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NFL week 2 picks: Ben Johnson’s Bears show the Lions what they’re missing

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Ex-Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson should know exactly how to beat former team.

Published Sep 12, 2025 • Last updated 16 minutes ago • 3 minute read

Head coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears reacts on the sideline during the game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Head coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears reacts on the sideline during the game against the Minnesota Vikings. Getty Images

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GREEN BAY -3.5 over Washington

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The Packers look like a legit contender through two weeks on both sides of the ball. Their depth with offensive weapons should be incredibly tough to handle as the season moves on, too.

L.A. Rams -5.5 over TENNESSEE

Cam Ward has the ability, but needs to work on his polish. Unfortunately for him, he’s got another tough matchup in start No.2 and is likely come out on the losing end again.

Seattle +3 over PITTSBURGH

Mark my words: Aaron Rodgers isn’t throwing four TDs against the Seahawks defence. We’ll take the points in what should be a close one.

NEW YORK JETS +6.5 over Buffalo

The Bills are coming off that emotional win in prime time and could face a letdown as a big road favourite against a rival that always plays them tight at home.

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Chicago +6 over DETROIT

Beating on Caleb Williams is starting to look like a good way to get grey hairs, but Ben Johnson should be very well-prepared for his first game against the Lions and know every way to slice and dice his former team’s defence.

New York Giants +6 over DALLAS

There’s already a QB controversy with Big Blue and here’s the angle we’re playing here: Russell Wilson gets benched in the second half and Jaxson Dart comes in for a backdoor cover.

BALTIMORE -11.5 over Cleveland

This isn’t nearly as easy as it seems as the Browns have a shockingly decent recent record against the Ravens. But after Baltimore blew it in Buffalo last week, there won’t be any easing up against their division rival.

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San Francisco -3 over NEW ORLEANS

After going through a Season From Hell in 2024, the Niners already seem to be going through another with George Kittle and Brock Purdy both likely to miss this one. The good news? Christian McCaffery proved in Week 1 he can handle a heavy workload and lead the team to a win.

New England +1 over MIAMI

If the Pats can’t beat this Dolphins team that looked dreadful and is on the verge of imploding, then we might need to cash out any playoff bets we had on them.

CINCINNATI -3.5 over Jacksonville

We’re not buying into two Week 1 overreactions here: The Bengals offence will be better and the Jags offence isn’t as good as their final score against Carolina seemed.

ARIZONA -6.5 over Carolina

Let me get this straight: The Cards were favoured by 6.5 last week in New Orleans, won the game by 10 and now they’re favoured at home by the same number against the Panthers, who looked awful in their opener? How does this make sense?

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Denver -1.5 over INDIANAPOLIS

Daniel Jones is going to be in for a much tougher challenge against this vaunted Broncos defence after that cakewalk against Miami.

Philadelphia -1 over KANSAS CITY

The Chiefs WR corps looks pretty rough right now and the Eagles won’t be without star DT Jalen Carter again. While the Chiefs would love a little revenge after getting blown out in the Super Bowl, we think it’s more likely we see a repeat result, even with the game being played in K.C.

Atlanta +3.5 over MINNESOTA

The Vikes dominated this matchup a year ago, but that was with Kirk Cousins throwing the season away for the Falcons. Should be much closer this time around and Minnesota is on a short week. Don’t forget that JJ McCarthy played just one good quarter last week, too.

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HOUSTON -2.5 over Tampa Bay

The Bucs had a lot of trouble with the Falcons last week and needed a missed FG to walk away with the win. The Texans defence is going to cause them all kinds of problems.

LAS VEGAS +3.5 over L.A. Chargers

The Raiders come home and find themselves underdogs against a rival. The Chargers may have the more talented squad, but we can’t help but take the points when it should be a tight matchup.

Last week: 4-12

This season: 4-12

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