NFL Week 2 Survivor Picks: Packers, Two Under-the-Radar Teams Among Top Choices

If you weren’t careful in your NFL survivor pool in Week 1 of the season, you could have found yourself out before the fun really started. 

Underdogs went 9-7 straight up last week, which makes it even harder to find a winner to survive and advance to the next week of the season. There are several strategies to go about a survivor pool, whether it is by taking the biggest favorites (as almost all of us at BetSided did in Week 1) or by finding a team that you wouldn’t usually take that has a great matchup that particular week. 

Looking at the odds at WynnBET Sportsbook this week, there are a few massive favorites that may be worth taking if you want to make it to the next week in your respective pool. But first, let’s recap our Week 1 picks: 

NFL Week 1 Survivor Picks

• Iain MacMillan: Los Angeles Rams (W)
• Donnavan Smoot: Buffalo Bills (L)
• Peter Dewey: San Francisco 49ers (W)
• Brian Giuffra: San Francisco 49ers (W)
• Ben Heisler: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (W)

A solid 4-1 start for the BetSided crew (sorry, Donnavan), but there’s more picks to be made in Week 2.

Here are our team’s favorite “survivor” selections for this week’s slate: 

NFL Week 2 Survivor Pick: Green Bay Packers

Forget about the dud against the New Orleans Saints to open the season. You can always count on the Detroit Lions to cure whatever ails the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers. 

In 22 career starts against Detroit, Rodgers has gone 17-5 and thrown 46 touchdowns against eight interceptions. At home, that record improves to 10-2. This is a must-win game against a bad team. I don't see Rodgers struggling a second consecutive time, especially not against the rag-tag Lions on national television. -- Brian Giuffra 

One would traditionally avoid going with a team that got dropped by 35 in their season opener, but if there’s ever a time to go all-in on Green Bay, it’s now. The Packers bring in the Detroit Lions who gave up 41 points at home to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, the game is at Lambeau Field, and it’s also a standalone Monday Night Football game.

This has traditionally been the spot that Aaron Rodgers is absolutely lethal, especially when doubt starts to creep in.

Rodgers has won seven straight games on Monday night and over the last 19 years, teams that lost by 30 points or more in Week 1 are 7-1 SU and 8-0 ATS in Week 2.

Packers make this one a laugher and we survive to Week 3. -- Ben Heisler

NFL Week 2 Survivor Pick: Denver Broncos

This pick is almost more about the Jacksonville Jaguars ineptitude than it is Denver’s impressive showing in Week 1, but the Broncos’ fast start certainly made this choice a little easier. 

Teddy Bridgewater remains the class of the NFL against the spread (37-14 as a starter) and the Broncos are six-point road favorites against Urban Meyer’s squad in Week 2. 

Denver looked great against the Giants in Week 1, and I think it handles business again on the road even without Jerry Jeudy. Trevor Lawrence and the Jags have a lot of growing to do, and rather than wasting a contender like the Buccaneers or Packers this early, I’m trusting Bridgewater and the Broncos to start the 2021 season 2-0. -- Peter Dewey

NFL Week 2 Survivor Pick: New England Patriots

Bill Belichick is one of the best coaches in NFL history after a lossing, going 23-11-1 against the spread in the game following his last 35 losses. Not only that, but Belichick has a 21-6 record against rookie quarterbacks dating back to 2000, and this weekend he'll be facing New York Jets rookie Zach Wilson.

I'm not a big believer in the New England Patriots this season, but I can't see this squad losing to this Jets team so I'll happily use them as my survivor pick this week and save some serious contenders for later in the season. -- Iain MacMillan

Think your survivor pick is a lock this week? Download the WynnBET app to get in on the action and back your team.