Gambling With Gange: NFL Week 2

Last week was the first time in my gambling life that I made my bets public, and after the early slate of games, it was safe to say that I was beginning to regret that decision.

After already being down 4 units on the year thanks to Chris Godwin’s fumble, both the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Football Team let me down in large part due to Dalvin Cook’s overtime fumble and Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 1st half hip injury. Before I knew it, I was down 6 units and an early panic began.

That panic continued into the afternoon slate when the worst loss of my life occurred thanks to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers getting embarrassed at the hands of Jameis Winston and the New Orleans Saints, 38-3, in a game that shocked all of us. It’s safe to say I won’t be betting on the Packers again until they show me literally anything. Thankfully, my decision to put 2 units on the Denver Broncos over the New York Giants paid off as Teddy Bridgewater improved his career record against the spread to an insane 36-13-1.

Despite losing another overtime game with the Ravens on Monday night, a terrible week was saved by my Rams/49ers 4 unit teaser that survived a late scare by the Detroit Lions against the 49ers and cashed without a sweat as the Rams beat up on the Bears on Sunday Night.

With all that being said, here’s how we’re looking after 1 week:

Week 1 Record: 2-5, -2.54 units

Season Record: 2-5, -2.54 units

Week 1 is always going to be tricky given that you have no choice but to rely on what you saw last year. Now that I’ve seen every team play, I’m feeling ready for a bounce back week. Now let’s get into my bets for Week 2 of the 2021 NFL Season:

Washington Football Team -3 (-120) vs New York Giants (1 unit)

The Football Team let me down last weekend by losing a close one against the Chargers. Despite the loss of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, I remain confident in this team to win the NFC East. Taylor Heinicke proved in the playoff game last year against the Bucs that he can get the job done with a good supporting cast around him. And if Chase Young has faith in him, then who am I to say otherwise. The Football Team has one of the best defensive lines in the NFL and I think they will dominate a weak Giants offensive line en route to a double digit win on Thursday night.

New Orleans Saints -3.5 (EVEN) vs Carolina Panthers (1 unit)

It’s not a hot take when I say that no team looked more impressive in Week 1 than the New Orleans Saints. In his first start in the black and gold, Jameis Winston looked better than ever and their defense made the reigning MVP look like he should be hosting Jeopardy instead. I think that the Panthers will be a solid team this year with Sam Darnold leading the way but they are a fringe playoff team at best while the Saints are a legit contender to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Don’t overthink one. Take the Saints to cover.

Cincinnati Bengals ML (+115) vs Chicago Bears (1 unit)

I bet against the Joe Burrow and the Bengals last week and I most certainly paid for it. By no means are the Vikings one of the top teams in the league but I believe that they are better than the Bears as long as Andy Dalton is their starting QB. I think this game will come down to the wire but I expect at least one big play by Ja’Marr Chase that ultimately leads the Bengals to a W. They are 2.5 point underdogs but I’m going with them winning outright. Who Dey!

Los Angeles Rams -3.5 (-110) vs Indianapolis Colts (1 unit)

Rams’ fans have spent all offseason imagining what Sean McVay’s offense was going to look like with Matthew Stafford at QB and it did not disappoint on Sunday Night Football. Jared Goff was a capable QB for the Rams but Stafford just adds a whole new element to this offense. On the other side, the Colts underwhelmed in Week 1 against the Seahawks and while I think they will rebound and become a playoff contender, I don’t think they will do much against the team that many are calling the best in the NFC. Rams by 2 touchdowns.

San Francisco 49ers -3 (-120) vs Philadelphia Eagles (1 unit)

With the exception of the final 2-3 minutes of the game, the 49ers looked as advertised in their Week 1 game against a weak Lions team. The Eagles also had an impressive performance against an arguably even weaker Falcons team. My rationale in this game is that I believe the 49ers could be a top 3-4 team in the NFC while the Eagles still have many question marks after a disappointing 2020 season. I think this game will be back and forth but I’m predicting Jalen Hurts making a crucial mistake late in the game giving the 49ers a win and a cover.

Denver Broncos (-6) vs Jacksonville Jaguars (1 unit)

The Broncos saved my Week 1 from being a complete disaster so I’m going to reward them by giving them another shot in Week 2. There’s already speculation that Urban Meyer wants to leave Jacksonville for the recently open USC job, which in large part is due to the fact that the Jaguars looked abysmal vs a Houston Texans team that many thought could go 0-17. I think Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick will step up in Jerry Jeudy’s absence and blow out the worst team in the league on Sunday.

New England Patriots vs New York Jets UNDER 42.5 points (-110) (1 unit)

I’m normally not a huge totals bettor and hardly ever bet an under due to it making the game a miserable experience to watch but this one simply looked too good to pass up. In a game featuring 2 rookie QBs, I think points will be hard to come by, especially for Zach Wilson and the Jets against a Patriots defense that looked great last week against the Dolphins. Bill Belichick must be licking his chops preparing for this one. Take the under and ignore this game entirely as it promises to be a snooze fest.

Dallas Cowboys +3.5 (-110) vs Los Angeles Chargers (1 unit)

This is a matchup between 2 teams that I bet against last week that both proved me wrong. I thought the Cowboys would lose by 14+ against the Bucs but I clearly didn’t give enough credit to Dak Prescott who looks to be a lock for Comeback Player of the Year award already. The Chargers won a big game on the road in Washington but I’m not convinced by them yet given the injury suffered in that game to Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Chargers will be the “home” team but anyone with a brain knows that there are more Cowboys fans in LA than Charger fans so homefield advantage won’t come into play. I expect this game to be decided by 3 points either way. Take the Cowboys with the points.

6-Point TEASER (-110) Denver Broncos PK/New England Patriots PK (2.2 units)

I’m putting 2 units on my teaser of the week with the Broncos and the Patriots. As I said above, I think the Broncos beat up on the Giants while also believing that the Patriots defense will eat Zach Wilson alive. This is another teaser that seems way too easy. All we need is these teams to win the game and I think they both get it done which is why I’m ponying up with 2.2 units for my best bet of the week.

BOL if you tail. FU if you fade. Let’s get rich.

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