2023 NFL Week 2 Writeup

Las Vegas Raiders @ Buffalo Bills

BUF -8 (-110) | O/U 4.5 (-110)

1:00 PM

Raiders News & Notes

The Raiders have managed to claim victory in three of their past five road dates despite struggling at times to generate offense. Las Vegas has averaged 21 points per game during their 3-2 SU road stretch, but their past three away games have been particularly low-scoring affairs, with neither team topping 17 points in those contests. That has generated a steady run for the UNDER in totals betting, which has gone 6-1 over their past seven road contests. While scoring came at a premium last weekend, Jimmy Garoppolo enjoyed a solid debut as the Raiders starting quarterback, tossing for 200 yards and two scores. Jakobi Meyers emerged as Jimmy G’s favorite target while making nine catches for 81 yards and two scores, but Meyers has been tagged as doubtful for Sunday after suffering a concussion in Denver.

With Jakobi Meyers likely sidelined indefinitely, Davante Adams should be in for a busy day on Sunday. The Raiders top receiver last season with 1516 yards and 14 scoring catches, Adams made six catches for 66 yards last week, but failed to record a TD reception for a fourth straight road game. The status of star defensive end Chandler Jones also remains in limbo. Jones has yet to see action as he engages in an ongoing feud with team management. With Jones inactive, the Raiders face a big challenge to contain Allen, particularly considering rookie Tyree Wilson’s disappointing performance in Denver last weekend.

• Las Vegas are 6-3 ATS in their last 9 games.
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Las Vegas’ last 7 games.
• Las Vegas are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games.
• Las Vegas are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games against Buffalo.

Bills News & Notes

Aaron Rodgers’ early exit did little to give the Bills a lift in Monday’s season opener. Contained by a relentless Jets defense, Josh Allen and the Bills turned over the ball on three of their five second-half possessions while failing to penetrate the Jets 30-yard line, and subsequently saw the Jets seal the win by returning a punt for a touchdown in overtime. Allen tossed three interceptions for just the third time in his career, while getting sacked five times. Overall, the Bills have now scored just 26 total points in their past two games, snapping an eight-game win streak. However, the Bills have been far more reliable when playing at home during the regular season, winning 10 of 11 while averaging 31 points per game, and are 4-2 SU and ATS in their past six home dates with AFC West opponents.

• Buffalo are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games.
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo’s last 6 games.
• Buffalo are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games.
• The total has gone OVER in 7 of Buffalo’s last 7 games against Las Vegas.

New York Jets @ Dallas Cowboy

DAL -8.5 (-111) | O/U 38 (-110)

4:25 PM

Jets News & Notes

The loss of Rodgers for the remainder of the season has devastated the Jets on the Super Bowl 58 odds, and on the odds to make the NFL playoffs, where they opened the season favored to see postseason action for the first time since 2010. However, all is not lost for the Jets, who maintain a ferocious defense that effectively shut down the Bills on Monday while intercepting Josh Allen on three occasions. Overall, New York has lost seven of its past nine contests, but has surrendered a mere 17.3 points per game over that stretch, spawning a steady 7-2 run for the UNDER. The big question is whether Zach Wilson can improve on the uninspiring numbers he posted in his first two NFL seasons, now that he is back leading the offense.

With the Cowboys firing on all cylinders and riding an impressive home win streak, the Jets must produce another big defensive performance if they are to improve to 2-0. Jordan Whitehead certainly made his presence felt in Week 1 by picking off Josh Allen three times, earning the Jets cornerback AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors and a $250,000 bonus. With the Jets pass rush also operating at mid-season efficiency, forcing a pair of fumbles, it could be a long afternoon for Dak Prescott. However, this team must still find ways to score against a Cowboys D that simply dominated the Giants last week and sacked Daniel Jones seven times. Any production out of Zach Wilson will be welcomed, but with rusher Breece Hall’s status still uncertain for Sunday, it could be a busy day for veteran Dalvin Cook.

• NY Jets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games.
• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Jets’ last 6 games.
• NY Jets are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games.
• NY Jets are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games against Dallas.

Cowboys News & Notes

The Cowboys silenced the naysayers with a sensational performance in less-than-ideal conditions in Sunday’s 40-0 rout of the Giants. The victory marked the most decisive shutout win in Cowboys history, and helps to bury the memory of the team’s disappointing January performance in which they averaged fewer than 17 points in three outings including a pair of playoff contests. The Cowboys are also buoyed by an eight-game SU win streak at home, but have been far from a reliable bet while going a middling 6-6 ATS in their past 12 overall. And while that 40-0 score certainly turns heads, it has to be noted that the offense produced just three of the team’s five TDs on the night, with Dak Prescott failing to find the end zone while completing just 13 of 24 pass attempts for just 143 yards.

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots

MIA -2.5 (-115) | O/U 46 (-110)

8:20 PM

Dolphins News & Notes

Quarterback Tua Tagovailo showed his critics that his concussion issues from last season are behind him. He was a man on a mission vs. the Chargers, passing for 466 yards in their season-opening win. Most sites now have Tua as one of the favorites to win MVP at +700. And if history is any indication, he is in for another good week as he is 4-0 in his career vs. the Patriots.

Tyreek Hill was the main beneficiary vs. L.A. with 11 catches for 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The 215 yards was the third most ever in Week 1 in league history. Miami is 12-3 SU in their last 15 games as the betting favorite.

Keep their foot on the gas pedal. You can’t state the importance of divisional games in the NFL and Miami will need to be at its best offensively against this Patriots defense. Bill Belichick is one of the best game planners in the history of the game so he may have some tricks up his sleeve to help slow down Hill.

That means Tua will need to spread the ball around, and that’s why a big game from Jaylen Waddle could be in the cards. Miami’s pass rush will also be key in this game. If they can pressure Jones and not allow him to feel comfortable in the pocket, the Dolphins could find themselves off to a 2-0 start.

• Miami are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games.
• The total has gone OVER in 8 of Miami’s last 12 games.
• Miami are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games.
• Miami are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games against New England.

Patriots News & Notes

There were a lot of positives to come out of the Patriots’ loss to Philadelphia last Sunday. Their defense showed that it’s one of the best in the league and Mac Jones threw for over 300 yards for just the fifth time in his career.

Sure, his 316 yards came on 54 pass attempts, meaning he averaged under six yards per completion, but we see the glass as half full. And while Hunter Henry seemed to be his main target in the most crucial situations, it was Kendrick Bourne who hauled in a pair of scores.

The Patriots defense will need to duplicate their Week 1 effort where they held Jalen Hurts to 170 yards through the air and 37 on the ground. They only gave up 251 total yards to the Eagles including just one play of 20+ yards in that game.

Miami poses a much different threat following their 536 yard-performance, which saw them convert nine plays of at least 21 yards. It will also be crucial for Jones and company to take care of the ball. A pair of early turnovers cost the Patriots last week and giving the Dolphins offense extra opportunities likely won’t end well for them.

• New England are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games.
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of New England’s last 5 games.
• New England are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games.
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New England’s last 6 games against Miami.