Cincinnati Bengals v Baltimore Ravens
Friday, September 14 10:20am at Cincinnati
NFL Week 2 action begins in Cincinnati on Friday morning with an expected close game between the Bengals and Ravens. Both sides got up in Week 1 and a 2-0 start will be huge for either side. The Bengals travelled to Indianapolis and closed out a 34-23 win. While for the Ravens, they pounded the Bills 47-3. Joe Flacco tossed 3 touchdowns and the Ravens D was on fire. Now, they will be looking for revenge in this contest. Last season, the Bengals knocked them out of the playoffs in the last game of the year and that probably still hurts Raven fans. So while they don’t have a great record at this venue (2-6 since 2010), this should be a game decided by defence. We saw in last week’s Friday game, the Eagles and Falcons both came to play defensively. With the Ravens coming off just 3 points allowed and a number of interceptions, the Bengals offence should have their work cut out for them in terms of scoring. The Bengals will be playing in their home opener and that should see them fired up to slow down the Ravens offence. They’ve conceded under 20 points in 3 of their last 4 home games. They also went down to the Ravens 20-0 in the last meeting here, which obviously went unders.
Stadium Record
Cinci went 4-4 at home last season. Baltimore dominated them 20-0 in the last game at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Bengals upset the Ravens 31-27 in the last meeting. Since 2013, they’re 7-2 against them.
Best Bet
Jacksonville Jaguars v New England Patriots
Monday, September 17 6:25am at Jacksonville
Of the later Monday games, the Patriots clash in Jacksonville is definitely one to watch. The two sides met in the playoffs last season and in an epic encounter, the Patriots won 24-20 on their way to another Super Bowl. On the other side, the Jaguars pretty much threw away the win as they led 20-10 in the fourth quarter. So they’ll look to bounce back with home field advantage this time. They opened the season with a 20-15 win over the Giants in New York. Much like last season, their defence was impressive in the victory. New England opened the season at home and recorded a fairly comfortable 27-20 win over the Texans. The Tom Brady and Gronkowski combination was the key and their defence played well in the first half. So I think this should be another close but low scoring affair between these two sides. The Patriots offence is still missing Edelman and they’ll likely struggle to move the ball on the Jags. While for the home side, they’ll be missing key running back Leonard Fournette. Which should see the unders get up as both offences won’t be at their 100% best. Jacksonville have allowed just 10 total points in their last 2 home games and the last meeting at this venue went to the Patriots in a lowish scoring game 23-16.
Stadium Record
The Jaguars have won 6 in a row at home dating back to last season. New England haven’t played here since 2012 and won on that occasion by a touchdown.
Head to Head Record
The Patriots are 3-0 against the Jaguars since 2010 and won against them in the playoffs last season.
Best Bet
Dallas Cowboys v New York Giants
Monday, September 17 10:20am at Arlington
Monday morning’s action concludes in Dallas with the Cowboys hosting the Giants in a NFC East battle. Last season, the Cowboys had the wood over the Giants with two big wins. But looking at Dallas in week 1, they may struggle this time. They managed just 8 points in a 16-8 loss and were almost shutout by the Panthers D on the road. But the positive is they did keep the Panthers offence under 20 points. They will now face the Giants who struggle to score points. They lost 20-15 against the Jaguars in their home opener. Last year, they totalled just 13 total points in two losses against Dallas and lost 19-3 in the last game at this venue. But in any divisional matchup early in the season, it’s a tough call in the head to head. So again, I’m liking the unders trend between these two sides. Overall in the last 4 meetings, the total hasn’t gone over 40 points. Last week, the Cowboys and Giants combined for a total of 23 points. So with both sides desperate to get their first win on the board, this game will likely see either defence dominating. Also, the under went 5-3 in Dallas last season.
Stadium Record
New York has a 1-1 record here since 2016. At home, they Cowboys have lost 3 of their last 4.
Head to Head Record
The Cowboys went 2-0 against the Giants last season and hold a 9-7 advantage since 2010.
Best Bet
Chicago Bears v Seattle Seahawks
Tuesday, September 18 10:15am at Chicago
Week 2 ends in Chicago as the Bears prepare to face the Seahawks. Chicago would be disappointed after letting a huge lead slip in Green Bay last week. But they showed good signs and that should continue against Seattle. The Seahawks will be on the road once again after a tough 3 point loss in Denver. They do enjoy playing the Bears with a 4-1 record since 2010. So I can see a close margin in this contest. The Seahawks D picked off Keenum 3 times last week and should give Trubisky trouble as well. Russel Wilson found a new target in Will Dissly last week and he tossed 3 touchdowns despite another poor display in the running game. I do think the Seahawks offensive line is going to have nightmares blocking Kahil Mack, who recorded a sack in his first game for the Bears. Especially after Wilson was sacked 6 times last week. But in the end, I think this will be a tight game to call and with both sides coming off tight margins, this should see the Seahawks get within 4.5 points.
Stadium Record
Chicago went 3-5 at home last season. Seattle last played here in 2012 and won by 6 points on that occasion.
Head to Head Record
The two sides last met in 2015 and the Seahawks D dominated in a 26-0 shutout. Overall, they’ve won the last 3 meetings.
Best Bet
Other NFL Week 2 Tips:
| Game | Date / Time (AEST) | Venue | Best Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills | Monday, September 17 3:00am | Buffalo | Chargers -7.5 $2.04 |
| Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons | Monday, September 17 3:00am | Atlanta | OVER 44.5 points $1.91 |
| Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers | Monday, September 17 3:00am | Green Bay | Vikings WIN (TBA) |
| Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans | Monday, September 17 3:00am | Nashville | Texans WIN (TBA) |
| Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints | Monday, September 17 3:00am | New Orleans | OVER 46.5 points $1.62 |
| Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers | Monday, September 17 3:00am | Pittsburgh | Chiefs +5 $1.91 |
| Miami Dolphins at New York Jets | Monday, September 17 3:00am | East Rutherford | Jets WIN $1.66 |
| Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Monday, September 17 3:00am | Tampa | UNDER 44.5 points $1.85 |
| Indianapolis Colts at Washington Redskins | Monday, September 17 3:00am | Washington | Redskins -3.5 $1.73 |
| Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams | Monday, September 17 6:05am | Los Angeles | Rams -10 $1.82 |
| Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers | Monday, September 17 6:05am | Santa Clara | UNDER 50.5 points $1.70 |
| Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos | Monday, September 17 6:25am | Denver | UNDER 46.5 points $1.85 |
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