Mac's Sunday Slate: 5 Best Bets for NFL Week 2

I'm not going to lie, it was a rough week for the start of the 2026 edition of Mac's Sunday Slate. We went 1-4 last week, with the Las Vegas Raiders being our only winning bet of the week. The good news is we have 17 more Sundays to make up for it.

As I always do on SI, I gave out my best bets for this week's games in the Road to 272 Bets. I also give out my favorite player props each week in the Player Prop Countdown. The downside of those articles is that the lines move in the days leading up to Sunday's action, and for some of you, 26 different bets is too much to parse through. That's when my Sunday slate comes into play. For the bettors out there who just want my five bets based on Sunday morning's odds, this article is for you.

Let's bounce back.

5 Best NFL Bets Today

Buccaneers -7.5 (-108) vs. Browns via Caesars
Mike Gesicki OVER 2.5 Receptions via Caesars
Matthew Golden Anytime Touchdown (+250) via Fanatics
Kaelon Black OVER 8.5 Rush Attempts (-129) via DraftKings
Chiefs -6 (-110) vs. Colts via BetMGM

Best Bet No. 1: Buccaneers -7.5 (-108) vs. Browns

I'm going to take advantage of every opportunity I get to bet against the second-worst starting quarterback in the NFL, and before you ask, it's Cooper Rush who's the worst. Only slightly ahead of him is Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Clowns.

It's not like the Browns can lean on their defense in this game anymore either. They ranked 30th and 32nd in opponent EPA per play and defensive success rate in Week 1. That's a recipe for disaster against any relatively competent team in the NFL, and it just so happens that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the definition of a relatively competent team.

Not to mention Baker Mayfield is facing his former team who abandoned him. I envision this game ending in a blowout in favor of Tampa Bay.

Best Bet No. 2: Mike Gesicki OVER 2.5 Receptions (-102)

Mike Gesicki hauled in five receptions for 78 yards in the Bengals' Week 1 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now they face a Houston Texans team that has two of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. That means they'll once again likely rely on their No. 1 tight end in the passing game as they try to take advantage of the weakness of the Texans' defense, which is their linebackers. Only three receptions to cash a -102 bet? Count me in.

Best Bet No. 3: Matthew Golden Anytime Touchdown (+250)

In this week's Player Prop Countdown, I made the case for betting on Matthew Golden to find the end zone against the Jets on Sunday, and the odds since then have moved from +240 to +250, so now I like this bet even more:

Matthew Golden hauled in six receptions for the Packers in Week 1, but he had the third-most targets of any pass-catcher across the league with 12. Despite competing for targets with Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, the Packers clearly want to get him the ball. The Jets' defense shut down the pass last week, but given the fact that they were facing Cam Ward and the Titans, I'm not intimidated by their results. Jordan Love should be able to attack this defense through the air, and Golden is a great bet to find the end zone at +240.

Best Bet No. 4: Kaelon Black OVER 8.5 Rush Attempts (-129) via DraftKings

Unless I'm missing something, I don't see why Kaelon Black won't carry the ball at least nine times today. He saw more action for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 than a lot of people expected, running the ball 14 times and played 43.1% of offensive snaps. He also performed well, averaging 4.6 yards per rush.

With the 49ers now set as 13.5-point favorites against the Miami Dolphins, I expect Kyle Shanahan to try to keep Christian McCaffrey as rested and healthy as possible, keeping him on the sideline once they take a lead. That could lead to even more rush attempts by Black in this game.

Best Bet No. 5: Chiefs -6 (-110) vs. Colts

The Chiefs might be all the way back. Bringing back Eric Bieniemy as their offensive coordinator may have been exactly what they need. Patrick Mahomes looks healthy, and their one-two punch at running back with Kenneth Walker and Emmett Johnson got off to a fast start to their seasons.

Meanwhile, the Colts' defense look atrocious against the Ravens, and Daniel Jones' lack of mobility tells me he may still have a nagging injury that's keeping him from using his best weapon.

I think Kansas City runs away with the win in this game.

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