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Would you rather? Breaking down Week 2 NFL betting lines

Once again, we are taking a look at six NFL games from this upcoming weekend's slate with similar point spreads. We discuss which sides appeal to us and why we'd lean a certain way over the other. All lines are as of Friday afternoon at BetMGM.

Would you rather lay 6.5 points with Pittsburgh or 6 points with Seattle?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 6.5-point home favorites against the Las Vegas Raiders while the Seattle Seahawks are giving 6-points to the visiting Tennessee Titans. Which of these home teams are you backing off impressive Week 1 performances?

Pete: I don't love the idea of laying 6.5 points with this version of Ben Roethlisberger, but it's gonna be the way I have to go here. There's a lot going against the Raiders this week. They played an emotional overtime game on Pacific Standard Time on Monday night and now have to travel cross-country to play on a short week. Am I running to bet Pittsburgh? Nope, but I think the Steelers are in a good spot.

ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 12: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers waves to the crowd as he walks off the field after a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers waves to the crowd as he walks off the field in Buffalo in Week 1. (Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) (Timothy T Ludwig via Getty Images)

On the other hand, I still think Tennessee is a good team despite its showing in Week 1. I'm always willing to give someone a second chance if he or she wrongs me, and NFL betting is no different. The Titans have a great group of offensive weapons and I expect them to score enough to stay within the number in Seattle.

Greg: A West Coast (time) team flying to the East Coast and an East Coast-adjacent team flying to the West Coast. Greta Thunberg can’t be happy about this one.

Well, either we saw the worst of the Titans last week, or they’re in for a long season. I gravitate toward the former. They’ve won with bad defenses before, I’m more concerned about them only using play-action on 11.6% of plays after running it so effectively at a 36.4% clip last season with Ryan Tannehill. Regardless, they have a battering ram in Derrick Henry and two elite wide receivers, so they have a real shot at covering that game.

Pittsburgh is the play for me. The Steelers have an extra day’s rest and get the Raiders coming off a thrilling overtime victory. I’m betting on the letdown/West Coast time to East Coast combo. Plus, the Raiders just lost guard Denzelle Good and have to face the Steelers D? Lock it in.

Would you rather take the 6 points with the New York Jets or the Jacksonville Jaguars?

The New York Jets are six-point underdogs in their home opener against the New England Patriots. The Jacksonville Jaguars are also giving six points at home with the Denver Broncos coming to visit. The league's two worst teams from last season are at play here. Which one do you trust to cover in their home opener?

Pete: We need to keep including Jacksonville in this. The second I start thinking about the Jags, I feel like I need a shower. It's not like the Jets are much better, but there's a particular stench about this Jaguars team.

With that being said, I'm taking those 6 points with Jacksonville. The Jags can't be as bad as they were in Week 1, can they? I might need two showers now.

Denver is the type of team I can see laying a bit of an egg. The Broncos opened their season with a win and two straight games on the road, and maybe think they're in for a laugher here. Then they get punched in the mouth and find themselves in a game. I can see that unfolding.

For the Patriots, we all know Bill Belichick's mastery going against rookie quarterbacks. New England lost its opener, meaning the Patriots absolutely need this game. There's no chance there's a lack of focus from the Patriots on Sunday. I'm just more convinced that we get a complete effort from New England than I am that we get one from Denver.

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 12: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Greg: I don’t even want to admit how much time I’ve spent contemplating this pick, just know that my soul feels dirty. Man, both of these teams are in trouble. Trevor Lawrence, who looked bad against the Texans, has to face what might be the best defense in the league. On the other hand, Zach Wilson’s offensive line gave up six sacks last week and now it's without Mekhi Becton against a strong front seven.

The only way I’m comfortable taking Jacksonville is if we're taking them as the first team to banish from "Would You Rather?" I have to roll with the Jets. New England’s secondary is vulnerable with Stephon Gilmore on the PUP. I don’t think Wilson will keep pace with the Pats, but we may see their defense go soft up a couple scores and allow a backdoor cover.

Would you rather take the 3.5 points with Carolina or Miami?

The Carolina Panthers are 3.5-point home underdogs against the New Orleans Saints. The Miami Dolphins also find themselves as 3.5-point home dogs against the Buffalo Bills. Which of these home underdogs are you taking in its divisional matchup?

Pete: I don't love that it seems like New Orleans is the public darling of the week. Usually, I'd look to fade New Orleans coming off a huge win that caught everyone's attention. The only issue is that the Saints are going up against Sam Darnold. Darnold was fine in Week 1, but he still put up less than 20 points against a Jets secondary that features Marcus Maye and a bunch of nobodies.

I'll lean toward Miami here. Week 1 was not a good one for the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen in particular. There was always regression coming with Allen, we were just wondering what the extent of that regression was going to be. That remains to be seen. Miami is a pesky team that plays hard defensively and has just enough offensive talent.

Greg: I think the Saints may be really good this year, but I also think the Panthers are better than the public expected them to be. That’s a nice young defense they have in Carolina and it’ll make the kind of mistakes you expect young defenses to make, but the Panthers are also going to make big plays and just get after you in a relentless manner. Their speed can help bottle up Jameis Winston and Alvin Kamara. Offensively, we know how loaded Sam Darnold’s arsenal is, and it certainly helps that Marcus Davenport is out and Marshon Lattimore is a game-time decision because of injuries. Panthers straight up, keep your points, buy something nice with them. Carolina sits at +155 on the moneyline.