Would the New Orleans Saints have won Super Bowl LIII? They probably would have done better than the Los Angeles Rams, who laid an egg at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the mighty New England Patriots. But the Saints didn’t get the opportunity, thanks in part to a missed pass interference call in their NFC Championship Game loss to LA.
After months of backlash, the league office decided to make all PI calls or non-calls reviewable this year. But the Saints still got the short end of the zebra stick Monday night in their 2019 season opener against the Houston Texans (+7 away), and while it didn’t cost them the victory, they couldn’t beat the NFL betting odds in a 30-28 final. That should give New Orleans even more motivation when they take the field for the most important matchup on the Week 2 schedule.
2019 NFL Week 2 Best Odds and Matchups
1. New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams (Sunday, 4:25 PM ET, FOX)
The Saints bandwagon has already started filling up. LA opened Tuesday morning as a 3-point chalk for their rematch, but they were already down to –2.5 on the NFL odds board by dinnertime. The total also took a dip from 54 points to 53. Rams FS Eric Weddle remains in concussion protocol as we go to press.
2. Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (Sunday, 1 PM ET, FOX)
It’s the second straight NFC North battle for the Packers, who hope to get more out of their offense than they did in their 10-3 win over the Chicago Bears. They’ll have the rest advantage as 3-point home favorites, but the total has been knocked down from 45.5 to 44.
3. New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins (Sunday, 1 PM ET, CBS)
This Dolphins face the longest odds on NFL Sunday at +19.5, up 3.5 points since the open. Aside from the rubber-necking potential, this game is our first opportunity to see WR Antonio Brown in a Patriots uniform.
4. Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders (Sunday, 4:05 PM ET, CBS)
The Raiders did quite well without Brown in Week 1, but the NFL lines still have them as 9-point home dogs against the high-octane Chiefs, with an unusually large total of 53 at the rickety Coliseum.
5. Arizona Cardinals at Baltimore Ravens (Sunday, 1 PM ET, FOX)
Arizona’s Kyler Murray and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson are two of the most intriguing young quarterbacks in the league. The Ravens are 13-point favorites after Jackson’s brilliant Week 1 performance against the Dolphins.
6. Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins (Sunday, 1 PM ET, FOX)
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott matched Jackson last week with a perfect 158.3 passer rating versus the New York Giants. Dallas have moved from –4.5 to –5.5 in early betting for their latest NFC East showdown, with the total jumping from 44 to 46.5.
7. Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday, 1 PM ET, FOX)
For years, Seattle used to be the go-to pick for shrewd people who bet on the NFL. That was a while ago now, but after adding DE Jadeveon Clowney, they might have value as 4-point road dogs against the Steelers, who got smashed by New England in Week 1.
8. Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons (Sunday, 8:20 PM ET, NBC)
This week’s episode of Sunday Night Football features two recent Super Bowl teams, but the Falcons aren’t looking too good these days; they’re 2-point home dogs on the NFL betting lines. RG Chris Lindstrom is out after suffering a Lisfranc injury during Atlanta’s season-opening loss to the Vikings.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (Thursday, 8:20 PM ET, NFL)
Neither team in this NFC South battle was able to get the W in Week 1, but Carolina had a good game against the Rams, and they’re in the driver’s seat for Thursday night’s matchup as 7-point home favorites – up an important half-point from the open.
10. Cleveland Browns at New York Jets (Monday, 8:15 PM ET, ESPN)
Putting this game on Monday Night Football would have been unthinkable until this year. Judging by their awful performance in Week 1, things could still get ugly if the Browns don’t rebound in Week 2. They’re getting the benefit of the doubt as 3-point road favorites.
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*Odds as of September 11, 2019