NFL SuperContest Picks: Week 2 Locks Include Raiders, Packers, Broncos
Well, that didn’t out the way we planned.
Week 1 was tough for a whole host of NFL teams, and the NESN.com Westgate SuperContest team didn’t fare much better.
NESN.com’s Mike Cole and Ricky Doyle are representing Team NESN this season, with help from our friends at Team OddsShark, and they limped out of the gate with a 1-4 record in Week 1 of the sports gambling world’s premier football prediction contest. As you might imagine, that doesn’t stack up very well in the OddsShark standings.
Luckily, it only was Week 1, and there’s a lot of season left. That starts with a bounce-back showing in Week 2. Here are Team NESN’s picks.
Cleveland Browns (+6.5) vs. Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland
The Browns burned us last week in Philadelphia, so like two idiots, we’re taking the Browns again this week. Josh McCown will be under center for Cleveland, which actually might be an upgrade over Robert Griffin III. Also, 6 1/2 points is a lot for the Ravens — who didn’t look great in a Week 1 win over the Buffalo Bills — to be giving on the road, especially with two-thirds of bets coming in on them.
Denver Broncos (-6) vs. Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver
This line opened at 5.5, which would have been an excellent price to get the Broncos. That being said, the Denver defense, for the most part, was able to slow down a pretty high-powered Carolina Panthers offense last week. They should make it a rough day for Andrew Luck.
Oakland Raiders (-5) vs. Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
O.co Coliseum, Oakland
The list of evidence that the Falcons just aren’t good at all grows by the week, it seems. Meanwhile, the Raiders are coming home off a dramatic, gutsy Week 1 win and should be all kinds of fired up. Oakland must generate a better pass rush to help out its iffy secondary, but we’re expecting the Raiders to score early and often regardless.
Green Bay Packers (-2.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, 8:30 p.m.
U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
The Vikings will want to put on a show in their first game in their new building, but that quarterback situation is impossible to ignore. Green Bay’s defense looked good last week on the road against a strong Jacksonville Jaguars offense, and we’re fairly certain the Packers won’t turn over the ball nearly as much as Tennessee did last week, which is how the Vikings beat the Titans.
Chicago Bears (-3.5) vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Monday, 8:30 p.m.
Soldier Field, Chicago
Carson Wentz looked like the real deal Sunday against Cleveland, but that was at home and, you know, against the Browns. Things should be a little different against the Bears, who looked good for a half last week in Houston. If the Bears can protect Jay Cutler (which should be easier against a team that doesn’t feature the likes of J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney or Whitney Mercilus), they should have some success.
Thumbnail photo via Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports Images
