NFL Week 2 picks: Ravens cover, and more against the spread best bets from Las Vegas contest expert
We started off with a disappointing 2-3 week after getting our picks in early to take advantage of the Circa Millions line of Chiefs -2.5. Unfortunately that also meant trusting the Tee Higgins injury wasn't as bad as it turned out to be, and also that the Browns offensive line would be healthier on Sunday than it actually was. That last development is particularly frustrating as the Vikings were my other candidate for my fifth pick and probably would've been swapped in by Saturday's deadline if I hadn't already locked my picks in.
But now we move on looking for better in Week 2, which features several ugly home 'dogs, with multiple in the running to make my top five contest picks for Week 2.
If you're a SportsLine subscriber, you can get all my picks, which in a typical NFL week number can near double digits, at the same time as I make them by downloading the app and signing up for alerts on my expert page. That's crucial, as you might not have access to the same lines from the Las Vegas contests, which don't move after they're posted mid-week. This week, I'm again backing the biggest favorite on the board: the Baltimore Ravens -8Â vs. the Las Vegas Raiders.
Unlike with the Bengals, there doesn't appear to be major injury issues that will affect the Ravens on Sunday, with Kyle Van Noy and Nate Wiggins missing practice this week being the main issue. The Raiders defensive line could be downgraded with Malcolm Koonce and Tyree Wilson dealing with injuries, which figures to help a Ravens offensive line that performed better than expected in the opener. I expect Lamar Jackson and Co. to score plenty in this game, wearing the Raiders out with their rushing attack but also being able to get what they want in the passing game.
Conversely, it's clear Antonio Pierce doesn't trust his offense at all given his decision-making in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Chargers, and this is a tough matchup for them even with the offensive line looking like it'll be good to go for this game. Baltimore is capable of jumping out to a big lead early, and this Raiders offense can't be trusted to rally for a back-door cover based on Pierce's questionable Week 1 calls.
I've been SportsLine's No. 1 NFL against-the-spread expert over the last seven years, going 636-534-34 against the spread to put me up about 49 units on those picks at SportsLine since 2017. I've also delivered a 56.7% hit rate on my Vegas contest picks over the last nine seasons, which is exactly what you're getting below. And that run includes two finishes in the money, including finishing 18th out of 2,748 entries back in 2017. Â
Get the rest of my Vegas contest picks below, along with my large-format survivor pool play for Week 2.
So which teams should you back in Week 2? And which underdogs could win outright?... Join SportsLine right now to see who you should back in Week 2, all from the expert who has crushed the world's most prestigious handicapping tournament!
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