Ross Williams previews Sunday's NFL action, including two of the feature games live on Sky Sports at 18:00 and 21:05 BST.
NFL betting tips: Week 2
2pts Vikings @ Bears over 48.5 total match points at 10/11 (General)
1pt David Montgomery (Texans) to score 2+ touchdowns at 39/10 (bet365)
2pts Jacksonville Jaguars to beat the Denver Broncos at 13/10 (General)
Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears
We kick off this week with a look at week one’s highest scorers. The Chicago Bears grabbed the headlines on Sunday evening, racking up 59 points in a crazy game with the Carolina Panthers that almost achieved a combined triple-figure scoreline.
The Bears’ offence made a real statement, complete with six rushing touchdowns. However, as positive as their attacking play was, the 37 points they conceded to a likely middle-of-the-road Carolina team was cause for concern.
Up next for Chicago? A divisional clash with the Minnesota Vikings.
Kyler Murray’s injury concerns are the major story around the Vikes this week, but it shouldn’t take away from what was achieved on Sunday. Led by backup Carson Wentz, who played remarkably well, Minnesota laid down a real marker in the NFC North, taking down the Packers 39-22.
With the two offences as potent as they were in week one, it’s hard to ignore the total points line in this one.
Much has been made of the coaching battle between Bears HC Ben Johnson and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. This is the seventh matchup in recent years between the pair and the average points scored in those contests is 48.5 – right on par with the current line on offer.
However, it’s clear that these two sides, early into the year, are firing on all cylinders at the moment so the prospect of 49 points and beyond looks likely.
The overs look well worth a look, ahead of the one of the most watchable games of the weekend.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans
He didn’t get the win, but DAVID MONTGOMERY’s Houston debut was otherwise the stuff of fairytale.
Against a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the Buffalo Bills, Montgomery showed exactly why he’s regarded as one of the very best backs in the NFL today. When all was said and done, he had three touchdowns to his name.
Statistically, Montgomery’s 60 yards from 20 carries is pretty ordinary, but he was effective where it mattered and the Texans went to him time and time again in the key areas of the field.
In fact, he was the only Texans running back with redzone touches against the Bills, which is a very promising sign for his scoring potential moving forward.
Montgomery is backable at 20/27 to score anytime in his upcoming clash with the Bengals, but I’m tempted to go one step further and opt for the brace. Cincinnati came out of their opener with an important win over the Buccaneers, but they let Tampa hang around a little longer than they’d have wanted. Tampa RB Bucky Irving also had some success against them, scoring a touchdown on the ground.
With nine career braces, despite regularly sharing workload with Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit, Montgomery’s no stranger to multiple-score games and this looks like a nice early-season opportunity in a game that Houston will feel they have to win.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Denver Broncos
The evening slate is headlined by the Denver Broncos – fresh off a very disappointing opener against Kansas City – hosting the JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, who looked pristine in a demolition of the Cleveland Browns in week one.
The quality of the opposition both teams faced last week does skew the form. There’s no question that the Chiefs are a far greater outfit than the Browns. However, Denver’s inability to get their offence going – regardless of their opponents – was a genuine concern.
The Jags, however, looked fantastic and there may well be some value in them as underdogs this weekend.
Trevor Lawrence was outstanding week one, throwing four touchdown passes while completing 18 of his 23 attempts, and the Jaguars did a great job spreading the ball around their very well-rounded offence. All told, seven Jacksonville players had a rushing carry in the game and nine Jags caught at least one pass. That’s difficult for any defence to contend with and particularly one that was humbled by Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs less than a week ago.
The Broncos are under pressure, they’re on a short week and, quite frankly, they looked out of sorts in their opening game of the year.
With plus-money on offer, I’m much more comfortable opting for the team that I’ve already seen play well, in a game that they will view as a huge opportunity, rather than a high-pressure, must-win encounter. Plus, Jacksonville were comfortable 34-20 winners when these teams faced off in December last year. Give me the Jags.
Posted at 13:40 BST on 19/09/26
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