What we learned from NFL Week 1 and lessons for Week 2

What the heck happened to the Bengals?

Cincinnati was probably feeling pretty good about its chances of topping the AFC North this season when the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. The Bengals then turned around and lost 16-10 to a lowly New England Patriots team, failing to score in the first half and ultimately failing to cover the 7.5-point spread.

Joe Burrow's team opened as a 4-point underdog at DraftKings against the Chiefs in Week 2, but that line has already increased to six points. If you have been debating whether or not to back the Bengals, you're better staying away from them — at least for the next week.

'Under' pressure in New York

So, the Giants are not very good. But they are a good bet if you're banking on them to hit the Under.

According to Action Network, New York is the most profitable team to hit the Under since 2020. That includes a 33-15-2 run to the Under with Daniel Jones under center.

If Jones keeps throwing pick-sixes at the rate he is, you can probably expect the Giants to keep successfully hitting the Under this season.

Kings of the jungle — and the gridiron

The Lions didn't play their prettiest game on Sunday, but they got the best of the L.A. Rams with a 26-20 overtime victory. It ended up being a good day for anyone who backed them to cover the 5.5-point spread — and for anyone who had David Montgomery on their fantasy roster.

The veteran running back rushed for 91 yards on Sunday night and punctuated his performance by scoring the game-ending touchdown. He's still a 25-1 long shot at DK to be this season's rushing yards leader, but it's worth it to keep an eye on those odds if he keeps playing like he did in Week 1.

What to watch for in Week 2

Division rivals collide

Two big division matchups highlight the schedule next Sunday. Sure, the NFC East standoff between the Giants and the Washington Commanders probably won't be that electric. But it should be fun to see what Jayden Daniels will do after throwing for 184 yards and running in two touchdowns in his NFL debut.

The other divisional standoff, and arguably one of the most intriguing games on next week's schedule, has the Miami Dolphins hosting the Buffalo Bills. Tua Tagovailoa threw for over 300 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars while Josh Allen had two touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals. The spread has gone up from one point but is still pretty tight at -2.5 in favor of Miami, so looking at quarterback prop bets is the way to go if you want to play along with this game.

Lucky horseshoe

The Indianapolis Colts fell just short of getting revenge on the Houston Texans in Week 1. However, that game also showed that Anthony Richardson has very much returned as he went off for 212 yards with two passing touchdowns and an addition touchdown on the ground.

In Week 2, Indy visits the Green Bay Packers, who will try to navigate the competition without starting QB Jordan Love. The Colts are 3.5-point favorites on the road and are favored at DK to score the first touchdown at -145. Keep an eye out for Richardson prop bets as the week progresses, because he has the potential to put on a clinic against a disheartened Packers side.