Week 2 of the NFL brings a stacked slate after an exciting opening weekend, with several high-profile betting matchups on the board, including Lions vs. Bills, Vikings vs. Bears, Steelers vs. Patriots, and Cowboys vs. Commanders. Both the Vikings and Bears enter their NFC North showdown at 1-0 after big offensive outings: Chicago erupted for 59 points last week (one of the highest single-game totals in franchise history), while Minnesota rallied in the second half to beat Green Bay 39-22. Odds vary by sportsbook, but some books list the Bears as roughly 5.5-point favorites at home. New users can also find a range of sign-up bonuses — for example, DraftKings is offering $200 in bonus bets after a first $5 wager for new customers.
Across the Week 2 card there are nearly $5,000 in welcome offers available through top apps. A few highlighted promos: FanDuel is advertising $350 in bonus bets for new users; BetMGM’s CBSSPORTS code advertises up to $1,500 in bonus bets; Fanatics (use code CBSFAN26) is offering up to $1,000 in FanCash; Caesars (code CBSDYW) has a promotion that can double winnings on 10 bets; bet365 (code CBSBET365) advertises $365 in bonus bets after a $10 stake; and Hard Rock Bet is offering $100 in bonus bets for new sign-ups.
Brief look at each game and the latest betting context:
Thursday, Sept. 17
– Lions at Bills, 8:15 p.m. ET: Both teams opened with close, high-scoring wins — Detroit beat New Orleans 31-30 in overtime and Buffalo won 36-31 in Houston. Many books have Buffalo favored by about 5.5, with totals around the mid-50s.
Sunday, Sept. 20 (early slate)
– Steelers at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET: New England lost its Super Bowl rematch in Week 1, while Pittsburgh opened with a 20-13 victory. The Pats have recently done well as home favorites against the spread; the line here sits near a 5.5-point Patriots edge and the total is down in the low 40s.
– Bengals at Texans, 1 p.m. ET: Houston has dominated recent meetings with Cincinnati, and the Texans will try to bounce back after a 36-31 loss to Buffalo. The Bengals are around three-point underdogs on the road; totals sit in the mid-40s.
– Packers at Jets, 1 p.m. ET: Green Bay surrendered a halftime lead to Minnesota last week, while the Jets leaned on defense in their opener. The Packers are listed as roughly 3.5-point favorites, with totals in the mid-40s.
– Saints at Ravens, 1 p.m. ET: Two productive offenses meet — Baltimore put up more than 500 yards last week and New Orleans generated nearly 470 yards in its loss. The Ravens opened as a sizable favorite, around 8.5 points.
– Eagles at Titans, 1 p.m. ET: Philly’s balanced attack showed up in Week 1, while Tennessee struggled to 10 points and under 200 yards. The Eagles are a seven-point road favorite and this game has the lowest total on the board (around 39.5).
– Vikings at Bears, 1 p.m. ET: Chicago’s offense looked historic in Week 1 (Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards, and D’Andre Swift rushed for 124 and three TDs), while Minnesota’s comeback was powered by its passing game late. The Bears are favored by about 5.5 at home.
– Browns at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET: Both clubs are seeking their first wins after Tampa Bay fell 33-27 to Cincinnati and Cleveland was routed 34-10 by Jacksonville. Tampa is listed as an 8.5-point favorite with a total near 40.5.
– Panthers at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET: Carolina struggled defensively in Week 1, surrendering 59 points and over 550 yards to Chicago. Atlanta is a slight home underdog (about 1.5), and historically the Falcons have covered as underdogs in recent games.
– Raiders at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET: Las Vegas won convincingly in its opener under new starter Kirk Cousins, while the Chargers were upset by Arizona despite heavy favoritism. Los Angeles is favored by about seven points, continuing a recent run of Chargers dominance in this series.
– Jaguars at Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET: Two playoff teams from last season meet in Denver, where the Broncos are favored by roughly 2.5 and totals are in the mid-40s. The road team has covered in recent matchups between these clubs.
– Commanders at Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. ET: An NFC East rivalry with both clubs looking for a bounce-back win after Week 1 losses. Dallas has tended to win the recent head-to-heads and is about a 3.5-point favorite in this meeting.
– Dolphins at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET: San Francisco returns home after an upset win in Australia and is the biggest favorite of the week (around 13.5). The 49ers have been strong against the spread as favorites and previous meetings have tended to go over.
– Seahawks at Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET: Seattle visits Arizona and is a modest road favorite despite missing its Week 1 starter due to a soft-tissue injury. Totals here are in the low 40s.
Sunday Night
– Colts at Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. ET: Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City host Indianapolis, which has been competitive against KC historically and has covered as a road underdog of late. The Colts are about a 6.5-point underdog and totals are near the upper 40s.
Monday, Sept. 21
– Giants at Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET: The Rams return to the U.S. after their Australia loss and will be missing a key defensive player who has been placed on injured reserve. The Rams are listed as a seven-point home favorite, with the total close to 48.5.
If you want to take advantage of sign-up offers, the article provides step-by-step guidance for registering with the major sportsbooks and comparing which app’s promo is the best fit for your wagering style.
Fan take: Week 2 matters because early results and injury news can quickly reshape perceptions of teams and influence betting markets — which makes this slate a key moment for bettors and fans to reassess. How favorites perform and which unexpected contenders emerge over these matchups could set the tone for divisional races and betting trends for weeks to come.
Source: www.cbssports.com
