NFL Week 2 lookahead lines, picks: Proven NFL expert shares next week's best value plays before Week 1 kicks off

In life and NFL betting, many of us stick with the here and now. We think short-term as our rangefinder extends only to the next Monday Night Football matchup. The focus is on the immediate schedule, with the future out of sight and mind.

The rest of us cannot resist peeking ahead to the following week. Most wagering services post lines 10 to 12 days in advance of the games - known as lookaheads - and are taken down until the previous Sunday's afternoon games conclude.

Why pay heed to lookaheads?

The forward-thinking occasionally can find value in hazarding a few bucks on a game involving teams before they have played their next outing. Lines are known to move a point or fractionally more on average between when the window for lookahead wagering opens to the week of the games. If you find that a particular matchup is appealing and sense that the spread might shift in the wrong direction, a lookahead bet might be the way to go.

Let's say you plan to play the Chiefs in the following week and are concerned that a blowout win in their upcoming game could move the line to your disadvantage. You might choose to act now and grab the appealing lookahead number.

Of course, there are risks, primarily with injuries that impact your preferred team. You cannot seek a refund if Patrick Mahomes goes down. Plus, in the midst of a pandemic, players can appear on the COVID-19 list out of the blue.

Still, the lookahead option can pay dividends. In one recent season, nearly one in every five games experienced a change of at least 2.5 points during the days prior to the actual week.

Week 2 lookahead lines

Giants at Washington (-3.5), O/U 43
Saints at Panthers (PK), O/U 47.5
Texans at Browns (-13), O/U 45.5
Bengals at Bears (-3.5), O/U 45.5
Raiders at Steelers (-5.5), O/U 49
Bills (-3) at Dolphins, O/U 48.5
Rams (-3) at Colts, O/U 46.5
49ers (-4) at Eagles, O/U 46.5
Broncos (-3) at Jaguars, O/U 43.5
Patriots (-3.5) at Jets, O/U 44
Vikings at Cardinals (-3), O/U 49.5
Falcons at Buccaneers (-10.5), O/U 52
Titans at Seahawks (-3.5), O/U 49.5
Cowboys at Chargers (-3), O/U 50
Chiefs (-2.5) at Ravens, O/U 53.5
Lions at Packers (-10.5), O/U 48.5

Week 2 lookahead best bets

Join me each week as I share a few lookahead games to consider. And if you register a bet up to a dozen days out, take the advice from the classic rock hit: Don't look back.

Which Week 2 sides make for great plays before Week 1 kicks off? And which big underdog is being severely mispriced by the market? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Week 2 lookahead picks from the expert who returned more than $2,500 on his NFL picks from 2016-20 and hit 56 percent of his ATS picks last year!