NFL picks: How much did Week 1 matter for Week 2?
Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season was brutal. There were a ton of upsets and somehow we’ll go into Week 2 with even less of an idea than we had going into Week 1.
So, that’s fun! The good news is our week starts off with an awesome Thursday Night Football matchup between the Chargers and Chiefs. Those are two teams that should be good regardless of what we learned in Week 1. Sunday and Monday will tell us more about some of the other clubs we still have questions about.
As always with our picks we’ll incorporate the spread, totals and moneylines. We’ll also give a survivor pick of the week.
To the picks! (Lines provided by Tipico Sportsbook).
Chargers at Chiefs
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Games like these are fun. The total is very high at 53.5 points. It’s tempting to slam the under and shy away from the sizable over/under, but rooting for points is a great time when two very good, young QBs are squaring off like this.
Pick: Over 53.5 points
Panthers at Giants
George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
It wasn’t just that New York beat the Titans in Week 1, it’s how they did it. They could’ve gotten boat raced at multiple points in that game. Instead they kept it tight and leaned heavily on running back Saquon Barkley, and new head coach Brian Daboll had the stones to go for a win with the two-point conversion late. The Giants have a chance to prove they’re moving the right direction, while Carolina did the opposite last week against the Browns.
Pick: Giants -130
Jets at Browns
Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
Joe Flacco looked extraordinarily washed against the Ravens, and now he faces a very good Cleveland defense. It’s hard to trust the Browns to cover the 6.5 points though after they struggled against Carolina last week. The total for this game is a minuscule 39.5 points, but it’s easy to see both clubs winding up in the teens.
Pick: Under 39.5
Seahawks at 49ers
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
This line is at 8.5 points which is a little scary, but the 49ers have not covered that number in a win over the Seahawks since Week 1 of the 2011 season. With George Kittle trending toward not playing, Seattle should be able to keep this close if not outright win it.
Pick: Seahawks +8.5
Bengals at Cowboys
Sam Greene-USA TODAY Sports
Don’t let the Cooper Rush thing fool you. Dallas should be able to put up a few points against Cincinnati, and the Bengals are coming off a bad divisional loss to open the year. The visitors may try and run Dallas out of their own building, it’ll just be up to the Cowboys to score a few of their own.
Pick: Over 41.5
Survivor pick of the week!
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Week 1 was a survivor pool bloodbath with the Colts tying the Texans, the 49ers losing to the Bears, the Broncos losing to the Seahawks and the Steelers beating the Bengals. This week a ton of the teams that lost the opener will go into Week 2 as heavy favorites. The Rams stick out as the team that should bounce back from a rough season opener to at least snag a win.
Pick: Rams
