Early NFL Best Bets & Trends for Week 2 (2026)
We had a wild Week 1 in the NFL, which included the highest-scoring weekend since 1970. Offenses showed out, but will that continue, or will defenses start to perform better in Week 2? Here’s a look at a few of my early NFL best bets for Week 2.
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Early Week 2 NFL Best Bets & Trends
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans were supposed to have one of the NFL’s best defenses. Yet, the Texans allowed 36 points to the Buffalo Bills in a high-scoring affair that resulted in a loss. But I wouldn’t overreact. The defense will be way better going forward.
On the other hand, the Bengals forced many takeaways defensively and looked much better on that side of the ball. While Cincinnati still allowed 27 points, its defense improved drastically.
Additionally, Joe Burrow barely looked for Ja’Marr Chase in Week 1, targeting him just four times the entire game. I’m sure that will improve, but that’s pretty telling. Was Chase not getting open? Was he not a big enough part of the game plan?
Anyway, in the last seven meetings between these two teams, the under has hit in five of them. I’ll stick with the under in this Week 2 matchup.
Pick: Under 47.5 Points (-120)
Cleveland Browns vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It’s going to be a long season for the Cleveland Browns. Ultimately, Deshaun Watson probably has one more game to prove himself before Cleveland heads home in Week 3. He was dreadful in Week 1 against the Jaguars, earning a Pro Football Focus (PFF) passing grade of 40.1 for the Browns.
As long as Watson remains quarterback, the Browns will struggle.
Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield didn’t have an elite day for the Buccaneers in Week 1, either. After signing an extension, Mayfield had three fumbles that resulted in turnovers. The Browns don’t even have Myles Garrett anymore. It’s unlikely they’ll force multiple turnovers, or even get in the backfield to create any havoc.
The Browns had one of the worst tackling weekends in Week 1 from a team standpoint, earning a PFF grade of 36.9.
Look for Tampa Bay to shine at home and earn a thrilling win over the Browns. Cleveland is one of the worst teams in the NFL.
Pick: Buccaneers -7.5 (-118)