NFL Week 2 Best Bets (Predictions for Steelers vs. Patriots Jaguars vs. Broncos on Sunday)

Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season is upon us with a loaded 14-game slate on Sunday and an exciting Monday night battle between the Los Angeles Rams and the 1-0 New York Giants.

If you're looking to bet on a few of these matchups (or all of them), you're in the right place.

All season long, the SI Betting team of Iain MacMillan and Peter Dewey will share our NFL Best Bets for each week. The premise is simple:

We choose our favorite bet for Sunday or Monday, and our awesome readers get a chance to ride with us, or fade us. Plus, we'll keep track of our record here to see how we fare throughout the season.

Week 1 was a bit of a bloodbath, as MacMillan came up short with his UNDER pick for the Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts matchup and Dewey's underdog bet for the Denver Broncos was basically dead on arrival.

It happens, and after an 0-2 start, we're looking to bounce back on Sunday with a long season still ahead.

This week, we're eyeing the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Denver Broncos clash on Sunday and the Pittsburgh Steelers' battle with the New England Patriots.

There are 15 different games to choose from with these best bets, so make sure to check out Iain's Road to 272 (where he bets on every game, every week) if you want a pick for games that aren't mentioned here.

Now, let's dive right into the plays for Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season.

NFL Best Bets for Week 2

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook.

Jacksonville Jaguars +2.5 (-102) vs. Denver Broncos -- Peter Dewey
New England Patriots -5.5 (-105) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Iain MacMillan

Jacksonville Jaguars +2.5 (-102) vs. Denver Broncos – Peter Dewey

It’s hard to have a worse debut than the Denver Broncos had in 2026, as they posted the worst offensive EPA/Play in the league, and their defense was torched in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night.

The Broncos were the No. 1 team in defensive success rate and No. 7 in defensive EPA/Play last season, but they struggled tackling in Week 1 against Kansas City, missing 28 tackles and allowing 247 yards after those misses.

The Broncos defense missed 28 tackles against the Chiefs, allowing 247 yards after missed tackles, the most yards allowed by any defense in a game since at least 2018.

The Broncos had eight different defenders miss multiple tackles on the night.#DENvsKC | #ChiefsKingdom
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 15, 2026

That’s not going to cut it against any team, and I don’t think things will get easier against Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars, who put on an offensive clinic in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.

Lawrence tossed four scores in the win, and the Jags came out of that ranking No. 2 in EPA/Play on offense and No. 8 in EPA/Play on defense. Sure, the Broncos are a step up in class from the Browns, but the Denver offense looked stuck in mud with Davis Webb calling the plays against Kansas City.

Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton combined for just three receptions for 13 yards and Bo Nix turned the ball over multiple times in the loss. Could a similar script play out in Week 2?

Let’s not forget, the Jaguars beat Denver 34-20 in Week 16 of the 2025 season, turning in arguably the best performance against the Denver defense all season. Liam Coen has proven he’s one of the best offensive minds in the game, so I don’t mind getting points in this matchup.

There’s a chance this line moves to three by Sunday, so I wouldn’t fault bettors for taking a wait-and-see approach if they like the Jags as underdogs in Week 2.

New England Patriots -5.5 (-105) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – Iain MacMillan

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have gotten the win in Week 1, but their offense was atrocious against an Atlanta Falcons defense that isn't exactly elite.

They ranked 29th in EPA per play, 30th in success rate, and 21st in offensive DVOA amongst all teams in Week 1. That's bad news for them now that they have to face one of the best teams in the AFC.

I'm not putting too much stock in the New England Patriots' Week 1 loss. We know at this point that they're a step below the Seattle Seahawks, but this is a roster that's built to beat up on inferior teams.

They should be fresh coming off a mini bye, and are in a great bounce back spot against a bad Steelers team.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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