Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season runs from Thursday, September 17 through Monday, September 21, and the board is loaded. Below is our pick for every game on the slate against the spread, with two clearly marked upset calls, a Best Bets and Leans section, the storylines worth tracking, and a free printable pick sheet you can take into your pool. Spreads and totals come from our Week 2 pick’em with odds page and are current as of publish. Lines move, so double-check before you lock anything in.
Quick Facts
- Slate: 16 games, Thursday Sept 17 through Monday Sept 21.
- Highest total: Lions at Bills on Thursday night at 52.5.
- Widest spread: 49ers laying 10.5 to the Dolphins.
- Our upset picks: Bengals over Texans and Commanders over Cowboys.
- Prime time: Lions-Bills (Thu night) and Giants-Rams (Mon night) bookend the week.
- Printable pick sheet: free PDF in the pick-sheet section below.
Week 2 Predictions: Every Game
Our pick is listed against the spread. Home teams are listed second. Two games carry an upset call, meaning we like the underdog to win outright, and both are flagged in bold below.
| Matchup | Spread | Our pick |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills (Thu) | Bills -3 | Bills -3 |
| Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons | Falcons -1.5 | Falcons -1.5 |
| Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears | Bears -3.5 | Bears -3.5 |
| Philadelphia Eagles at Tennessee Titans | Eagles -4.5 | Eagles -4.5 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots | Patriots -4.5 | Patriots -4.5 |
| Green Bay Packers at New York Jets | Packers -6.5 | Packers -6.5 |
| Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Buccaneers -6.5 | Buccaneers -6.5 |
| New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens | Ravens -7.5 | Ravens -7.5 |
| Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans | Texans -2.5 | Bengals +2.5 (Upset) |
| Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos | Broncos -2.5 | Broncos -2.5 |
| Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers | Chargers -3 | Chargers -3 |
| Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys | Cowboys -4.5 | Commanders +4.5 (Upset) |
| Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals | Seahawks -10 | Cardinals +10 |
| Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers | 49ers -10.5 | 49ers -10.5 |
| Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs | Chiefs -5.5 | Chiefs -5.5 |
| New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams (Mon) | Rams -9.5 | Rams -9.5 |
Upset Watch
Bengals (+2.5) over Texans. Houston is only laying a field goal and change at home, which tells you the market sees these teams as close to even. A short home number is the classic spot to back the more explosive passing offense as the outright underdog, and we will take the points and the moneyline value with Cincinnati here.
Commanders (+4.5) over Cowboys. This is a division game with a fat 51.5 total, and division dogs of a touchdown or less have long been a live outright pool play. Washington getting 4.5 in a projected shootout is the kind of number we would rather have than lay, so this is our second and final upset call of the week.
Best Bets and Leans
These are opinions, not locks. We like a handful of spots more than others this week, listed strongest first.
- Best bet: Packers -6.5 at Jets. A road number under a touchdown for the stronger roster is a price we will pay.
- Best bet: Cardinals +10 vs Seahawks. Double-digit home dogs are hard to justify in a 44.5-total game; give us the points.
- Best bet: Bengals moneyline. Tied to our upset call above, the outright price is the value.
- Lean: Ravens -7.5 vs Saints. A touchdown-plus is a lot, but the talent gap fits the number.
- Lean: Under 52.5 in Lions-Bills. The highest total on the board invites a look at the under if early weather or pace points that way.
For entertainment only. These are our opinions on the board, not financial advice. If you choose to wager, set a budget, know the rules in your state, and please play responsibly. Help is available at 1-800-GAMBLER.
Storylines to Watch
The NFC East opens for business. Commanders at Cowboys is the marquee division tilt of the week, and with a 51.5 total it is priced as the highest-scoring Sunday game on the board. Division games early in the year set an early tone in the standings, so it is worth more than the point spread suggests.
Thursday sets a high bar. Lions at Bills carries a 52.5 total, comfortably the biggest number of Week 2. Two offenses the market trusts to score means the over/under conversation starts here, and how it plays out often colors the totals a book hangs the rest of the weekend.
Big favorites, big questions. The 49ers (-10.5), Seahawks (-10) and Rams (-9.5) headline a cluster of near-double-digit lines. Laying that many points is a tax, and our card leans to the underdogs in two of those three. Watch how the early money moves those numbers before kickoff.
Printable Week 2 Pick Sheet
Running a pool or just want to mark your picks by hand? Download the free printable pick sheet below. It lists every Week 2 game with the spread, the over/under, and blank columns for your pick and predicted score, plus a Monday-night tiebreaker. It opens in a new tab so this page stays put.
More from Sports Brackets
- 2026 NFL Week 2 Pick’em with Odds: spreads, totals and printable sheet
- 2026 NFL Week 2 TV Coverage Map: what game is on in your market
- 2026 NFL Standings: division races and playoff picture, updated daily
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Week 2 upset picks?
Our two upset calls are the Bengals (+2.5) to beat the Texans outright and the Commanders (+4.5) to knock off the Cowboys in the NFC East. Both are short home-favorite spots in games the market sees as close, which is where outright underdog value tends to live.
Where do the spreads come from?
The spreads and totals here match our 2026 NFL Week 2 pick’em with odds page and reflect widely available consensus lines. Numbers move all week as money comes in and news breaks, so treat them as current as of publish and confirm before you make any pick.
Is there a printable pick sheet?
Yes. The free printable Week 2 pick sheet is linked in the pick-sheet section above. It is a one-page PDF with every game, the spread, the over/under, and blank columns for your pick and score, built for office pools and viewing parties.
What is the biggest game on the Week 2 schedule?
By betting total, Lions at Bills on Thursday night (52.5) and Commanders at Cowboys on Sunday (51.5) are the two highest-scoring games on the board, so those are the marquee matchups for points. For a pure toss-up, Panthers at Falcons at a 1.5-point spread is the closest line of the week.
