Week 1 in the NFL certainly had its fair share of excitement and it was quite the opening slate for the underdog. At Caesars Sportsbook, underdogs went 9-7 outright and were 12-4 against the spread. With the New York Giants and Washington Football Team set to kick off Week 2 in the NFL during "Thursday Night Football," we'll get to see if that trend will carry over.
Below, we're going to cover all the different betting angles that this Week 2 open has for us. We'll dive into the line movement throughout the week, take a look at some player props and, of course, give you our picks for how we see this game unfolding.
All NFL odds via Caesars Sportsbook.
How to watch
Date: Thursday, Sept. 16 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: FedEx Field (Landover, Maryland)
TV: NFLN | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Washington -3.5, O/U 40.5
Line movement
This number opened at Washington -4 and has fallen since. On Monday, it dipped down to Washington -3.5 and dropped as low as -3 on Wednesday, but has since ticked back up a half-point giving Ron Rivera's club a plus-field goal advantage.
The pick: Giants +3.5. I like Washington to hang on and win this game, but it'll be by a field goal, meaning you'll have to work fast to get the spread at this number before it potentially falls back down to -3. New York is 8-5 ATS when they are at least a 3-point underdog. Joe Judge-led Giants teams are also 3-0 ATS with fewer than six days rest. Daniel Jones has also historically played well against Washington, completing 68.2% of his passes against this division rival with eight touchdown passes compared to just three total interceptions.
Key trend: Road team is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings
Over/Under total
The total has also taken a tumble for this NFC East head to head. It opened at 41.5 and has dropped a full point to 40.5, which is currently the lowest total on the Week 2 slate.
The pick: Under 40.5. The Under seems like the smartest play here, even if it is so low. Both offenses haven't shown much explosiveness, especially with Washington turning to a backup quarterback in Taylor Heinicke and the Giants still easing Saquon Barkley back into their backfield. Meanwhile, Washington's defense is stout enough to really limit New York's scoring ability if it can apply enough pressure on Jones.
Key trend: Under is 20-8 in their last 28 meetings
Daniel Jones props
- Passing touchdowns: 1.5 (Over +155, Under -190)
- Passing yards: 237.5 (Over -115, Under -115)
- Rushing yards: 20.5 (Over -115, Under -115)
- Pass attempts: 34.5 (Over -105, Under -125)
- Completions: 20.5 (Over -120, Under -110)
- Longest pass completion: 35.5 (Over -120, Under -110)
- Interceptions: 0.5 (Over -150, Under +120)
This is projected to be a pretty low-scoring game, which makes me lean toward the Under on Jones' passing yards total of 237.5 (-115). While he was able to pass for 267 yards last week, Jones went over his passing yards total just four times in his 16 games played last season. If we're looking for a Jones prop that has the potential to go Over, I like his 20.5 rushing yards mark. He logged 27 last week and has six carries vs. Denver. He could be on the run again as Washington boasts a solid pass rush and New York could continue to limit Barkley's touches.
Taylor Heinicke props
- Passing touchdowns: 1.5 (Over +110, Under -140)
- Passing yards: 250.5 (Over -115, Under -115)
- Rushing yards: 21.5 (Over -120, Under -110)
- Pass attempts: 34.5 (Over -105, Under -125)
- Completions: 22.5 (Over -130, Under +100)
- Longest pass completion: 34.5 (Over -120, Under -110)
- Interceptions: 0.5 (Over -140, Under +110)
We're going Under on Heinicke's passing yards prop of 250.5 (-115). While his playing career is admittedly a small sample size, the only two times he's crossed this total, he dropped back to pass 53 and 44 times, respectfully. That level of passing opportunities simply won't be there for him on Thursday.
Player props to consider
Logan Thomas total receiving yards: Over 46.5 (-120). All three of Thomas' targets came from Heinicke. In limited playing time during Week 1, the two totaled 30 yards through the air, including an 11-yard touchdown. Heinicke has shown an affinity to throw Thomas' way and he'll now face a Giants team that allowed Broncos tight end Noah Fant to total 62 yards on six catches in the opener.
Darius Slayton total receptions: Over 2.5 (-150). Slayton just got over this total last week, but what intrigues me is the seven targets he received from Jones (second most on the team). If that continues in a game where New York is expected to be trailing, Slayton should have plenty of chances to hit this Over.
Antonio Gibson total rushing yards: Over 67.5 (-115). 20 carries in Week 1 on a 4.5-yards-per-carry clip got Gibson to 90 rushing yards against the Chargers. Now, he faces a Giants run defense that allowed Melvin Gordon and rookie Javonte Williams to total 146 yards on the ground last week.