Some of the home teams will face an uphill battle to win games in the NFL this weekend.
The biggest margins are the Los Angeles Chargers favored by six over the Carolina Panthers, and the San Francisco 49ers giving six points to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Chargers are one of the NFL’s most intriguing teams under new coach Jim Harbaugh, and an overhauled lineup. Los Angeles hired Greg Roman as the offensive coordinator after he led the Ravens to a record-setting rushing attack in 2019. Los Angeles also signed two former Ravens’ running backs—J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
In last week’s 22–10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, Dobbins ran for 135 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown. The Chargers will look to keep the ground attack rolling against the Panthers, who struggled in all three facets—offense, defense, and special teams—in a lopsided 47–10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers also allowed 180 yards rushing on 37 carries, which completely plays into the Chargers’ favor. The matchup against Los Angeles could be another lop-sided loss for the reeling Panthers.
San Francisco is one of the favorites to win this season’s Super Bowl and rolled to a 32–19 victory over the New York Jets and quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the opener. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy had an even performance, completing 19 of 21 passes for 231 yards. However, 49ers running back Jordan Mason carried the ball 28 times for 147 yards with a touchdown. He will get plenty of opportunities against Minnesota, which allowed 74 yards on 21 carries in a 28–6 victory over the New York Giants last week.
It was an encouraging start for Minnesota and new quarterback Sam Darnold, who signed a one-year deal this offseason. Darnold was named the starter after rookie J. J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury in training camp. Minnesota still faces a challenge to keep pace with the powerful 49ers.
The visiting Jets are favored by 3.5 points over the host Tennessee Titans. The Rodgers era did not get off to a good start in the season-opening loss to San Francisco but the Jets have enough talent to cruise past Tennessee. The Titans lost to the upstart Chicago Bears 24–17 on Sunday. Tennessee quarterback Will Levis had a challenging day, completing 19 of 32 passes for just 127 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for a 52.5 rating. That performance is one of the reasons the Jets are favored in this game.
The Seattle Seahawks are also favored by 3.5 over the New England Patriots even though both teams are coming off wins. Seattle edged the Broncos 26–20 in new coach Mike Macdonald’s home debut. Running back Kenneth Walker III led the Seahawks with 103 yards rushing on 84 carries and the defense held on for the win. The Patriots already notched an upset victory in coach Jerod Mayo’s debut, beating the host Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow 16–10 in Week 1. The Patriots now return home and are primed for another upset over Seattle.
The Green Bay Packers lost their game against the Philadelphia Eagles 34–29 in Brazil. The setback was compounded by a knee injury to starting quarterback Jordan Love. Love has not been ruled out to play this week against the Indianapolis Colts, but it’s likely improbable and that’s why Green Bay is the 3-point underdog. If Love can’t play, Malik Willis will likely get the start. Willis has completed 35 of 67 passes for 350 yards, with no touchdowns and three interceptions over 12 career games.
The Colts fell short in Week 1 with a 29–27 loss at the Houston Texans. Indianapolis can stretch the field with quarterback Anthony Richardson and wide receiver Alex Pierce, who had three receptions for 125 yards with a touchdown against Houston. The Colts are favored because Willis will be challenged to keep pace with their offense if he starts the game.
Finally, the Pittsburgh Steelers are 2.5-point favorites over host Denver. While Pittsburgh’s offense was underwhelming in an 18–10 victory over host Atlanta on Sunday, the defense was absolutely suffocating. Outside linebacker T.J. Watt was a game wrecker and finished with two tackles for a loss, a sack, three quarterback hits, and a fumble recovery. The Steelers held Atlanta to 226 total yards. As a result, Denver will be hard-pressed to move the ball. However, if the Broncos can manage some points they could emerge with a victory because the Steelers also struggle offensively.
