The NFL regular season started last week with the fans in the stands after the pandemic. The teams have already shown their new faces entering the season and week 2 is the chance for some to continue the good start and for others to get back after losing the season opener. Week 2 has started with Washington’s 30-29 win over the New York Giants on Thursday night. The rest of the games are scheduled for Sunday and Monday and these are our top two picks. Make sure to check our bookmakers in order to get involved in all the actions.
New York Jets vs New England Patriots
Date: Sunday, September 19, 2021
Time: 7 PM (ET)
Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
The New England Patriots will continue with a two-game AFC East divisional opponent set this week when they travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Jets.
The Jets are coming back home after a disappointing 19-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers in the season opener. Despite trailing 16-0 at the half, the Jets rallied and outscored their opponents 14-3 in the second half but still failed short. The Patriots are coming in with odds set at -250 on the Moneyline while the New York Jets have odds priced at +207.
The Patriots lost a tight 17-16 game to the Miami Dolphins last Sunday, helped in part by a late-game Damien Harris fumble. If they lose to the Jets they will be 0-2 for the start with two losses to division rivals which is pretty unlikely to happen.
The No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson had a strong debut for the Patriots, going 20-of-37 for 258 yards and two touchdowns to one interception. While Wilson showed promise in his debut, his offensive line was dominated by Carolina’s middling front seven.
The long-time division rivals have met a whopping 124 times in their history, which stretches back to 1960 and the New York Titans facing the Boston Patriots, with the Pats holding a 69-54-1 edge in the series. New York has not defeated New England since 2015, dropping 10 games in that span. The spread is set at -6 for the Patriots and +6 for the Jets with odds of -104 and -106 respectively.
Another thing that goes against the Jets is the injury report. If it was not enough that the Robert Saleh’s team lost free-agent signing, defensive end Carl Lawson, for the season due to a ruptured Achilles, they have now lost their star left tackle, Mekhi Becton, for an extended period of time after he was carted off the field in the third quarter with a knee injury.
New York Jets vs New England Patriots Odds
Spread: Jets +5.5 / Patriots -5.5
Moneyline: Jets 3.00 / Patriots 1.40
Over/Under: 43
Picks: Patriots -5.5 / Patriots Moneyline/ Over
Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs
Date: Sunday, September 19, 2021
Time: 8:20 PM ET
Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
The Chiefs own a 7-3 regular season series lead against the Ravens, last winning 34-20 at M&T Bank Stadium in 2020. Dating back to 2015, the Chiefs have won four straight games against the Ravens. Baltimore Coach Harbaugh is 3-4 against Kansas City, including a victory in the postseason.
The Ravens have started 0-2 only once in the John Harbaugh era, but playing the Chiefs on a short week will be a real test for them.
Their running game doesn't have its usual flow with a new offensive line and even never running backs.
The Ravens need to have a better performance by their offensive line. They played poorly against the Raiders' front seven in last week’s overtime loss. Quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was sacked three times during the game, was able to buy a lot of time or the outcome could have been much worse for the ravens.
Right tackle Alejandro Villanueva struggled most of the night and the Ravens had to give him more support in the fourth quarter.
Tackle Tyre Phillips had to be carted from the field with a knee injury and was placed on the injury list, which is another blow for the Ravens.
The Ravens are going to need to score 20 or more points to have any chance against the Chiefs and they need to keep Jackson upright.
The Chiefs allowed 329 passing yards to Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield but still won the game 33-29 in the opening week.
If Patrick Mahomes is on his recognizable level, the Ravens will have a long night. Mahomes has tortured the Ravens defense in the past three meetings. He has the ability to make plays on the run and that has been especially problematic for Baltimore.
Baltimore might be better off playing zone for parts of the game. The Ravens are currently ranked last in the NFL for overall defense heading into Week 2 after allowing 491 yards to Las Vegas.
Raiders tight end Darren Waller finished 10 receptions for 105 yards with a touchdown. The Ravens will have an even tougher matchup with the Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce, who caught six passes for 76 yards with two touchdowns last week against the Browns.
Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs
Spread: Chiefs -3.5 / Ravens +3.5
Moneyline: Cheifs 1.5 / Ravens 2.7
Over/Under: 54.5
Picks: Cheifs -3.5 / Cheifs Moneyline/ Under
