It can be tempting to rely solely on Week 1 performances when evaluating NFL matchups on the Week 2 NFL schedule, but preseason expectations are still a major factor. Cleveland is a team that many bettors are shying away from this week due to its 33-17 loss against Dallas last week, especially since Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had a poor outing. The Browns are 3.5-point underdogs against the Jaguars in the Week 2 NFL odds, a 2.5-point adjustment from the preseason lookahead line that had Jacksonville at -1. This could be an ideal spot for Watson to bounce back, as the Jaguars' defensive line had the lowest pressure rate in the NFL in Week 1.
Cleveland could also get several offensive linemen back from injury, which could give Watson a cleaner pocket. Jacksonville was a fumble away from taking a 24-7 lead over Miami last week, but it ultimately suffered a disappointing 20-17 loss and failing to come through for many NFL bets. Before you make any Week 2 NFL picks or NFL parlays, be sure to see what SportsLine senior analyst Larry Hartstein has to say.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. Hartstein tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 ATS. His weekly Vegas contest selections form the basis of his NFL best bets column, which is 81-49-2 (62.3%, +26.85 units) since its inception in 2022. He went 2-1 last week. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
For Week 2, Hartstein has locked in three confident best bets. If you successfully parlay his picks, you're looking at a payout of almost 6-1. You can only see Hartstein's Week 2 NFL picks at SportsLine.
Top Week 2 NFL picks
We can tell you Hartstein loves the Seahawks (-3.5) to cover against the Patriots. New England pulled off the biggest upset of Week 1 when it took down Cincinnati as an 8.5-point underdog, but the Bengals did their part with key drops and turnovers. The Patriots lost five straight home games to wrap up the 2023 season, and they are just 5-14 in their last 19 games.
They are playing under a first-year head coach and have many new pieces on both sides of the ball, so Seattle's coaching staff will benefit from seeing film from Week 1. Meanwhile, the Seahawks opened the season with a 26-20 win over Denver in their first game under head coach Mike Macdonald. Hartstein does not think New England will get lucky again this week, especially since the Seahawks have covered the spread in five of their last six road games against the Patriots. See which other NFL parlay picks to make here.
How to make Week 2 NFL parlays
Hartstein also jumped on two other NFL matchups, including backing one underdog who lost last week to "make adjustments" and grind out a strong Week 2 victory. You can only see Hartstein's Week 2 NFL best bets and parlay at SportsLine.
What are Hartstein's top Week 2 NFL picks, and which other NFL matchups should you target for a strong 6-1 payout? Visit SportsLine now to see the Week 2 NFL best bets from the Vegas expert who is up 26.85 units on NFL ATS picks since 2022, and find out.
