NFL Week 2 Picks & Predictions: Underdog Bets (2026)
Everyone loves a good underdog. Not only do they make games more competitive than expected, but if they win and you bet on them, your payout is better than if you had bet on the favorite. So, what are the best underdog NFL Week 2 picks?
After careful consideration of the matchups on deck for Sunday, here are my top NFL underdog bets for Week 2.
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NFL Week 2 Picks & Predictions: Underdog Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans
The struggles Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense have had early in the season are infamous. A struggling offense against Houston's defense screams disaster.
However, the Texans’ offense wasn't spectacular against the Bills in Week 1. C.J. Stroud (and his offensive line) failed in the clutch late in the game once again.
If Nico Collins can't go (and it looks like he'll probably be out), that makes me even more concerned for this offense.
Houston's defense will pick it up this week. However, the Bengals offense has some explosive potential as long as Joe Burrow and J'Marr Chase are in the game. If they can get on track and build an early lead (10+ points), I have no faith in Stroud to lead a comeback.
Pick: Bengals Moneyline (+120)
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers
I often feel like we give Jim Harbaugh-coached teams more slack than they deserve. He brought in a solid offensive coordinator to fix the offense, but it was apparent in Week 1 that it has a lot of work to do.
I'm not sure they can do that work before Sunday. Now, I don't have a ton of faith in the Raiders' offense; it was good against a terrible Miami team in Week 1 but not great.
But if the Raiders can get Ashton Jeanty on track and keep Justin Herbert off the field, Las Vegas could keep the Chargers from working out their kinks and steal a win.
Pick: Raiders Moneyline (+245)
Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys
Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders played a solid overall game against a very good Eagles team in Week 1. Dallas looked as pedestrian as ever against the New York Giants, with a lackluster offense and an inept defense at times.
Offensively, I'm not sure either team has an edge. Dak Prescott is more experienced and has better weapons, but he didn't make much use of them last week. But Washington’s defense is playing better than the Cowboys’ defense.
I don't see Dallas fixing everything that's broken in one week. The defense will play better, but with eight new players and a new system, they'll need a couple more weeks to work out the kinks.
Pick: Commanders Moneyline (+180)