Two betting lines that are too wide

Week 2 may see more favorites run wild.

After favorites went 13-3 straight up (SU) and 9-7 against the spread (ATS) in Week 1, lets take a look at who you should be backing for the second week of the NFL season.

The goal of early Week 2 predictions is to land some closing line value.

That’s easier said than done, as The Ringer’s Raheem Palmer boldly states: “It’s gotta be legitimately easier to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer than beating (game day) NFL sides and totals consistently year after year.”

Below, we attempt to beat the closing line and potentially set up some middles later as Week 2 rapidly approaches, with all odds provided by BetMGM.

Week 2 NFL early predictions

49ers -4.5 over SAINTS

This line initially opened as 7.5 in favor of the 49ers, and I think this climbs back to seven by the time we kick off Sunday.

For starters, George Kittle is the only player who has been fully ruled out in this one. Brock Purdy is battling an injury in his own right to his non-throwing shoulder and a toe injury.

Will that make him sit? I’m not a doctor, so not entirely sure, but I think it’s a good bet that he will play.

A three-point line move certainly isn’t for the tight end and even receiver Jauan Jennings looks like he has a shot to suit up for this game.

All of this is to say, don’t overreact to early-season injury news.

I think Purdy plays, and this line gets much closer to a touchdown, at which point you can middle with the Saints +7.

Betting on the NFL?

Panthers +7 over CARDINALS

Carolina is a sneaky underdog this week.

The Cardinals have a serious habit of losing games that they shouldn’t, and that nearly came to fruition last week as Spencer Rattler drove down the field on them for nearly a game-tying score.

This line opened at Cardinals -4.5, and there’s been some obvious buy targets on Arizona.

I suspect some buyback on Carolina, at which point you could middle with the Cardinals around -4 by the time Sunday rolls around.

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.