I’m hyped because the second week of NFL preseason action is when we should see the most competitive ball in the month of August.
Teams use this week as a dry run for the regular season. It’s a full, game-plan week.
The teams that play their starters in the preseason will make sure they give those players the most run this week.
I have a couple of wagers I’m making, so let’s dive into my best bets for NFL preseason Week 2.
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Buffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh Steelers (7 p.m., Aug. 17, NFLN)
The Buffalo Bills got their butts whopped by the Chicago Bears 33-6 last weekend, and although it’s the preseason, that won’t sit well with anyone in the building.
Practice this week will be more intense, as the coaches will try to fix errors from the first game. And players all over the roster will be enthusiastic to play better in Week 2, especially the ones trying to make the team.
You can expect extra effort as they prepare to play the Steelers because coaches and players do not want a repeat of last weekend to happen Saturday against Pittsburgh. All of this is human nature in the football facility.
The Bills are facing a Steelers team that struggled to move the ball with the first and second units against the Texans in their preseason game. The presumed starter at quarterback, Russell Wilson, missed the first game, but he should see some time on Saturday. Justin Fields should be moving back to the twos.
I would expect some rust from Russ in a new offense and seeing the field for the first time. And the Bills defense should be able to stop the Steelers offense enough to limit their scoring. I’ll grab the points.
PICK: Bills (+4) to lose by fewer than 4 points (or win outright)
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Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs (4 p.m. ET, Aug. 17, NFLN)
Detroit is unlikely to play its starters. The Chiefs, on the other hand, will treat the second game of the preseason like a dress rehearsal for the regular season.
Since moving to a three-game preseason, the Chiefs have won the second game by at least seven points every year. Patrick Mahomes should play between two and three drives, and Andy Reid has historically kept the starters out there for an extra drive with the backup quarterback. And, most of the defense will continue to see the field.
The Chiefs’ backups on offense need a better performance than last weekend. The offense did not move the ball well with Carson Wentz at quarterback, so I think we see a renewed effort from the offense to score points when Mahomes leaves the field.
Right now, I’m betting on Kansas City -6.5 for the full game, but I’d also take the Chiefs first half number when those numbers hit the market.
PICK: Chiefs (-6.5) to win by more than 6.5 points
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New York Jets @ Carolina Panthers (7 p.m., Aug. 17, NFL+)
The New York Jets actually do care about winning preseason games under Robert Salah. He’s a defensive-minded head coach, and I spelled out what that means in my preseason Week 1 column. TLDR, defensive coaches are excellent to tail in the preseason.
The Jets scored 10 points in the final seven minutes to beat the Commanders by three last weekend, moving Salah to 8-2 straight up (SU) and 7-3 against the spread (ATS) in the preseason.
It’s unlikely the Jets play Aaron Rodgers on Saturday night, but the rest of the starters should see some time against a Panthers squad that predictability looked bad on offense in their first preseason game.
The Panthers are not a deep team because they’re rebuilding their roster. That makes being competitive in preseason games even more difficult. From top to bottom, the Jets roster is much better. The Panthers may roll out quarterback Bryce Young for some reps, but not enough where I give them a boost for his playing time.
I think the Jets will win this game comfortably.
PICK: Jets (-3.5) to win by more than 3.5 points
Geoff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. Follow him on Twitter @GeoffSchwartz.
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