Week 2 NFL Odds, Spreads, Early Locks and Best Bets on the Schedule

Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season didn't quite go as most expected, which was, to be honest, expected. The opening slate is usually filled with surprises and irregularities because some teams simply aren't as prepared for the regular season as others.

While fans have come to expect the unexpected, though, a few Week 1 results were truly stunning. The Arizona Cardinals, for example, entered Sunday as two-score underdogs against the Los Angeles Chargers and won by 12.

Entering Week 2, the challenge is to decipher what aspects of Week 1 can be trusted and which will be viewed as aberrations in retrospect. That's easier in theory than in practice, but we'll dive into the results and examine the best odds to consider from FanDuel Sportsbook .

We still don't know exactly what to expect from the Pittsburgh Steelers' marriage of Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy. On Sunday, there were glimpses of a more potent offense than the one we saw in 2025, but the Steelers still escaped with a modest 20-13 victory thanks to a T.J. Watt defensive touchdown.

The Steelers were the better team against an Atlanta Falcons squad that started backup quarterback Cooper Rush. They'll have a much harder time outclassing the New England Patriots in Foxborough.

In Week 1, the Patriots looked like a more formidable team on defense and along the offensive line than they were during last year's Super Bowl campaign. If not for some poor decision-making by Drake Maye, New England would have a 1-0 record.

Is Pittsburgh's defense good enough to force Maye into some mistakes in Week 2? Absolutely, and the absence of A.J. Brown will hurt. However, Mike Vrabel will stress ball security, and a total team effort should be enough to net New England a touchdown victory.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played a sloppy brand of football in Week 1 and still had chances to upset the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. The Bucs were done in by four lost fumbles, including a red-zone loss by Baker Mayfield that delivered a 14-point swing.

It's hard to envision Tampa being as careless with the football in its home opener, especially against a Cleveland Browns defense that was virtually nonexistent in Week 1.

While the Bucs weren't in midseason form, the Browns were as ill-prepared for their opener as any team in football. They fell behind 31-0 before adding 10 garbage-time points. Deshaun Watson was dreadful at quarterback for three quarters, and Mike Rutenberg's defense was about as effective as a hologram.

Cleveland isn't likely to fare much better against the Buccaneers, who will be looking to bounce back from a game they let slip away. Add in the fact that the Browns are Baker Mayfield's former team, and we can expect a revenge-game vibe and a lopsided Bucs victory.

The Minnesota Vikings staged a shocking comeback with backup quarterback Carson Wentz in Week 1 after starter Kyler Murray left with a concussion . Wentz played most of the game against the Green Bay Packers and helped turn a 12-point third-quarter deficit into a 39-22 win.

Of course, Minnesota got a lot of help from some critical Packers miscues. Minnesota's defense—its pass rush, in particular—deserves credit for forcing them. However, two turnovers and two failed fourth-down attempts in the fourth quarter opened the door for the late surge.

The Vikings are unlikely to be as fortunate against a Chicago Bears team that racked up 59 points in Week 1. The Bears defense wasn't great (37 points allowed), but it forced three turnovers to help Chicago pull away.

Assuming Murray isn't cleared before Week 2, it'll be Wentz again. He may well have another strong game, but it's hard to envision the Vikings matching points with the Bears when Caleb Williams and Chicago's offense are clicking as they were on Sunday.

Week 2 NFL Picks and Early Odds to Exploit after Final 2026 Week 1 Results