NFL betting, odds, lines: Betting trends to know for Week 2's biggest games

The opening week of the 2026 season yielded mixed results in the NFL betting trends department.

On one hand, the Bengals, Bears and Giants — all notoriously slow starters in recent years — won and covered in Week 1.

Also, Houston’s nine-game overall and seven-game home winning streaks ended against the Bills. The Rams fell for just the ninth time in their last 30 regular season games. And Tampa Bay dropped its first season opener since 2020 (falling in Cincinnati).

Then again, Jacksonville (9-0 SU and ATS regular season run), Seattle (11 straight victories, including the playoffs) and Minnesota (six-game heater) kept rolling; the Colts (eight straight losses), Packers (six straight losses) and Buccaneers (10 straight ATS defeats) kept failing; and the NFC South kept being, well, the NFC South (0-4 SU, 1-3 ATS).

What’s in store for Week 2? Here’s an NFL betting trends breakdown for five marquee matchups.

Moneyline: Vikings +200/Bears -245

• With their come-from-behind 39-22 victory against Green Bay as a two-point favorite in Week 1, the Vikings have now won six straight games dating to Week 14 of last season (5-0-1 ATS).

During this stretch, the defense has yielded an average of 12.3 points per contest, with only the Packers (last week) and Cowboys (34-26 loss in Week 15 last year) topping 13 points.

• In walloping Carolina 59-37 as a 3-point favorite in Week 1, the Bears scored the fourth-most points in franchise history; tied for the second most in a season opener in NFL history; and started 1-0 for just the fourth time in the last 13 years.

Now Chicago will be looking to defy another NFL betting trend: Since 2014, the franchise has opened with back-to-back victories just once (in 2020, it started 3-0).

• Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ Week 1 stats were otherworldly: 21-for-29 for 269 passing yards; 65 rushing yards on 10 carries; and four total touchdowns (two passing, two rushing).

Bet the Minnesota Vikings to cover the spread at sportsbooks

Williams has exactly two TD passes in eight straight games — including two playoff contests — and has thrown for multiple scores 10 times in his last 13 starts.

However, in two games against the Vikings last year, the former Heisman Trophy winner completed just 55% of his passes (37-for-67) for 403 yards and one TD.

• Minnesota is 9-3 versus the Bears since 2000 (7-4-1 ATS). This includes six consecutive victories at Soldier Field (4-1-1 ATS).

Five of the last six meetings overall were decided by six points or fewer. Final scores: 19-13, 12-10, 30-27 (overtime), 27-24, 19-17.

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans (-2.5, 46.5)

Moneyline: Bengals +128/Texans -152

• Cincinnati turned the first of four fumble recoveries into a 27-yard defensive touchdown and went on to top Tampa Bay 33-27 as a 3.5-point favorite in its opener.

It was just the third time in the last seven seasons that the Bengals posted a Week 1 victory. The franchise hasn’t started 2-0 SU and ATS since 2018.

• In a game that featured 10 lead changes, Houston came out on the short end of a 36-31 contest against the Bills in Week 1, falling as a 1.5-point home underdog.

The defeat snapped a nine-game regular season winning streak and a seven-game home winning streak. The Texans haven’t lost consecutive home contests since falling to Detroit (26-23) and Tennessee (32-27) in Weeks 10 and 12 of 2024.

However, since 2000, Houston is 1-5 SU in Week 2 — including last year’s 20-19 loss to the Buccaneers as a 2.5-point home chalk.

• An interesting NFL betting trend related to Joe Burrow: In games he has started and finished since the 2023 season kicked off, the Bengals are 2-4 SU as a road underdog but 5-1 ATS.

That includes four consecutive spread covers: a pair of one-point losses at Baltimore and Kansas City in 2024, a 32-14 victory at Baltimore as a 7.5-point favorite and 39-34 loss at Buffalo as a 6.5-point underdog in consecutive weeks late last season.

• These teams have met six times since 2014, with the underdog going 5-1 SU and 6-0 ATS.

Moneyline: Jaguars +120/Broncos -140

• These squads experienced near-opposite outcomes in Week 1: Jacksonville pummeled the Browns 34-10 as an 8.5-point home favorite for its ninth straight win and spread cover, while Denver got whacked 31-10 as a 2.5-point underdog at the Chiefs.

Despite Monday’s night’s uninspired effort in Kansas City, Denver is still 13-2 in its last 15 regular season outings. However, the other defeat came against Jacksonville late last year: In Week 16, the Jaguars cruised 34-20 as a 2.5-point road underdog, halting the Broncos’ 11-game winning streak.

• During their nine-game hot streak, the Jaguars have averaged 36.7 PPG (tallying 34 points or more six times) and surrendered just 14 points per game (holding eight of nine opponents to less than 21 points).

Conversely, including two playoff games, Denver has produced 22 points or fewer in 12 of 20 contests since the start of last season. And its once-vaunted defense has permitted at least 26 points in five of the last nine outings.

• Since Sean Payton took over as head coach in 2023, the Broncos are now 2-8 SU and ATS in games prior to Week 4 — that includes 1-3 SU and 0-4 ATS marks both at home and as a favorite.

• A couple of NFL betting trends pertaining to the total in this game: The over is 8-3 in Jacksonville’s last 11 regular season contests, with seven easily clearing 44 total points.

Also, going back to Week 3 of the 2024 season, the over has cashed in 12 of the Jaguars’ 16 games outside of Jacksonville (including three played in London). All 12 hurdled 44 points.

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs (-6.5, 47.5)

Moneyline: Colts +250/Chiefs -300

• The Colts’ defense got torched for 506 yards in a 41-23 season-opening loss to Baltimore as a three-point home underdog.

Since starting 8-2 SU and 6-3-1 ATS last season, Indianapolis has dropped eight consecutive games (3-5 ATS). One of those setbacks was a 23-20 overtime loss at Kansas City in Week 12, although the Colts covered as a 4.5-point underdog.

• The Chiefs closed out Week 1 with a 31-10 thumping of Denver as a 2.5-point home favorite on Monday night, with new running back (and reigning Super Bowl MVP) Kenneth Walker III producing more scrimmage yards by himself (191) than the entire Broncos offense (176).

It was Kansas City’s first victory since edging Indy in November, as the franchise followed that with a season-ending six-game slide.

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However, the Chiefs remain just 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games, with both spread covers coming at home against Denver.

• Since the start of last season, Kansas City is 5-10 ATS as a favorite, including an ongoing 0-8 ATS slump when laying three points or more.

Conversely, the Colts went 5-3 ATS as an underdog last season, and have cashed in three straight contests when catching more than four points.

Two other NFL betting trends of note: Since 2020, the Chiefs are 1-5 ATS in Week 2 (1-4 ATS as a favorite), while Indy is 4-2 ATS (3-0 ATS as an underdog).

• The under is 12-1 in the Chiefs’ last 13 games, including 6-0 in the last six overall and 8-0 in the last eight in K.C.

Only two of the Chiefs’ last 13 contests have hurdled 47 combined points. Both were on the road.

Moneyline: Giants +280/Rams -355

• New York kicked off the John Harbaugh era in impressive fashion, dusting the rival Cowboys 28-20 as a three-point home underdog.

The Giants are 1-0 for just the third time in the last 15 years. Since 2010, they have opened 2-0 just twice (2016 and 2022). Only in 2022 did the G-Men win and cover their first two games.

• The Rams began the 2026 season as the overwhelming Super Bowl favorites, then traveled to Australia and fell flat in a 27-7 loss to NFC West rival San Francisco as 3.5-point chalk.

Despite that result, Los Angeles remains 21-9 SU and 20-10 ATS in its last 30 regular season games.

Bet the New York Giants to cover the spread at sportsbooks

During this stretch, the Rams have suffered back-to-back defeats just once: In Weeks 16 and 17 last season, they fell 38-37 at Seattle in overtime (as a two-point underdog) and 27-24 at Atlanta (as a seven-point favorite).

• Including the playoffs, Los Angeles last season scored fewer than 22 points four times. The team’s scoring output the following week: 33, 35, 34 and 27.

This week, the Rams face a defense that allowed an average of 28.3 points in its first 14 games in 2025. Since then, though, New York has held three opponents opponents — Minnesota, Las Vegas and Dallas twice — to 16, 10, 17 and 20 points.

• Going back to Week 6 of last season, the over is 11-2 in Giants games, although only seven of those contests cleared 48 points.

And while the Rams’ Week 1 loss Down Under stayed well under the total, the over is still 8-2 in their last 10 games (playoffs included). All eight flew past 50 combined points.

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