2026 NFL Week 2 Picks Straight Up, Odds & Spreads For All 16 Games

Welcome to our 2026 NFL Week 2 Picks Straight Up! NFL Week One provided us with some FIREWORKS, as it was tied for the highest-scoring kickoff weekend in NFL history and included the highest-scoring overall Week One game EVER. Who would’ve thought that my Chicago Bears would be an offensive juggernaut? Hopefully NFL Week 2 can live up to the standard that Week One provided (and we can hit on some of our picks).

So, without further ado, it is time to bring you our expert 2026 NFL Week 2 Picks Straight Up. Below, you will find my picks, some highlighted matchups, and the odds and spreads for every game this week.

2026 NFL Week 2 Picks Straight Up for All 16 Games

With Week 2 here, we have some great matchups on paper between all 32 NFL teams to get NFL Week 2 rolling! In the following section, you will find my predictions, with the teams I anticipate coming away with a victory highlighted in bold. Odds are courtesy of BetMGM:

NFL Week 2 Picks Straight Up: Green Bay Packers ML (-190 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the Green Bay Packers collapse in the second half YET AGAIN. Unfortunately for me, I think they can certainly bounce back against the New York Jets. 

The Jets were impressive last week, pulling off a win against the Tennessee Titans, but based on what I saw, the game was more of a Titans loss than a Jets win. Titans QB Cam Ward struggled significantly with accuracy and had more missed throws (and miscommunications with his pass catchers) than the Jets' secondary had big plays or PBUs. The Jets did not have an impressive game against the run either, giving up just under five yards per carry per rush. Going from defending a Titans offense that has question marks at every level to a Packers offense that just dropped 22 points (and 387 passing yards) on a Brian Flores-led defense is going to be eye-opening. 

I still have questions about the Packers: Who is going to step up on the defense while Micah Parsons is still out? Will the offensive line take a step in the right direction? Can they get the run game going without Josh Jacobs? I think a lot of those questions will be answered in this matchup. This is a get-right game. Aaron Glenn is not Brian Flores. Frank Reich is not Kevin O’Connell. And the Green Bay Packers are CERTAINLY not the Tennessee Titans. Getting the Packers at anything better than -200 is a blessing.

NFL Week 2 Picks Straight Up: Carolina Panthers ML (-135 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

This is once again a line that seems a little too good to be true. Cooper Rush struggled MIGHTILY against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that I would personally consider a little overrated, and I do not see that changing against the Panthers. The Steelers were able to stack the box and contain Bijan Robinson due to Rush’s struggles in the passing game and low aDOT (4.5 yards). This was a strategy the Panthers defense was unable to do against Ben Johnson’s explosive offense and Caleb Williams’ big-play ability. While the quarterback position is still up in the air for the Atlanta Falcons heading into this game, I don’t have much confidence in ANY of their quarterbacks to push the ball downfield, so I expect the same in terms of offensive output from the Falcons.

On the flip side, the Panthers are coming off a game where they put up 37 points. While Jeff Ulbrich has impressed me with his defensive output, given the losses they have already piled up on that side of the ball, let’s not forget what Bryce Young did the last time he marched into Atlanta. Bryce Young is 4-1 in his career against the Atlanta Falcons, winning the most recent four, including a performance from November of last year where he finished with a career-high 448 passing yards along with three touchdown passes and no picks. Historically, Young plays his best ball in Atlanta, and against a Falcons team that is seemingly struggling more than they have in recent memory, I like the Panthers to get the win here and bounce back from their shootout against Chicago.

2026 NFL Week 2 Odds & Spreads For All 16 Games

We just unveiled our 2026 NFL Week 2 picks, and below are the spread odds for each matchup, provided by BetMGM Sportsbook:

How to bet on our Free Picks at BetMGM Sportsbook and Win $1,500 in Bonus Bets 'Guaranteed' 

If you want to make the most of our free picks, try signing up with BetMGM with our exclusive bonus code ALARM!

This welcome bonus is straightforward and inclusive, giving you the chance to place wagers on any matchup you like during NFL Week 2. A first bet up to $1,500 gets covered under code ALARM, and if that qualifying wager comes up short, the value returns not as one lump sum but as five separate $300 bonus bet credits instead, each valid for a full seven days:

Whatever you choose to bet, your bet is sweat-free! In other words, sit back, relax, and bet on anything when you become a new member with our BetMGM bonus code ALARM!