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Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups and makes his predictions for Week 2 of the NFL season.
All lines and over/under numbers are according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Last week, Farmer posted a 7-9 (.438) record.
Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, his record against the spread in Week 1 would have been 3-13 (.231).
All times are Pacific and TV reflects broadcasts in the Los Angeles area.
2
Lions (1-0) at Bills (1-0)
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Tonight, 5:15 p.m. TV: Amazon Prime.
Line: Bills by 4½. O/U: 54½.
Buffalo’s home opener comes off a hard-fought win over Houston, and Josh Allen is playing well. Detroit is dealing with some injuries along the offensive line. Bills do enough to limit the damage Jahmyr Gibbs can do.
Pick: Bills 28, Lions 24
3
Eagles (1-0) at Titans (0-1)
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Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.
Line: Eagles by 7. O/U: 39½.
Philadelphia looked a little rusty at times last week, though the offensive line looked good and the Eagles came away with a win. Tennessee is among the three worst teams in the league, so this won’t be especially close.
Pick: Eagles 34, Titans 20
4
Panthers (0-1) at Falcons (0-1)
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Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.
Line: Panthers by 2½. O/U: 43½.
Carolina gave up 59 points last week but at least the Panthers scored 37. Cooper Rush isn’t a bad placeholder at quarterback for the Falcons until Michael Penix Jr. is ready to take over. Divisional games tend to be close, but the Panthers have more firepower.
Pick: Panthers 24, Falcons 21
5
Steelers (1-0) at Patriots (0-1)
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Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.
Line: Patriots by 4½. O/U: 41½.
Pittsburgh won here last year, but the Patriots coughed up a bunch of fumbles. This time, New England’s defense should do a better job of stifling Aaron Rodgers. Receivers need to step it up for the Patriots.
Pick: Patriots 24, Steelers 18
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Vikings (1-0) at Bears (1-0)
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Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: Fox.
Line: Bears by 4½. O/U: 48½.
So much for Chicago taking a step back. The Bears looked tremendous in scoring 59 against the Panthers. Minnesota’s quarterback situation is a mess, and it’s hard to rely on Carson Wentz. The Bears keep rolling.
Pick: Bears 27, Vikings 20
7
Browns (0-1) at Buccaneers (0-1)
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Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.
Line: Buccaneers by 8½. O/U: 41½.
No great quarterback options for the Browns, and Tampa Bay’s defense should bounce back after giving up 33 to Ohio’s other team. Baker Mayfield will protect the ball better than he did in the opener.
Pick: Buccaneers 31, Browns 17
8
Packers (0-1) at Jets (1-0)
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Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.
Line: Packers by 3½. O/U: 44½.
Beware of the Jets here. Their offensive line is really solid and they ran the ball well in Week 1. Granted, it was against the Titans, so… Jordan Love is a lot better than Cam Ward, and the Jets’ secondary is depleted.
Pick: Packers 24, Jets 21
9
Saints (0-1) at Ravens (1-0)
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Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.
Line: Ravens by 8½. O/U: 46½.
Baltimore’s roster is mostly intact from last season and is playing with renewed energy after 41 points in Indianapolis. New Orleans moves the ball behind Tyler Shough, but turnovers and a leaky defense can only take you so far.
Pick: Ravens 27, Saints 21
10
Bengals (1-0) at Texans (0-1)
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Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.
Line: Texans by 2½. O/U: 45½.
It’s hard to imagine Houston and that top-tier defense starting 0-2. Joe Burrow is an excellent passer, and Cincinnati’s defense looks improved. Still, Houston is at home and just hung in close with the mighty Bills.
Pick: Texans 28, Bengals 23
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Raiders (1-0) at Chargers (0-1)
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Sunday, 1:05 p.m. TV: CBS.
Line: Chargers by 6½. O/U: 43½.
The Chargers didn’t do anything particularly well last week, and the Raiders beat Miami by two touchdowns. Division game, so this figures to be close. The Chargers were so bad, it feels like a strong bounce back is coming.
Pick: Chargers 27, Raiders 23
12
Jaguars (1-0) at Broncos (0-1)
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Sunday, 1:05 p.m. TV: NFL Ticket.
Line: Broncos by 2½. O/U: 45½.
Little tough to gauge Jacksonville’s 34-10 win last week because the Jaguars were playing the Browns. But the Jaguars are looking solid. Denver is a better team than it looked in that lopsided loss to Kansas City.
Pick: Broncos 24, Jaguars 21
13
Seahawks (1-0) at Cardinals (1-0)
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Sunday, 1:25 p.m. TV: NFL Ticket.
Line: Seahawks by 4½. O/U: 41½.
This is a scary one for the defending Super Bowl champs because they don’t have their starting quarterback, and the Cardinals are legit. Arizona looked solid in the opener and often gives Seattle problems.
Pick: Seahawks 24, Cardinals 20
14
Miami (0-1) at 49ers (1-0)
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Sunday, 1:25 p.m. TV: Fox.
Line: 49ers by 13½. O/U: 45½.
San Francisco looks phenomenal early. Key leaders such as George Kittle, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa are healthy and motivated after the team had so many walking wounded last year. The Dolphins aren’t at that level.
Pick: 49ers 38, Dolphins 13
15
Commanders (0-1) at Cowboys (0-1)
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Sunday, 1:25 p.m. TV: NFL Ticket.
Line: Cowboys by 3½. O/U: 50½.
The NFC East looks like it’s going to be especially knotted this season. These two teams are pretty evenly matched, but give the Cowboys with their receivers a slight edge in their home opener.
Pick: Cowboys 27, Commanders 23
16
Colts (0-1) at Chiefs (1-0)
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Sunday, 5:20 p.m. TV: NBC.
Line: Chiefs by 6½. O/U: 46½.
Kansas City’s ground game was dangerous in Week 1, taking pressure off Patrick Mahomes, who is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The Colts should be better than they looked after running into a Baltimore buzzsaw.
Pick: Chiefs 27, Colts 21
17
Giants (1-0) at Rams (0-1)
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Monday, 5:15 p.m. TV: ABC.
Line: Rams by 7½. O/U: 47½.
The Rams figure to be locked-in and fuming after an embarrassing opener in Australia. No Myles Garrett, but Aaron Donald should make his return to an already-stacked line. Giants are a tough opponent, though.
Pick: Rams 27, Giants 24
The post NFL Week 2 picks: Bills defeat Lions; Rams outlast Giants appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
