The NFL season is here, which means it’s time to start donating to sportsbooks again!

Just kidding, kind of. Most people who bet on sports build massive parlays trying to get rich in one bet, but if you do it right, you can actually make money. Will it be as thrilling as a 10-leg parlay that could make you $10,000 overnight? No, but if you want to actually be profitable at sports betting, you need to do it the right way.

Every week, I’m going through the schedule and identifying five spreads that I believe we can take advantage of. You’re never going to be perfect in sports betting, but my goal is to go 3-2 or better every week and stay above .500 for the season, and I did a pretty good job of that in Week 1.

Here were my picks from last week:

Saints (+7) at Lions ✅

Bears (-2.5) at Panthers ✅

Packers at Vikings (-1.5) ✅

Cowboys (-2.5) at Giants ❌

Broncos (+2.5) at Chiefs ❌

2026 Season Record: 3-2

It wasn’t a perfect week, but as I said, any time you can go positive in betting, it’s a good week. Didn’t make a huge profit, but hey, as long as I don’t lose money, I’m happy. Now it’s time to make some more in Week 2.

Here are five Week 2 spreads that you can take advantage of this week.

Note: Odds are subject to change, so keep an eye out for that if you decide to tail my picks.

Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots (-5.5)

Betting on a good team that underperforms in Week 1 is usually a pretty good betting strategy in Week 2. Sportsbooks usually give home teams about three points in matchups, meaning they think the New England Patriots are 2.5 points better than the Pittsburgh Steelers. The same Steelers that didn’t look good against the Cooper Rush-led Falcons. Yeah, something’s off with that.

Vegas knows betters are very reactive, and after a very disappointing season opener where Drake Maye threw three interceptions, they’re counting on people betting on the Steelers in this game. But what a lot of people forget is that Seattle has a top-two defense in the NFL (and it might not be two), and they would’ve made any quarterback look silly in Week 1.

The Patriots should be touchdown favorites against the Steelers in their home opener, but Vegas is giving them to you at -5.5. Take it.

Philadelphia Eagles (-7) at Tennessee Titans

Another line I’m taking advantage of this week is the Philadelphia Eagles -7 against the Tennessee Titans. I know they’re on the road, but if you watched these two teams play last week, it’s easy to see why the Eagles should be favored by more than seven.

The Eagles didn’t look untouchable last week. In fact, they almost lost to the Washington Commanders, but I think Washington is a good team, and I was encouraged by what I saw Philly do offensively. They moved the ball pretty well, and their run game was much better than it was last year. Defensively, things could’ve been a bit cleaner, but I have full faith they’ll sort it out.

Meanwhile, the Titans were incredibly disappointing. Their offense couldn’t move the ball, and they let the Geno Smith-led Jets score 23 on them. I just don’t see Cam Ward and this offense having any more success against Philly’s defense than they had against New York’s. This feels like a 10-point Philly win.

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans (-3)

The Cincinnati Bengals won last week, and the Houston Texans lost, so Vegas wants you to take the Bengals in this game, but I think Houston wins it in a close one.

Don’t get me wrong, the Bengals are a good team. Their offense is going to be great and their defense looked much improved from last season, but I think the Texans are the better team. I know their defense struggled to stop Josh Allen, but there will be more opportunities to get after Joe Burrow with their pass rush, which is the strength of this defense. Then, add on the fact that Houston’s offense looked alive in their season opener, and I don’t see them losing this game.

It’s going to be close, and if this line gets above -3, I don’t think I’d take it, but this feels like a gritty 27-24 win for Houston to me.

Minnesota Vikings (+5.5) at Chicago Bears

A lot of people aren’t going to like this one, but I do. After the Chicago Bears scored 59 points last week, everyone is going to be extremely high on them and betting on them to win this game. They probably will win this game, but I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as it was last week.

Minnesota’s defense is a whole different beast than Carolina’s. Brian Flores is one of the best play callers in the NFL, and he put the pressure on Jordan Love last week, blitzing him on over 80 percent of their defensive snaps. He made Love’s life hell, and he’s going to do the same to Caleb Williams.

In 2025, Williams played against Flores’s defense twice, and in those two games he completed just 55.2 percent of his throws for 403 yards (201.5 per game) and one touchdown while fumbling once. In those games, the Bears averaged 20.5 points, well below their 25.7 average on the season.

Again, Chicago should win this football game, but Minnesota will cover.

Carolina Panthers (-2.5) at Atlanta Falcons

This line might be bait, but I’m falling for it if it is. There is no reason the Carolina Panthers should be 2.5-point favorites against the Atlanta Falcons. They are clearly the better team, and I would’ve said that even if their offense didn’t look great last week.

First of all, Bryce Young looked fantastic in the season opener, throwing for 361 yards and scoring four total touchdowns while leading Carolina to 37 points. Jalen Coker also broke out in Week 1, catching eight passes for 138 yards and two scores, giving Young two real threats out wide. And on top of all of that, their run game averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns. Not bad.

Meanwhile, the Falcons struggled with Cooper Rush under center, scoring just 13 points and losing to a stagnant Pittsburgh offense. Maybe Tua Tagovailoa plays in this game, but I don’t think it would make much of a difference.

Vegas could be baiting everyone with this line, but I’m willing to take the risk. Carolina should win this game by a touchdown at least.