Your NFL betting primer for Week 2

Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals

Total: 50.5

Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Did anyone make more of a statement in Week 1 than Arizona? Probably not.

Entering the opener as three-point underdogs in Tennessee, the Cards demolished a Titans team that has churned out five consecutive winning seasons. Clearly, Kyler Murray and Co. look poised to make an enormous leap.

Now they get to face the Vikings, who allowed more points last year than all but one NFC club. Minnesota is coming into the desert already banged up, too, as they’ll be without three defensive regulars in Everson Griffen (concussion), Anthony Barr (knee), and Harrison Hand (hamstring) — and possibly a fourth with Eric Kendricks (quadriceps) questionable.

The Vikings also must feel wounded from dropping their first game at Cincinnati. When you have the Bengals up first, that’s supposed to be a beautiful opportunity to start 1-0. Instead, the Vikings let that one slip away, en route to falling in overtime.

At the same time, Kirk Cousins and his cast showed plenty of signs of life by the end after a dismal first half. That leads me to believe they’ll be more in tune for all four quarters, and when that’s the case, they’re one of the best offenses around.

Look for both teams to at least score into the 20s. I’d expect this one to be competitive as well, meaning there should be enough here to propel this total over. I’m buying half a point from 50.5 to 50 in case it blooms of the 27-23/30-20 variety.

Pick: OVER 50 (-120)

Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears

Spread: Bengals +2/Bears -2

Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

For those concerned about how Joe Burrow would perform in his first game out of the chute after returning from a torn ACL, such thoughts had to have been immediately dismissed. He was that good.

Burrow registered a delightful 128.8 passer rating in the club’s Week 1 victory, connecting on 20-of-27 passes for 261 yards and a pair of touchdowns. And now that he has that first game back under his belt, the former No. 1 overall draft pick is only going to get more comfortable again.

Chicago, meanwhile, is already seeing things get uncomfortable. At least that’s the case so long as Andy Dalton remains the starter while electric rookie Justin Fields waits for an inevitable QB change.

Dalton put forth an uninspiring effort in his inaugural Bears affair, a 34-14 blowout loss to the Rams in the first Sunday Night Football game of the season. More such performances could be coming, like today.

Of course, there’s the possibility that a revenge-game scenario plays out after Dalton spent his first nine years with the Bengals. I counter that by pointing out Dalton actually returned to Cincinnati last year (and was solid in a win), so those emotions may not be as strong and as uplifting (plus this is in Chicago anyway). In other words, same ol’ Andy Dalton here.

Pick: BENGALS +2 (-110)

CLE +14 —> +27

DAL +3 —> +16

KC-BAL O54 —> O41

GB -12.5 —> +0.5

For those new to teasers, these are bets in which you are tasked with selecting a certain amount of games and being given points to either add or subtract from the spread and/or over/under. But you must hit on each one in order to secure the ‘W.’

In four-gamers, you are provided 13 points with which to play. These can be useful when pursuing a heavy favorite, as is the case with Green Bay at home against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football. Following an embarrassing Week 1 blowout defeat at the hands of the Saints, how do the Packers not win here?

So there’s one. These bets can also be useful for including an underdog capable of making things close, except you possess the ability to have them get more than two or three touchdowns.

That’s why we’re including Dallas after they almost took down the defending champs on opening night. They just need to lose by less than 16 (or win) at the Chargers? Houston, after their impressive Week 1 triumph, looks like they can avoid a 28-point-or-worse beatdown in Cleveland in what is a Tyrod Taylor revenge game. And no Odell Beckham Jr.

Finally, we’ll attach the marquee game of Week 2 when Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson square off for the fourth time. Considering those first three encounters yielded an average of more than 55 points scored, I think we can trust them to simply top the 41-point threshold.

Calvin Ridley Over/Under 5.5 Receptions

Atlanta’s mega-talented fourth-year wide-out had a lackluster season debut last week, hauling in only five catches for 51 yards. However, those quiet outings will be few and far between through all of 2021.

Today’s date in Tampa Bay, on the other hand, represents what will likely be one of the stronger showings on the campaign from Ridley. At least that’s what his past against the division rival Bucs indicates.

Just look at last year, when Ridley tallied 18 catches on a whopping 26 targets in the two meetings. Both those matchups were also high-scoring. I’d anticipate a similar pace here, and if this game follows the expected game script of Tampa leading decisively all the way through, plenty more throws are coming to Ridley.

Pick: OVER 5.5 Receptions (-150)