2023 NFL Pick Em Confidence Pools: Week 2 Predictions
NFL Week 2 kicks off tonight with some Thursday Night Football action between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles, so it is time to finalize your entries for whatever betting pools you may have entered. We had a solid first week, though some of the outcomes could have been a little better, but we’re playing the long game. Yes, you can get paid out for winning the week and there will certainly be weeks when we do. But looking at the overall should remain forefront in your mind. If you are new to the Pick'Em Confidence pools, it’s simple -- make your picks for outright winners (not using the spread) then rank the picks 1 through 16 in order of most confident (16 points) to least confident (1 point). Your scores are then added up and usually the most points each week wins a prize while there is also a full-season, overall champion as well. Seems easy enough, right?
In an effort to help you with your pools, I will provide you with my picks each week. In addition to full game breakdowns I do for my own research, I will also use money lines which at least show you how Vegas and the books are leaning. Sometimes the lines offer you a clear-cut decision, but you also need to explore some of the intangibles of each match-up and maybe have more of a gut-feel as to what may happen in a particular game. That’s where ranking your predictions becomes so important.
Ready for Week 2? Let’s get it!
| Game | Pick | Confidence # | Money Line |
| Las Vegas Raiders at Buffalo Bills | Bills | 16 | -395 |
| San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams | 49ers | 15 | -345 |
| Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions | Lions | 14 | -225 |
| New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals | Giants | 13 | -225 |
| New York Jets at Dallas Cowboys | Cowboys | 12 | -440 |
| Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles | Eagles | 11 | -265 |
| Washington Commanders at Denver Broncos | Broncos | 10 | -175 |
| New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers | Saints | 9 | -162 |
| Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars | Chiefs | 8 | -185 |
| Los Angeles Chargers at Tennessee Titans | Chargers | 7 | -148 |
| Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers | Browns | 6 | -125 |
| Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots | Patriots | 5 | -124 |
| Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons | Falcons | 4 | -118 |
| Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans | Colts | 3 | -105 |
| Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Bears | 2 | 120 |
| Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals | Ravens | 1 | 142 |
Player News
Chargers LB Daiyan Henley (shoulder) expects to be ready for training camp.
Henley had surgery to repair a torn labrum that he played through for the final four months of the season. Henley told ESPN’s Kris Rhim that he expects to be “100 percent” before training camp. If for whatever reason Henley is slow coming back it could be an opening for 2024 third-rounder Junior Colson.
Panthers GM Dan Morgan said Georgia LB Jalon Walker would be a 3-4 linebacker in Carolina’s system.
While Morgan also spent the press conference telling interested teams the Panthers would be willing to move down, it was a little more telling that he spoke about the Georgia LB prospect in such finished terms. He didn’t do so at the combine. The Panthers have widely been perceived as interested in drafting a defender at No. 8 overall and Walker would be a logical fit for them.
Giants are hosting a private workout with Louisville QB Tyler Shough.
Shough, a rising name in the process per Dianna Russini, is one of several draft-eligible quarterbacks the Giants are doing late work on including Shedeur Sanders and Jalen Milroe. Shough’s rookie year will also be his age-26 season, so he’d be a bit of a weird developmental pick to hang behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Perhaps the Giants think he could compete for the job right away, or be ready to play the second half of the season.
Tyron Smith retired from the NFL after 14 seasons.
Smith, who played right tackle in college at USC before flipping to the left side in the pros, retires with a borderline Hall of Fame resume. He was named to the Hall of Fame’s All-2010s team and finished first-team All-Pro twice along with three placements on the second team. Smith was especially dominant over a 2013-2016 peak wherein he finished with an 85.9 PFF grade or higher in all four seasons. Injuries slowed him in his later years, including in a 10-game stint with the Jets that concluded with him on injured reserve with a neck injury in 2024. He’ll sign a one-day contract to retire as a Cowboy.
Dolphins GM Chris Grier said the Dolphins are not “pursuing” a trade of Tyreek Hill and no team has called them to attempt to trade for Hill.
Grier joked in the presser that if somebody calls to offer them two first-round picks they’d consider it, but unfortunately for him Bill O’Brien can only offer NIL money at this time. Hill’s recent domestic dispute with his wife likely has teams skittish regarding a potential trade for the speedy wideout. Denials don’t always mean what is on the tin — and the fact that Grier said no team had contacted them as far as a trade for Hill could be viewed as him seeking a market — but as of now it looks more likely than not that Hill will return as Miami’s No. 1 receiver in 2025.
Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter said NFL teams he’s met with during the pre-draft process have no issue with him playing both sides of the ball.
Hunter said he would refuse to play for a team that did not allow him to play both corner and wideout. “Because I’ve been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field,” he told CBS Sports. “I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it.” Hunter in 2024 played 713 offensive snaps and 748 defensive snaps, “which made him the only player since at least 2017 with at least 250 snaps played on both offense and defense in a single season,” according to CBS Sports Research. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, a mentor to Hunter, said Hunter could easily play both sides of the ball as a pro since physical contact in the NFL is “minimal.” Pro Football Focus graded Hunter as last season’s second best cover corner. The most likely outcome for Hunter, 21, would include a full-time defensive role in the NFL with a package of receiver snaps in certain situations. He’s expected to go in the first ten picks of the 2025 draft.