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Nothing to like about either of these teams, with Houston getting whitewashed by the Jaguars and the Bengals getting skunked by the Ravens. Houston is dealing with a load of players in the concussion protocol and likely starting a rookie quarterback in Deshaun Watson. J.J. Watt is going to figure out a way to keep them close in this one though.
The pick: Texans +4
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The rest of the NFL could be forgiven if it was terrified of the Ravens defensive line. Baltimore ate Cincinnati's lunch in Week 1 (hopefully it wasn't Skyline Chili). But the Browns have a strong-enough offensive line to counter that attack. Rookie DeShone Kizer just has to protect the ball in this one to keep things close in another tough division matchup out of the gate to start his career.
The pick: Browns +7.5
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Finally, the matchup we've been waiting on for months and months: the Mike Glennon Revenge Game. Glennon sat behind Jameis Winston in Tampa Bay for several years and now is trying to keep Mitchell Trubisky at bay in Chicago. He played pretty well against a tough Atalnta defense and the bet here is that he, Tarik Cohen, Jordan Howard and a frisky Bears defense can keep things close enough to cover.
The pick: Bears +6.5
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Would not be surprised at all for this line to end up coming down based on how the Vikings played on Monday night against the Saints. On the other hand, the Saints defense is a giant block of Swiss cheese, and the Steelers might be stout. Still, Minnesota has the skill position guys to keep this game close and Sam Bradford produces at a high level for the second straight week.
The pick: Vikings +7
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There is nothing scarier than an angry Tom Brady and Tom Brady is ANGRY right now after getting beat up in front of the whole world by the Kansas City Chiefs during the opening game of the season. The Saints played on Monday and looked very vulnerable on defense (again) and Brady will take advantage in a game that could very well be a shootout.
The pick: Patriots -6.5
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Taking advantage of a market correction that I think will come after Week 2, when the Chiefs look a little more mortal. Andy Reid is going against his protege in Doug Pederson, and that's a big advantage for the Chiefs. But the Eagles' big advantage comes in actually having a pass rush. Alex Smith will see the same pressure that Kirk Cousins saw from Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox. With Eric Berry out, Carson Wentz can push the ball downfield.
The pick: Eagles +4.5
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After Week 1, you would think that I might learn better from checking out the road chalk. The Jaguars looked great in Houston, too, and might very well be a terrifying defensive unit. But the Titans are actually underrated coming off a loss to Oakland: they didn't look BAD. In fact, Marcus Mariota looked largely accurate and Corey Davis might be a breakout player in a few weeks. This defense can turn the Jaguars over.
The pick: Titans -1.5
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This is a stupid line for a team that just lost David Johnson but did you see the Colts against the Rams on Sunday? They could very well be the worst team in the NFL. No one would be willing to take them at anything less than a touchdown, even at home, because either Scott Tolzien or Jacoby Brissett will be prominently involved. If the Cardinals don't roll here they need to shut it down.
The pick: Cardinals -7.5
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Another big line but still another situation where a market correction is available. The Panthers smothered the 49ers but really did not play that well on offense. This is an elite defense that can bottle up LeSean McCoy and put pressure on Tyrod Taylor. Cam Newton started to find his rhythm late and the Panthers clearly will utilize Christian McCaffrey in multiple formations. He finds the end zone this week on a big play and the Panthers roll.
The pick: Panthers -7.5
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The Chargers actually looked quite good once they decided to take the reigns off the offense and let Philip Rivers throw downfield against the Broncos. That could bode well for them in this game against a much less talented secondary. But the Dolphins have had multiple weeks to prepare after a Week 1 bye and will give them a challenge that comes down to a field goal late.
The pick: Dolphins +4
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This is an impossibly huge spread to actually take a favorite in, especially when the public is going to be loving the Raiders after they mauled the Titans and the Jets couldn't even cover against the Bills. But this feels a lot like the Browns last year and it's just too tough to back the Jets in a situation where Marshawn Lynch will be motivated to run in the first game in front of his hometown fans.
The pick: Raiders -14
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On second watch of the Panthers-49ers game, the San Francisco offense actually looked a little bit more intriguing than I thought. But it is not going to hold up against an elite defense, and the Seahawks might have the best defense in football. They will be angry after losing to the Packers and they will be playing at home. The only concern is the 49ers defensive line getting after Russell Wilson. It's just hard to imagine San Francisco scoring.
The pick: Seahawks -13
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What a game the Rams had during Week 1, with the defense scoring twice and Jared Goff going off for a big game. The Redskins, by default, will present a bigger challenge than the Colts. Just about every team will. But the Rams are ready to step up and Sean McVay will put Goff in a position to produce enough points for this team to hold for a narrow victory. Aaron Donald's return is a big plus too obviously.
The pick: Rams -2.5
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This is a surprising number considering how good the Broncos looked early on against the Chargers on Monday night. It's a short week for Denver, but between C.J. Anderson and Demaryius Thomas playing well they can move the ball around sufficiently to keep up with the Cowboys. The defense can keep them from scoring a ton as well. A surprising Denver team gets out to a 2-0 start.
The pick: Broncos +2
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The defending NFC champions were able to squeak out a win against the Bears, which explains why they're favored (along with an impressive defense), but the test this week is a little bit tougher. Aaron Rodgers looked like he might be locked in early on and any opportunity to take Rodgers as a dog is a welcome one, even against a difficult team like Atlanta.
The pick: Packers +2.5
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This line feels like a major overreaction to Week 1, which saw the Giants fail to produce anything on offense and the Lions manage to snuff out the Cardinals in the second half. I don't expect the Giants to blow out Detroit, and it seems Matthew Stafford is always keeping things close late, but taking the Lions and the points is just a little too obvious based on Week 1's outcome. Plus, if Odell Beckham returns for this game, it's an entirely different set of circumstances.
The pick: Giants -5
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