Media by Associated Press – New York Jets quarterback Joe Flacco during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
The opening of any sports season always leads to overreaction, nowhere more than in the NFL. The quick rush to judgment can have an impact on lines as well. With Week 2 about to start, let’s take a look at the top five teams to bet against in NFL action this weekend.
New York Jets
No matter how you look at it, the Jets were horrible against Baltimore last weekend, and they didn’t inspire much hope for a quick turnaround. They ran for just 63 yards, scored 0.8 points per possession, punted six times, missed a field goal, and turned it over three times.
Quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 309 yards, but that was with 59 attempts, not exactly a prescription for success. Now they have to go on the road and face a Cleveland team that rank for 217 yards in the opener. Fade the Jets as they prepare to start 0-2.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay and Tom Brady are -2.5 in their second road game of the season. They head to New Orleans, who rallied to win in the opener. The reason to fade the Buccaneers is simple: They are 0-4 against the Saints the last two regular seasons.
For whatever reason, the Saints have been able to get to Brady and beat Tampa Bay. Last year they held the Bucs to 27 points in two games, and in 2020, they gave up just 26 points in the two regular-season games.
Brady has thrown for less than 225 yards in four of his last five games against the Saints, and he won’t have Chris Godwin on Sunday.
Dallas Cowboys
Even with Dak Prescott, the Cowboys looked awful against Tampa Bay on Sunday night. Factor in Cooper Rush at quarterback and a Cincinnati Bengals team coming off a loss, and Dallas is in trouble. The Bengals lost in overtime in the opener, but they aren’t likely to turn the ball over five times again this week.
Tampa Bay’s offense moved the ball against Dallas with nearly 350 yards, but they settled for four field goals. Cincinnati put 450 yards on the board against the Steelers but finished with only 17 points thanks to the turnovers from Joe Burrow. The Bengals held Pittsburgh to 265 yards and shouldn’t have much of a problem with the Cowboys’ passing game.
Tennessee Titans
This is just as much of a love Buffalo pick as it is a hate Tennessee pick. The Titans allowed 238 yards rushing to the NY Giants in the opener and surprisingly ran for just 93 yards themselves. If they can’t control the clock against the Bills on the road, they have no chance Monday night.
The Bills’ defense held the mighty LA Rams to 243 yards in the opener, 52 on the ground, and 10 points. Meanwhile, Josh Allen looked every bit the MVP favorite as Buffalo piled up 413 yards of offense and scored 31 points. They will be a mismatch for most teams, and the Titans are no exception.
Houston Texans
Houston celebrated a Week 1 tie like they won the division. They aren’t likely to find the same success in Week 2 as they travel to Denver. The Broncos had shaky clock management at the end of Monday’s game, but without turnovers, they never would have been in that position.
Denver was the first team in over 30 years to fumble on the 1-yard line twice in the same game. Both of those possessions should have resulted in at least three points if not seven, each. Without bad turnover luck, Denver is 1-0, and no one is talking about Nathaniel Hackett’s game management.
If Russ Wilson and Denver get in a groove, Houston can’t keep up. They allowed 517 yards in the opener to the Colts and had just 299 yards of offense themselves. Look for Denver to roll to a double-digit win.
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