiver and running back. This defense has had some issues in recent years, so don’t be surprised either if the Chargers use the preseason to work out a lot of kinks on that side of the ball.

Pick: Los Angeles +3.5