Fairway’s Football Forecast – NFL 2024 Week 2 Underdog Picks And Preview
We kicked off the NFL 2024 football season with a 3-0 Sunday sweep on our Week 1 NFL underdog picks before dropping Monday night’s game on the Jets in a poor performance after 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey was rule out. Favorites did well going 13-3 SU and 9-6-1 ATS. Week 2 is an adjustment period, and this season I have many underdogs of interest. I post initial NFL 2024 Week 2 underdog picks, opinions and considerations at Off Shore Gaming Association, and finalize the Week 2 underdog picks Friday and over the weekend. I’ll bet adding more here and analysis as available.
Now in my 8th year posting NFL underdog picks at OSGA and Vegas Sports Zone, our picks have hit at greater than 57% ATS while also providing additioanal information you can bet on to assist you to learn as you earn.
Last season was a small winnning one that included a strong 11-1 ATS finish in December which was part of a 7-0 ATS result in Week 14 with seven outright winners. The 7-year record posting only NFL underdog picks started the 2024 season at 190-144 (57% ATS) and includes the record-breaking 70% season (28-12 ATS) of 2021.
Stategies and Sports Betting Stories
My labor of love continues for an eighth straight NFL season providing Fairway’s Football Forecast with no tout talk or selling plays through companies which I have turned down numerous times since producing top of the leaderboard results over a decade ago with 8 straight winning NFL seasons. I provided picks and analysis on a popular daily sports betting radio show out of Las Vegas before U.S. legalization in 2018 forever changed the sports betting landscape, which is now legal in 38 states plus D.C.
Check out more NFL 2024 Week 2 odds and coverage in my updates at Forbes. Included are betting systems and technical trends to use along with matchup analysis as you shoot for more birdies and green on the pro football gridiron.
NFL games averaged 43.6 points per game last season—the lowest-scoring season since 2017. The new kickoff rules are expected to give teams slightly better field position and result in increased scoring of at least 1.5 points per game. It showed in Week 1 of the 2024 season as the 16 games that average 45.8 points per game and O/U went 9-7 – nearly 5 PPG more than last season’s opening week. Week 1
NFL 2024 Week 2 Matchups and Odds
Pro football odds from leading online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting.
NFL 2024 Week 2 NFL matchups featuring 0-1 teams vs. 0-1 teams include:
- Las Vegas at Baltimore (-8.5)
- Indianapolis (-3) at Green Bay
- Cleveland at Jacksonville (-3)
- NY Jets (-3.5) at Tennessee
- NY Giants at Washington (-1.5)
- LA Rams at Arizona (-1.5)
Week 2 NFL matchups, 0-1 vs. 1-0 teams:
- LA Chargers (-4.5) at Carolina
- Cincinnati at Kansas City (-5.5)
- Pittsburgh (-2.5) at Denver
- Atlanta at Philadelphia (-6.5)—Monday Night
Week 2 NFL matchups featuring 1-0 vs. 1-0 teams:
- New Orleans at Dallas (-6.5)
- Tampa Bay at Detroit (-7.5)
- San Francisco (-5.5) at Minnesota
- Seattle (-3.5) at New England
- Chicago at Houston (-6.5)—Sunday Night
Fairway’s Forecast – NFL 2024 Week 2 Underdog Picks
Tampa Bay (+7.5) at Detroit – Buccaneers Moneyline +290
Minnesota (+6) vs. San Francisco – Vikings Moneyline +210
Arizona (-1) vs. LA Rams – Cardinals Moneyline -120
Cincinnati (+5.5 / 6) at Kansas City – Bengals Moneyline +195
Denver (+2.5 / +3, -120) vs. Pittsburgh – Broncos Moneyline +120
Chicago (+6) at Houston – Bears Moneyline +230
Update: Early Sunday underdogs went 6-4 SU and 7-3 ATS with six outright winners. Our early Week 2 Opinions and Considerations at OSGA also included winners on the Raiders, Saints and Browns all as outright winners plus the Patriots ATS.
More game analysis, stats, ATS info added to Fairways Forecast and 5 #NFLWeek2 underdog picks @OffShoreGaming . Potential for more off a 3-1 ATS Week 1 and 57% ATS past 7 years all posted #OSGA. https://t.co/X4rauNuHtu
— Fairway Jay (@FairwayJay) September 14, 2024
A few times during the past seasons we’ll include home favorites of less than 2 points who are priced like an underdog. That applies this week and we like the Arizona Cardinals still at -1 after they flipped from home underdog. The Rams are on a shorter week of the Sunday night loss to the Lions and travel again with injuries mounting for a division game. Trend players will prefer the Rams, as LA 13-2 SU/ATS since 2017 with those 13 wins over the Cardinals coming by an avgerage of 18 points per game and all 13 wins are by at least 7 points. We look at this current matchups, injuries and projections.
Update and analysis: Fairway’s Forecast Week 2 underdog picks went 4-1-1 ATS with three outright winners and Arizona closed PK. See our other Opinions and early Week 2 considerations that went 4-1 ATS. For the week, Underdogs went 8-8 SU, 10-5-1 ATS (Bears were +6.5 and moved to +6 in 6-point loss). Over/Unders 5-11 with just 39.6 points scored for week. Prime Time games 0-3 O/U. Home teams 6-10 SU and 5-10-1 ATS.
Tampa Bay was most impressive in a 37-20 win over weakling Washington last week with a balanced offensive attack producing nearly 400 yards offense (6.4 YPPL). Baker Mayfield posted the best QBR (146) of the week while completing 24-of-30 passes for 289 yards and 4 TD’s. Everyone saw the Lions (-4.5) escape with a 26-20 Sunday night win and miraculous ATS cover for their lucky betting backers on OT touchdown after tying the game late in regulation. Much to like about the Lions, but you’re still paying a pretty hefty tax on a high-priced stock that is Detroit. The Buccaneers are the low-priced ‘buy’ stock that is floating under the radar. I’m also aware that Bucs QB Baker Mayfield is 2-12 SU and 1-13 ATS in his NFL career against .800 or greater opponents. Now you are too.
The Vikings were also impressive in their 28-6 win over another putrid NFC East outfit in the No Good G-Men. That win was on the road, and now the purple pride returns home fitting some positive ATS profiles as home ‘Dog against the NFC’s best 49er’s, who will play their second-straight game without All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey (IR). San Francisco will also travel on a short week off their dominating 32-19 win over the NY Jets Monday night when they rushed for 180 yards with 147 from little-known Jordan Mason. The 49ers are a ‘Purdy’ tough team, but this inflated line would also suggest San Fran would be a double-digit home favorite over the Vikings and the Niners previous backup QB Sam Darnold, who was solid is his Vikings debut. Wouldn’t you take the Vikings on the road? Surely the sharps do at home supporting Purple Pride.
The Bengals were a Week 1 victim of Any Given Sunday in the NFL with the Patriots pulling the 16-10 upset while also knocking out nearly 5,000 entries (34%) who took Cincinnati in the Circa Survivor $14 million pro football contest in Las Vegas. The Bengals are clearly not that bad, but the Chiefs remain fortunate again with a Week 1 win over the Ravens 27-20 despite getting outrushed 180-72. See the technical parameters above and know the Bengals fit the 65-44 and 32-16 ATS profiles plus a 54-33 ATS angle against a team coming off a win. Week 2 is about contrary thinking, and that propelled us to a perfect 10-0 result in Week 2 of the 2009 season. We count on the cash with Cincinnati knowing too that the Bengals under QB Joe Burrow are 17-6 ATS off a loss, 21-11 ATS away, 16-9 ATS as ‘Dog, and 26-12 ATS in non-division games.
The Cardinals had a solid shot to win last week at Buffalo, but bettors settled for the cash ATS in a 34-28 loss. Cardinals announcer says this year’s team is as well coached as any for Arizona in more than a decade. The Rams are riddled with injuries, and the offensive line leads the way with injuries. Also out is WR Puca Nacua. The Cardinals opened as an underdog, and we added them -1 still priced like a ‘Dog. The Rams have won 9-straight times at Arizona. That ends this Sunday, turnovers withstanding, right QB Kyler Murray?
Check back as we dig into the matchups further and post more final decisions ahead of Sunday kickoffs. Other Week 2 NFL underdogs of consideration are posted on OSGA, along with game analysis, stats, ATS and additional information you can bet on.
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