2023 NFL SCHEDULE WEEK 2 (ATS)

All times Eastern Standard Time

ALL SPREADS ARE COURTESY OF CAESARS HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS @ THE TIME OF ANALYSIS

DUE TO ILLNESS, A LIMITED WRITTEN REVIEW OF THE NFL GAMES FOR THIS WEEK WILL BE POSTED. HOWEVER, I HAVE REVIEWED EACH GAME THOROUGHLY AND MADE MY PICKS ACCORDINGLY.

Thursday September 14^th, 2023 8:15pm

Minnesota Vikings (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Philadelphia Eagles (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS                                MINN+7   

This is a revenge game for MINN because they were walloped by @PHILLY in week 2 on MNF 24-7. MINN didn’t show up in that game. Also, MINN is in bounceback mode. For PHILLY, they didn’t look too impressive @NE LW, scoring only 1 OFF td. MINN is desperate here and cannot start the year 0-2. Plus, the spread is bigger, as PHILLY was only laying 3 ½ in the contest last season. Take MINN and the points on the short week.

THE PICK:MINN+7

Sunday September 17^th, 2023 1:00pm

Green Bay Packers (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (1-0) AWAY, (1-0) ATS @ Atlanta Falcons (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (1-0) HOME, (1-0) ATS                                    ATL+1 ½

GB QB Jordan Love looked good last week @CHI. CHI stats padded because they were playing catchup. ATL beat a CAR team going nowhere and looking to find themselves. GB is a better team and this is Love’s time to shine. Lay the points here.

THE PICK: GB-1 ½ 

Las Vegas Raiders (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Buffalo Bills (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS                                         LV+9 ½

The knack on LV QB Jimmy Garoppolo is that he is not consistent but that guy does nothing but win. Yes, LV beat DEN last week, so what but he did lead a nice drive late in the game for a td and also led a drive that ran out the clock to stop DEN from getting the ball back. A win is a win. BUFF always has trouble with NYJ. Mr. Magoo could be the NYJ QB and BUFF still finds a way to lose. That’s why I liked NYJ even after Rodgers went down. BUFF QB Josh Allen has not turned the corner on making huge mistakes at this level and that is what is holding BUFF back. The spread in this game is just too big to ignore. BUFF wins the game but not by more than 4pts. Take LV and the points.

THE PICK: LV+9 ½

Baltimore Ravens (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Cincinnati Bengals (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS                              BALT+3 ½  

If you watched the HOU-BALT game closely last week, you will see that BALT was toying with HOU. BALT had the game won but weren’t looking to embarrass HOU or get themselves injured. BALT RB JK Dobbins is out with the Achilles but they have decent RBS behind him so BALT will be alright. CINNCY looked awful last week @CLEV. CINNCY QB Joe Burrow looked out of sync and CINNCY was forced to play catchup for most of the game. How CINNCY is not getting points here, I don’t understand. Even though L16 CINNCY @HOME vs BALT is 11-5 SUATS, CINNCY is wounded and BALT should be smelling blood. I like BALT here getting the points because these games go down to the wire and whoever has the ball last, usually wins. Take BALT and the points.

THE PICK: BALT+3 ½

Seattle Seahawks (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Detroit Lions (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS                                             SEA+5 ½

LW, SEA looked very bad in the 2^nd half @HOME vs LAR. SEA was looking good at the half and it looked like they would get a nice win but they couldn’t do anything right in the 2^nd half and lost 30-13. SEA scored 0pts in the 2^nd half while LAR scored 23pts. LW, DET played tough @KC like I knew they would. They know that they cannot get off to another slow start and then play in panic mode the rest of the season. They needed that win and I said so. This is a revenge game for DET as SEA beat DET @DET week 4, 48-35. The score wasn’t even that close. This is like homecoming for DET and they will be ready. Lay the points as DET turns the tide on SEA.

THE PICK: DET-5 ½

Los Angeles Chargers (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Tennessee Titans (0-1), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS                            TENN+3

LAC said it best that their biggest problem is finishing games. Well, that and the HC. Revenge in the NFL stays with players as long as can be and I was sure that MIA would win outright. LAC couldn’t stop the MIA OFF and it ended up being a shootout where LAC lost 36-34. They were able to rush the ball effectively but still the DEF couldn’t stop MIA. LW, TENN HC Mike Vrabel made a very bad decision that cost TENN the game. NO was up 16-12 and late in the game, instead of TENN going on 4^th down, TENN kicked a fg. TENN never got the ball back and lost 16-15. I liked TENN+3 because I knew it would be close but Vrabel knows better. The TENN DEF is a highly underrated bunch and they certainly will not let LAC run wild. Look for TENN RB Derrick Henry to have a big game. I like TENN as the HOME DOG here.

THE PICK: TENN+3

Chicago Bears (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS                             CHI+3

CHI looked pretty bad @HOME vs GB last week. CHI QB Justin Fields does not make good decisions, hence they lost badly. TB went into MINN and shocked the world. No one felt TB with QB Baker Mayfield would be able to do anything but, they did. Now they feel rejuvenated and since the NFC SOUTH is pretty weak, they have a possibility of taking the division if they play decent. Well, they should beat CHI handily unless they get cocky and sloppy and give away the game. Lay the points here.                                      

THE PICK: TB-3

Kansas City Chiefs (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS              JAGS+3  

When I reviewed the DET-KC game last week, I knew at the time KC TE Travis Kelce would be out of the game. Why risk further injury to a guy that is a big part of your OFF? Hold him out for one game instead of risking him getting hurt and losing him for a lot of games. That would have been disaster and could have led to KC HC Andy Reid getting fired. Yes, it was a BIG decision. But, I liked DET to keep it close because they could ill afford to start out slowly and play catchup the rest of the season. Sure enough, DET played tough and won 21-20. LW, JAGS were @INDY. I felt strongly that JAGS would roll but INDY was leading 21-17 going into the 4^th qtr. JAGS got lucky because after they scored a td with 5:14 to go they then intercepted a pass from INDY and then drove three plays for another easy td to make the score 31-21. JAGS had to play catchup vs INDY. Last season these two teams met in wk 10 @KC. KC was -9 ½  FAV and I liked JAGS. But JAGS missed a fg at the end of the half and another one later that would have made the score closer. The Final was KC 27-17. KC is in bounceback mode and JAGS had to play catchup vs INDY. Lay the 3pts here as KC rolls with or without TE Travis Kelce.

THE PICK: KC-3

Indianapolis Colts (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Houston Texans (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS                                HOU+1

This is really a battle of who cares. The only people that will be watching this game is Colts fans, Texans Fans and gamblers. Both have brand new QBs and both have brand new HCs that ultimately make mistakes. INDY has RB by committee and their QB was injured last week. If he starts, he will not be running. HOU does have some players that can make some plays so believe it or not, this game may be interesting. It also could be a shootout and the team that has the ball last, wins. I’ll take the HOME TEAM here.

THE PICK: HOU+1

Sunday September 17^th, 2023 4:00pm

San Francisco 49ers (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (1-0) AWAY, (1-0) ATS @ Los Angeles Rams (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS                          LAR+8

LW, SF dominated PITT, 30-7. The game wasn’t even that close. SF took it easy in the 2^nd half but made sure that PITT couldn’t come back. It was a dominant performance on both sides of the ball. SF looks mighty tough. SF QB Brock Purdy looks good and this team could go very far. Last week LAR beat a bad SEA team. SEA looked decent in the 1^st half and was leading 13-7 at the half. But in the 2^nd half, SEA couldn’t do anything right and LAR scored 23 points to win 30-13. LAR QB Matthew Stafford looked good and wasn’t pressured at all. He passed for 334yds, 0INTS, 0sacks. I don’t see him doing it this week vs SF. By the way, SF owns LAR. L8 SF vs LAR, SF 8-0 SU & 7-1 ATS. Plus, this is a more talented and better SF team then LAR has faced in previous years. LAR has a problem with SF and it looks like the trend will continue. Lay the points here as SF should win by at least 10pts.

THE PICK: SF-8

New York Giants (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Arizona Cardinals (0-1), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS                              ARZ+5 ½

NYG was walloped on the national stage 40-0 by DAL. NYG did nothing right and their O-LINE is a tragedy. Without a sustainable O-LINE they will go nowhere. NYG Daniel Jones looked like he regressed. That’s what happens when you give a guy BIG GUARANTEED money. ARZ didn’t play too poorly last week @WASH. With a 2^nd string QB in Joshua Dobbs, they almost pulled it off. Both teams are on a bounceback from losses but, I see NYG winning this game but, only by a fg. Take the points here.

THE PICK: ARZ+5 ½

New York Jets (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Dallas Cowboys (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS                                        NYJ+9 ½

I liked NYJ last week vs BUFF because no matter who the NYJ QB is, they always seem to give BUFF trouble. So when Rodgers went down, yes I was concerned but, NYJ brushed themselves off and got a nice win. But, their schedule is very tough and it may be rough goings. LW, DAL destroyed NYG in every way, 40-0. Not much to say about it but that DAL will not win every game like that and will probably lose a few too. Some people are predicting blowout for this game. It’s a homecoming game for DAL and I think they want to show the faithful that this team is for real and that this finally may be the season. As for NYJ, QB Zach Wilson will not have a good day vs a ferocious DAL DEF. The NYJ DEF will be on the field a lot and DAL QB Dak Prescott will make some safe plays that turn into points. Lay the points here as DAL wins by 2tds.

THE PICK: DAL-9 ½      

Washington Commanders (1-0), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Denver Broncos (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-1) HOME, (0-1) ATS          WASH+3 ½

LW, WASH did enough to win but should have won by more. The O-LINE for WASH was terrible as WASH QB Sam Howell was sacked 6x. On top of that he had 1INT & 1 lost fumble. WASH is still finding their rhythm and there are facing a DEN team that needs a win. DEN has a good DEF and they need to show it. They can’t let a team like LV come back and beat them. Then DEN had no answer on OFF and couldn’t stop LV from running out the clock. This is a must win game for DEN. They need to score early and often and take WASH out of their game. The OFF for DEN needs to do their job and the DEF needs to do theirs. Lay the points here.

THE PICK: DEN-3 ½  

Sunday September 17^th, 2023 8:20pm

Miami Dolphins (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (1-0) AWAY, (1-0) ATS @ New England Patriots (0-1), (0-1)  ATS, (0-1) HOME, (0-1) ATS                        NE+2

LW, MIA looked like they could score points at will @LAC. My feeling was, whoever had the ball last was going to win the game. I mentioned a revenge factor from last season for MIA and they didn’t disappoint. The MIA running game gained enough yardage to keep the LAC DEF honest. But, the MIA DEF gave up 234 yds rushing & 3tds on 40 carries by LAC. That is not good by any means. A good running team will destroy MIA on the ground and MIA may not be so lucky to get the ball back. But MIA prevailed. LW, NE had their chances @HOME vs PHILLY. But NE was sloppy and a fumble and an INT by NE gave PHILLY an early 16-0 lead and NE played catchup the rest of the game. PHILLY did just enough to win and actually let NE hang around. NE had just scored a td and was going for a 2pt conversion that would have made the score PHILLY 25-22. But, NE missed the play after a penalty so NE started deeper than a normal 2pt conversion. NE needs to play DEF and use their run game effectively. MIA can be beat and NE has a very good shot here. It should be a close game but I like NE getting their 1^st win.

THE PICK: NE+2 ½

Monday September 18^th, 2023 7:15pm

New Orleans Saints (1-0), (0-1) ATS, (1-0) HOME, (0-1) ATS @ Carolina Panthers (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-0) HOME, (0-0) ATS                         CAR+3

LW, NO did what they had to do to win @HOME vs TENN. But the DEF for NO came up big and didn’t let TENN RB Derrick Henry get going. NO did get a little help on a bad decision by the TENN HC but, a win is a win. For NO QB Derek Carr it’s a big positive. CAR showed that they are not ready to take on anyone just yet. #1 Pick, QB Bryce Young did not have a particularly good day and the game @ATL was a seesaw battle into the 4^th qtr. ATL scored 2tds off a CAR fumble and then a late drive which sealed it for ATL. The NO DEF will shut down the run and put it all on the shoulders of Bryce Young who will make some mistakes. Lay the points here as NO should win by 10.

THE PICK: NO-3   

Monday September 18^th, 2023 8:15pm

Cleveland Browns (1-0), (1-0) ATS, (0-0) AWAY, (0-0) ATS @ Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1), (0-1) ATS, (0-1) HOME, (0-1) ATS                        PITT+2 ½  

PITT QB Kenny Pickett didn’t look good last week at all. The whole PITT OFF didn’t have a good game vs SF. It may be too early to tell but PITT may be regressing from 2022. The PITT DEF gave up a lot of rushing yds vs SF as well. Last week, CLEV took it to CINNCY on both OFF & DEF. The DEF didn’t let CINNCY QB Joe Burrow get comfortable at all and he had one of his worst days. The CLEV run game ran for 206yds as if the CINNCY DEF wasn’t on the field. CLEV won 24-3. It was a total domination by CLEV. CLEV should get the win here because PITT is not really that good and showed it last week vs SF. CLEV QB Deshaun Watson has to take what the DEF gives him and not try to make something out of nothing. If he plays safe, CLEV will roll. Lay the points here.

THE PICK: CLEV-2 ½