
Expert Week 2 NFL betting picks and analysis for Sunday's slate (2025). Get the best bets, point spreads, and for early and afternoon NFL games on 9/14/2025.
It's time to move on to Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season with my best bets. You never want to overreact to what you saw in the first week of the year, but you still need to take it into account to inform your picks.
Last week, we went 2-2 on this article, winning on the Cardinals -6.5 and Raiders +2.5, but losing with the Bengals -5.5 and Falcons +1.5. Atlanta blew that game, so we could have easily gone 3-1.
We'll try to bounce back with a winning week with my Week 2 expert betting picks. Find out why I'm riding with the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, and Kansas City Chiefs.
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New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
The Pick: Dallas Cowboys -5.5 (-107 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
We're getting the Cowboys below a key number of six points against a Giants team that looked abysmal against the Commanders last week.
Dallas came close to beating the defending Super Bowl champions on the road in Week 1. Now, with extra rest (since that game was on Thursday), they come home to take on the G-Men, who couldn't get anything going against the Commanders.
This feels like a spot where the Cowboys can get their passing game in check, feeding their new toy in George Pickens.
On top of that, we saw the Cowboys' run defense look terrific in Week 1, holding Saquon Barkley to only 60 yards on 18 carries. If they can make the Giants' offense one-dimensional, that's bad news for them because Russell Wilson did not look good in his debut, throwing for only 168 yards on 37 pass attempts.
.@dallascowboys @Eagles after the weather delay the Cowboys came out and played the best "run defense" we have seen in years. Saquon 7 rushes/ 1 yard. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/WIKGKVrbTO
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 5, 2025
While there's a chance that left tackle Andrew Thomas will return for this game, I just can't pass up getting a reasonable number on the home team off a couple more days of rest. Give me the Cowboys -5.5 in this one.
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
The Pick: Miami Dolphins -2.5 (-108 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
The Dolphins were a complete disaster in Week 1, getting blown out 33-8 against the Colts. Tua Tagovailoa was limited to only 114 yards while throwing two interceptions and getting sacked three times. Everything went wrong for Mike McDaniel's team, and public perception couldn't be lower on this group.
However, the Dolphins opened up as 1.5-point favorites, and the spread has moved to 2.5. This is despite virtually everyone on the Patriots, who have an emerging young stud quarterback in Drake Maye.
I'm fading the public here, betting on a Dolphins bounce back, where they're able to take advantage of the edge they have at Hard Rock Stadium.
Buy low spot on the Dolphins.
Unique home field advantage at Hard Rock Stadium:
Dolphins sideline shaded, road team directly in sun.
7-0 in last three seasons in home day games in September.
84 degree temperatures on Sunday.
Short home favorites vs Patriots in Week 2.
More…
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) September 9, 2025
You have to like the trend where Miami is 7-0 in home day games in September in their last three seasons. With the expected 84-degree heat, we could see the design of Hard Rock Stadium give the Dolphins an edge here.
Aside from that, another angle worth mentioning is that the Patriots are still a rebuilding team with a brand new coaching staff. There are going to be growing pains with Maye learning a new offense, so we'll take the shot on the Dolphins to win this one by three or more.
Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts
The Pick: Denver Broncos -1.5 (-115 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
The Broncos came into the season expected to take another leap thanks to an elite offensive line and stacked defense. After squeaking by the Titans in an underwhelming win at home, they come in as short road favorites against the Colts.
Unlike Denver, Indianapolis had an extremely impressive win, blowing out the Dolphins in Week 1. But let's not forget that this was still expected to be among the worst teams in the NFL. We can't overreact to a game where everything went right for them.
Playing indoors against the Colts should allow Bo Nix to get back on track. The second-year signal-caller struggled in Week 1, completing 25-of-40 passes for only 176 yards, while throwing two interceptions.
Denver would be wise to get rookie running back R.J. Harvey more involved here, as the fast track makes it a good spot for such an explosive runner. Harvey had an impressive 50-yard run last week.
Expect Colts quarterback Daniel Jones to have a much tougher time moving the ball against this Broncos defense. We just saw them completely shut down Cam Ward, limiting him to only 112 yards on 28 attempts.
All we need is the Broncos to win by two or more in this spot, making it worth a look.
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals
The Pick: Arizona Cardinals -6.5 (-115 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
The Cardinals are once again 6.5-point favorites, this time against the Panthers. I like what I saw with Arizona on defense, limiting the Saints to only 13 points in a bend, but don't break style.
On the other side, the Panthers were atrocious in Week 1. Bryce Young struggled mightily, throwing for only 154 yards on 35 attempts. This makes you wonder if the strong finish from last year was just a mirage.
While I don't think that's the case, it's clear that we need to see the Panthers' offense show something on the field before we can trust them. I don't see that happening against Jonathan Gannon's defense.
The good news for Carolina is that there's a chance that left tackle Ikem Ekwonu will return for this game. However, even with that, I'm still confident that the Cardinals will win by seven or more.
Just look at the way that the Panthers were gashed on the ground against the Jaguars. Travis Etienne rushed for 143 yards on only 16 carries. We could see a big game from James Conner and Trey Benson in this spot.
Last year, Arizona had some impressive wins at home, including a blowout against the Rams. Don't be surprised if we see something similar against this struggling Panthers offense.
Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs
The Pick: Kansas City Chiefs +1.5 (-112 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
The defending Super Bowl champions head to Arrowhead for a rematch, taking on an undermanned Chiefs team that is dealing with an Xavier Worthy injury and Rashee Rice suspension.
With Jalen Carter back, we could see the Eagles' defense look better than they did last week, when they allowed 20 points to the Cowboys.
While the Eagles are the better team, I like the Chiefs to squeak out a win at home with two extra days of rest after coming back from their Friday game in Brazil.
I was unimpressed with the Eagles' new offensive coordinator, Kevin Patullo, who used a lot less play-action and motion than Kellen Moore last season. A.J. Brown didn't even get a target until the end of the game.
With that in mind, I think we're going to see some games where the Eagles' offense disappoints, and I'm betting that it will happen this week against Steve Spagnuolo's defense. Bet on the Chiefs to get back on track with a win at home.